By the Fireplace Maison Margiela 2015

I am cursed with a nose that does not perceive smoky notes in perfumes as smoky notes. What I smell here directly is, instead of a campfire note, a slightly medicinal rubber glove note. That may sound disgusting now, but wait! I am a big Scotch fan and I particularly enjoy heavily peated whiskies. The whiskies from Laphroaig, for example, have a strong medicinal character combined with a soft, sweet vanilla note. I feel similarly about By The Fireplace. While I do smell this intense hospital scent, it marries with spices, chewing gum, and heavy vanilla (a dusty, heavy vanilla like in "Memoirs of a Trespasser" by Imaginary Authors) and creates a wonderful scene in which one feels comfortable, where I would like to stay. The smoke (or in my case the medicinal note) gradually recedes, leaving a soft, sweet, spicy aftertaste that lingers for hours. A true work of art.