SeStra

Until now, when it came to Guerlain, I had pretty much been firmly at home in the classic vetiver game. The house's fresher fragrances, on the other hand, tended to rank fairly low on my list.

That is, until I tested Guerlain Homme.

The opening immediately won me over. Lime and, above all, the wonderfully fresh mint create a lightness that I find incredibly appealing. Naturally, the whole thing brings a mojito to mind - and that is where the rum comes into play.

I usually give boozy fragrances a wide berth. Alcohol notes simply aren't my thing. Here, though, the rum works surprisingly well for me. It is present without making the fragrance smell alcoholic or heavy, and blends wonderfully into this fresh, green composition.

As it develops, Guerlain Homme becomes somewhat woodier, and the vetiver also makes an appearance. Perhaps that is exactly the point at which it finally wins me over completely. Even so, it retains this pleasant freshness, and everything feels wonderfully smooth and balanced.

To me, it is a genuinely beautiful spring and summer fragrance that also performs excellently in warmer temperatures. Fresh, green, light, and still with enough depth not to become just another forgettable summer splash.

Reine de Nuit was an absolute chance find for me. There was still a leftover bottle in my perfumery, which I actually sprayed on simply out of curiosity. I had no great expectations. So the surprise was all the greater: I was immediately captivated.

For me, the rose is clearly at the heart of the fragrance. And it is beautiful. Dark, rich and elegant, yet wonderfully soft and rounded. At first, blackcurrant and saffron provide a touch of fruitiness and spice before the rose unfolds more and more on my skin.

I find the combination with incense particularly beautiful. It does not make Reine de Nuit feel sacred or smoky in the traditional sense, but gives the rose additional depth. Later, the fragrance becomes a little darker and softer thanks to the patchouli. Everything feels very harmonious and surprisingly well-rounded.

Personally, I perceive Reine de Nuit as rather feminine. But that is really just my own impression. To me, it is absolutely wearable for anyone who likes an opulent, darker rose. I certainly love wearing it.

And when it comes to longevity, there is absolutely nothing to complain about on my skin either. Reine de Nuit remains present for many hours and develops beautifully in the process.

Byredo has since discontinued the fragrance. That is why I am all the happier to have discovered this leftover bottle by chance and managed to get it.

A beautiful, deep and incredibly well-rounded rose fragrance from Byredo. Sometimes it is precisely these chance finds that end up making the most lasting impression.

Le Vetiver is a powerhouse. At least if you really like vetiver. Because here, the titular note does not merely play some secondary role - it is the fragrance.

The opening is briefly citrusy and pleasantly bitter. The grapefruit in particular provides some freshness, but after just a few minutes, the vetiver takes over completely. Green, dry, earthy and deeply woody - exactly how I want it.

As it develops, the fragrance gains even more depth. A touch of light tobacco makes it somewhat warmer and fuller without softening its clear vetiver focus. Everything remains dry, spicy and wonderfully straightforward.

Le Vetiver does not want to be crowd-pleasing, nor does it need to entertain anyone with a grand evolution. It takes one note, places it firmly at the center and shows how multifaceted vetiver can be.

By now, I have come to know quite a few pure vetiver fragrances. For me, this one clearly belongs in the premier league. Pure, deep and incredibly beautiful.

I love it.

Wunderwind certainly lives up to its name. Here, however, the wind blows from so many different directions that sometimes you are not quite sure where the journey is actually supposed to lead.

The opening is fresh, maritime and slightly ozonic. Sea breeze, lemon and a watery fruitiness meet each other rather directly. I perceive the watermelon less as a clearly recognisable fruit and more as part of this aquatic freshness.

But it does not stay that way for long. Pine needles, rosemary and thyme bring a green, almost Mediterranean spiciness into play. In the background, there is also incense, while a distinct honeyed sweetness gradually joins in. As the fragrance develops, the sea breeze is quite literally captured by the honey.

This is unusual and certainly intriguing. For me, however, a truly harmonious whole never quite emerges by the end. The individual directions sometimes seem more like opponents than parts of a shared composition. Fresh, salty, green, herbal, resinous and sweet - Wunderwind wants to do quite a lot at once.

Nevertheless, I do not find it bad at all. It is too distinctive and too interesting for that. But I can certainly understand that not everyone will warm to this wild mixture. Wunderwind is not a fragrance that makes things particularly easy for its wearer.

For me, it is not Lengling's greatest achievement, but definitely an exciting and unusual fragrance. Sometimes a little chaotic, sometimes surprisingly beautiful - and in any case anything but boring.

I had been searching for a truly beautiful incense fragrance for quite some time. It should be sacred, spicy and preferably somewhat dark - but still well-rounded and wearable. With L’Orpheline, I finally found what I was looking for.

The incense is clearly present right from the start. Cool, dry and distinctly church-like, but not harsh or unapproachable. Instead of biting smoke, I get a wonderfully enveloping incense here, which has a calm and almost meditative effect on me.

Over time, L’Orpheline gains depth. The musk softens the fragrance and blends beautifully with its smoky, spicy side. As a result, it does not remain one-dimensional, but develops into a very well-rounded overall impression. Dark and sacred, yet warm and surprisingly approachable at the same time.

I also had Cardinal by Heeley on my shortlist. I like it very much as well, but in the long run it was a little too linear and flat for me. For me, L’Orpheline simply offers more depth and feels more rounded as it develops. 

Of course, this is not a fragrance for every day, and probably not one that everyone will like. Anyone who cannot relate to incense is unlikely to be converted here. But for me, L’Orpheline is exactly what I had been looking for.

A beautiful, spicy and sacred incense fragrance with a soft depth. A very special Serge Lutens for me.