Top Notes 
Amalfi lemon
Calabrian bergamot
Green mandarin orange
Quintupled Bracket
Heart Notes 
Milk ice cream
Amber
Magnolia
Jasmine
Base Notes 
Cedar
Ambergris
Vetiver
Ropanski2020
31 Reviews
Translated · Show original
Ropanski2020
Top Review
37
Insight on Contemplation
Fragrances from Carbonnel have caused such a stir in the perfume world that even those who declare against them can hardly resist them for long; the associated discourse is too encompassing and inevitable.
Indeed, it cannot be denied that the name Carbonnel stands for a certain standard in the current perfume world. Some of the most successful niche fragrances of recent years have emerged from his pen. And I would be lying if I claimed to judge the present fragrance impartially.
Tulua presents itself with a southern flair and aims to encapsulate an extravagant lifestyle, La Dolce Vita olfactorily. It speaks of much hedonism, sun worship, and sweet pleasures. One might be inclined to believe such illusions, but less so to grant them a certified testimonial.
Fragrance profile:
If truly pure, essential oils have been used here, they are buried beneath a predominantly synthetic base. And since the truthfulness of fragrance pyramids is notoriously not to be taken too seriously, a soft musky touch can confidently be added to the mix, which reveals itself in the subtext as powdery-dry, but also sublimely icy to metallic.
Soberly considered, there seems to be a combination of various aromatic compounds of the sweet (Ethylmaltol, slightly buttery), fruity (tropical aldehyde mix), amber to dry-woody (Cedrol-like, some synthetic Amber Wood Kit) variety.
The sparkling opening is immediately surrounded by various sweet aromas with a slightly acidic character (fruity acidic note). Enhanced by a sweet coating, the base gradually envelops the wearer in a creamy-fruity aura that fades hermetically. Aside from the top note(s), presumably nothing here is of natural origin. It is difficult to properly unfold this "smells somewhat like" aerosol, as here more impressions than concrete ideas about the raw materials take the lead.
I have no choice but to resort to some heavily processed industrial products from the food industry as a concrete association. A certain slush ice flavor (from childhood days) comes to mind, but it could also be any random brand pudding or yogurt with a fruit filling or a lollipop from a well-known Spanish confectionery manufacturer. A certain fairground reminiscence cannot be concealed amidst all the perforated sweetness.
Classification & Evaluation:
If one were to measure the quality of the fragrance solely based on its current resonance online, the judgment might be somewhat more favorable. However, my passion for perfume resists such a latter judgment. I see the riddle unraveling, which such fragrance profiles pose to me due to their dreary molecular level, where everything gets lost in an almost indefinable complex of intersecting and overlapping connections - all manifoldly intertwined and reactively enhanced.
At least contemporarily it is (!), that cannot be denied, as fragrances like "Erba Pura | XerJoff," "Erba Gold | XerJoff," "Accento | XerJoff," "Kirkè (Extrait de Parfum) | Tiziana Terenzi," among others, enjoy great popularity. In this respect, the brand is likely to find success with this project as well. Nevertheless, I am left with a feeling of superficiality regarding "Tulua | Kinetic Perfumes," comparable to a nice but ultimately insubstantial liaison. The Mediterranean joie de vivre completely eludes me here as a reference point. Everything gets lost in this all-too-familiar Carbonnel-esque sweet-fruity mélange - rigid and without an interesting narrative arc.
Moreover, I see no development from the Spaniard, although many seem evidently overwhelmed to think of Carbonnel outside of his sphere. As a perfume enthusiast, I would have welcomed such a breakout from the comfort zone. Instead, a lackluster focus on fragrance prevails, which justifies criticism. For even if one were to rate the quality highly, the marginal gain from such recycling efforts, which aim primarily to appeal to an (still) unsuspecting, younger audience, remains minimal. In fact, this encapsulates the entire problem. It cannot be resolved simply by pointing out the diversity of tastes!
It rather seems that Carbonnel is no longer able to explore any worlds beyond the known material; he merely varies here and there, spinning on, rarely with effort, but quite skillfully when it comes to generating recognition effects, which he cannot move beyond. The rest is taken care of by the creative marketing department. Carbonnel somewhat completely immerses himself in this exteriority without (presumably) blushing. His conservatism consists of an almost reactionary clinging to long-overused formulas that resonate repetitively. Perhaps the good man has the same constant request in his inbox!? The responses and instructions to his staff in Barcelona seem to always be the same. This is less surprising, as such commissioned works are subject to hard sales calculations.
Conclusion:
Tulua does not appeal to me and can at best be understood as a meaningful description of a state and also as a retort, so to speak, as a reply to the current market, where comparatively big names and presumably little effort yield nothing but foam from dreams. I truly cannot recognize any heartfelt passion here. It simply feels too repetitive. The nice explanations from the distributors about the fragrance do not help either.
Product descriptions always have a somewhat idealistically faded quality, also something ephemeral, tend to colorful exaggerations and extravagance. They aim to cast the quiver and wait; it is no different here. Whether a nice story has been spun in the background, so to speak at the "Spezi regulars' table," is secondary, as it does not rise above the level of a teleshopping edition, where everything appears adorned with superlatives and exultantly charged. This certainly applies across fragrances and brands (!), so it should not be detrimental to the brand owner. However, the truth also includes: Anyone who raves about a "whiff of Italian summer nights" and cites "fundamental values and ethical principles" as guiding maxims that have partially flowed into the end product, and then presents and offers something so - sorry! - trivial as a "fantastic result," is likely to have only the laughter of Citizen Kane on their side in case of doubt.
What remains is the realization of a personal wish project, for which the client deserves congratulations. For a renowned perfumer has indeed been brought on board in Carbonnel, who delivers in the well-known manner. One may consider this good, but I increasingly find that the path back to the mainstream niche remains blocked for me. I can no longer derive anything from fragrances of this kind.
Indeed, it cannot be denied that the name Carbonnel stands for a certain standard in the current perfume world. Some of the most successful niche fragrances of recent years have emerged from his pen. And I would be lying if I claimed to judge the present fragrance impartially.
Tulua presents itself with a southern flair and aims to encapsulate an extravagant lifestyle, La Dolce Vita olfactorily. It speaks of much hedonism, sun worship, and sweet pleasures. One might be inclined to believe such illusions, but less so to grant them a certified testimonial.
Fragrance profile:
If truly pure, essential oils have been used here, they are buried beneath a predominantly synthetic base. And since the truthfulness of fragrance pyramids is notoriously not to be taken too seriously, a soft musky touch can confidently be added to the mix, which reveals itself in the subtext as powdery-dry, but also sublimely icy to metallic.
Soberly considered, there seems to be a combination of various aromatic compounds of the sweet (Ethylmaltol, slightly buttery), fruity (tropical aldehyde mix), amber to dry-woody (Cedrol-like, some synthetic Amber Wood Kit) variety.
The sparkling opening is immediately surrounded by various sweet aromas with a slightly acidic character (fruity acidic note). Enhanced by a sweet coating, the base gradually envelops the wearer in a creamy-fruity aura that fades hermetically. Aside from the top note(s), presumably nothing here is of natural origin. It is difficult to properly unfold this "smells somewhat like" aerosol, as here more impressions than concrete ideas about the raw materials take the lead.
I have no choice but to resort to some heavily processed industrial products from the food industry as a concrete association. A certain slush ice flavor (from childhood days) comes to mind, but it could also be any random brand pudding or yogurt with a fruit filling or a lollipop from a well-known Spanish confectionery manufacturer. A certain fairground reminiscence cannot be concealed amidst all the perforated sweetness.
Classification & Evaluation:
If one were to measure the quality of the fragrance solely based on its current resonance online, the judgment might be somewhat more favorable. However, my passion for perfume resists such a latter judgment. I see the riddle unraveling, which such fragrance profiles pose to me due to their dreary molecular level, where everything gets lost in an almost indefinable complex of intersecting and overlapping connections - all manifoldly intertwined and reactively enhanced.
At least contemporarily it is (!), that cannot be denied, as fragrances like "Erba Pura | XerJoff," "Erba Gold | XerJoff," "Accento | XerJoff," "Kirkè (Extrait de Parfum) | Tiziana Terenzi," among others, enjoy great popularity. In this respect, the brand is likely to find success with this project as well. Nevertheless, I am left with a feeling of superficiality regarding "Tulua | Kinetic Perfumes," comparable to a nice but ultimately insubstantial liaison. The Mediterranean joie de vivre completely eludes me here as a reference point. Everything gets lost in this all-too-familiar Carbonnel-esque sweet-fruity mélange - rigid and without an interesting narrative arc.
Moreover, I see no development from the Spaniard, although many seem evidently overwhelmed to think of Carbonnel outside of his sphere. As a perfume enthusiast, I would have welcomed such a breakout from the comfort zone. Instead, a lackluster focus on fragrance prevails, which justifies criticism. For even if one were to rate the quality highly, the marginal gain from such recycling efforts, which aim primarily to appeal to an (still) unsuspecting, younger audience, remains minimal. In fact, this encapsulates the entire problem. It cannot be resolved simply by pointing out the diversity of tastes!
It rather seems that Carbonnel is no longer able to explore any worlds beyond the known material; he merely varies here and there, spinning on, rarely with effort, but quite skillfully when it comes to generating recognition effects, which he cannot move beyond. The rest is taken care of by the creative marketing department. Carbonnel somewhat completely immerses himself in this exteriority without (presumably) blushing. His conservatism consists of an almost reactionary clinging to long-overused formulas that resonate repetitively. Perhaps the good man has the same constant request in his inbox!? The responses and instructions to his staff in Barcelona seem to always be the same. This is less surprising, as such commissioned works are subject to hard sales calculations.
Conclusion:
Tulua does not appeal to me and can at best be understood as a meaningful description of a state and also as a retort, so to speak, as a reply to the current market, where comparatively big names and presumably little effort yield nothing but foam from dreams. I truly cannot recognize any heartfelt passion here. It simply feels too repetitive. The nice explanations from the distributors about the fragrance do not help either.
Product descriptions always have a somewhat idealistically faded quality, also something ephemeral, tend to colorful exaggerations and extravagance. They aim to cast the quiver and wait; it is no different here. Whether a nice story has been spun in the background, so to speak at the "Spezi regulars' table," is secondary, as it does not rise above the level of a teleshopping edition, where everything appears adorned with superlatives and exultantly charged. This certainly applies across fragrances and brands (!), so it should not be detrimental to the brand owner. However, the truth also includes: Anyone who raves about a "whiff of Italian summer nights" and cites "fundamental values and ethical principles" as guiding maxims that have partially flowed into the end product, and then presents and offers something so - sorry! - trivial as a "fantastic result," is likely to have only the laughter of Citizen Kane on their side in case of doubt.
What remains is the realization of a personal wish project, for which the client deserves congratulations. For a renowned perfumer has indeed been brought on board in Carbonnel, who delivers in the well-known manner. One may consider this good, but I increasingly find that the path back to the mainstream niche remains blocked for me. I can no longer derive anything from fragrances of this kind.
45 Comments
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