La Tsarine Senyokô

“The tsar is dead, long live the tsarina!”

I can't say I knew Catherine the Great. I can, however, attest to the indecency of this perfume. From the scent itself to the decorative box it comes in. I will further add that this is the most unashamedly, sexual, and "bodily" smelling olfactory composition I have tried to date. It seems like the whole idea was to create such a perfume but expertly cover its naked body with well-placed auxiliary notes so people won't point straight up shouting: "Look! She's all naked." They threw several transparent gowns over her to make it less overt. Now, you know I love these kinds of compositions, so naturally, I love La Tsarine.

Although it is a perfume that makes me mind my surroundings, it is expertly crafted by Mc Call to not come across as indecent, or "funk for funk's sake." It is a sophisticated, elegant type of funk.
To me, it smells like not showering for a few days, during which you do intense physical activity (inside and outside the bedroom) and sweat a lot. It exudes this sweaty, steaming, and dirty aura that is omnipresent, on top of which there are plenty of other facets. It is a rather complex olfactory work. Spices and aromatic herbs in the opening, the pairing of which almost creates a boozy accord that makes me think of vodka. Cumin is the star of the introduction, along with sage and perhaps wormwood. There is a major woody component to this perfume. Pine, which renders a sharp and cooling effect, guaiac wood gives off smokiness, and papyrus creates a dry feeling/texture. In the heart, they surface further next to the floral bouquet, from which I can separate the narcissus and the tuberose. The way these two work here is by amplifying the bodily feel, tuberose through its milky-creamy facets and narcissus through its leathery nuances. The base is oversaturated in musks and warm, slightly smoky resins. My favorite part about this perfume is, however, the use of honey and the dried fruit accord. It sets this apart from other compositions in the same vein by balancing the sweaty-salty-musky component nicely through a well-dosed amount of sweetness that not only creates a beautiful contrast but also adds to the addictiveness of the perfume. That is how the dry-down smells for hours on end. An intoxicating concoction of salty and creamy musks, pressed against the honey-like sweetness, with faint shimmers of smoke and a resinous golden glow.

As much as I believe I hit a wall with animalic perfumes, I had to have this one. It does that theme incredibly well while adding its unique touches. I highly recommend it to those who appreciate these type of fragrances and, of course, cumin.

IG:@memory.of.scents

Senyoko is one of those perfume brands that is active in the world of fine arts. They collaborate with talents in literature, music and other performing arts. Not sure how that reflects on their perfume creations, but it is good to see a marketing strategy that goes beyond home scents and beauty products and actually contributes to culture and creativity.

Now, La Tsarine. On me this wears as a spicy floral. The scent revolves around a set of florals, narcissus in particular. Together with the clary sage, this creates an ash-grey setting. Dark tones of dried fruit and cumin provide depth, while the lovely honey note gives off a semi-sweet halo. All is connected by a thread of saffron, that persists throughout the slowly evolving scent.

Contrary to some opinions online, I do not find this a skanky animalic bomb. Sure there is a certain primal quality, but this is achieved with the 'art of suggestion' rather than explicit in-your-face musks. The musks are there, of course, but remain in a supporting position. When studied closely, they feel kind of 'waxy' and evoke a highly erotic vibe.

Personally, I particularly enjoy this sober ambience that warms up with a cocktail of honey, spice, musk and body heat. Not quite an unwearable avant-garde piece, but a skillful balance of high quality, comfort and sensuality. An exquisite perfume.

This was a blind buy for me and I wasn't disappointed. La Tsarine lives up to its namesake. It starts out sweet and sumptuous with top notes of blackcurrant and honey. Then, a gorgeous whiff of sweet orange and naughty hints of cumin, fur, and salty musk, along with a little incense. The beautiful but pornographic illustrations in the packaging weren't false advertising: La Tsarine smells like elegant debauchery. I love it.

The person who got me onto this one led with "this smells like an orgy!"

That basically sums it up. It's one of the most animalic, fecal fragrances i've ever smelt, but at the same time there is a real sumptuousness that for me comes from the cassis and dewy grape notes--definitely not true to life, think more dutch still life.

The orgy in question is of the Eyes Wide Shut variety--we're at maybe hour 5 into the proceedings, inside some insidious palace, in which there is a long table of the finest fresh and dried fruit to sustain all the participants.

After about 20 minutes the stench of civet crossfades into a creamy sandalwood and a fuzzy green oakmoss. The stank remains, but company arrives, and the fruit platter is exhausted by the end of the evening.

I can't imagine what the public occasion for this would be--please someone share your adventures with this one--but thus far I enjoy it when i'm alone for the night.

The empress leaves a trail of fragrance behind her, in which her own aura and that of her companions are inextricably linked. After several days of carnal togetherness. Perhaps a bit over-powdered - or finely creamed - but without a bath in between.
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The theme of the fragrance is, in my opinion, extremely well captured. Animalistic, narcotic, at once noble and dirty. Body scent mixed with sweet-floral notes.

In the development of the fragrance, I initially perceive a lot of saffron in La Tsarine, not sharp, but very present, surrounded by a sweet honey note. A gentle transition follows into floral-spicy notes, from which a lascivious tuberose slowly stretches out, accompanied by something humanly spicy. Here, definitely, the bodily scent notes of both genders collide, which interestingly leads to the tuberose not becoming too chewing-gummy sweet, as something rough and hairy (cumin) holds it back.
Female (jasmine, daffodil, tuberose, honey) and male animalic notes (cumin, costus, castoreum) frolic together, eventually merging symbiotically into a very own skin scent. Fine oils, indole, skin, and sweat combine into a unique melange. Above all, the sultry sweetness of the tuberose hovers, framed by masculine notes. One does not know where one begins and the other ends. In between, dried fruits were fed.
It all starts rather softly-lasciviously, but then becomes increasingly passionate and "indecent." Still, I am not entirely convinced - one can smell a lot into a fragrance when one engages with the topic, reads other statements and reviews... "But this isn't really a pillow fight," I want to think, as the civet note brings a new wickedness into play. It can no longer be denied - there was not just cuddling here, and the traces of sensual interaction have not been washed away over time (and I confess, it becomes too much for me).
Finally, in the base, the skin note described excellently in Susan's review remains. An echo with a knowing smile.
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Conclusion: excellently executed, one can almost see the empress before oneself, creamed, powdered, wrapped in heavy brocade, the scent of her intimate encounters still lingering in her hair and clothes. Confident, indiscreet.
Unfortunately, I find that I experience the notes that I also find the most challenging (too much saffron at the beginning, chewing-gummy tuberose in the middle, and at the end civet-dirt...)... so it is not my animal, and I get significantly more information from the empress than I would like... ;-)
Nevertheless: impressive, exciting, and definitely worth a test.
Overall rating: 9 for the concept and the very successful execution
for me personally: 7.5.
With heartfelt thanks to Susan.