Jazzbob

Once again, Vetiveria is a perfume that piqued my curiosity with its fragrance notes, and with the Ormonde Jayne brand I was expecting above all a modern, airy and transparent creation of the vetiver theme, which has already been interpreted in so many different ways. The brand succeeded in part, but it also drew on very classic accords, as both light chypre and fougère elements can be filtered out.

I really like the opening, because it has a very diverse aromatic-green-spicy effect and is also characterized by a rather mild, fruity lime, which is accompanied by a very subtle coumarin sweetness. I cannot say from personal experience exactly what Nepalese Szechuan pepper (Timut Pepper) smells like, but I find Linda Jayne Pilkington's description of it as fruity, airy and tangy understandable. In this respect, the fragrance already has a certain freshness - but I would have expected more citric acidity here. The floral heart notes here serve more to lend the fragrance fullness and yet lightness than to really accentuate it.

When perfumes are too smooth, I find them less appealing, which is why I also appreciate the fact that Vetiveria has a little bit of gruffness right from the start. The reason for this is that not only grassy, slightly woody vetiver is the center of attention, but also - in my perception - (oak) moss. This gives the fragrance a very classic, masculine facet and reminds me somewhat of men's fragrances from the 80s or early 90s. However, Vetiveria is slimmer overall and becomes softer and gentler over time.

The projection is slightly above average at first, but loses a lot of intensity after one or two hours and over time the fragrance is more skin-deep, but can be perceived for a relatively long time. In any case, it should be enough for a working day (I tested it on three) and in general I find Vetiveria best suited for daytime, work and leisure and for more mature men or younger ones who like more classic fragrances. Unfortunately, this Ormonde Jayne loses too much of its tension for me personally when the top notes fade and becomes a little too mossy.

Make up your mind, Mr. Bisch! Should the fragrance be citrusy and fresh?
- No, but bright.

Should it be ambery and oriental?
- No, but it should have a solid base.

Aha... So it will be somewhere in between?
- Exactly.

And perhaps have a few interesting contrasts?
- Yes.

Will you use one of your favorite components, Akigalawood?
- Maybe a little, but not as high a dosage as Purpose. Better leave it out when specifying the fragrance notes.

Omani frankincense is also part of an Amouage.
- Yes, it is wonderfully ethereal and aromatic, somewhat dry and will form the strong foundation with cedarwood. However, I would like to avoid the other facets being overshadowed by it.

We want to avoid an imbalance like in Purpose, where Akigalawood and incense predominate. Search just lacked something for me personally... How do we make the fragrance more exciting?
- By adding spicy notes. Juniper berry should stand out. Cardamom also fits well into the overall picture. Nuances of bergamot and pink pepper make the opening a little more sparkling and brighter.

What is still missing to round off the fragrance?
- To make it softer, it is best to use a light vanilla. Not an opulent one like in Gourmands, but a slightly creamy one with very little sweetness.

Then we would indeed have a nice contrast! How do you imagine the target group?
- I don't have a specific person in mind. The fragrance will be unisex and quite elegant, suitable for all ages and for most occasions, not too heavy but with a great presence in the air, for many hours. It will bridge the gap between naturalness, as we are used to with Amouage, and modern transparency. We just need to think of a name...

It's your decision.

Sometimes just a few words are enough to describe a certain situation to create a clear picture in your mind's eye - and the same applies to the combination of some fragrances. A high-quality amber accord is a complex olfactory experience in itself. Contrasts merge and create a special and comforting feeling.

Oud & Ambre is a misleading name - most people will probably feel the same way - because oud can only be detected here in homeopathic doses, if at all. There is a hint of incense at the beginning, but it is mainly benzoin, labdanum and perhaps other resins (myrrh? styrax?) that dominate the fragrance. Similarities to Grand Soir are easy for me to understand, but the latter seems lighter and fluffier, probably due to a higher proportion of benzoin, because of the musk fragrances used. The latter are very important for Maison Francis Kurkdjian, but I dislike some of the brand's perfumes because they sometimes have a note of fabric softener/detergent. In the case of Cartier, the balance therefore seems to me to be more successful, because here, too, the light, somewhat waxy side of benzoin is extremely present, but well contrasted by the darker, more rugged facets of labdanum. Vanilla is not too strongly accentuated and the sweetness is not too intense and far removed from honey or gourmands. I can also smell a subtle woody note mainly directly on the skin.

In my opinion, Mathilde Laurent's creation is a perfect unisex fragrance that comes across as one piece. It unfolds beautifully in the sillage, as it has a certain fullness on the one hand and yet something radiant and elegant on the other. As is typical for amber, Oud & Ambre is a warm composition that can give the wearer a calming feeling. This perfume is therefore suitable for special occasions as well as for a cozy evening at home.

Some perfumes you fall in love with at first sniff, some just need a little time and in very rare cases a great transformation takes place - that's what happened to me with Perfect Oud. Its name is already very questionable because oud can have extremely different facets and the ideas of what constitutes a perfect oud fragrance also differ greatly. To say it up front: I am definitely glad that there is no noticeable animal note here and that Mizensir and Alberto Morillas honestly state that they only want to evoke burnt oud, although it is obvious that real oud is used in very few cases anyway.

In oud accords, i.e. the 'reproduction' of oud through the combination of certain fragrances, a leathery note is often used. When I first tested Perfect Oud, I could almost only perceive leather and dry wood, so I was quite disappointed. On the one hand, the fragrance seemed very dense, but at the same time it was rather close to the skin. But there was something about it that fascinated me, so I gave it another try and suddenly I could smell the bergamot and a subtle spicy-woody freshness. However, I still found Perfect Oud a little too staid and the woody, leathery base prevailed again. Sometimes it just takes time and so I put the bottle away and only tested it again weeks later.

Once again, my wrist kept wandering under my nose because I noticed that the rose did not exude the typical opulence here, but instead provided a softer texture in contrast to the rather rugged base. The woody duo itself has aromatic and slightly smoky facets, but doesn't come across as heavy as one might fear. To my delight, iris is very restrained (I don't like overly powdery notes) and coriander doesn't push itself to the fore either. Most of the notes here do not appear in a natural form, but seem more diffuse and almost sterile, but this is precisely where the elegance of the fragrance lies.

Perfect Oud is a far cry from the usual rose ouds and heavy orientals. It has a synthetic-transparent effect, more light than fresh and has a consistently perceptible woody-leathery accord that also has a little warmth, which prevents the overall composition from appearing too distant. After wearing it for a while, I can also say that it lasts very well, with a long-lasting sillage that does not overwhelm the surroundings, but should not be underestimated. For me, Perfect Oud is therefore very suitable for the office and for serious occasions, because it perfectly embodies a modern suit fragrance.

As one of the undoubtedly most important natural raw materials for perfumes, patchouli enjoys a divided reputation these days - although the spectrum of how it can actually smell is extremely wide. In its cheapest and, for many, most unpleasant form, it smells musty and earthy, which is often compared to the smell of a damp cellar, but at the other end of the spectrum, patchouli is woodier, drier and sometimes a little cocoa-like

Les Indémodables' vision is to create perfumes that not only have a high proportion of high-quality, natural fragrances, but also to source them from small-scale, sustainable production as far away from the usual mass production as possible. The brand's website specifically states the following about Pachouli Noisette:

"This creation revisits a mythical fragrance ingredient: patchouli. It has been combined with an exclusive ingredient used for the very first time in perfumery: the ultrasound extract of Hazelnut from Piémont Italy designed internally using a 100% green extraction technology, and the world most qualitative origin of hazelnut! An accord which provides a delicate balance between the dark and rough side of patchouli with the incomparable soft praline facets of the hazelnut from Piémont.

Patchouli oil 'Grand Cru' Aceh Indonesia & Sri Lanka 35%
Hazelnut 'Grand Cru' Piémont Italy ultrasound 20% ETOH 8%

maturation: 2 weeks
maceration: 2 weeks"

In the interview by Dariush Alavi - known on YouTube as Persolaise Perfumes - with the owner Valérie Pulvérail, her husband Rémi - who talks about various raw materials in a very informative 'Masterclass' series at Persolaise - and perfumer Antoine Lie, you can find out more details about the creation of Patchouli Noisette. Although the latter had great creative freedom, he wanted to create a fragrance that went beyond the usual chypre or gourmand structure. According to his own statement, he also wanted to satisfy both those who love patchouli and those who otherwise reject it.

My very first impression was that the fragrance was particularly woody and had a certain dryness. Strangely enough, I also initially thought that Patchouli Noisette would quickly become skin-like, which I can now absolutely refute. For me, a whole new world full of different facets has opened up and with a few sprays you will definitely be well noticed for a long time. In addition to the pleasantly warm woody notes, there are also fruity nuances that add further richness. A subtle sweetness is also noticeable, while the hazelnut note shimmers through in an authentic form never before experienced in perfumes - only very gently, but not as boldly nutty and gourmand as is so often the case. I would attribute a slightly creamy quality to Patchouli Noisette later on, but, as I said, it never drifts into edibility.

Antoine Lie explains in the aforementioned interview (and on U Smells Good) that he did indeed use fruit molecules, some rose and lactones to create these effects. I also notice myself that the subtly dirty facets of patchouli still remain perceptible if you focus on them. Consequently, I would assume that people who do not otherwise have a soft spot for the fragrance would not necessarily wear this perfume themselves, but might well like it on others.

Patchouli Noisette has an effect on me that you can only experience for yourself, because words alone cannot do it justice. I can't even categorize it as modern or old-fashioned, because for me the fragrance is timeless, self-confident and powerful, but like a comforting embrace and definitely of French elegance. The most beautiful form of patchouli, which is independent of age and gender, but is simply a conscious choice.