06/03/2025

ClaireV
958 Reviews

ClaireV
1
Kool-aid patchouli
I am sure that the Indonesian patchouli Monegal used here is fabulous - dank, hoary, spirit of the earth, etc. It's just that I can't really smell it for all that syrupy grape Kool-Aid (jasmine + fruity Maltol-soaked amber) slicked over the top. And for once, the oakmoss doesn't perform its saving grace of sucking everything back into the inky, velvety undergrowth (which might have calmed the shrill frooti-tooti honk of the jasmine-amber). Instead it accentuates an unfortunate aftershavey bitterness I associate with men's sporty colognes, which in turn creates the impression, whether founded or not, of the dreaded aquatic. Abhorrent, pretentious niche 'filler' that demonstrates that even raw materials advertized by the company as being 'of special origin' (as if they weren't all bought off the same Givaudan or IFF shelf) - Yugoslavian oakmoss, Indonesian patchouli, Somalian frankincense, Egyptian jasmine, etc. - can turn to shit in the hands of a perfumer who doesn't know when to stop.