Dolce Riviera

Patchouli Blanc

Réminiscence 2015

Round, soft, cocooning and not at all aggressive or too earthy: this scent has got the perfect alchemy. Its acchord is very well balanced and the result is a soft and warm cloud to wear wherever you want, expecially in the cold season. I love it (although it's expensive)!

Sweet and enveloping perfumes with an incredibly delicate oriental note, they unfold gently from the very first moment on the skin. Their presence remains intimate and close, gradually softening into a powdery, sweet and subtle dry down that lingers beautifully. Elegant, refined and understated, they offer a quietly captivating aura that enhances the wearer without ever overwhelming.

I hold Reminiscence in high regard as a brand, with great affordable fragrances, beautiful bottles, everything always looks like fine craftsmanship. Sometimes a bit too patchouli-heavy for my taste, but I won't say a bad word about the "Oud"!
When the fragrance was announced, I expected a "new" kind of patchouli, a white variant, meaning lighter and fresher... without cellar mustiness... in short: easy to wear! So I had to get the sample quickly!
A little disillusionment with the first, second, and third spray. Blanc starts just as the name suggests, with a beautiful, fine patchouli note, softer than what you know from the other fragrances. So far, I would like it, exactly the right dosage, chocolatey, slightly sweet without cellar. Shortly after, the second of the name makes a strong entrance, hawthorn, white flowers flood the patchouli, sweet-bitter, the sweetness is slightly intrusive, roughly going in the direction of maple syrup, which brings a hint of freshness, with hawthorn it is quite similar. This note is slightly piercing, slightly sharp, overall very spicy! This phase also brings a lot of powder, which I generally like. Since I am writing from the perspective of a man who sprays a perfume for himself and tests it on male skin to weigh whether he(!) wants to smell like this and might want to buy it for himself, I have to say a clear no! At times, I can wear the fragrance, which takes on a nice development, but as a whole, not really... for me, the (early) heart note is too much of a downtime phase, where I am just waiting for it to finally be over. Because in the base, the familiar great patchouli shows itself again, which, from the cloying over-white, makes a beautiful cappuccino-like earthy tone with its lovely brown, but unfortunately leaves more than light brown streaks. The whole thing is balsamic-soft and nice. Unfortunately, I miss star anise like in Lumiere Blanche, that note is what first drew my attention to the fragrance... it will probably remain forever unattainable :-(
As a woman, it can of course look completely different, you are more accustomed to floral notes than we are. With this fragrance, one cannot make a recommendation, it smells too extraordinary, and I unfortunately cannot compare it to other fragrances... I can't think of any scent that goes in this direction. For patchouli beginners, like I am, it would be a good opportunity to approach this stubborn and polarizing note.
Longevity is more than okay for such a light fragrance with 6 hours, I find the sillage quite strong in the first 2 hours, then stylishly subtle.

Yesterday, during the clearing work with heavy equipment, I came across Patchouli Blanc.

The good thing about such sporadic tidying actions is that long-lost items resurface.
Disorganized people can surprise themselves time and again.

Blanc starts off aldehydic, but not overly soapy.
That's already a positive.
Hawthorn appears distinctly floral - but is gently powdered over.
So far, so good.
But then the patchouli hits me intensely - not exactly disturbing, but also not blanc.
No, it unnecessarily darkens the otherwise bright fragrance.
For me, it could have continued in a light, powdery manner.
Amber reconciles with a soft sweetness, but the scent remains evening-like.

The title Patchouli Blanc had triggered a different, friendlier expectation in me.

Now, in daylight, it doesn't quite fit with its serious elegance.

I think, in the evening, dressed up, it has more of its moment.

Soft patchouli with bright floral highlights in the top note. It soon softens noticeably. Fresh patchouli, where can you find that?! White flowers represented here by hawthorn, which has a beautifully spicy and slightly rosy effect, but it could also be the bright musk, along with a drop of honey. The scent is lively, as it is soft and a bit wild at the same time. A full-bodied spicy freshness that AugstA already knows and likes from Reminiscence Amber. Just with caressingly soft patchouli this time.