QuercusAlbus
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QuercusAlbus
Haunting Photo-Realstick Oranges
I have seen criticisms of this for having lack of heft. I don't entirely agree: but! it certainly ^can^ seem to disappear; but I have found it equally prone to come surging back in a terrifick gust.
I think what pitched me into choosing this one (one perfume-hunting day I decided, having trawled through this ~Blue Mediterraneo~ collection or series or whatever that I would acquire ^one^ of them) was the photo-realistic orange note. I am not normally persuaded by photo-realistic renderings; but, well, in this case I just plain ^liked^ it! And it's supported by that AdP trademark shimmery-watery musk.
And by reason of the aforementioned tendency to be fleeting & elusive - and of the musk in conjunction, it's more of a °haunting° of orange than a concrete °presence° of orange.
It reminds me a little (or perhaps rather a lot) of ~Kiani~ by Thameen; but that one is far far more intense & °concentrated° than this; & also more complex.
... a few hours later ...
Please do be apprised that, although I do gainsay those who are ^strongly^ scathing of the performance of this - & there are some here & there, it's not exactly a powerhouse either. As for ~Kiani~: now ^that^ ^is^ one!
Also, this morphs after a while into more of a soapy cum freshly-washen-linen type of 'fume; but really it cannot but be expected that so exquisite & delicate a citrus note as that which this 'fume broacheth should be rather fugitive.
I think what pitched me into choosing this one (one perfume-hunting day I decided, having trawled through this ~Blue Mediterraneo~ collection or series or whatever that I would acquire ^one^ of them) was the photo-realistic orange note. I am not normally persuaded by photo-realistic renderings; but, well, in this case I just plain ^liked^ it! And it's supported by that AdP trademark shimmery-watery musk.
And by reason of the aforementioned tendency to be fleeting & elusive - and of the musk in conjunction, it's more of a °haunting° of orange than a concrete °presence° of orange.
It reminds me a little (or perhaps rather a lot) of ~Kiani~ by Thameen; but that one is far far more intense & °concentrated° than this; & also more complex.
... a few hours later ...
Please do be apprised that, although I do gainsay those who are ^strongly^ scathing of the performance of this - & there are some here & there, it's not exactly a powerhouse either. As for ~Kiani~: now ^that^ ^is^ one!
Also, this morphs after a while into more of a soapy cum freshly-washen-linen type of 'fume; but really it cannot but be expected that so exquisite & delicate a citrus note as that which this 'fume broacheth should be rather fugitive.
Misnomer
I have seen sharp criticism of the naming of this 'fume. I could not agree more: to call it ~Noir Extreme~ is positively misleading & even a borderline trade-description matter! It ought to be in a pink bottle & named ~Candy~ or something like that.
But I do like it. It's certainly one of the most original 'fumes I have encountered - possibly more so even than Cartier's ~Baiser Fou~, which I have recently praised extremely highly for its originality.
I will now apparrently somdel contradict myself. The opening is lush & cosy - those things to an ^extreme^ in fact (there's the contradiction). And it is rich: the overwhelming impression is of rich, lush, cosy leather. But it is a really ^very^ non-linear 'fume: it metamorphoses thence into a ... well, I don't know what the name is for its genre, or whether there even is one, as it is at this stage that it really begins to shine originality-wise. The aroma at this epoch of its life-cycle brings to (at least my) mind the suggestion of ... lemonade! Not that it smells ^like^ lemonade (I have been here before & no doubt will again; and I cannot stress this strongly enough, how a 'fume can olfactorily °evoke° a thing without actually smelling ^like^ it). Yes, it °conjures° or °evokes° the aroma of lemonade! (It is undoubtedly the cardamom that is largely the substrate of this effect, but with somehow, by perfumistric sleight-of-hand, a cunning °teasing-out° applied). And that's alright, as I'm not actually smelling ^of^ lemonade ^per se^; and the entirety of the fragrance is nevertheless a ^proper^ fragrance. It is ^undoubtedly^ a gourmand fragrance now; but It does nevertheless still retain a great deal of the character it puts forth at its opening, but strongly transfigured gourmand-wards.
And it really is a ^very^ original fragrance at this stage. It might seem from the foregoing description that it is essentially a gourmandy gimmick, but it is not! One never feels other than that one is wearing a proper bona-fide perfume.
And there are certain ancilliary effects entering in also, which, though subtle, are contributing more than proportionally to their sheer strength - such as a °freshly-laundered-linen° muskiness that wanders here and there gently fluttering its kerchief; and other delicacies I can't quite pin-down, lending further complexity & intriguery to this altogether quite delectable & extraordinary fragrance.
... several hours later ...
You could be forgiven for refusing to believe that I have not read ~K1~'s review until just now. But now that I have read it, I do concur that it's very °medicinal° in its aroma, but more so at the beginning, and not really very much in the later stage. Don't know in retrospect why I didn't think of the 'medicinal' figure.
But I do like it. It's certainly one of the most original 'fumes I have encountered - possibly more so even than Cartier's ~Baiser Fou~, which I have recently praised extremely highly for its originality.
I will now apparrently somdel contradict myself. The opening is lush & cosy - those things to an ^extreme^ in fact (there's the contradiction). And it is rich: the overwhelming impression is of rich, lush, cosy leather. But it is a really ^very^ non-linear 'fume: it metamorphoses thence into a ... well, I don't know what the name is for its genre, or whether there even is one, as it is at this stage that it really begins to shine originality-wise. The aroma at this epoch of its life-cycle brings to (at least my) mind the suggestion of ... lemonade! Not that it smells ^like^ lemonade (I have been here before & no doubt will again; and I cannot stress this strongly enough, how a 'fume can olfactorily °evoke° a thing without actually smelling ^like^ it). Yes, it °conjures° or °evokes° the aroma of lemonade! (It is undoubtedly the cardamom that is largely the substrate of this effect, but with somehow, by perfumistric sleight-of-hand, a cunning °teasing-out° applied). And that's alright, as I'm not actually smelling ^of^ lemonade ^per se^; and the entirety of the fragrance is nevertheless a ^proper^ fragrance. It is ^undoubtedly^ a gourmand fragrance now; but It does nevertheless still retain a great deal of the character it puts forth at its opening, but strongly transfigured gourmand-wards.
And it really is a ^very^ original fragrance at this stage. It might seem from the foregoing description that it is essentially a gourmandy gimmick, but it is not! One never feels other than that one is wearing a proper bona-fide perfume.
And there are certain ancilliary effects entering in also, which, though subtle, are contributing more than proportionally to their sheer strength - such as a °freshly-laundered-linen° muskiness that wanders here and there gently fluttering its kerchief; and other delicacies I can't quite pin-down, lending further complexity & intriguery to this altogether quite delectable & extraordinary fragrance.
... several hours later ...
You could be forgiven for refusing to believe that I have not read ~K1~'s review until just now. But now that I have read it, I do concur that it's very °medicinal° in its aroma, but more so at the beginning, and not really very much in the later stage. Don't know in retrospect why I didn't think of the 'medicinal' figure.
Overt Musk
A very prominent quality of this fume' is its ^overt^ musk. Normally I find musk to be an exceedingly elusive aroma - a para-aroma if uw like, rather than a full-on specific aroma - for which I broach many analogies but always feeling that I never properly capture it: 'shimmering', 'slithering', etc. I read that it is really quite normal, the perceiving of musk in this way. However, this one has a muskiness that is more °concrete° in that I can point to it - purely mentally of course - & say "there, ^that^ aroma!". ~Knot~ by Bottega Venetta also has it.
It's a very rich & heavy 'fume. It °transitions° extremely well, to my mind (but I would not layer them together) with ~Iris Poudrée~ by Frederic Malle - the waxing of this merging seamlessly with the waning of that. And I think that is only to be expected.
This one has great weight, speaking in terms if the nature of it's content: rather opaque leathery & balsamic notes; or to broach analogy of music again, much more of the bass instruments entering in. The iris is much less °shrill° than in ~IP~, and the 'fume as a whole is a much comfier, cosier one. Indeed, it really is a ^very^ lush & opulent 'fume, smelling like it belongs rather in the office of some great & puissant minister in Whitehall than on me! It is certainly ^very^ much more demure: it pretty much completely lacks that brazen °lewdness° I speak of apropos ~Iris Poudrée~ & also ~Bruma~ by Trudon.
It's a very rich & heavy 'fume. It °transitions° extremely well, to my mind (but I would not layer them together) with ~Iris Poudrée~ by Frederic Malle - the waxing of this merging seamlessly with the waning of that. And I think that is only to be expected.
This one has great weight, speaking in terms if the nature of it's content: rather opaque leathery & balsamic notes; or to broach analogy of music again, much more of the bass instruments entering in. The iris is much less °shrill° than in ~IP~, and the 'fume as a whole is a much comfier, cosier one. Indeed, it really is a ^very^ lush & opulent 'fume, smelling like it belongs rather in the office of some great & puissant minister in Whitehall than on me! It is certainly ^very^ much more demure: it pretty much completely lacks that brazen °lewdness° I speak of apropos ~Iris Poudrée~ & also ~Bruma~ by Trudon.
Cold Sharp Tart
This is one seriously sharp 'fume'. I think 'cold' is also appropriate; but it is sharp before it is cold, to my mind. And would this be classed as a ~chypre~? I would classify it thus - it is tart in that way chypres have of being so, and which indeed ^defines^ them. And shrill also - I think 'shrill' is ^the^ word that preëminently cometh-tæ-mind in connection with this - and bright ... dazzlingly bright.
... a few hours later (following day infact) ...
It's light - not in the sense of potency, but more in the sense of being of a light bright transparent sort of nature. Broaching analogy if music, it's primarily high-pitched notes. ^Very^ sharp & tart it is - takes those qualities to quite an extreme.
And it is ^a^ tart also - a right little tart! It's naughty & rude & lewd in that peculiarly excruciating way that irisy 'fumes have of being those things. It's very similar infact to ~Bruma~ by Trudon; although that one's rather woodier, I would say, and not so sheerly shrill & bright; but it shares that rudeness I speak of to a similar degree.
... a few hours later (following day infact) ...
It's light - not in the sense of potency, but more in the sense of being of a light bright transparent sort of nature. Broaching analogy if music, it's primarily high-pitched notes. ^Very^ sharp & tart it is - takes those qualities to quite an extreme.
And it is ^a^ tart also - a right little tart! It's naughty & rude & lewd in that peculiarly excruciating way that irisy 'fumes have of being those things. It's very similar infact to ~Bruma~ by Trudon; although that one's rather woodier, I would say, and not so sheerly shrill & bright; but it shares that rudeness I speak of to a similar degree.
Chamomiley Character.
This is basically a good solid oakmossy chypre, with a very strong - stronger than one might suppose on basis of summary assay - undertow of amber - a rather °gassy° amber, and plenty of grit & earthiness. Oh, and what a surprise! there's orris in it ^again^! The 'fumes I choose oblivious to their notes-analysis so very nearly always do!
But a more peculiar & seldom-used ingredient of this is chamomile; and I think it is largely that that is the cause of the distinctive earthy quality of this 'fume. It gets me wishing that chamomile were used more; but on the other hand it might be better that it be used seldom as it is - after all, it's effect on a 'fume is indeed rather peculiar. Another (but _very_ upmarket) instance of the use of the note is in ~Blue Sapphire~ by Boadicea the Victorious. Comparing these two 'fumes, it is readily perceived as a note they have in common, as a °certain earth peculiarity° that both have. And similarly, looking roughly proportionally _down_market, there is ~Aroosah~ by Al Rehab - there is that distinctive °chamomiley character° again!
It's lovely in all these 'fumes, including this one; but I can imagine how it might well be better if just a few have it in, here & there.
Despite my having focussed on one note to a considerable degree, I would say that this is a _superbly_ integrated 'fume: a true _synergy_ of the elements of its rather long notes-list rather than merely a juxtaposition of them. I would say indeed that it is a really quite exceptionally ^synergistic^ 'fume. I understand that it is considered by many to be one of the °Great Classic° 'fumes, and has a cult following: I can clearly perceive why.
I see fræ the note-list that it is very oakmoss-heavy, and I also perceive it so ( which I think is _not_ a contradiction of what I said about its being well-integrated). I don't think the oakmoss panic has wroughten too deleteriously on it, whether it uses some scientifically selectively-bred or genetically engineered oakmoss or some synthetic aromachemical, or whatever they do these days to render the oakmoss note. I'm getting these whiffs that are so very excruciatingly poised between °under-side-of-decaying-fallen-tree° & °freshly-laundered-linen°.
But a more peculiar & seldom-used ingredient of this is chamomile; and I think it is largely that that is the cause of the distinctive earthy quality of this 'fume. It gets me wishing that chamomile were used more; but on the other hand it might be better that it be used seldom as it is - after all, it's effect on a 'fume is indeed rather peculiar. Another (but _very_ upmarket) instance of the use of the note is in ~Blue Sapphire~ by Boadicea the Victorious. Comparing these two 'fumes, it is readily perceived as a note they have in common, as a °certain earth peculiarity° that both have. And similarly, looking roughly proportionally _down_market, there is ~Aroosah~ by Al Rehab - there is that distinctive °chamomiley character° again!
It's lovely in all these 'fumes, including this one; but I can imagine how it might well be better if just a few have it in, here & there.
Despite my having focussed on one note to a considerable degree, I would say that this is a _superbly_ integrated 'fume: a true _synergy_ of the elements of its rather long notes-list rather than merely a juxtaposition of them. I would say indeed that it is a really quite exceptionally ^synergistic^ 'fume. I understand that it is considered by many to be one of the °Great Classic° 'fumes, and has a cult following: I can clearly perceive why.
I see fræ the note-list that it is very oakmoss-heavy, and I also perceive it so ( which I think is _not_ a contradiction of what I said about its being well-integrated). I don't think the oakmoss panic has wroughten too deleteriously on it, whether it uses some scientifically selectively-bred or genetically engineered oakmoss or some synthetic aromachemical, or whatever they do these days to render the oakmoss note. I'm getting these whiffs that are so very excruciatingly poised between °under-side-of-decaying-fallen-tree° & °freshly-laundered-linen°.
