Kattugla

Today I had a sample of Iris de Nuit in the fresh Heeley package from EN - and without knowing Goldie's comment, I came to exactly the same associations. Girl's fragrance, room spray, one-dimensional.
I would only attribute a certain Lolita charm to it after half an hour to an hour, as the amber makes it quite sensual and almost a bit lascivious - but otherwise, the scent is too simple for me.
What I like about Heeley fragrances is essentially the clear statement, but here it doesn't reach me, although I understand the intention.

It's slowly becoming clear that I obviously have a weakness for Heeley fragrances: I like the clear statement, the variations on the main theme, where something unexpected always plays a role... there's just no fuss about it. And the rest is skillfully done.
Vetiver Veritas enters the arena like a lumberjack: filling the doorway of the cabin, he beams from ear to ear, brings half a forest with him, and booms a loud "MOIN!". And then he sits down at the table with you and starts telling you quiet stories, you exchange delicious cooking recipes, and listen together to "Mingus" by Joni Mitchell...

I like this clear vetiver scent. I've been searching for a wearable version of the theme for a long time and have found it here. For me, it's not as old-fashioned-masculine as Guerlain's classic, but rounder, clearer, more communicative. Vetiver is very prominent here, but it gets a polish from a rather surprising note: lavender leaves. Not the usual scent block from sleep aids, but the fine, balsamic sweetness of crushed lavender leaves - that's wonderful! I hardly notice the mint, nor the grapefruit in the base, but the scent fades for me like warm, charred wood - not smoky, but deep and dark. And this even after a long workday of 9 hours.

I've found my second hit here, the bottle goes right next to "Cardinal" on the shelf.

[edit] for 50ml EdP, I still find €130 quite sporty.

I do love the green classic from Guerlain passionately - not necessarily on myself, more in general. I simply like vetiver.
So I was full of hope that I had found something in the scent from Josier that I would actually wear in the wild. Thanks to Greeni07 and a sample, I was able to test it extensively.

On my skin, the scent starts with green grapefruit. Not so much with the fruit itself, but rather with what hits my nose when I rub the peel - a fine, clear freshness that is not too intrusive and does not turn sour on the skin, which promises more. I look forward to something herbal, woody.
Cedar and pepper take my beloved vetiver by the hand, enter the arena with a fanfare and could...
...but they don’t.

Just when the scent could really become green, clear, and characterful, something very kitschy pushes itself to the forefront - I suspect violets. My grandma had violet fragrance oil on her vanity in the bedroom (yes, that mirror triptych from the 50s, Gelsenkirchen Baroque) right next to the bottle of 4711, which popped into my mind.

I can’t shake this association from the bouquet. Whenever the scent seems ready to finally achieve what the pyramid promises in the base, the perfume goblin comes rushing back, bringing the kitschy bouquet of violets for the umpteenth time, grinning at me and expecting to finally be praised for it. No.

The attempt was nice, Mr. Josier, but you haven’t convinced me. ;-)

Several years ago, I spent quite some time dealing with jewelry and gemstones, and I was always particularly interested in the special, the extraordinary, if such a thing exists, the "niche jewels." ;-)
One of the stones that I particularly liked back then (and still do today) was the Iolite: a deep dark blue little wonder that derives its uniqueness from the fact that - if you turn the cut stone 90° against the light refraction axis - it suddenly looks water-clear, gray, and transparent. All the blue disappears. From another angle: everything is blue again.
PR's Patchouly reminded me of this stone almost immediately. Not so much because of the color (the scent is more of a warm orange to copper for me), but because of the "shimmering" of the components.

I (a confessed patchouli fan) was warned due to my mixed experience with Etro's version of the theme, and even here the first seconds after spraying were filled with biting earthiness that has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with the esoterically tinged scent in my memory.
But that doesn't last long, as very quickly the earth is enveloped in warmth and sweetness - I even suspected Bourbon vanilla during my first sniff - and that remains the case.

Until the olfactory senses (which is supposed to happen during the day, you know, in real life) have to deal with something else in between. For example, with the pizza on the table, with the fabric softener in the sweater of the person across from me, with the porcini mushroom just found in the forest...
...whoosh! - and suddenly "Patchouly" blinks and changes its shape. Sometimes the amber sweetness becomes dominant, then the namesake pushes back to the forefront, and I think I have already perceived floral notes (more specifically: iris) - it's simply maddening. Every time I think I've finally caught the scent, it turns into something else. Exciting!
I don't perceive a linear scent progression, but rather a gemstone-like shimmer that, after eight to nine hours, settles into a sweet-warm direction, but is still present.

I sincerely thank Greeni07 for the decant; it was truly worth it. :-)

I occasionally marvel at the comments, wondering where in the world the gathered individuals have ended up. In my (already somewhat lengthy) life, I have never been further south than Ulm, so I unfortunately have to pass on flowery and colorful Mediterranean associations.
Nevertheless, Vicolo Fiori finds a key within me, simply overcoming my aversion to flowery fruity girliness, rushing in with a delicious mandarin note and then settling down very gently to quietly but consistently spread a cool waterfall of flower-embroidered silk in green and apricot hues.
This is one of the few fragrances I would love to wrap myself in. All around.

I really didn't expect that at all.

I received the sample - along with three other Etros - when I purchased "Patchouly." The former was initially ignored for quite a while - because it wasn't what I wanted.
That's just how it is with expectations; they can blind you to the treasures off the beaten path.

I still haven't quite figured out what makes Vicolo Fiori so irresistible to me. The fragrance starts off very loudly with mandarin, which is only there to trick me, as otherwise the delicate and quirky leading lady would hardly have a chance with me. The mandarin quickly quiets down and makes way for Madame with a bow. I enjoy the melon note, which I can also detect, peach (that's probably where the delicate apricot association of the fragrance comes from) as well, and the selection of flowers couldn't be a smidgen sweeter or rosier; it is just right.
After a while, the scent becomes a bit "square" (I don't know how else to describe it; perhaps some will understand me, lavender is, for example, the epitome of olfactory squareness for me) - but that fits quite well, as otherwise the silky impression would simply flutter away without a counterpoint.
The sillage remains quite close to the body, which is fitting, as the fragrance invites you in. It continues to do so - warmer and less floral - after about 7 hours.

Conclusion: I would neither have bought Vicolo Fiori nor had it decanted based solely on the pyramid. I would have missed out on a little treasure.