Oriental Lounge The Different Company 2009

Pardon me, but occasionally I do like exquisite light orientals.

Oriental Lounge is a relaxed beauty, far from oppressive, designed to make you feel good.
The opening notes give me the reliable sense of a good old fashioned peppery cleaning agent, which I highly approve of and simply must recommend.
In due course, a delicious amber lingers around, together with labdanum (love labdanum) and a hint of curry, inviting me to sniff my wrist at least every half hour.
No idea what satinwood smells like, but I cannot find anything disagreeable in this perfectly polished warm perfume.

Must try!

Prim and proper or pusillanimous? It's all a matter of taste, I suppose—one which I have yet to acquire in the case of the kinder, gentler, thinner orientals of which The Different Company ORIENTAL LOUNGE is one. Upon application, I was sure that I recognized the scent, and I probably did in the form of fleeting traces of many classic oriental perfumes, but here it was all too foggy and distinct, mealy-mouthed and weak.

"Thin orientals" seem to be wanting to be all things to all people but end by being simply too wishy-washy for me. I guess that I'm just old school when it comes to orientals. I like them dark, strong, and intoxicating. The sort of perfume that you'd have to wear to be noticed in a dark, smoke-filled oriental lounge, come to think of it. Does ORIENTAL LOUNGE smell bad? No, not at all. But it smells to me like the silhouette of a perfume.

Although ORIENTAL LOUNGE is not for me, anyone who likes this sort of "thin oriental" should definitely check out the Roméa D'Améor line (also composed by a great nose, but not his best work, IMNSHO).

...was my first question to the vendor when I sniffed it for the first time. The packaging said "Bois de Satin" whatever that was. Lateron I looked it up in google an - surprise surprise - it is gaiac wood.
Now I finally know for sure how gaiac wood smells like. I assumed it but was not sure. In some scents it doesn't disturb me (colonia intensa by AdP, Brooklyn by Bond) - maybe these scents don't contain that much. However I find it is really awful in Wonderwood, Serge Noire and some of the other modern (oud) orientals. Although this is a difficult note for me, Oriental Lounge is a respectable oriental. On my skin it gets quite sweet and spicy, too sweet for me. Reminds me of the Lutens style, maybe a bit more subtle.
Well, for my taste it is not earth-shaking, but I think that lovers of this genre will like it.

As a confessed user of light waters, I have generally steered clear of anything with an oriental touch. Without ever having engaged with this genre in practice, I simply knew that I wouldn’t suit being a wearer of such fragrances. Sultry opulence does not suit me. I am too carefree and lighthearted for that. But foreign spices and moonlit amber notes pique my curiosity. And I wanted to experience everything anyway, regardless of whether I like it. ;) Thus, I became acquainted with "Oriental Lounge." Perhaps the name part "Lounge" suggests that this heavy theme is executed with an unusual nonchalance, I think to myself; and casually press the spray button. First thoughts: Amber. Amber. Amber, a deep, velvety amber. It dominates the picture, providing a dim base theme. Murky, hazy, yes, it could indeed be a lounge. A gentle nocturnal powder lies over the scene. With all the exotic components processed here, the guessing game is quite significant. My nose remains clearly a tourist here. Are these radiant spicy accents the curry leaves? And which of the resins shines so beautifully? One wanders and marvels and truly feels at ease. Over time, a refined yet distinctive wood sneaks in, so it must be this mysterious lemon wood. From what I could find out, it is a West African tree that has nothing to do with citrus in a familial sense. I think it could just as well be another wood. Perhaps it is. :) The very harmoniously woven whole allows for little analysis on my part; individual notes emerge more than I can grasp them. When a note goes or comes, it feels more like a change in lighting or mood than being able to discern a silhouette. Sometimes mild lemon-cakey, sometimes almond-warm, this fragrance shimmers murkily and shows very different sides, none of which is the true one. Oily and supple it is, long-lasting and not at all mainstream. Is this oriental?

I bought Oriental Lounge yesterday in Paris. I actually had my bags full already, but it was a typical case of: "Oh, it doesn't matter now. I'll take this one too."

Oriental Lounge starts off very spicy, sharp-peppery, and slightly crackling. Quickly, a beautiful red rose blooms, carried by deep dark wood.

Up to this point, I find it very pretty. But it's also nothing that you haven't smelled before or something similar.

However, after just half an hour, the top and heart notes have completely disappeared from my skin. In other fragrances, this would annoy me that it goes so quickly. BUT.
It's all about the base. The deep dark wood recedes and makes way for amber in a golden hue and a hint of tonka bean. I am enveloped in a delicate balsamic, very pleasant, and slightly honey-like veil that is very close to the skin, very intimate.
And then OL truly becomes a lounge scent: relaxed, unexcited, modern, and elegant. A kind of after-work oriental.

A true unisex candidate, definitely wearable by men.

Edit: I was just reminded that I wrote elsewhere that I was broke in Paris because I was robbed. That's true. However, on the last day, I fortunately managed to get some money and spent it generously right away.