Secrets d'Essences - Rose Oud Yves Rocher 2016

"If you ever go down Trinidad
They make you feel so very glad
Calypso sing and make up rhyme
Guarantee you one real good fine time
Drinkin' rum and Coca-Cola..."
(Andrew Sisters)

I have never been to Trinidad, and when this song by the Andrew Sisters came out in 1944, I wasn't even born yet; my parents were still toddlers.
But when I first heard this song in 1999 in a pizzeria in Zurich, I was completely captivated. And the chef was obviously too. The piece was played at least four times each evening, he sang along loudly and elegantly sprinkled toppings on the pizzas, tossing them into the stone oven with flair, always in rhythm with the song. I went to that pizzeria every evening.
When I had to leave, I immediately bought a CD by the Andrew Sisters. That absolutely cool, multi-part harmony - incredibly powerful!

What does this have to do with Secrets d'Essences - Rose Oud?
A lot, and perhaps not so much, as it primarily involves my associations.

I sprayed Rose Oud on myself, and immediately a bar from the 1940s in the USA appeared before my inner eye. This song is playing. You can smell some rum and a bit of smoke, a hint of leather. The wood of the bar is resinous. People are dancing, sweating. As in the song, there is prostitution, albeit only vaguely alluded to. Times are tough, but people still know how to make the best of it, live in the moment, and enjoy it as much as possible. And that joy, that ability to have fun, was also present in that chef in Zurich, and in Zurich, people drank alcohol, perhaps too much alcohol, and enjoyed life, without prostitution, deep into the night.
There is a lot of liveliness in this scent, a lot of heart.

Rose Oud - and I smell no rose. That’s typical for me. But I also don’t smell any oud. I smell floral notes on rum, yes, there is a slightly alcoholic rum note that lasts for about an hour, accompanied by clove and other spices, which soon take on a sweaty undertone that is not unpleasant. A slightly cinnamon-like and minimally smoky warmth spreads, lush but also sweatily bitter. The bitterness increases, becoming increasingly resinous, but that doesn’t bother me here. It doesn’t become too bitter or too resinous; rather, the wild excesses remain loose and joyful.

I prefer Secrets d'Essences Rose Oud at the base in projection much more than when smelling directly on the sprayed skin. On the skin, it does become bitter and very scratchy, also increasingly artificial, while in projection, it appears soft and spicy with a noble bitterness. I think it’s more of a scent for winter. There are dark winter evenings by candlelight when I find exactly such a scent perfect. I wouldn’t recommend it for spring and summer. Unless you want to immerse yourself in a 1940s American retro bar with songs by the Andrew Sisters. Or if you happen to find yourself in Zurich - in a very specific pizzeria....