Jpnerd

This perfume does something special. It lists only 6 notes, but somehow is evocative of it's name. Mostly dry earthy, but with a subterranean coolness. The caraway, turmeric, vetiver is such a unique combo, and one like I haven't smelled anywhere else in perfumery. It is dry woods, nutty caraway, cool earth and warm grasses.

Each of the listed notes is detectable if you really sniff for them, but together they are the olfactory equivalent of a lived-in home made under the earth. Comfortingly cool, safe and enveloping.

This fragrance starts with a dry luxurious chamomile that sets the stage for a golden amber. The chamomile pairs with clove for a warm spicy opening, that softens and deepens as the hay and vanilla and resins begin to shine through. I don't get beer every time I wear it, but sometimes it is present, adding a hoppy herbal edge. If you really sniff for it, you can find rose rounding out the heart, adding no more than a bit of blush. The woods and balsams in the base don't overpower the vanilla, but rather keep that soft complexity as it slowly loses top and mid notes. This is a huge credit to the Perfumer Luca Maffei, and makes me want to explore Luca's other work.

Citrus and aromatics open this scent and quite quickly green mango and florals appear. The base is primarily ambrox with a touch of resinous woodiness. Collectively it is almost a leather made from that fruity mango.

The composition evokes a warm afternoon, the sun warming a wallet made of mango leather, forgotten on the sidewalk. The earthy elements are industrial rather than traditionally earthy or wild. It is a warm scent, but one that works with the heat rather than against it. The bouquet of mango and florals provides green lift, and a cooling bit of mint keeps the opening fresh. This is a quintessentially warm-weather scent, that keeps me grounded and at home in my clothes, even while sweating.

The perfumer Dana El Masri shared a picture of an oily puddle, colors splitting on it's surface, and while this scent isn't a realistic interpretation of it, to me it is more of a meditation on it. Beauty exists with or without our stewardship, so why not take a moment to find beauty in our day to day?

This is one of the most moving perfumes in my collection. I watched Bruno document the process of making it while dealing with end of life care and the death of a loved one, so certainly that has flavored my understanding. But to me this perfume is a warm hug that makes you cry, but one that likewise brings relief. Perhaps life can never go back to the way that it was before, but that doesn't mean it can no longer be good.

This is a deep woody amber composition, made in the desert heat for year round wear. It is labdanum forward, but the formula keeps it from sticking out like a sore thumb.

For me the Tonka, Hay, Mimosa, and Lavender are the softest bed of grass imaginable, with just a touch of dark tobacco tinged with oakmoss, and flavored with a touch of rosemary. This is truly a gorgeous composition, a golden afternoon personified. This fragrance will always have a space in my collection. If it has no fans, pour it on my grave.