Birdie Xerjoff 2012

Dark beaches: I don’t even know how many there might be; after all, the term “beach” for us always refers to a smaller or larger stretch of bright, sometimes almost white sand by the sea.
I do remember reading about a “Black Beach” somewhere in Scandinavia, but I can’t really picture it yet.

After the first spray of “Birdie,” I am digging in the dark, heavy patchouli soil, somewhere by the Mediterranean, interspersed with the vetiver that so often accompanies this scent note:
I am surrounded by fragrance waves that I am very familiar with and that I like.
But suddenly I encounter something surprising:
Spicy, woody, almost zesty (fermented?) green jumps out at me: Were chopped plant, bush, and wood waste dumped and collected here?
Lavender scent in various forms of wood, leaf, and bloom seems to be present; we have known each other quite well for some time.
What is striking and initially also alarming is something camphor or wormwood-like: A wave of dark green, very bitter aroma immediately tickles my nose, seems to be working aromatherapeutically there, and before I can really shake it off, “Birdie” becomes pleasantly balsamic and quite supple.
Now I feel surprisingly comfortable and let myself drift, so that I can also perceive the slowly developing distinctly maritime notes.
Seawater with all its interesting components seems very close; I can almost hear the waves crashing and feel the wind; it is more than just a light breeze.
So I stomp barefoot, eating a ripe, juicy apple, through now soft sand that connects to this moist patchouli-vetiver earth with rich green inclusions and let myself be accompanied by a very strict and strong composition that reveals itself to me over time as very likable and soothing.

XerJoff’s “Birdie” is very rustic, very much an acquired taste, but also very interesting in its scent development.
First, familiar patchouli is heavy, then a strong green “bang” follows, a kind of explosion of dark, very bitter plant and wood aromas that takes up a lot of space until the now emerging creation cuddles up balsamically and transports me to an enchanted sandy spot on the Mediterranean coast.

I am pleasantly surprised at how this scent chameleon develops over the course of wearing it: It is more than just a mere arrangement; a deep sympathy for this scent being arises.

My curiosity has led me back onto quite different, but not entirely foreign paths; after all, I have been fond of aromatherapy for a long time.
Perhaps that’s why we harmonize so well!