Narkissos

Νάρκισσος

Angelos Créations Olfactives 2025

I think it's a testament to how good this fragrance is that it is probably my least favorite genre/combination of notes but I don't hate it. Powdery-sweet patchouli-based aldehydic floral chypre. If I hear any two of those words in combination I usually stay away. But I'm actually enjoying smelling this.

I think it's because the florals are mostly dominated by a bright orange blossom that makes the fragrance seem a bit fresher rather than very stuffy ones I've tried in this genre that lean more into rose or jasmine. The saltiness also makes it feel almost beach-y. The combination of the indolic florals and animalic musk give a bit of a pissy vibe, sort of reminds me of Ciel Man but a much higher quality version. Mostly patchouli-benzoin base, don't get a lot of leather or tobacco.

I don't think I would wear this myself, it gives me too much of an classy older woman vibe. Not really a grandma scent with potpourri vibes which I usually associate with this genre but like the cool auntie in her 50s or 60s who's still hip to the trends.

Not bad for my first foray into this house. I have high hopes for Tabac Libre!

Narkissos is an enormous white floral: I mostly get a huge, fruity orange blossom, some tuberose, a salty musk, with a big, fruity grape note. As it dries down, leather, a metallic honey and a pinch of tobacco morph it in an oddly sweet-savory direction, while remaining quite syrupy and almost bubblegum-y in places.

An immensely powerful fragrance, it's the drydown where it starts to lose me. The fruity orange blossom and metallic honey feel like a throbbing drumbeat on my nose, and I find myself tiring of it rapidly.

I am sure narcissus is in here, but this just doesn’t smell like any narcissus I know. The Herculean orange blossom, however, reminds me a lot of Fils de Joie, another big white floral I had similar issues with.

As a big fan of both Angelos’ work and narcissus blossoms, I wanted to love this, but alas, it is not for me.