Woody Mood Olfactive Studio 2017

The decisive source of inspiration for the creation of this Eau de Parfum was the photograph "Woody Mood," which shows a sunrise at the edge of a path in the forest. The sun rays seem to shine powerfully through the light morning mist between thick tall coniferous tree trunks, which can barely be perceived as mere silhouettes. At the edge of the path, one can see a woman who appears quite small from this perspective and seemingly walks into the forest. Whether she is drawn by the light or by the mystique of the forest is open to interpretation - in any case, this photo, which is also featured on the packaging, conveys a particularly fascinating atmosphere that Bertrand Duchaufour used as a template for "Woody Mood" for Olfactive Studio.

What has emerged is a truly extraordinary woody scent that starts off fruity thanks to bergamot and ginger, but then gains a very soft component due to saffron and can present fine woody notes as well as the aroma of sweetened black tea. So far, so good. The real twist comes from Indian spikenard, a useful and medicinal plant from the Himalayas that is also used in Ayurveda as a calming agent and is said to have mind-strengthening or consciousness-enhancing effects.
Spikenard oil was highly sought after and absolutely precious in ancient times.
Its ethereal scent fluctuates between sweet-bitter, earthy, warm, and deep. It has a somewhat medicinal quality, but not in an unpleasant sense; rather, as described above, it is calming and uplifting.

Yes, a bit of incense is also present, and patchouli can be faintly detected, but one should not have high expectations regarding leather, which also applies to rum, which can be enjoyed in small measures at the tail end of the drydown. With a longevity of 7 to 8 hours, one has certainly accomplished a decent walk in the woods.

Otherwise, one could say about Woody Mood that it is primarily characterized by saffron, black tea, and Indian spikenard, with lighter, resinous wood notes interspersed.

For Bertrand Duchaufour and Olfactive Studio, this represents entirely new paths and not the usual monotony. Whether as a special comforting scent or an emerging aromatherapy - from the end of summer/beginning of autumn 2017, many can justifiably look forward to it!

P.S.: As for the bottles, all upcoming as well as gradually the previous scents will be available in the new design. The bottles, as already seen with Close Up, have a more camera-like look thanks to the stylized lens and rounded sides, making them feel smoother in the hand. This also aligns more with the philosophy of the label, which enjoys playing with photographic attributes.