Uncommented Fragrances No. 91
What shouldn't you wear on New Year's Eve?
Fragrances from the generic mainstream stock of certain large designer brands, which sell their diluted deodorant in expensive designer bottles at inflated prices to unsuspecting department store customers, to whom you will no longer belong in 2017.
Exorbitantly expensive niche brands, whose production is sometimes hardly more expensive than the aforementioned junk and whose often-heard tale of using only natural ingredients you no longer need to believe in 2017.
Fragrances that you only bought because they are hyped here on Parfumo and are in the TOP 100, while you actually see yourself quite differently in your mind's eye. In 2017, you will listen to your inner voice.
Blind buys that you made due to a latent consumer panic and whose value you subsequently assess as "dispensable." Next year, you will test them calmly beforehand, buy only on the second or third attempt, and prefer to sleep on it for a night.
Fragrances that you only bought to satisfy your urge for completeness of a range, a series, a brand, a vintage. Soon you will consider what sense such a pursuit could still have. Is less perhaps more?
Or you do it like I do, have no good resolutions, and simply follow your own path, which could, however, orient itself towards the aforementioned recommendations.
The new series from L'Artisan initially evokes unpleasant memories. Bottles that clearly fall out of line and are no longer reminiscent of the classic L'Artisan bottle shape: We've seen this before, back during the unbearable Explosion d'Émotions series, which confused avant-garde with innovation for the sake of avant-garde. Hardly anyone still talks about these L'Artisans. I haven't seen the squat bottles lately, and they can only rarely be bought online. Rightly so!
In this respect, the question arises whether L'Artisan wants to sell the unbearable as bearable again with the new series or seeks a good compromise between postmodernism and classicism, as Comme des Garçons succeeded with its special series.
Specifically: forest accord, plant juice, resins, incense... The list of ingredients suggests great things, conjures the idea of the new green fragrances that have caused a stir in recent months, and makes the entire concept sympathetic to me in advance.
Unfortunately, L'Artisan, with its new series, surprisingly moves in a completely different direction: no postmodern classic, no avant-garde, no green innovation, but uncomplicatedly wearable, light, beautiful, synthetically smoothed. One would be a rascal to think of drugstore goods. However, this comparison cannot be entirely dismissed. In summary: The new series has its highlights and special fragrances, - all are always well wearable and offer a certain restrained sophistication away from mainstream incense or room fragrances, - but it also does not dare to make big leaps.
In this case, it means: The forest accord is so obviously synthetic that it could be charming if the base note contrasted as oddly as in some newer Comme des Garçons, was as musty-earthy as in some CB I Hate Perfumes, or came across as classically resinous like in the new Tom Fords or a REAL classic: Floris Elite... None of that here! The green has an aquatic nuance that points to the Maitre du laboratoire, the resinous notes are just recognizable enough not to disturb the inexperienced customer, and the plant juice smells like a green smoothie tastes.
Let me not be misunderstood: I actually quite like the scent. Perhaps it would already be an option for New Year's Eve because it opens the door to the wonderland of modern perfumery, because it (presumably) puts an end to oak moss, citral, various allergenic fragrance substances, the issue of intolerance, because it seems like the realization of the dream of modern perfumery: clinically pure and yet still a hint of charm, something that at least slightly sets you apart from the wearers of the always same trendy fragrances. Nevertheless: it is a certain disappointment all the same.
Therefore, again this year, my obligatory recommendation for New Year's Eve: If you want to wear L'Artisan's Tenebrae, then do so. Perhaps I will too.
But maybe you want to wear a fragrance that, despite some reformulations and various ups and downs of the brand, still reminds you of the original. Then this year, Floris Elite would be an option. Perhaps I will wear that too. Even if only to stubbornly insist on adhering to a certain style.
I wish all classic lovers, mainstream friends, niche fans, and others here a Happy New Year!
Yatagan
Updated on 12/30/2016
Resins
Plant juice
Cedarwood
Somalian frankincense
Katzevogel
Jssfranch
Floyd
Chizza
Gschpusi
Yatagan
Mourant
Gold
Dreizehnte
Andin
