Brise

I like to keep it for the shoe cabinet. It has a leathery scent, with a hint of tobacco. Essentially like high-quality shoe polish. That's exactly what it is. For years now. Wearing it on the body is rather not recommended unless you love yourself as a leather fetishist. Then it might make sense.

The scents from Byredo have not caught my attention in their composition until now.
Except for this wood interpretation, which I once received as a sample and which occasionally piqued my interest.

So I took it out of my "wonder box of sleeping beauties" once again after a long time, to finally understand it on days when I could find peace in unfamiliar surroundings.

Already after half a day on the journey, the suspicion solidified that something special, something wonderful was enveloping me. The curtain lifted, and an old memory rose within me. This Byredo exuded magic.

I love the stories of Enki Bilal and devoured his comics back in the day.
His "Alexander Nikopol" (Google it) trilogy; "The Businesses of the Immortals," takes place in a time when real and genetically modified humans lived side by side with mutants. A science fiction series that explores the encounter of Egyptian gods with a post-apocalyptic society.

The memory of these stories and Bilal's uniquely illustrated cosmos made me smile. And if you follow the story of Alexander Nikopol, you'll also find a link to the French poet Baudelaire, who also has his place in the Byredo collection.

In the following days, I tried to discover the scent entirely for myself. Do you really please me, or are you this ephemeral creature that someday decorates a windowsill, lying there inconsequentially? Eventually, I was overwhelmed by the magic of patchouli.

Patchouli is often used to refine oud scents. It brings the oud closer to you and rounds it off. It was used on the Silk Road to repel insects and protect textiles from moths. It is good for many things and is used as folk medicine in parts of Asia. The hippies discovered it for themselves in the late sixties.

In the oud of the future, where this eaglewood tree species may no longer exist, Ben Gotham has succeeded in interpreting a variation of this fungus-infected wood. In other words, allowing this "god" to return to this planet with the warm earthy note of patchouli.

A delightfully fresh opening, indeed reminiscent of a drier limoncello, gently leads you into the heart note. The incense smokes the patchouli to later embed it in moss and tobacco notes. Eugenol enchants with a hint of the Orient. Above the blend hovers a subtly floral freshness. Everything lasts throughout the day and underscores the value of this creation.

Of course, one cannot say on whose skin this scent reveals itself particularly.
Nowadays, acidic dietary habits are also crucial for a scent experience.
The ongoing deacidification and detoxification process of the skin can be a varied and sometimes uninterrupted process.
What matters is that the scent positively embraces the skin, surprises, and ideally leads to compliments.
Just as it has happened to me to an unexpected extent with this one.

Therefore, Oud Immortel now belongs to the recurring beautiful and relaxing experiences. A work of art that one would not want to miss anymore.

After I had already rated Vetiver Ambrato as wonderfully good, it sat on my list of fragrances to either use up or gift away someday for a long time.
Somehow, other scents had captivated me more over the years.

But as it often happens, you rediscover certain treasures later and enjoy them anew.
It might also be related to certain seasons, something I have observed in myself more than once. And so, on a sunny autumn day, I pulled the amber-colored bottle from a back corner of my wardrobe to let it shine anew on my skin.

Well, you can see the ingredients described above.
After a long abstinence from intense olfactory analyses of various fragrance components, I can only briefly mention today what particularly excites me about this stuff.
And that is the combination of vetiver and patchouli. That’s what makes the uniqueness of its feel-good character for me. Of course, amber and musk also play their enchanting creamy nuances in this beautiful aroma, but as I said.

Perhaps not the ultimate scent for a lady, but why not.
For me, it’s a fragrance that bridges autumn very well and lets the upcoming spring hopefully tune into summer. As a pure summer scent, it might be a bit too sweet, and a cold winter might indeed require a little less vetiver.

Just give it a try. You can't go wrong.

The bottles of this brand have fascinated me for a long time.
They could have been designed by Jonathan Ive. The Apple chief designer.
It feels weighty and solid in the hand. A beautiful, clear design object. Along with the outer packaging that slides open, nestled in a cotton pouch.

My first encounter with Les Liquides Imaginaires was with "Dom Rosa - Eau Sanguine".
What a work of art. I never thought that two such contrasting scents could be so clearly expressed one after the other with a cut in a watery solution. Magic, but not my thing.

Now, then, the "Water of Strength" Fortis - Eau Dela
When I hold the glass against the light, the liquid has a dark magenta tone.
Character corresponding to the essences mentioned above.
Even though there are subtle differences, "Fortis" is, for example, very, very similar to "Black" by Puredistance. So, if you want, you can safely save a bit of money here and still have a great 100ml bottle on display.

The contact with the strength begins unexpectedly - mild, friendly, spicy.
The millennia-old spice of a medicinal plant spreads out, swirling with the wood until warm mist rises.
The wood becomes more demanding and emphasizes it with a spicy, ethereal bitterness without overshadowing its inherent light sweetness. You can nuance the scent (like many others) with a tastefully coordinated shower gel.
No dark shadow slowly approaching from the mist between the dense conifers surprises you.

A warm, soft cloak is draped over your shoulders from behind. "Sonia, is that you?"... you hear yourself asking, and the mist has vanished.
Like a redemption, the sun shines through the branches - a clearing?
Resinous, sweet, and warming, it spreads out before you. There, far back, the vast sea. You hear the surf in the distance. Now you are with yourself.
Completely with yourself.
You now realize that life is a long river on whose waters you drift. And this water gives you the strength right now to detach yourself from what could weigh and torment your earthly existence.
Detached like Major Tom.
Okay, I’ll stop now :-))

Alessandro Gualtieri must have unleashed an avalanche with his Black Afgano in 2009.
Clearly, many have been inspired by this way of defining a new olfactory taste. He himself, of course, included. Crossing boundaries. Finally, one dares to try something different again.

When I look at some bottles of these scents, they also dance out of line and - they are just as demanding in production and therefore expensive. Probably more expensive than their contents.
"Black" by Puredistance is one of those.
But that’s the beauty of it; the idea, the art, that such an object can radiate in its uniqueness: It not only looks good, it also smells very good. More satisfaction alongside good sex is hardly possible.

And then here: Sonia Constant. What a lovely name for a charming perfumer. Everything fits together so crazily.
:-))

"Fortis - Eau Dela" does not want to be "Black Afgano". Not a peppery punk.
"Fortis - Eau Dela" wants intellectual depth and sovereignty. Wants to radiate distinguished elegance.
For example, at dinner in a good, upscale restaurant. In the touching aura during a classical concert. While dancing at a ball adorned with chandeliers. On the fur in front of the crackling fireplace, while naked bodies search for the meaning of their existence together.
Or on that dark evening, where you park your Maserati under the lamp in the rain, to walk with your collar turned up and a huge bouquet of flowers over the wet cobblestones to your ex's front door, to apologize because the maintenance payment is unfortunately late this time. You need strength for good arguments :-))
The sublimity of this scent now makes it easy for you to drive away the evil spirits.

;-)

I had almost given up.
I thought Creed was not for me.
I have now been taught otherwise.

Sure, the Creed base remains. Many perfumes have that.
A fundamental character.
Unfortunately, for me, it has been a disturbing one with Creed so far.
However, surprisingly, it fits almost perfectly into this overall composition.

Here, a convincing freshness is launched. Really. Beautiful.
I had just previously smelled the “Ginepro” from AdP.
Great scent. But then came the Silver Mountain Water. It appeals to me more.
It’s simply more sparkling.

Everyone defines “freshness” differently, of course.
The French, English, Italian freshness, etc.
I still occasionally use my bottle of GIT.
Not just for the balcony walls :-))
I affectionately call it my Irish monastery stone.
Just because my beloved likes it so much on me, I sometimes spray it on my body
with a distorted face.

Yea,
what else should I write about SMW.
It has already been well described by its fans here.
Yes, the mandarin shares the space with bergamot.
For me, the mandarin briefly takes the upper hand. The citrusy neroli holds back,
but together they briefly moisten the retina.

And already you think, yes, there it is again, my Creedy. Yes.
It doesn’t hold back and shows the house number.
Are those the “marine notes,” Mr. Creed?
For a maritime power like England, that is certainly interpretable.

Black currant is also briefly present, or rather its bud concentrate.
It is often used as a healing and regenerative power in homeopathy.
The green tea - for that, you probably need a bit of imagination. Why not.
Maybe the slightly floating, subtly smoky-fruity note?

As a wood fan, one doesn’t really need to say more: sandalwood.
After about one to two hours, it comes through. Very nice and not at all intrusive.
A nearly perfect blend with almost imperceptibly sweet musk.
Everything is lightly ethereal, underscored by the “marine note.”

A great scent with the charm of a classic. Overall, I find the scent not very intrusive. Almost like a cologne. I like that.