I find it amazing how sometimes you can discover seemingly completely unknown scents. I had never heard of the brand Les Liquides Imaginaires until a lovely Parfuma dragged me into a small shop in Frankfurt, where I got to meet the really friendly owner, with whom I talked at length about fragrances.
I was able to try several scents from this brand and found that they offer quite good fragrances. I also realized that the Parfuma, who usually forces me to stick to Bvlgari scents and always hisses at me, is actually nicer than I thought :D
(I think that was very nice, right?… if I complain about her again with my next Bvlgari scent, she probably won't hit me for it anymore… pah… who believes that… *sigh* … :D)
The scent:
The fragrance starts off very intensely, almost piercing, with a very strong cedar note. Alongside this, there is also a very intense and medicinal note, which must be the camphor.
With the eucalyptus and the strong cedar, which almost smells "spicy," the scent at times reminds me a bit of Body Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent at the beginning.
Quickly, airy incense joins in, with the scent smelling slightly resinous, and I’m not sure if one is smelling incense or rather styrax, although I must honestly admit that I don’t know much about "incense-like" fragrances and therefore still have great difficulty distinguishing between incense, styrax, myrrh, etc., especially when they simply smell smoky and airy from the background. In any case, this adds a certain esoteric aura to the scent.
Patchouli, which gives the fragrance an earthy note, makes it somehow feel more tree-like, almost like being in a forest. But that’s also clear, as Eau Arborante means "tree water," and according to the description, the scent is supposed to come deep from the heart of the tree, which is a wonderful idea for me.
Even later, well into the base, the scent mainly smells of cedar, camphor, and incense combined with a slightly woody, almost conifer-like note. Although the cedar and camphor still smell strong, both fragrance components in the base are a bit milder and not as intensely pronounced as at the beginning.
The sillage:
The sillage hits like a bomb at first and radiates very strongly. Later, after a few hours, the scent can still be perceived very well and thus leaves a nice scent cloud.
The longevity is above average (for an autumn fragrance) and lasted about eight hours on me. After that, it was still detectable for about two or three hours, but you would really have to press your nose against the sprayed spot to smell it.
The bottle:
The bottle is cylindrical and made of high-quality glass, with the name of the fragrance printed on the bottom (thus there is no label). At first glance, this appears simple, but it impresses with the vibrant colors of the fragrance liquid (this applies to all scents from this brand). In Saltus, the fragrance liquid is a darker yellow. The cap, on the other hand, is solid, chrome-plated, and bears the logo of Les Liquides, which looks like a mysterious symbol and makes the scent even more enigmatic. Overall, a very beautiful bottle.
I must say that despite a very intense and almost getting-used-to beginning, the scent has turned out quite well, even though it hasn’t completely convinced me personally, as I found the medicinal note a bit too harsh. Perhaps this will change as I try the scent more times over time.
Nevertheless, the scent is definitely worth a look, as it beautifully evokes nature/forest from the heart note onwards. In terms of fragrance, I would categorize it for autumn, best used when the leaves have already turned a lovely yellow or red and decorate the streets like a beautiful painting, ultimately triggering a sense of well-being in the viewer of this spectacle.
For going out (at least for partying), I think it’s less suitable (but I’m not entirely sure about this and would need to test the scent a few more times), but it’s good for daily use on colder days. However, it might fit well for quieter occasions, like dining, perhaps sitting in a bar, etc.
As mentioned, one should definitely test the scent once.
Camphor
Eucalyptus
Animalic notes
Styrax
Cedar leaf
Frankincense
Sandalwood
Tonka bean
Verbena
DorothyGrace
Evannell
Ch03np
Saradonin
Estbienla
Schoeibksr
Schalkerin
MonMedusa
Medianus76
