Top Notes 
Egyptian violet leaf absolute
Green notes
Calabrian bergamot
Hedione
Tunisian neroli
Petitgrain
Heart Notes 
Violet
Hay absolute
Orris butter
Carnation
Lily of the valley
Mimosa absolute
Star anise
Styrax
Damask rose absolute
Egyptian jasminum grandiflorum absolute
Base Notes 
Leathery notes
Australian sandalwood
Benzoin
Indian white sandalwood
Musk
Animalic notes
Beeswax absolute
Castoreum
Honey
Mousse de Saxe
Silver birch
Fir balsam absolute
Jonquil
Labdanum absolute06/07/2025
DRKSHDW
95 Reviews
DRKSHDW
2
OLD SOUL, NEW SKIN
The moment you spray this, there’s no mistaking it — this is a vintage-style floral-leather chypre. The opening is dominated by ozonic violet leaf, and to be honest, that note has never been my favorite. It always reminds me of cucumber — not in a fresh salad way, but in the form of cucumber-scented face toner or lotion. So at first, what I get is cucumbery skincare over a chypre base. That stage lasts about 40 minutes.
Thankfully, the violet leaf calms down, and the delicate, powdery violet flower starts to take center stage. Now I’m into it. It's soft, breezy, and beautifully nostalgic. I can’t recall many vintage leather chypres with violet as a lead note — usually, the floral heart leans toward iris, rose, or jasmine. But here, the violet truly shines, and what’s impressive is that the leathery base doesn’t smother it. Instead, it supports it gently, like a soft suede wrap around a cloud of violets.
It reminds me of Guerlain’s Après L’Ondée, but with a light leather chypre foundation. The leather here is subtle — no smoky birch tar bomb — and the whole fragrance, while complex, remains surprisingly airy and wearable. As it dries down, you’re left with a whisper of leather and castoreum, some warm woody notes, soft resins, and a light dusting of iris powder.
If you love violet, vintage powdery scents, and refined leather chypres, you’ll likely fall in love with this. It’s truly impressive how the perfumer recreated a vintage-style base and paired it with such a delicate but persistent violet note. I love a good violet, and here it’s handled with real elegance — once you get past that cucumbery start.
The price for 30 ml is definitely on the higher end, and it does make you wonder: would it be more worthwhile to just seek out a vintage bottle of Après L’Ondée or a classic vintage leather chypre? There’s a fine line between homage and imitation — a dilemma many modern creations face. On one hand, there’s something deeply comforting about smelling a fragrance that draws from the past. But then there’s the danger of crossing into imitation — where a perfume starts to feel like a cover song. And that’s when the magic slips. But still, I’m genuinely grateful there are perfumers today who can compose such classic-feeling fragrances using cruelty-free musks and nice raw materials, with results this beautiful.
Thankfully, the violet leaf calms down, and the delicate, powdery violet flower starts to take center stage. Now I’m into it. It's soft, breezy, and beautifully nostalgic. I can’t recall many vintage leather chypres with violet as a lead note — usually, the floral heart leans toward iris, rose, or jasmine. But here, the violet truly shines, and what’s impressive is that the leathery base doesn’t smother it. Instead, it supports it gently, like a soft suede wrap around a cloud of violets.
It reminds me of Guerlain’s Après L’Ondée, but with a light leather chypre foundation. The leather here is subtle — no smoky birch tar bomb — and the whole fragrance, while complex, remains surprisingly airy and wearable. As it dries down, you’re left with a whisper of leather and castoreum, some warm woody notes, soft resins, and a light dusting of iris powder.
If you love violet, vintage powdery scents, and refined leather chypres, you’ll likely fall in love with this. It’s truly impressive how the perfumer recreated a vintage-style base and paired it with such a delicate but persistent violet note. I love a good violet, and here it’s handled with real elegance — once you get past that cucumbery start.
The price for 30 ml is definitely on the higher end, and it does make you wonder: would it be more worthwhile to just seek out a vintage bottle of Après L’Ondée or a classic vintage leather chypre? There’s a fine line between homage and imitation — a dilemma many modern creations face. On one hand, there’s something deeply comforting about smelling a fragrance that draws from the past. But then there’s the danger of crossing into imitation — where a perfume starts to feel like a cover song. And that’s when the magic slips. But still, I’m genuinely grateful there are perfumers today who can compose such classic-feeling fragrances using cruelty-free musks and nice raw materials, with results this beautiful.
BertolucciK
DRKSHDW
AlexD76
VincenzoR80
Jfmjfm1965
