05/22/2021

Kovex
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Kovex
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Patchouli with a difference
Patchouli Intense is for me an exceptional fragrance among patchouli fragrances. Because while most patchouli fragrances show an earthy and often also sweetish agreement, which sometimes seem a bit grungy and often create associations with incense-stick-laden hippie shop aromas, the patchouli fragrance created by Patricia Nicolai is characterized by an exquisite elegance, which I have not yet encountered.
So far, I know about a dozen of her fragrances and if I discover a commonality again and again, it is exactly this noble and subtle elegance that is found in all her fragrances again. This may not be surprising insofar as she grew up as the niece of the legendary Jean-Paul Guerlain in a perfume dynasty, which is rightly still one of the most established fragrance houses today.
After training as a perfumer, she first gained practical experience by working with international perfumers on behalf of renowned fragrance houses. In 1989, she finally founded her own label together with her husband and immediately one of the first creations from her hand, New York, is considered by the renowned biophysicist and perfume connoisseur Luca Turin as one of the greatest fragrances in perfume history.
I mean, Patchouli Intense is right up there with New York. Declared as a unisex fragrance today, in my mind's eye I see a wearer in an evening gown and stilettos or a wearer in a fine tailored suit and welted leather shoes. The scent goes as little with sneakers and hoodie as caviar goes with tomato ketchup.
Patchouli Intense opens with a combination of lavender and a viscous orange concentrate, which leads to the fact that the lavender is deprived of the typical herbaceous-green note and the orange, the fruity-tangy citrusiness is taken. In other words, neither the lavender nor the orange are easily recognizable, but together they create an independence that I have never smelled in this form. Whenever I have a hard time identifying and dissecting individual scents, I know that a high level of understanding for the ingredients and artistic master craftsmanship come together here, inspiring a professional as much as a layman like me.
I am quite honest, I would have had to make out individual fragrance notes in a blind test, I would have recognized at best the rose geranium. For me, the most masculine of all flowers, as it is rather aromatic-spicy in appearance, rather than being floral. It also bears no resemblance to rose fragrances, although the rose is also used here without being overtly recognizable. And the eponymous patchouli? As already mentioned at the beginning, no earthiness for me, nothing animal-frisky and probably more fixateur than an independent dominant fragrance note to be.
The additional designation "Intense" seems justified to me. Patchouli Intense is a powerful and persistent fragrance that I tend to think of as being on the masculine side. This is not surprising in that the fragrance before it was changed to the EdP variant, originally appeared as an eau de toilette under the name "Patchouli Homme". Nevertheless, I am sure that also very many ladies could find pleasure in the fragrance.
For me, the fragrance is a masterpiece, created for the great moments of life, but that does not stop me from enjoying it again and again alone for me.
So far, I know about a dozen of her fragrances and if I discover a commonality again and again, it is exactly this noble and subtle elegance that is found in all her fragrances again. This may not be surprising insofar as she grew up as the niece of the legendary Jean-Paul Guerlain in a perfume dynasty, which is rightly still one of the most established fragrance houses today.
After training as a perfumer, she first gained practical experience by working with international perfumers on behalf of renowned fragrance houses. In 1989, she finally founded her own label together with her husband and immediately one of the first creations from her hand, New York, is considered by the renowned biophysicist and perfume connoisseur Luca Turin as one of the greatest fragrances in perfume history.
I mean, Patchouli Intense is right up there with New York. Declared as a unisex fragrance today, in my mind's eye I see a wearer in an evening gown and stilettos or a wearer in a fine tailored suit and welted leather shoes. The scent goes as little with sneakers and hoodie as caviar goes with tomato ketchup.
Patchouli Intense opens with a combination of lavender and a viscous orange concentrate, which leads to the fact that the lavender is deprived of the typical herbaceous-green note and the orange, the fruity-tangy citrusiness is taken. In other words, neither the lavender nor the orange are easily recognizable, but together they create an independence that I have never smelled in this form. Whenever I have a hard time identifying and dissecting individual scents, I know that a high level of understanding for the ingredients and artistic master craftsmanship come together here, inspiring a professional as much as a layman like me.
I am quite honest, I would have had to make out individual fragrance notes in a blind test, I would have recognized at best the rose geranium. For me, the most masculine of all flowers, as it is rather aromatic-spicy in appearance, rather than being floral. It also bears no resemblance to rose fragrances, although the rose is also used here without being overtly recognizable. And the eponymous patchouli? As already mentioned at the beginning, no earthiness for me, nothing animal-frisky and probably more fixateur than an independent dominant fragrance note to be.
The additional designation "Intense" seems justified to me. Patchouli Intense is a powerful and persistent fragrance that I tend to think of as being on the masculine side. This is not surprising in that the fragrance before it was changed to the EdP variant, originally appeared as an eau de toilette under the name "Patchouli Homme". Nevertheless, I am sure that also very many ladies could find pleasure in the fragrance.
For me, the fragrance is a masterpiece, created for the great moments of life, but that does not stop me from enjoying it again and again alone for me.
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