My nose understands AoP 6 as smoked leather and spices. When I read the perfume "story" I find that it contains no leather. My olfactory mind rails! Just when I had decided that AoP 6 was the sexiest most unique leather scent to darken my door, I find out it is leather-free. No matter, my mistake about leather intrigues me, and I find myself falling for AoP 6 like a mysterious stranger.How did the perfumer give the effect of such refined leather appeal? It turns out the fragrance contains a rare Chinese tea oil that joins with spices of pepper, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg from the opening salvo. Once I'm told it's tea I do smell the sweetness of an oolong, which quickly becomes mouthwatering.
I am so suggestible.
But I sniff AoP 6 again, and I have a vision of a distinguished and magnetic person with a most handsome leather bag full of books I love as much or more than the person. But AoP 6 doesn't show all of its charms immediately, it waits and reveals its many dimensions over hours.
Clary sage, lavender from Grasse, and mate, that most popular carcinogenic Argentine breakfast drink, form an herbaceous scrim to the scent that give both a cooling greenness and a vegetal smokiness.
After a while on the skin, the moss, woods and patchouli punctuate the scent with a decisive finish. As with the other AoP scents I prefer, the quality of the ingredients shines through. AoP 6 is a skilled performance.
Whether or not you fancy yourself a virile sort, AoP 6 is original and well done. Buy it for yourself or sniff it furtively to evoke a most intriguingly leathery imaginary friend.
The image above is from an exhibit at The Yiddish Radio Project called Love Letters: A League Member's Unrequited Love.
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14 comments:
Leather is exactly what I get from this one, too! I was surprised to read the description and see no leather. I get lots and lots of smoke, and dark tea - it reminded me of Tea for Two without the cloves. I've tested 1,5,6,and 7 and I think 6 will be my favourite.
I'm cracking up, because how many banned substances can one perfume contain? Or, if not banned, strictly limited in amount usable, due to sensitization? It is the ultimate forbidden fruit, this perfume:
tea, clove, cinnamon, and you mention mosses without naming them -- oakmoss? Where did you hear yerba mate was carcinogenic? Not so. I'm thinking they used cade oil, known to impart a leather scent, and that is a suspected carcinogen:
http://www.aromacaring.co.uk/burfield_banned_list.htm
This perfume could best be used in a piece of jewelry or on the clothing, not skin.
WANT!!!
Dear Nina,
I am glad to see my nose isn't crazy, that you too get leather.
Dear Anya,
I don't know, my skin has remained intact, though I did get a bit too much sun this weekend. Good thing I am dark underneath all that waxy whiteness. It is funny to think of this one as a banned substance perfume. Since it's not generally in vogue to refer to the synthetic odorants used, perfumers can tell a parallel story of the ingredients to the complete one, in which natural notes are listed. I am not skilled enough to determine the actual ingredients.
Dear Marina,
You should have this one.
Hi Cait. That was very convincing. Ah, leather, leather, leather my love! I've just ordered 4 samples (this, the cologne, the floral oriental and the rose). I love the liner notes as well! I'm just so curious about the masked noses too...
Dear CC,
I love it when I am convincing in this kind of respect. I was surprised by the depth of these fragrances. the cologne, the floral oriental and this one, my leather crush, were my faves.
Still haven't gone to smell Une Fleur de Cassie. I walked right by the boutique yesterday, but the weather in Paris has turned so unseasonably cold and I was sniffling so badly as a result that I thought my first impression would be spoiled. Reverted to Mitsouko for the duration of the cold spell...
P.S. Has your "sous le vent" arrived yet ?
Dear CC,
Paris and SF have that bittersweetness of unseasonably cold days sometimes. Part of the twisted reason I love both cities. Mitsouko makes sense in that weather. I haven't received my full bottle though it was sent to me about 10 days ago. It should take longer but thankfully Patty sent me a sample to tide me over.
I've just noticed Anya's comment. In fact, the formula for #6 complies fully with all IFRA guidelines on raw material usage (as do all the other fragrances in the range) and any assertion that it should not be worn on the skin is factually incorrect. Nor does #6 contain cade oil. I really do appreciate everyone's interest in our range and I had resolved to keep out of any blog discussions about it. However I do want to correct any misperception that the range contains banned ingredients as that is absolutely not the case.
Dear Peter,
Thanks for clarifying that. I did not personally find it irritating, but rather stimulating. It's a good one.
Obviously I'm very late in posting here, but I ordered samples after reading your posts and they just arrived. I didn't go back to read your posts or their notes before I spritzed them on my arms and ankles, but am most in love w/ #6 so far and my first impression also was leather. I now get smoky tea, but the leather remains. Stunning!
Dear Elle,
Glad you enjoyed this one. Thanks for posting. Do come back again and give more of your thoughts anytime.
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