Philokalia - After Life Potion

Gorgeous church scent, one of the best ones I’ve ever tried. The oud and incense notes become very prominent right off the bat, as I don’t get much of the white florals at all. There is a green facet, but I feel like it only comes through when it’s dried down on skin considerably. That said, this stuff stays on forever, as with all Adi Ale Van perfumes the longevity is nuts. Invokes memories of cathedrals and churches me and mom used to visit while travelling. 10/10, full bottle-worthy for me.

A complex and expensive piece of artwork imposes a lengthy description, so let me take you through its story as it was told it to me. I decided on purchasing this beautiful piece of art even though it has agarwood accords which I don't generally enjoy, but I was too enticed by the overall composition especially since I began my journey exploring Romanian niche fragrances, being Romanian myself and searching for the very specific dusty, waxy, warm and dense atmosphere of an Romanian Orthodox church in a bottle. As expected, it opens loudly with bitter woody notes. Mixed with the floral top notes it blends into almost a dry red Martini scent. This phase reminds me a lot of Another Oud by JHAG, which I am personally not a fan of given the overwhelming bitterness. To some oud fans this phase may be inebriating, objectively I can appreciate the complexity of it after my nose gets adjusted to it. Fresh and spicy yet aromatic and balsamic, it evokes a stern, confident and powerful allure. After the most vibrant notes start to fade and give space to the middle notes, the fragrance and I begin to resonate more closely. The incense contours itself more boldly, rounding the sharp edges of the first 20 minutes. It doesn't resemble a crowd pleasing, commercialised incense-stick profile. It is as that one was stripped of its sweetness and warmth and any soft florals mixed in. Isolating the incense facet, it really resembles the smell of our elder's houses that used to burn tămâie straight on the stove. 45 minutes into wearing it I can still detect the bitterness, but it's projecting much more subtly. The sillage beings to dim, but it's still very much noticeable farther than an arm's length. This is when I get a rush sniffing my skin, I had chills down my spine quite a few times. It's comforting, mysterious and very enticing. It may be due to culturally imprinted scent preferences that every Romanian person has experienced throughout their life, but it may very well be Giovanni's artistry doing its magic, given that he relates quite a few religious stories through the landscape of his compositions. Around the hour mark, it reminds me of the scent of mamaie's (grandmother) thick, a little scratchy and dusty duvets of her moody, hardwood heavy bedroom. It's as is she has brought you herbal tea and has rubbed your wrists with a tămâie roll-on that has been blessed at the church beforehand so that you receive God's blessings before going to sleep. Definitely not a crowd pleaser, but a scent that you wear for yourself, for the memories it reignites, for the bitter-sweet tonal affect of most of our childhoods. A couple of hours later it slowly begins to settle into an intimate sillage. On my skin it remains a woody, animalic but not leathery scent which is still noticeable after 12hr+ of wear. On my clothes I can detect it even after two days, however it's much more floral on them. A very interesting example of how your own microbiome dictates the notes. The florals are still unisex, albeit softer than they were in the opening. In my very personal opinion, I find it a breath of fresh air after the journey it took to get here. A story in a bottle that I wouldn't be in the mood for everyday, but when the right time comes it' tugs at the right strings. Personally, I will spray it 2-3hrs before social events and wear it in solemn contexts, however I found myself sparingly spraying it just for its storytelling abilities. Yes, the price point is high. But this is a bottle that you will cherish for the rest of your life. Not just for the visual presentation, but because of the preciousness of the particular image it captures. Real memories, both pleasant and sorrowful, comforting brutalism and obedience-imposed faith. Very much looking forward to exploring more of Adi ale Van's scenery and would love to hear more from the noses and souls behind this gorgeous artful project.

Something between a funeral offering and a seduction. The opening is thick white florals, tuberose and jasmine pressed together into something almost waxy, the kind of bloom you'd lay at the feet of something that unsettled you. Then the floor shifts. What comes underneath is older: a smoky, mossy darkness where the white oud and agarwood sink through something rooty and incense-dry into a base that goes genuinely animalic, warm stone after a long ritual fire, with a honeyed, dusty haze that sits close to skin and doesn't apologize. it really is a passage, one of adi ale vans best.

Notes sound good................ but this is another overpriced, 300Euro a bottle, money grab........ Why???

Looking forward to hearing about this one