Bastiscent

At the time this fragrance first appeared, I was working in a 5-star luxury hotel, a grande dame of the German hotel industry.
Here I encountered expensive, heavy, light, special and very niche fragrances on a daily basis.
In short, a colorful fragrance portfolio, but almost always with that special something. Fragrances that you never get to smell otherwise.
But one fragrance stood out in particular - I just couldn't place it. A very soft, caressing fragrance that seemed to linger in the guest rooms, even after departure, on the typical Grand Hotel furnishings.
There was nothing harsh or edgy about this fragrance, and at first I didn't know whether I would classify it as a feminine or more masculine scent.
The leather follows discreetly behind, almost as if you were constantly stroking your hand over soft, fresh leather cuttings. In addition, everything has a very sensual note, in my imagination the fragrance was always worn by younger, elegant ladies who spend expensive weekends in a hotel before the next stop in a classy location.
That was my first classification, I didn't have a name/brand for the fragrance until then.
This was to change on my next visit to the Hermès boutique, when the saleswoman gave me a sample of this Hermèssence.
Sprayed onto my skin, I answered the question of who could wear this fragrance myself.
The leather here captivates with elegance and maturity, no matter who wears it.
Pleasing, benevolent and radiating specialness, films immediately run in front of the inner eye, placing this luxurious fragrance in the right ambience.
For me, this Hermèssence reflects the typical DNA of the Hermès brand, because this leather fragrance does not scream, it beguiles and inspires on its very own level.

To this fragrance there is the following backstory: For a long time I was drawn to the proximity of TF Oud Wood, which is immensely good but certainly now a kind of mainstream classic of TF is (albeit a very expensive).
At an airport terminal, I tried my way through the rest of TF's collection of oud scents, via Oud Minéral to that aforementioned TF Tobacco Oud. The Oud Minéral said to me very much, with Tobacco Oud I asked myself immediately, how one could wear such a thing probably ever.
Two weeks later, the return flight was due. This time at the other airport, but again there was the full TF collection. As I chatted a bit with the saleswoman, she reached for Tobacco Oud without much hesitation and before I knew it, my wrist was sprayed again.
Stupid, I thought - until I arrived home and took off my hoodie. The scent that now presented itself to me was so completely different from the one I still had in my memory, so that I had to re-smell several times.
I was presented with a sublime and special fragrance, which came along confidently but also gently. A fragrance that invites you to cuddle up. The oud comes here very warm, an equally warm and well-dosed tobacco note envelops the oud and places itself protectively before the animalic notes. This keeps the fragrance pleasing in sillage, but still possesses enough ego to stand out. Certainly, both positive and negative reactions can be found here; it polarizes. However, if a viewer has ventured close enough, it reveals itself with such attraction and warmth that I like it even better here than Oud Wood. Despite everything, the wearer needs enough self-confidence and the right clothes to do justice to this fragrance and to set it properly in scene.
While outside the damp autumn leaves under the shoes forms a slippery cushion and cold mist wraps itself around the warm breath air, this fragrance warms and gives the wearer a small, fine and soothing scent bell with, which comes along very close up comforting and protective. Who wants to smell this fragrance sample, necessarily spray on a cozy wool sweater or on the wool jacket and after some time stick the nose in. It's worth it.

This fragrance was the starting point for me into the mysterious world of niche fragrances and remains an undisputed masterpiece in my eyes. In fact, the reviews about this fragrance led me to Strasbourg, as FM fragrances were not yet so numerous at that time.
In a small side street, taken from the FM fragrance fridge, this fragrance enchanted right away.
The complexity and yet simple infatuation, which emanates from him, hardly any other fragrance in the green segment can boast.
On a white linen shirt on a balmy summer evening, carried by the soft sounds of a piano in the elegant hotel park, presents itself here an enchanting fragrance.
Earthy, mossy and fresh it comes along, just as mysterious, while it comes to the guests around as a fine and attractive note in the nose. One can not help but and must "re-smell" again, while vetiver and cedar spread and attest him a green "playground". Even after several hours, while other fragrances have long since invaded the nose, it stands out with such a calm yet animalic attraction that the wearer's companion can't help but fall for it. All this without unnecessary sweetness, without synthetics, but so natural, as if this fragrance would already exist since time immemorial.
Wherever he appears, he provides for turning heads, for furtive glances and asserts itself confidently even on sultry summer days.
In this fragrance, you will find the gentleman who arrives and beguiles with his self-confidence and his calm; who knows what he wants and how to get it - without having to loudly put himself in the foreground for it.

Who has once surrendered to the magic of FM and his various fragrance creations (even if I definitely do not like some fragrances), will probably find here his holy grail within the fragrance collection.