Chapter 1

This is crushed cardamom pods at the top with a warm embrace of amber followed by the creamiest fig I’ve had my nose on. The fig in this is soft and ripe, there is definitely nothing green about it. The kick of cardamom and the earthiness of patchouli gives it a slight spiciness that is reminiscent of a warm glass of milky cardamom chai next to a plate of figgy pudding while wrapped in a soft warm blanket on Christmas morning. There is no tea note listed but those familiar with Rainbow cardamom evaporated milk will recognize the scent of it, mixed in with the sweetness of the fig in the background and this would layer well with Liam by Lattafa or Chapter 5 from the Untold Stories series which would give it a chai by the fireplace scent. This is a winter scent but can be worn year round. Longevity is around 6 to 7 hours with more of an intimate scent bubble than a beast mode projection on my skin.The dry down brings out the vanilla and the creaminess of sandalwood and the spiciness of the cardamom starts to fade out. This is my signature scent of the year. It is delicately crafted by Maxime Exler, the nose behind BTSO’s Naked Laundry and Birch Bark from Documents.

Gorgeous work by Maxime Exler here, very much under the radar. What fascinates me most about Chapter 1 is its balance, all of the notes playing into each other seamlessly and creating a real harmony. I mainly get a juicy, only slightly sweetened fig with a green edge on a creamy base, a restrained woody backbone and distant mineral facets. Joyful, clean, but with depth. Long-lasting, but not overbearing. Chapter 1 can be a true signature scent in my opinion, easy to wear all year around while still being high quality and not boring. Chapter 1 is currently an absolute steal on most discounter websites, the quality for the price is unheard of. Personally I think this line could have done better with actual names instead of just „chapter + number“. The numbers just seem oddly robotic to me, especially for a project that is supposed to be quite personal for the perfumers. Also a memorable name definitely helps people telling fragrances apart, I have two of the chapters and I keep forgetting which one is which. The bottle design could have also been more interesting in my opinion, but that‘s obviously up for discussion.

Is this one something special? No. Is it good? Yes. What I'm geting is a lot of cashmere with the sweetness of the fig, altough I do not necessarily smell the whole profile of the fruit. This scent will make you smell proper and well manored, as it is not screaming for attention, it's very gentle and can be easily worn indoors and outdoors. After spraying this one on, you will feel this small scent bubble that smells like clean bedsheets and freshly ironed out clothing. It's not the energetic kind of fresh though, it is really creamy a it woody and it has a hint of very smooth sweetness. Overall if you want something that will make you smell prim and proper, go for this one. If you already have a scent like this in your collection, then I'd probably skip it.

What sets this perfume apart from Gris Charnel, Stash, Meander etc etc, is a strange green edge. It's almost sweet and sour, or perhaps I could say there's a savoury side to it despite a definite sweetness too. The cashmeran is very strong, but not too strong, crucially. I struggle with this note, but here there are enough loud, interesting elements to balance the cashmeran out. It's not a subtle perfume, but it is unique and would smell incredible on a cool summer evening outside. As always with Ajmal and with this line in particular, the quality to price ratio is through the roof and into space.

Aromatic cardamom on rice milk pudding. Spicy and cosy. The scent is soft and sometimes you think it disappeared but nope, you still catch whiffs of it. A mood of taking a walk at night in the woods. If you're a fan of Frederic Malle fragrances, you'll like this one. Normally Arabian fragrances are too strong for me, but Ajmal's are an exception.