Back to Black by By Kilian : Perfume Review

Well, I might be a little late to the party, but the little sample that has been sitting on my desk for the past couple of weeks is finally getting its day today. Pure Oud has to be ordered by phone and I’ve no idea whether it will eventually make its way to any brick-and-mortar stores, but Back to Black has been in for a while and I eagerly procured a sample recently, together with some skincare purchases. While it certainly doesn’t trump my beloved A Taste of Heaven as the absolute favorite of the line, it probably ranks in second at this point and we’ll just have to wait and see whether Pure Oud changes that.

Having taken a look at the official note listing on the By Kilian website, I fully expect Back to Black to have a fresh-herbal opening, but instead we plunge into dark sweetness from the first moment. The opening is soft and subdued - a hint of subtle leather and rising myrrh, bittersweet and perfectly discernible, despite the fact that it makes no appearance in the official note listing. The tiny herbal-floral voice of chamomile gasps and fades into nothingness as the dark, soothingly wintry scent intensifies, blossoming into an extravagance of outrageously beautiful opoponax (again, not listed, but oh-so-definitely-there) laced with gourmand notes of cherry and hints of tart raspberry bliss. Unexpectedly, the volume drops lower again as the central note of tobacco emerges through the fruity nuances. Its entrance is diffuse yet full-bodied, as though someone pried open a prize cherry wood humidor housing preciously sweet pipe tobacco within. At this point it’s all I can do to stop nuzzling my arm and to keep writing this review - I just want to keep my nose buried in the crook of my elbow, inhaling this sweet, deep scent that evokes images of grand fireplaces and sipping cognac curled up in luxurious leather armchairs. Gradually, a honey note emerges - subtle at first, forming perfect continuity with the fruity notes of the fragrance, but eventually gaining in intensity and becoming as strong as the tobacco. The two however do not antagonize, but rather complement each other. In fact their union is so perfect that even though I do not normally like honey in perfume unless it is subtle and very round (and this one is very mildly sharp) I find myself not being able to imagine Back to Black without it. It is perfect as it is - honey and all. The drydown is darker, with the honey having died down and the cherry now freely wafting in and out of the sweet tobacco veil that has settled on the skin. Milky almond and soft, powdery notes enhance the feeling of comforting calm, while a beautiful balsamic base simmers gently in the background.

If I had to describe Back to Black by way of comparison, I’d say it smells like the love child of Serge Lutens’ Rahat Loukoum, Fumerie Turque and The People of the Labyrinths’ Luctor et Emergo (wow, what a love triangle!). It almost feels like the best elements of these perfumes were combined to create a separate, brand new entity whose sole purpose is to comfort and delight. While I wouldn’t wear Back to Black outside (it doesn’t really fit my personality nor my image) it would be a dream to own a bottle just to wear this absolutely delightful concoction to bed. Because what Back to Black does, is make you want to close your eyes and keep smelling this perfume that evokes the most beautiful images, grab a book, curl up under a comforter and purr, delight in the warmth of the house even as it thunders, pours down with rain or snows outside. Or at least, that’s what it does to me. It is the ultimate complex comfort perfume. What a luxury.

Images: Antique pipe via National Museums Scotland (nms.scran.ac.uk). Swivel cognac glasses by Bodie and Fou available for purchase via www.notonthehighstreet.com (Editor’s note: Fragrance Bouquet is not affiliated with this webshop)

Dark Earth and Burnt Amber by Neil Morris : Perfume Reviews

Good afternoon everyone! Today we continue delving in the wonderful world of Neil Morris perfumes and put the focus on two fragrances that are wondrous journeys in olfactory magic.


Burnt Amber:

As is the case with Parfum d’Ida, Burnt Amber is a scent that Neil Morris has co-created with the lovely Ida Meister. How I wish I could have insight in the creative process of this marvelous collaboration! Smelling it, I instantly feel like a synaesthete: a whiff is enough to produce the involuntary experience of color in my mind, liquid amber, with hues of deep burnt orange and the golden yellow of ripe wheat. But most importantly, smelling Burnt Amber, I am transported...

A lover of luxury, there is a place in the beautiful city of Amsterdam I love to visit, even though admittedly, there is nothing in there I could utilize myself. The only reason I go there, time and time again, is to please my senses. The place I am talking about, is the House of Hajenius, a two-centuries old, luxurious cigar house, catering to cigar, pipe and tobacco lovers alike. Being in the high-ceilinged, opulent, original art deco interior, I feel bathed in luxury. But it is not just the fact that the space is so incredibly aesthetically pleasing that every visit is food for the soul. The olfactory experience is what keeps me returning to the House of Hajenius every single time I visit our capital city. The humid air is beautifully scented with the most marvelous smells: Cohibas, honey, dried flowers, heavy pipe tobacco scented with malt whiskey and the scent of leather chairs mingling with the light scent of books coming from the library. Wearing Burnt Amber is like a visit to P.G.C. Hajenius, right here in my own home. With a name like Burnt Amber I was expecting a resinous scent, but instead I find myself taken on my favorite tobacco journey. The perfume is absolutely, incredibly moist, dark and gently sweet. Those of you who have smelled good quality pipe tobacco will know immediately the type of mellow sweetness I am referring to. It is filled with honeyed, flowery nuances and undertones of wood and rich tonka. Throughout the development, the rich smell of smoke gently curls around every rounded curve and rises up in the most seducing manner. All the smells I explore in my visits to this most luxurious of shops, bottled in astoundingly rich liquid. Comforting and sensuous, this is a perfume I beg you to try. It is a journey, it is a personal scent, it is an invitation, a cozy hearth, a beautiful autumn. A luxury like no other. I am so very thankful to be able to experience it.


Dark Earth:

Neil Morris’ Dark Earth is a walk through the forest after a storm. The trees are gigantic, but majestic, rather than foreboding. The dark, rich, full of nutrients soil is thankful for the gift of rain. I can’t help but get a feeling of belonging and being one with nature when wearing this beautiful creation. The forest Neil guides us through is three-dimensional and life-like, with not only appropriate smells, but also sights and sounds. The ground under our feet is soft with both fresh and rotting leaves and needles, the tree-trunks are covered with moss, the birds are beginning to timidly call every now and then. At times the silence becomes the most audible sound of all, with just the imaginary sound of sap shooting up with ancient powers from the roots to the high branches of the trees. And that is the note Dark Earth opens with, for me: Green sap, golden-green resin being pumped inside the pine trees, and sometimes forming a beautiful tear on the bark. Precious resin that has overflowed through a tiny tear. It is beautiful and intense and its green, sticky, addictive aroma combines beautifully with the scent of freshly turned soil. As it warms, the scent assumes a beautiful, lightly sweet quality that is felt gently on the back of the throat as I hungrily inhale, my nose pressed close to the scented patch of my skin. The sensation slowly intensifies, both bitter and sweet now, and dare I say, ever so slightly vanillic. To my surprise, in the drydown Dark Earth loses most of its deeply aromatic, acrid yet sweet resinous qualities. It transforms into a deeply erotic, dark patchouli and lusty musk combination, gently caressed by the creamy woodiness of sandalwood. Dark Earth is indeed an intricate journey, starting with rain and moisture, progressing to resinous forest smells and earth and then going through bittersweet darkness on the way home to a log cabin where the air is permeated by honest, lustful eroticism and freedom. Oh, yes..


Images: The pictures of The House of Hajenious were sourced from www.jubileum.hajenius.com and www.kalumet.pl respectively. Image of forest, courtesy of www.sxc.hu

Cuba by Czech & Speake : Perfume Review

Cuba is the first fragrance of British luxury brand Czech & Speake I’ve had the pleasure of sampling. Smelling the beautiful composition for the first time, I realized that it is not just the company’s fittings that have bespoke appeal: this eau is every bit as artisanal and exclusive in feel. Part of their Aromatics line, Cuba was directly inspired by company owner and designer, Frank Sawkin’s trips to the island. The scent was meant to capture his own ‘rich and emotive memories’ of Cuba, and in particular, the rich smell of tobacco that was a constant during his cigar tour trip all over the island. Further inspiration came from a case of 50-year-old rum, bought from Annabel’s nightclub in London. The result is a scent that rejoices in beautiful contradictions: old world charm combined with the cheerfulness of a Cuban street party as well as velvety darkness combined with blinding sun. Considering that the island itself is a world of contradictions, this is a most successful translation.

The opening is joyful and citrusy, bringing to mind a bittersweet Mojito cocktail with its notes of rum, peppermint and lime. I am particularly impressed by the lifelike lime note which instantly evokes images of the fruit being squeezed with gusto by hand over a glass, the citrus oils making the fingers fragrant for hours thereafter. Too, there is a mustiness underlying the citrus fruit scent, lending intelligence and depth to the opening. It is a most gladsome, zesty and energizing opening, causing the heart to beat a little faster to keep up with its rhythm. My nose also identifies traces of jasmine, which help make the top notes rounder and longer lasting. The heart notes take our joyful Cuban fiesta from blindingly bright noon to sundown, with skies of gold and red. Intensely spicy, the clove emerges dark and seducing. Even though it is always a strong, long-lasting note, it is used in perfect proportion in Cuba, making the result sheer and natural. It is combined with highly fragrant bay leaf, which I absolutely adore. Closing my eyes, it takes me back to a time when well-dressed gentlemen still used to place a couple of these most redolent leaves in their wallet to keep it lightly perfumed. The two notes –clove and bay- compliment each other so well, the result is seamless and hazy: It is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. I am left with deep admiration. And the genius of Cuba further becomes evident as the beautiful, rich tobacco note starts rising to the top: Tonka, clove and peppermint were all traditionally used to flavor tobacco and it is revealing of vision and understanding to smell a composition in which all these notes enhance and showcase each other exactly as they were meant to. Aside from augmenting the beauty of the tobacco leaf, the sweet, caramel scent of tonka also pays homage to that old case of rum, whose sumptuous, candied flavor served as direct inspiration for this fragrance. Marvelous! The drydown in turn is soft and warm. Sweet and balsamic, as well as a tad smoky, the result is both cuddly and sensual. The starring note is absolutely gorgeous opoponax: Velvety, dark and comforting.

Cuba is available in 100ml Cologne Spray, as well as 100ml Aftershave. What’s wonderful though, is that it also comes in Bath Oil format. Isn’t that just fabulous? Men need pampering too! Lastly, something which has more to do with the quality of Czech & Speake products in general, rather than Cuba in particular: The spray pump is the best one I’ve ever encountered. It offers complete control – you can spray as lightly or as heavily as you wish. My preferred way is a light mist, which is absolute sensory delight on the skin.

Images: www.czechandspeake.com, www.sxc.hu, commons.wikimedia.org and www.czechandspeake.com