Patchouli Clouds Marina Barcenilla

Patchouli Clouds is a patchouli-centered creation that opens with a refreshing clarity. For a fragrance built around patchouli, it's remarkably clean and wearable. It highlights the cooling, slightly medicinal, and earthy qualities of patchouli—clean, grounding, and pure, just like its name suggests: beautiful and almost sacred.

Frankincense plays a key supporting role, rounding out the patchouli and adding a sense of softness and depth. Hints of rose and jasmine are woven in to add layers—delicate, with a trace of floral elegance, especially from the rose, though it never dominates.

This fragrance reminds me of crisp highland landscapes and evokes a palette of brown-toned elements drawn straight from nature.

This is an intense patch perfume, but it's so incredibly refined and sophisticated that it smells like a really classy and maybe classic perfume, rather than a hippy's typical earthy scent. I detect a delicate and balanced blend of spices and some quality florals (rose and jasmine). This might be the finest patch-based fragrance you ever get your nose on. Magnificent!

I'd want to wear this on a day I planned to be alone, indulging my senses--transcendent music, something dazzling to read, grapes, cheese, a sinful wine, chocolates, of course, and this sprayed all over me--something gossamer on my skin. No one else allowed. Only an effulgent fragrance would match such a day, a scent strongly itself, like I am being. Patchouli Cloud is so beautiful. High quality Patchouli strong over Rose, Jasmine, Cinnamon and Rosewood--Sandalwood and Frankincense practically knocking me senseless from the base. Smelling this I read from the Mahabharata, "I have not touched the sacrificial butter with my tongue."

Oh, yes, I have. FB for sure.

It's a gorgeous, natural, true patchouli, rich and nuanced. I think the several patchoulis' used here must be well aged, highly refined extracts. They are enhanced by a little bit of very lovely, soft rose and jasmine in the heart, plenty of sandalwood and a dash of soft spices and resins. But mainly it's a beautiful, well crafted natural patchouli. This one went straight on to my love shelf.

The first blast is aromatic patchouli, uplifting and head-clearing, a little sharp and pungent (I love, love the opening). It quickly begins to get smoothed and rounded by the soft rose and jasmine.

The sandalwood is quite bold, although it takes second place to the patchouli, It’s rich and woody. Patchouli Clouds is grounded but not too ‘earthy’, it has a clear and opulent yet slightly rugged character. It’s substantial but not heavy. After a little while I smell the florals more, they are soft and deep. Everything about this perfume holds together really well, I feel like it’s got my back. Really good patchouli gives me a feeling of being secure, grounded and brave but also uplifted and happy at the same time, the extracts used in Patchouli Clouds are no exception and work wonders on my mood.
So, it’s grounding patchouli and it’s uplifting clouds too ;-)

Sillage and longevity are moderate/good on my perfume eating skin.
This smells so good and affects my emotional state in a very positive way.

Marina Barcenilla is based in the UK but her perfumes are also available in the US from Ave Parfum.

Edit 25/3/18 - Still loving this, just wanted to say that I think it does lean a little bit feminine in the dry down - so men - unless you want a touch of soft, creamy rose with your patch (and why not ;-) sample first. Gorgeous though.