DrB1414

Another unusual craving for this time of the year. Hendley's Tobacco Cider. The temperature has taken a significant dive over the last few days. And then, the garden floor is decorated with summer apples, and since we can't collect and eat all of them, a vast amount starts to ferment, resulting in a beautiful "apple cider" aroma that permeates the air. Hence, I have been craving Tobacco Cider, which remains to this day my favorite interpretation of this phantasmal "boozy accord." Then, I realized I had never reviewed it, and since I know it's difficult to sample, perhaps my thoughts will help some of you who are looking for it.

Tobacco Cider has grown to be my favorite creation from Hendley Perfumes. While I also love Myst and Narcis, the former came to feel incomplete, rather a base for a perfume than a final product, while the latter is not as distinctive, although charming. Tobacco Cider has also significantly changed, to my nose, since 2021; it is lovely and unique, making it a high-ranking composition in Hendley's catalog for me.

The name is partly misleading because I never got much tobacco from it. In the beginning, I didn't get any, but lately I do see how it might play its part in the later stages of the fragrance. Still, it's not a major player. To me, the most prominent notes and accords are: the woods, the boozy apple cider accord, the spices, and unexpectedly, the civet.

For the longest time, I had been searching for a perfume to capture the perfect apple cider accord, but was unable to find one. "Apple accords" in general are more mishaps than hits for me, just like with coffee. They either smell like toilet freshener (Apple Tabac), too sweet (Mond), or are overtaken by annoying synthetics that wreck the entire composition (Promise). This one is perfect: the fruit accord smells like summer apples, with that nice balance between sweet and sour, on the verge of turning, showcasing this fermented-boozy quality that makes me think of the alcoholic beverage. Hans perfectly complemented this accord with woods, a touch of vanillic sweetness, mulled spices, and added a good measure of all. The spices are strong in the opening and tame down gradually. The woods are the hallmark of this fragrance, smelling like a combination of cedar, oakwood, and sandalwood. There is a perfect touch of sweet vanilla and benzoin. The big surprise was the addition of a rather loud civet note, most welcomed, I might add, as it gives the fragrance a nice dirty edge, yet just like the sweetness, it's kept in check and never crosses the line. Moreover, I feel this perfume has only aged for the better. In the beginning, I felt that if the sweetness from the vanilla had been dialed down a notch, it could have been perfect. Time worked its magic, and now it's just like that with the woods coming more to the forefront and overshadowing the vanilla. I get plenty of cedar and oakwood, not much of the sandalwood. They give the impression of an oak barrel where the apples were left to ferment and later used to flavor the cider. I love the way he worked the wood base in here. As for the tobacco, as mentioned, it is hardly detectable and smells on the leafy and wet side of the spectrum. I don't complain, though, I like it much better as it is.

If you love the idea of a boozy apple (cider) with spices and lots of woods, and you're not afraid of the extra dirtiness from the civet, chances are you'll love this one. If you like Hans' woody and smoky perfumes, add some spices, light sweetness, and cider, and you'll get a good impression of Tobacco Cider. I find it fairly unique and an Autumn staple, although I enjoyed it immensely over the past few Summer days.

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While looking to expand my Patchouli wardrobe, I have stumbled upon Honoré Payan, a house with plenty of decades behind it (established in 1854 in Grasse) and an impressive track record. They are the ones behind the well-acclaimed Les Nereides Patchouli Antique (that suffered plenty of reformulations over the years), and I believe they also worked for Reminiscence. Therefore, if you are still longing for those perfumes in their original shapes, now you know where to find them.

But the one I'm talking about in this post is another patchouli perfume they released in 2025 called Patchouli XO. This was a second run after they did a lower-yield batch earlier this year. I trusted them to create an amazing patchouli perfume after I had sampled all of their patchouli offerings, and they didn't disappoint. My favorite from their regular line was the Patchouli Antique, now renamed Patchouli Original. I was planning to get that one at some point, and then they announced Patchouli XO, and since there was no way to sample beforehand, I decided to go for it blindly. I was right to do so, as I find it to have a strong resemblance to Patchouli Antique, but it tones down the more appealing aspects of the latter, while feeling more nature-like, intense, and higher quality. Just like the Antique, Patchouli XO is a patchouli fragrance that places a strong emphasis on woody notes, but the cocoa-like facets, balsamic notes, and sweetness are significantly toned down. It opens up spicy, slightly boozy, and woody, progressing into a dank, earthy, musty, and verdant direction. There are hints of camphor, but nothing that will clear your sinuses. It has a "dank cellar" vibe, but never goes full-on in that direction; rather, I find the generous addition of oakmoss to pull it more into a "forest-floor" type of feel. And it does indeed make me think of patchouli growing in a forest. There is also a hint of muskiness to the far dry-down, but overall, it feels woody, earthy, and green, with a good amount of mustiness.

I would say it's a middle ground patchouli - it has its challenging aspects, yet the subtle sweetness from the balms and the hints of cocoa next to the velvety moss and the musks help to smooth and round its profile so that it doesn't go as hardcore as the one from Santa Maria Novella or the Farmacia Annunziata. However, it will feel like a next level of "purity" for those coming from patchouli perfumes like Borneo 1834, Psychedelique, Patchouli Noir, or Patchouli Antique. If you like your Coromandels, Patchouli Imperials, Tempos, and other polite/safe patchoulis, you can safely skip this one.

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Cuir Pleine Fleur by James Heeley - gone but not forgotten. I was very impressed with this one, for a couple of reasons. First, for a leather fiend like myself to stumble upon a unique and unconventional leather scent (mind you, this one came out in 2006) is very rare. Second, I was not expecting to smell a Jean-Claude Ellena in a Heeley bottle.

Now, don't be fooled by the note breakdown with this one. People see violet leaf paired with leather, and shout "Fahrenheit," in the same way they see fruity-chypres featuring peach and shout "Mitsouko," and so on. This perfume smells like nothing I have tried. It takes bits from here and there, but as a whole, it is unique. The only thing that rings familiar to me is the aesthetic, its execution. In that regard, it strongly reminds me of Hermessence Cuir D'Ange, and overall, of Ellena's style. If someone told me this was created by Jean-Claude, I would believe it. And then, some critics claimed James Heeley to be the next Jean Claude Ellena, so there's that. I admit, I'm not familiar with the house, so I can't offer an opinion on that, but there's a strong resemblance to Ellena's style in this perfume.

As for the composition itself, this is steering more into Agrestic territory than Leather, although there is a clear presence of the latter. The leather accord behaves much as the one in Cuir D'Ange, while the rest of the perfume smells entirely rustic. It brings to mind perfumes such as Greco's Œillères, Providence Perfumes Moss Gown, and small bits of Prin's Haxan. I'd say more readily the first two. If you'd strip Œillères of its sweaty leather accord, or add a gentle leather touch to Moss Gown, you'd get a good impression of Cuir Pleine Fleur. However, there's a bit more to it, besides that - a very subtle honey note and a quite assertive cinnamon touch that sticks around for quite some time.
From the listed notes and accords, I get the violet leaf, cinnamon, hawthorne, leather, honey, and vetiver. Violet leaf and cinnamon open the way, a burst of ozonic green accompanied by the fiery-spicy kick from the cinnamon. Then, the bucolic landscape begins to shape the fragrance on a suede leather canvas. The hawthorne is prominent with its bitter-green and powdery touches, reminiscent of how it complements the leather accord in Cuir D'Ange. But then I get several "phantom accords" that, albeit not listed, are very tangible to me: hay and chamomile. It might be the way the ingredients and molecules interact, but what I smell is without a doubt a dry, grassy, and herbal heart where hay, chamomile, hawthorne, and the lingering violet leaf pave the way for the leather. The latter is a soft, suede-like take on the accord. It bears the minimum amount of smokiness and animalic twang. In the base, it goes into a creamy musk direction with hints of dry and aromatic vetiver. This is a subtle take on leather that works great during Spring and Summer, but can be worn all year round.

If Ruade is the rugged leather saddle you ride on and Œillères is the rustic waistcoat imbued with the sweat of a day's work in the fields, then Cuir Pleine Fleur is the elegant pair of leather gloves you match to your tweed suit while taking a road trip to the countryside for a breath of fresh air. It is Cuir D'Ange's rustic cousin.

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I am still debating between this and the Patchouli from Santa Maria Novella. I love the smell of Patchouly Indonesiano more, but the Santa Maria slightly takes the edge because it performs better on my skin. However, I think that Patchouly Inodnesiano is meant for colder weather. This stuff is no joke - the purest, darkest, earthiest, and most straightforward Patchouli perfume you'll ever find. I'm not sure on the formula, but I wouldn't be surprised if they used just patchouli oil at a very high concentration. The fragrance is so oily and sticky that it clogs the atomizer. When sprayed, it leaves an oily sheen, and it behaves much like an essential oil. I'd love it to push out just a tad more because I adore the smell, and I'd like to get more wafts through the day. It lasts for a long time, though, and it is lingering beautifully on the skin. But the smell, oh my, to me, it is Patchouli perfection. There are no fillers here; no spices, no woods, no resins, and no florals. This is like pressing your nose against the shrub and then pulling it barehanded from the ground and smelling the dusty earth on the leaves as well as the soil clinging to the roots. It feels like being buried alive beneath a patchouli bush.

It doesn't evolve much throughout the wear, but its profile is so complex that you'll always experience different facets and never get bored. It opens up like a shot of warm liquor made of earth. Boozy, spicy, warm, and with a dark cocoa-like undertone. This is the darkest, least sweet cocoa you can imagine. Then it emits bits of camphor, earthy facets, and progressively becomes dustier as it develops. When I say dusty, I mean earth dust. The scent of earth when it's hot outside and gets hit by the rain, but not as diffusive, rather thick that you could chew it. So perhaps, earth dust that has collected on the leaves of the shrub, and you take a bite without washing it beforehand (I do that with mint leaves). A scent that most likely won't find appeal in today's market, but if you like earthy perfumes, patchouli, and dark-themed fragrances, it should be on the list to try. It also reminds me of a dusty attic that hasn't been entered for decades. Impressive stuff from Farmacia SS. Annunziata. Unexpectedly bold and high quality.

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I don't wear perfume by season or occasion, but if I were to make a list of favorite fragrances to wear during hot Summer days, Le Parfum De Thérèse would rank as my number one choice.

If you are a fan of this house or of Edmond Roudnitska's work, you know the story behind Le Parfum de Thérèse (although some reviewers on YouTube still make dedicated overviews on the house and have no clue about the story behind it, won't point fingers).

Edmond created this perfume for his wife, Thérèse, to be hers and hers alone to wear. At that time, he felt this perfume was too futuristic for its period and that it wouldn't be well-received by the market. Honestly, even today, this perfume feels like a futuristic olfactory composition. I don't think Le Parfum De Thérèse can be bound to any era of perfumery, which makes it rather timeless.

If I were to go by the notes, I should not enjoy this. And yet I love it. I like to describe the way Roudnitska crafted this perfume as an Impressionistic painting. One that immediately comes to mind would be Monet's "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe", and Monet's style in general. This perfume transcends any general knowledge of the fruity, floral, and chypre accords one might have. Yes, you get fruits - melon, plum, and tangerines, but devoid of the typical sweetness and tangible characteristics; they feel natural and rather watery, even zesty at times. The florals, from which I mostly pick up an indolic Jasmine, are ethereal and not heavy, as jasmine most often comes across. Here you'll find one of the most interesting jasmine accords, light yet indolic at the same time. He almost restrained himself on the floral aspects while being generous with the indoles. And the Chypre base is built as a "modern" chypre accord using no oakmoss but a rather copious amount of vetiver with hints of patchouli and cedar. The leather accord never shines on my skin, or perhaps it is too light for me to detect, given my high tolerance for rough and dense leathers.

Overall, Le Parfum De Thérèse is an almost watery, diaphanous perfume with plenty of the spark and fuziness characteristic of most chypres. Sometimes the watery fruity accords are most prominent over a woody base, others the jasmine pushes out more, and there are instances when it wears and feels like an emerald mossy perfume. It is a clever creation that only consolidates further Roudnitska's genius and the saying that goes: "materials are important, but the nose is the most important."

The reason why I love wearing this perfume in the heat of Summer is because it makes me think of a picnic on the grass - a basket with fresh fruits and the smell of flowers, grass, and the trees nearby, with a cool breeze blowing through their branches. Just like in Monet's "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe." And of course, people invited know how to dress, no shorts and tees here.

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