Bergamot
Clove
Lemon
Oakmoss
Patchouli
Peach
Profumo
286 Reviews
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Profumo
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10
A Wild Companion: Half Animalistic Creature and Vibrating with Lust - a Satyr Indeed.
Those who know the perfume forum 'perfumeoflife' and have possibly followed its 'talk about perfume' for several years will surely be familiar with Armando Martinez (alias 'for the love of mando' or 'Rufus T. Firefly'): a highly engaged member whose witty posts are bursting with humor. His visual trademark: a large, bushy mustache. His greatest passion: the great classics of perfume history.
One day, he began creating perfumes himself, at home and on a very small scale, with only one distributor worldwide: Mr. Wuchsa from Bruchsal. Armando Martinez once said about him and his employees: “These guys rock!!“
Starting in 2007, there were initially four fragrances: 'Benefactor', 'Macquillage', 'Pillow of Flowers', and 'Satyr'. They were bottled in 50ml apothecary bottles with pipette closures, which were then placed in red velvet pouches. Inside, there was also a tiny spray bottle that could be filled using the pipette.
Extremely curious about Armando's creations, I immediately purchased (and untested) two of them, and was pleasantly surprised - this humorous and likable guy had indeed done a good job! Of course, the fragrances were not comparable to the complexity of a Jean-Paul Guerlain, the refinement of a Jean-Claude Ellena, or the stylistic elegance of a Patricia de Nicolaï, but 'so what' - they smelled (and still smell) fantastic!
Especially 'Satyr' captivated me, as good and fragrant as the oriental 'Benefactor' is - but I am a Chypre fan, and 'Satyr' is Chypre 'at its very best'. It was inspired, as could be expected, by the great fruity Chypre classics of the past, such as 'Mitsouko' and 'Femme' by Rochas, but it is wilder, more primal, rougher, more animalistic: a sensory feast like no other!
And Armando really didn't hold back - here is oakmoss that will take your senses away, here juicy fruits tempt you to take a bite, and here the forest smells more aromatic and seductive than ever (only comparable to 'Bois de Paradis').
This fragrance is truly an olfactory satyr: half animalistic creature and vibrating with lust. A somewhat rough, impetuous fellow, without refined manners, but also not truly uncouth - a satyr indeed, who overwhelms you with his sensuality or frightens you.
I let myself be overwhelmed and have not regretted it; others, however, may perceive the offensive as an attack and the lustful as an imposition - not me.
Yet 'Satyr' is not constructed so unusually - it contains the typically Chypre components: citrus-fresh bergamot, woody patchouli, bitter oakmoss (countered with juicy peach - Jacques Guerlain's stroke of genius is acknowledged!) and the balsamic-sweet resin of labdanum. Additionally, in this well-known ensemble, there is a lemon supporting the bergamot and a strong, spicy clove, as well as a good portion of 'Ambrein', the aphrodisiac component of gray amber. It is precisely these ingredients that define the hybrid, the uneven character of the fragrance, allowing it to 'run wild', and some may rightly complain about their inclusion. Yet, as unnecessary as they may seem, I find them characterizing, even captivating - otherwise, the fragrance would end up as the umpteenth copy of the mentioned models.
Thus, 'Satyr' - at least for me - is an unconventional, daring Chypre that could certainly have come across as more refined and better balanced, but would it then be only half as exciting?
Unfortunately, Mr. Martinez has stopped offering his perfumes for sale. Perhaps he doesn't produce any more at all - I don't know. In any case, not a single one of his works, including the later additions 'Kitsune', 'Les Fauves', among others, has been available for quite some time, and it seems questionable whether we will ever again experience the (for some dubious) pleasure of these creations.
A website, even a dedicated shop, were long promised, but at some point, there was no more talk of any of that...
What a shame.
Some were and are less talented and still bravely offer us their supposed masterpieces to this day. But Armando Christopher Martinez has chosen to withdraw, not to further exploit his potential.
Once again: a great SHAME!
I will cherish his fragrances.
One day, he began creating perfumes himself, at home and on a very small scale, with only one distributor worldwide: Mr. Wuchsa from Bruchsal. Armando Martinez once said about him and his employees: “These guys rock!!“
Starting in 2007, there were initially four fragrances: 'Benefactor', 'Macquillage', 'Pillow of Flowers', and 'Satyr'. They were bottled in 50ml apothecary bottles with pipette closures, which were then placed in red velvet pouches. Inside, there was also a tiny spray bottle that could be filled using the pipette.
Extremely curious about Armando's creations, I immediately purchased (and untested) two of them, and was pleasantly surprised - this humorous and likable guy had indeed done a good job! Of course, the fragrances were not comparable to the complexity of a Jean-Paul Guerlain, the refinement of a Jean-Claude Ellena, or the stylistic elegance of a Patricia de Nicolaï, but 'so what' - they smelled (and still smell) fantastic!
Especially 'Satyr' captivated me, as good and fragrant as the oriental 'Benefactor' is - but I am a Chypre fan, and 'Satyr' is Chypre 'at its very best'. It was inspired, as could be expected, by the great fruity Chypre classics of the past, such as 'Mitsouko' and 'Femme' by Rochas, but it is wilder, more primal, rougher, more animalistic: a sensory feast like no other!
And Armando really didn't hold back - here is oakmoss that will take your senses away, here juicy fruits tempt you to take a bite, and here the forest smells more aromatic and seductive than ever (only comparable to 'Bois de Paradis').
This fragrance is truly an olfactory satyr: half animalistic creature and vibrating with lust. A somewhat rough, impetuous fellow, without refined manners, but also not truly uncouth - a satyr indeed, who overwhelms you with his sensuality or frightens you.
I let myself be overwhelmed and have not regretted it; others, however, may perceive the offensive as an attack and the lustful as an imposition - not me.
Yet 'Satyr' is not constructed so unusually - it contains the typically Chypre components: citrus-fresh bergamot, woody patchouli, bitter oakmoss (countered with juicy peach - Jacques Guerlain's stroke of genius is acknowledged!) and the balsamic-sweet resin of labdanum. Additionally, in this well-known ensemble, there is a lemon supporting the bergamot and a strong, spicy clove, as well as a good portion of 'Ambrein', the aphrodisiac component of gray amber. It is precisely these ingredients that define the hybrid, the uneven character of the fragrance, allowing it to 'run wild', and some may rightly complain about their inclusion. Yet, as unnecessary as they may seem, I find them characterizing, even captivating - otherwise, the fragrance would end up as the umpteenth copy of the mentioned models.
Thus, 'Satyr' - at least for me - is an unconventional, daring Chypre that could certainly have come across as more refined and better balanced, but would it then be only half as exciting?
Unfortunately, Mr. Martinez has stopped offering his perfumes for sale. Perhaps he doesn't produce any more at all - I don't know. In any case, not a single one of his works, including the later additions 'Kitsune', 'Les Fauves', among others, has been available for quite some time, and it seems questionable whether we will ever again experience the (for some dubious) pleasure of these creations.
A website, even a dedicated shop, were long promised, but at some point, there was no more talk of any of that...
What a shame.
Some were and are less talented and still bravely offer us their supposed masterpieces to this day. But Armando Christopher Martinez has chosen to withdraw, not to further exploit his potential.
Once again: a great SHAME!
I will cherish his fragrances.
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