KaiDerBecher

We are born of the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open... fear the old blood.

The vial stood long unnoticed in the shadow of the bookshelf. Encased in dark glass, hidden behind scripts and dust, it lay there like a relic from a forgotten time. No one knew exactly where it came from or who had placed it there. Some said it was a gift. Others said it had landed there by chance. But no one dared to open it. The scent, so whispered the few who knew it, was not of this world.

One night, however, in a time when the mind begins to detach from everyday life, it was rediscovered. The moon was high, the streets lay still, and somewhere, deep beneath the surface, something stirred. That night, the game began. A foreign city, whose alleys gleamed with blood, opened its gates. The sounds of bells echoed between the walls, and fog crept through the cracks of ancient portals. Bloodborne.

With the first step through Yharnam, the vial was opened. The scent rose slowly, heavily, solemnly. But unlike what I had expected, the incense did not smell cold and metallic like in an empty cathedral, but warm, almost enveloping. It was the scent of a ritual that was not transcendent but grounded. A gentle peach note wove through the smoke, barely perceptible, yet felt, lending the fragrance a subtle sweetness, a hint of fruit that did not impose itself but glowed in the depths like a quiet bed of embers beneath ash.

It fit. Not only to the world but to the music, to the shadows, to everything. The scent wrapped itself like a second coat around the player, becoming the invisible companion on a path that no one willingly walks. In that city full of nightmares, one did not wear armor but robes. And the White Church Set was the fitting garment for this scent. Pure in cut, yet soaked in suffering. Sacred, but not holy. Just like _Quando_rapita_in_estasi_ was more prayer than perfume, more relic than accessory.

As the journey progressed, I became more and more aware: the scent belonged to this world. It reflected something that it itself could not articulate.

I wore _Quando_rapita_in_estasi_ for the first time properly when I played Bloodborne. Session after session, it accompanied me through Yharnam, through every cathedral, every whisper. At first, it was just an attempt, perhaps a coincidence, but over time, scent and game merged into a single experience. I learned not only to know the scent but to love it. For this, I thank Filippo Sorcinelli and Hidetaka Miyazaki, who created a world in which such a scent has its place.

Fear the old blood.

After my encounter with "Bergamask | Orto Parisi," a scent that smelled like a synthetic experiment in a lime lab, I had actually written off Orto Parisi internally. Too quirky, too loud, too artificial. Yet something wouldn't let me go. Perhaps it was precisely this radicality that made me curious despite all the criticism. Terroni had been on my list for a while, but its description sounded so exaggerated that I remained skeptical. A fragrance that is supposed to smell like glowing earth? Really?

And yet: I couldn't resist.

So I sprayed Terroni on my forearm, and immediately another fragrance by Alessandro Gualtieri came to mind: "Black Afgano (Extrait de Parfum) | Nasomatto." Something reminded me of it, at least in terms of feeling. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite place it since I gifted my Black Afgano Extrait de Parfum decant years ago and haven't smelled it since. The comparison remains unclear, but the association was definitely there.

What also struck me upon the first sniff: Terroni also seems relatively synthetic to me. Similar to "Bergamask | Orto Parisi," this fragrance has a distinctly artificial touch. Yet strangely, I am not bothered by it at all here. While Bergamask tries to feign naturalness and tips into the uncanny, Terroni doesn't even aspire to seem "real." It doesn't want to smell like a forest, a flower, or a fruit - but rather something elemental, coarse, almost mythical. And the artificial note somehow fits into the picture.

The first impression of Terroni was not bad at all. I just couldn't imagine when I would ever wear this scent. It is so special and striking that it seems to fit no moment really. And then there was this riddle: I simply couldn't say what exactly it smelled like. Maybe a bit nutty? Smoky? Somewhat musty? But nothing I could clearly name. No "Ah, that smells like XY," but rather a feeling that is hard to grasp.

After a few days of testing, the scent slowly opened up, and then it suddenly hit me like scales falling from my nose: There was something salty, almost metallic in the background. And that’s what led me to the association. Terroni smells to me like a slightly charred pretzel roll. Or as we say in Switzerland, a "Silserli," that has been in the oven a bit too long. Not burnt, but clearly roasted with that typical mix of lye, crust, and a hint of smoke.

Interestingly, I eat exactly such a lye-treated pastry almost every morning for breakfast. I never thought I would one day wear a perfume that reminds me of my breakfast, just in a wild, smoky, almost volcanic form.

After years of lingering on my wishlist, a sample of Bergamask finally made its way into my mailbox. The reason for the long wait was that I had given little attention to the Orto Parisi brand until now. By this point, I had already tested several fragrances from Nasomatto, but only a few truly captivated me. Therefore, my interest was directed more towards other brands that fascinated me more. But last week, the moment finally arrived; I sprayed the sample on my forearm...

The scent knows no restraint and hits hard and relentlessly with a concentrated burst of citrus notes. Yet, even in the first second, I felt that something unusual was resonating. A strange familiarity, a contrast of purity and dirt, of synthetic and natural. The scent feels... "wrong." Immediately, the Uncanny Valley effect came to mind and how perfectly it applies to this perfume. It seems to want to mimic a natural citrus, yet the artificial, slightly dirty undertones throw the entire picture off balance. As if one were harvesting lemons from plastic trees and dousing oneself with their synthetic juice.

For my taste, the scent is simply too intense. Longevity and sillage are exaggeratedly strong, the synthetic accents dominate, and I can hardly imagine how this fragrance will be perceived in midsummer with more than five sprays!! Yet it is marketed precisely as a summer scent.

Interestingly, Bergamask evokes associations in me with Pedro Almodóvar's film La piel que habito (The Skin I Live In). Those who know the film might understand how a perfume must smell to convey that disturbing feeling.

Mansa opens with fruity-dark notes, accompanied by a hint of barn, which, however, fades after about a minute. The opening is very intense and the berry notes are clearly the main players at this point.

After about 20 minutes, the iris slowly shines through, while the berries retreat more into the background. The dark leather is still very much present.

Over the course of about 2 hours, the iris reaches its peak and gives the fragrance a "carroty," slightly powdery note. The iris then slightly recedes, and the berries step back into the spotlight. At this point, a juicy red rose is also at its zenith, adding a touch of extra sweetness.

The sillage of the fragrance remains distinctly present even after four hours, although I find that the berries are more noticeable in the air. Until the end, Mansa remains leathery-fruity with red-black associations, while subtle nuances of fecal oud occasionally flash through.

Tirtha opens green and fresh, reminiscent of freshly mown grass. However, the fresh start fades very quickly, and it begins to become earthy and very herbal. Very herbal. The earthy, slightly damp nuances remain more in the background.

After about ten minutes, the earthy aspect also disappears, and the dry vetiver now takes center stage. The fragrance loses only minimal herbal quality. Occasionally, floral notes seem to peek through, but so subtly that they remain almost imperceptible.

Over time, the scent becomes warmer and drier, with the sillage becoming increasingly gentle.

I find that the fragrance leans more towards the masculine side, as it is quite herbal and dry.