Idole de Lubin Lubin 2011 Eau de Parfum

Lubin Paris, founded in 1798, is one of the most traditional houses in the world of fragrances. Despite its glorious history, it is almost completely unknown and therefore doomed to slow demise. Lubin perfumes were the first to be shipped from Paris to the United States in 1830. The name stood for elegance, class and style, but today it is hardly marketed any more and only ekes out a niche existence.

This is completely unjustified, because the few Lubin fragrances on offer today are still pearls of the perfume trade. Akkad, for example, is a straightforward, cuddly amber creation, Upper Ten projects a sovereign, unagitated, creamy spiciness. However, my star is by far an idol, which I have had for almost a year now and which so beguiles me that I have never found the right words to express my feelings about this fragrance, because he sends my feelings every time on a roller coaster.

I wear the scent on my own. A spray on my left arm, plenty for me to enjoy the drydown for hours. It is a fragrance that I would like to embrace, that satisfies my most intimate feelings in a subtle way, that comforts me and at the same time invites me to an adventure. Just to say that he makes me happy does not do justice to the complexity he triggers in me. In my world of thoughts a charismatic, almost infinitely strong woman manifests herself in Idole, with an external beauty that is perfect in her imperfection. Her dark eyes are as deep as the oceans and only the bravest can keep eye contact with her without despairing. A woman who doesn't need many words, who didn't break up from the intense, sometimes traumatic experiences she had to have in her life, but grew from them - and she grew up and still grows. She stands above things and does not want to be conquered because she simply does not need it. She likes long walks in the most beautiful places in the world, but one will be careful not to take her by the hand. She alone shows the way. She dislikes affairs, she has no time for banalities, and even the courageous conqueror who dares to kidnap her into the night will break her strength and say goodbye humbly. She is, exactly, an idol of our time, a martyr, a muse. Desirable and unattainable.

Back to the perfume: The start is spicy, almost medicinal with a strong rum note. The scent announces itself loudly, and is so tipsy that some say goodbye with a headache. Do not wash it off, but let yourself be seduced by the further course. I smell the noblest spice, saffron, and a light leather note joins the round. The orange, bitter and by no means sweet, accompanies the fragrance throughout its course. The incense now also cries out for attention and after a while, finally, the gentle Amber knocks on the door, who now wants to take the lead. After one hour, the components sit in perfect harmony at a table made of exquisite woods. The strong rum now gives way to a noble drop, the spices fill the room with sensual aromas, the bitter orange shines in its most beautiful colour and the leather gradually begins to retreat. What remains is a symbiosis of wood, orange, rum and sweet amber.

It is the only fragrance in my collection that I wear myself and I rarely wear it. It doesn't deserve to experience the everyday. This fragrance belongs neither in the office, nor in the trendy clubs of the city. He should bewitch precisely those people who are profound and grown-up. Those who appreciate aesthetics, who dress stylishly and do not equate passion with fast sex.

Idole is my favourite fragrance and will probably always be so.