Wusubi

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you took a classic fresh/spicy composition with a citrusy opening and pumped it with civet? Annick Ménardo and Christopher Chong have wondered about the same thing, and thus Figment Man was born. This discontinued beast embodies the true meaning of niche, as it bends the rules of perfumery.

A mix of lemon, pepper and civet creates a sour, spicy and a slightly pissy sensation in the opening. That said, it's incredibly fresh at the same time. The overall scent profile reminds me of something between freshly-squeezed lemon juice and leaves on a dormant fig tree. It's acidic, green and a bit sweet. The animalic nuance ties everything together.

The sourness never goes away, but after 30 minutes, Figment starts drying down to a base of vetiver and a magnificent earthy smell of garden soil. You could think of it as an earthier Terre d'Hermès Eau de Toilette with some civet - a Terre d'Civet, if you will. Along with woodiness, there's labdanum in the drydown, providing leathery warmth and muskiness.

When it comes to the claims that this scent is best enjoyed in solitude; I can't attest to that. In the air, it smells like an orangery or a greenhouse; and those are positive associations in my mind. While the performance is better than your average freshie, the projection is soft, which makes for a light, invigorating wear. Perfect for spring, summer and fall.

While Portrayal Man pays homage to the loud and over-the-top 80s, it's a modern take on the fougère genre. Violet leaf has a very mild gasoline nuance and you could say it's a nod to Fahrenheit, but there's much more to it. I feel like the fragrance pyramid and the floral classification don't do enough justice to this masterpiece.

The opening is green, wet and refreshing with pungent java vetiver, ozonic violet leaf and spiciness from cumin and anise. It might sound like a sharp mix, but it's surprisingly clean and uplifting. During the initial hour, the projection is huge, then it calms down and starts heading in a more soapy, almost powdery direction.

Following the classic fougère structure, you get linalool (lavender) and coumarin (tonka) which add a bit of sweetness to the scent profile. That said, the base consists of cade oil, cypriol and patchouli, so it's woody, earthy and a bit smoky. There's soft, creamy leather and I think Pierre Negrin used a gentle musk note.

Performance is impressive for such a light-handed composition - I get 8-9 hours on skin with 2 hours of great projection. This is a year-round perfume, suitable for any occasion. Portrayal Man is worth your attention if you enjoy vetiver scents with an intriguing twist.

I don't understand why Afrika-Olifant has such a poor reputation. While it has a tantalizing animalic undertone, the key players are warm resins and a superb leather accord. There's nothing dirty or indolic about it; Jorge Lee's genius mixture of musk compounds comes off as a clean, powerful musky volume. Think of it as an animalic fixative that elevates the raw materials and greatly improves the wearing experience.

The opening is loud and spectacular; myrrh and frankincense kick the door down with their boozy, fruity, honey-like, smoky and spicy nuances. Labdanum and ambergris add another fruity/sweet layer similar to ambrarome in Lustre - something between cherry, caramel and coca-cola. Once muskiness starts coming to life, you end up with a luxurious fragrance which oozes decadence.

Initially, castoreum and labdanum provide their usual dry leatheriness. However, 1.5 hours into the wear, a different kind of a leather note pops up. This one is incredibly rich and oily, rounding out the scent in an arousing fashion. The drydown phase is an interplay between leather and the powdery remnants of musks and resins.

Performance is solid, it lasts for up to 12 hours on my skin with moderate to soft projection. Given its captivating and borderline seductive scent profile, it's a good choice for date night. That said, it works fine as a daily driver during the colder months. If you love amber/leather perfumes and don't mind the musky aspect, grab a sample of Afrika-Olifant.

40 Knots is a surprising fragrance. Xerjoff promises to transport you to a luxurious sailing lifestyle with a taste of freedom coming from open water and colorful marine life. Sounds like an aquatic freshie, right? Well, it dries down to a sweet, powdery scent.

Upon spraying, it's abstractly sweet, then it develops into a blend of calone, honey and salt. There's also a floral undertone and the overall impression reminds me of a sea breeze with comforting sweetness. This phase lasts for about 30-45 minutes before it ventures into the more warm and resinous territory.

It's worth noting that the honey-like nuance also has a boozy twist to it, which immediately makes me think of myrrh. However, the more it dries down, the more powdery it becomes, so it could be a honey note mixed with amber accord. It's harder to tell on skin, but spray it on a strip and compare - it's boozier on paper.

Another strange thing about 40 Knots is a spicy facet, introduced 1.5 hours into the wear. The drydown phase has dry woodiness to it, which might be cedarwood. At this point, the scent profile is woody, resinous, powdery, sweet and spicy, with boozy and floral aspects. Not quite a marine experience, but perhaps something a yacht owner would wear.

Performance is good, it lasts for 10 hours on my skin with soft projection. It's more versatile than the aquatic tag would suggest, given its ambery charater. If you're hoping for a freshie, you'll either be disappointed or surprised. Yes, the opening is refreshing, but it morphs into a warm perfume with lingering sweetness. Maybe it was reformulated, who knows?

Boundless is weird in a good way. Some say it's a beginner-friendly Amouage that lacks the usual complexity. While that might be true in the air, it's a different story on skin. It's full of notes that should clash, but with Karine Vinchon-Spehner's godlike perfumery, they end up elevating each other in a coherent fashion.

A bitter tobacco absolute is the cornerstone of this blend. The other ingredients are meant to complement it and create an enjoyable wearing experience. Blood orange doesn't bring a juicy sensation but more of an orange peel zinginess. This is further accentuated by spicy ginger and a green touch of cardamom.

If there's any sweetness to Boundless, it's used as a contrast to the pungent notes. Initially, the scent is a bit sharp and dusty, but it's soon balanced by creamy vanilla. This results in a weirdly comforting bittersweet symphony of contrasting aspects. It's both dry and smooth, with tobacco and spices on a sweet backdrop.

The drydown introduces rich and warm resins. Myrrh blends with cocoa, creating a slightly powdery undertone. Frankincense offers a refreshing piney nuance and gentle smokiness. Other than a woody base, I can pick up a damp earthy facet of oakmoss and vetiver. I have to applaud Karine's work - it's a great composition that's difficult to pick apart. To my nose, the deep drydown is woody, resinous, sweet, powdery, smoky.

Everything has a downside and Boundless is no exception. It doesn't perform like a typical Amouage beast, so don't expect radiating density. While I get distinctive sniffs throughout the wear, it's a lighter perfume that lasts for like 8-9 hours on my skin with soft projection. As such, you could argue it's very approachable and versatile.