Nightscape Ulrich Lang 2009

This fragrance needs a gray backdrop. At the very least. Certainly, Nightscape will also showcase its potential during the summer, but a rainy November morning suits it much better. Or a frosty day in January, characterized by a pale color palette. Just like today.

However, Nightscape reveals its true soul after daylight has bid farewell and the outlines of the city are cloaked in a black corset. I find the naming of the fragrance extremely fitting; Nightscape is a highly welcome companion on my sporadic, nocturnal strolls. When my hands are buried deep in my pockets and my breath becomes visible while aimlessly wandering the streets, it seems that the essence of this fragrance fully unfolds for me.

Nightscape is marked by a melancholic, restrained sharpness. Similar to the cold night air, the scent scenario is cutting and clear. Patchouli is the defining component of the fragrance, yet it avoids any unpleasantness in this configuration and is practically carried by zesty bergamot and subtle jasmine. Black, dry cedarwood contributes a brittle bitterness and cushions the scent.

For me, Nightscape embodies the anonymity of the big city, although this feeling would certainly be even more pronounced in the glittering skyscraper canyons of New York or even Frankfurt than in the streets of Munich. And yet, the scattered, reflecting reflections of headlights on the already damp asphalt or the smooth, glass facades of the office complexes experience a tenderness through Nightscape that I gladly surrender to.

Later on, the patchouli becomes earthier, and with gentle, leathery accents, Nightscape gains a certain warmth. I find this conciliatory turn extremely skillfully executed. It is now time to make the return journey, and as the key finally glides into the lock, one is welcomed by cozy comfort. Welcome home, welcome back.