Top Notes 
Champaca leaf
Petitgrain
Heart Notes 
Broom
Rhododendron leaf
Coffee blossom
Zigzagged Plywood
Base Notes 
Hyraceum
Oud CO2
Meggi
1018 Reviews
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Meggi
Top Review
17
Gardener's Last and Suffering
“Anyone who has a garden to tend deserves a medal!”, I read somewhere. As the owner of a garden of considerable size, I can fundamentally understand the thought. However, it is also a matter of expectation. According to the good old 80-20 rule (currently more like 95-5 for us), the garden can be roughly maintained throughout the year with relatively little effort, accepting a certain degree of wildness. But the moral justification for neglect is quickly at hand - because the insects are happy about it. Anyone who believes they must also trim their shrubs into extravagant shapes, to borrow the name of the fragrance, is of course to blame themselves.
Nevertheless, occasional pruning is unavoidable for some plants. Boxwood requires regular trimming (in cloudy weather, otherwise it gets sunburned!) to avoid becoming bare. Rhododendrons sometimes need to be cut back after decades (and then quite boldly, as they don’t actually like it!) when perhaps the nice terrace border has gradually turned into the walls of a pit. Broom is a rampant nuisance and should be cut back rather than trimmed. And with that, we have already indirectly arrived at the ingredients. Well, boxwood is not explicitly mentioned, aaaaand: with a bit of imagination, the smell of boxwood clippings is somewhat pee-like and stinky. And we will need that keyword later. Not to mention the droppings of stray cats everywhere in the garden, which occasionally delight the diligent gardeners olfactorily.
The true highlights of gardening must not go unmentioned, such as the autumn discovery of a late bloom. This time for us: the summer magnolia. And now we are finally on topic, because a declared favorite note of the perfumer must not be missing: champaca, a type of magnolia. Today, it has quite an honorable task, namely to mask some stench.
The opening impression of early blooms is, as quickly becomes apparent, still harmless. Within seconds, I think of a kind of leathery, dung-like oud. Along with some bitter leaf, perhaps rhododendron with its alkaloids. Broom is also acceptable; it not only spreads but also stinks mightily when cut. There are probably only a few who truly love broom - and these few are exclusively garden snails.
Above all, however, ‘Topiary’ becomes a lesson for me in terms of hyraceum. A beastly bitter note dominates the fragrance well into the afternoon. It is likely meant to hint at the stench when shaping the more unpleasant shrubs. The absence of civet (to symbolize the raking and weeding in the dirt below; see paragraph 3) is probably simply because that would be incompatible with sustainable natural perfumery. However, I suspect a closeness, although the “schlieferscheiße” apparently has something rocky and earthy about it. Any relevant hints are always welcome.
The present fellow is really only terrible on the skin, similar to other scents with an animalistic focus. With just a little distance, it gets better; after a good hour, one could even speak of a kind of adhesive bandage attitude. And on top, the champaca cushions it. It’s just unfortunate that it stylistically doesn’t quite fit. A turn towards the balancing faction with more dark fruitiness from the progressing afternoon, flanked by a naturally scented, gentle wax note, fits better. To avoid misunderstandings: there is indeed a white floral stench, and it persists until the end. In context, however, it seems almost mild.
Balancing or not - a somewhat urinated, still quite strong animalic note remains well into the evening, in which I even imagine a hint of smoke. Thus, ‘Topiary’ is a bold statement from the perfumer that challenges contradiction and resistance and deserves recognition for that alone.
I thank Naimie54 for the sample.
Nevertheless, occasional pruning is unavoidable for some plants. Boxwood requires regular trimming (in cloudy weather, otherwise it gets sunburned!) to avoid becoming bare. Rhododendrons sometimes need to be cut back after decades (and then quite boldly, as they don’t actually like it!) when perhaps the nice terrace border has gradually turned into the walls of a pit. Broom is a rampant nuisance and should be cut back rather than trimmed. And with that, we have already indirectly arrived at the ingredients. Well, boxwood is not explicitly mentioned, aaaaand: with a bit of imagination, the smell of boxwood clippings is somewhat pee-like and stinky. And we will need that keyword later. Not to mention the droppings of stray cats everywhere in the garden, which occasionally delight the diligent gardeners olfactorily.
The true highlights of gardening must not go unmentioned, such as the autumn discovery of a late bloom. This time for us: the summer magnolia. And now we are finally on topic, because a declared favorite note of the perfumer must not be missing: champaca, a type of magnolia. Today, it has quite an honorable task, namely to mask some stench.
The opening impression of early blooms is, as quickly becomes apparent, still harmless. Within seconds, I think of a kind of leathery, dung-like oud. Along with some bitter leaf, perhaps rhododendron with its alkaloids. Broom is also acceptable; it not only spreads but also stinks mightily when cut. There are probably only a few who truly love broom - and these few are exclusively garden snails.
Above all, however, ‘Topiary’ becomes a lesson for me in terms of hyraceum. A beastly bitter note dominates the fragrance well into the afternoon. It is likely meant to hint at the stench when shaping the more unpleasant shrubs. The absence of civet (to symbolize the raking and weeding in the dirt below; see paragraph 3) is probably simply because that would be incompatible with sustainable natural perfumery. However, I suspect a closeness, although the “schlieferscheiße” apparently has something rocky and earthy about it. Any relevant hints are always welcome.
The present fellow is really only terrible on the skin, similar to other scents with an animalistic focus. With just a little distance, it gets better; after a good hour, one could even speak of a kind of adhesive bandage attitude. And on top, the champaca cushions it. It’s just unfortunate that it stylistically doesn’t quite fit. A turn towards the balancing faction with more dark fruitiness from the progressing afternoon, flanked by a naturally scented, gentle wax note, fits better. To avoid misunderstandings: there is indeed a white floral stench, and it persists until the end. In context, however, it seems almost mild.
Balancing or not - a somewhat urinated, still quite strong animalic note remains well into the evening, in which I even imagine a hint of smoke. Thus, ‘Topiary’ is a bold statement from the perfumer that challenges contradiction and resistance and deserves recognition for that alone.
I thank Naimie54 for the sample.
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