For all that vetiver famously possesses an olfactory range stretching between hazelnut, roses, and earth, it is always unmistakably ‘vetiver’ in the same way that patchouli is always patchouli. You’ll notice, therefore, that descriptions…
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Amber Floral Fruity Scents Gourmand House Exploration Incense Independent Perfumery Jasmine Review Scent Memory Smoke Spice Tea White Floral WoodsThree by Frassaï: Tian Di, A Fuego Lento, and Teisenddu
Based on my sampling of three perfumes from the Argentinian brand Frassaï, I can say that this is exactly the kind of thing that one hopes to see from modern niche perfumery…
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Ambergris Ambrette House Exploration Independent Perfumery Iris Leather Oud Review Smoke VetiverNeandertal: Them, Us, Light, Dark
The indie perfume brand Neandertal boasts some of the most achingly cool bottles I’ve ever seen, one of the hottest talents on the indie perfumery scene (Euan McCall), and several glowing Luca Turin reviews…
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Aromatic Citrus Cult of Raw Materials Floral Fougere Fruity Scents Green Floral Hay House Exploration Iris Lavender Neroli Orange Blossom Review Rose Tonka Tuberose White FloralLes Indémodables Part II: Iris Perle, Fougère Émeraude, Rose de Jamal, and Chypre Azural
Iris Perle Username checks out. In its totality, Iris Perle is an opalescent soap bubble of freshly peeled mandarin over soapy-waxy-fatty mimosa clasped in a child’s slightly sweaty paw, but studied closely…
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Ambergris Aromatic Collection Cult of Raw Materials House Exploration Independent Perfumery ReviewLes Indémodables Part I: Vanille Havane, Oriental Velours, Musc des Sables, and Cuir de Chine
Vanille Havane Vanille Havane is an undeniably good smell. How could it not be? It is basically a Greatest Hits tour of some of the most feelgood smells in modern niche…
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Floral Oriental Fruity Scents Hay Honey Incense Independent Perfumery Leather Musk Review Tuberose White Floral WoodsTyger Tyger by Francesca Bianchi
There are three types of tuberose fragrance and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Category I is Photorealistic Tuberose, which is where you find the dewy ‘ripped from nature’ takes like Carnal Flower (Malle),…
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Ambergris Balsamic Frankincense Green Incense Independent Perfumery Leather Review SmokeSpell 125 by Papillon Artisan Perfumes: Love in the Time of COVID
I keep trying to sum up Spell 125 by Papillon Artisan Perfumes for myself in one of those snappy two-liners that Luca Turin excels in, but it is a testament to the perfume’s shape-shifty-ness…
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Aldehydes Amber Ambergris Attars & CPOs Balsamic Chypre Cult of Raw Materials Gold Lists Oriental Osmanthus Oud Resins ReviewGifts of the Three Magi: Going for Gold
Gold is the most challenging of the gifts of the three Magi, of course, given that, unlike myrrh and frankincense, it is not a fragrant material in and of itself. I could write about…
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Amber Animalic Aromatic Attars & CPOs Balsamic Citrus Cult of Raw Materials Frankincense Incense Lists Resins Round-Ups Scent Memory Smoke Spice Thoughts WoodsGifts of the Three Magi: Frankly Frankincense
Each of the gifts of the three Magi carried a special symbolic meaning – gold representing kingship, myrrh foreshadowing the death of Jesus (myrrh being commonly used as an embalming and purifying ointment in…
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Amber Aromatic Attars & CPOs Balsamic Citrus Cult of Raw Materials Herbal Honey Incense Lists Myrrh Oriental Osmanthus Oud Resins Review WoodsGifts of the Three Magi: A Myrrh-athon
Myrrh is the sulky emo teenager of the resin family. From soapy to waxy to mushroomy to medicinal, let's do a deep dive on this most recalcitrant of resins. …