Antinoüs

Male homosexuality. Imagine a perfumed ode to it. The anticipation between two men, the accelerating heartbeat, the heat of desire. Is it still okay to find the beauty in this? Or has it gone from the forbidden and condemned full circle back to problematic and tainted? I sure hope not. Antinoüs was the young lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian, and he was regarded as simply too beautiful for this world. "What the invention of oil-painting was to the Venetians, the face of Antinoüs was to late Greek sculpture, and the face of Dorian Gray will some day be to me.”—Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray. I've always found something quietly sensuous about clary sage—a botanical muskiness beyond its clean clarity, with hints of tobacco and tea leaves, and a subtly sweet balminess. Here, it is what first greets my nose, abundantly so, followed by the delicious pungency of both common sage and white pepper. This is act one of the burgeoning chemistry between two bodies, and then the beads of sweat form. Act two: the salt of perspiration and the rising temperature. Nothing loud, it's not sleazy, but it is enough to suggest the smell of sex when in close contact. The sillage suggests more the naturalistically herbal and lucid woody warmth. The magic here really is brought forth through intimacy. THAT kind of intimacy. There could be sun, there could be sea, there could be lived-in sheets, or there could be fresh bread in the adjacent kitchen: take your pick(s). Then there is act three—post-coital, cigarette optional, the come down after climax, the heart rate slows down and two rest in each others arms and enjoy each others comfort and smell.

I think this is the most intriguing from the house, but perhaps not the most wearable for most people. It's got cumin but it still distinctly smells Mediterranean. I get citrus, cumin and perhaps something vaguely coniferous as strange as that sounds. Perhaps it's hiding mastic? Me and my buddy sat there talking about it and comparing opinions, we also came up with kumquat. It's puzzling but I also get something akin to ruber and oil, which he did not get. Super interesting fragrance that is very unique. I've never smelled anything quite like it, but it's somehow nostalgic from childhood, and instantly made me smile with wonder.

My first impressions on a blotter were that it stunk of cumin, literally just cumin. But after a couple days, I gave it another chance, but this time on my skin. All I can say is, wow. It opens with this salty cumin vibe that almost reminds me of goldfish, but not in a bad way. As it settles, it loses the harshness, and turns into a sunkissed skin type of smell. I think this is a great scent for beach days or pool days. If I ever went to Italy during the summer, this is the perfume I would take.

Open more clary sage than sage, then moves onto a clearly defined, smoothed and muted out cumin with a salty bias, and a similarly smoothed+muted white pepper—though arguably this is a supportive bias to a lesser degree of a more prominent “recently cleaned skin” (not freshly cleaned, so more like après-showered skin) accord, then after a bit the wheat absolute becomes more prominent than the muted cumin impression, with a sandalwood bias, and as a whole, gives a natural human skin smell kind of profile, in the most neutral sense. While this perfume was made in ode to the Western symbol of male homosexuality, Antinous, it’s rather a significantly less animal (than maybe, Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens for example) take on the idea. It’s not as erotically developed to something like cyber sex by Filippo Sorcinelli--it’s naturally and even intimately familiar, if narrowed into a neutral lens of, arguably, androgynous skin-skin sex with no particular bias that focuses on knowing the person’s smell intimately, on the skin, but again, from a truly neutral perspective, despite the homosexual ode the perfumer intended. Just don’t expect any feminine/masculine facets to particularly stick out—it’s probably how this is able to be marketed (justifiably) as a unisex frag. Though, as a gay male myself, this neutrality doesn't make it less enjoyable. I'm just surprised this impression was possible with something as basic as wheat absolute. I really like this perfume. It’s not permanently cumin forward as some are claiming (not that it’s a strong raw cumin either, in something like Tyrannosaurus Rex by Zoologist), but I feel like it could be just a smidge stronger as far as the profile goes. Maybe the bit of sandalwood+vetiver is killing the lust of this perfume for me. In a way, it's what the base of Sadonaso by Nasomatto should have been. Given this, just imagine what you could do with this perfume alone! Only time will tell in the meantime to consider this further.

This fragrance is unique, and unafraid to put off less inquisitive noses. I would qualify myself as cumin hesitant, and was put off by it on first sniff on the tester. When I tried it on my skin though, I became so interested in how it transforms. I couldn’t stop sniffing my wrist once it dried down. As a lover of salty (especially), as well as aromatic fragrances, both are facets are done justice here. It truly smells like a body in the sun, the human form in its beautiful honesty, absorbing flecks of salt spray under golden light. I find myself drawn to this scent, thinking of it often.

Sipping a dirty martini, garnished with a couple of herbed olives and a twist of preserved lemon, while sailing from Taormina to Palermo on your gay uncle’s yacht.

A familiar take on the classic, herbal 'men's cologne of yore' trope, with that typical PdE stank from the cumin. No olives. As usual with Corticchiatto, lots of ooohs and aaahs with a naked emperor standing at the centre.

This is an addition to my previous review and the second part of a comparative review between Antonous and Acqua di Scandola The skin accord here is amplified by a mix of spices where cumin and white pepper are declared. This is a nod to L'Autre by Dyptique, but bear in mind that here we are talking about a deconstructive cumin where alla the savoury aspects are removed. Unfortunately, also the sweaty aspects are removed too and what is left is a less polarizing conconction that feels like "skin that was washed with sea-water"; the white pepper should impart a far more animalic, earthy, and musty tone than what I detect. Bear in mind that these are personal taste: what I want to say is that I would have preferred a more heated skin than what I actually get. The opening of sage and sage absolute with their leathery undertones are exceptionally keen to introduce the skin accord, but what I get at first spray is a very alcoholic blast before the aromatic herb can emerge (this does not happen with the clary sage from the alps used in Cuir de Chine for example). Given what it should stand for, and given that this is niche, I would have want a little bit of more edginess; as it is , this is the shadow of Antinous, the testament that he left with his ultimate sacrifice. Not the heated affair I would have liked to see (and sniff). No, it does not feel as pre-or during-or post-coital skin...and then why not sex between two women ? or a guy and a girl? The really beautiful part of the scent is the wheat absolute and the way it interacts with the skin accord to make it, at last, a little bit carnal because it heats up the composition. A base of synth musks and ISO E will complete the scent. The real Antinoüs was the lover of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and committed suicide as a propitiatory ritual in favour of the latter. What we generally know about Antinoüs is not historico-philologically based, but it is the post-Romantic rendition that Yourcenar depicted in her Memoires d'Hadrien, which in turn derives from Wilde take on this character. Because (or thanks) to Yourcenaur, Antinoüs is perceived as a gay icon, the neglected historical figure that plays an important role within a man of power (Hadrian) vicissitudes. We are all gratefull that a scent is finally devoted to a neglected and queer (or neglected because he was queer) figure..... yet I am left to wonder if this is the ubiquitous attempt to exploit queer sexuality because it sells well in perfumery. Follow me on IG @alexolympia6

Hadrian is a well known character in our western construction of mythology, remembered amongst the emperors of Rome. Antinous, his beloved lover, was a neglected figure until Marguerite Yourcenar's book revealed to us the story between these two men and the ultimate sacrifice of the younger Antinous. In perfumery, for so long we had only an ode to Hadrien with Annick Goutal's L' Eau d'Hadrien (an homage to her love for her husband that was reading Yourcenar's book while on holiday in Tuscany). So, it was about time that Brieu Clarsonneur and his brand anti-parfums decided to make Antinous the center of our attention. Marc-Antoine Corticchaito of Parfume d'Empire took up the challenge to create the perfume. Imagine the skin of a man, overheated by a ferocious sun near the delta of The Nile river: this is Antinous showing ready to be sacrified to propitiate Hadrian in his oriental war- campaigns. How can this image be conjoured up? Corticchiato used clary sage (apparently three variety) mixed with a hint of citrus just enough to make us situated in the Mediterranean; while the sage is front and center, the citrus is kind of weak; as I said, it is more of a suggestion. Clary sage may a very prominent leathery animalic undertone, a right introduction to the heart of the perfume that is about a "skin accord". The impression of heated (and sweated) skin is given by the assemblage of two spices: the usual cumin and white pepper which is far more animalic, earthy, and musty than black pepper; this reminds me of the combo used in L'Autre by Dyptique. The spices culinary aspects are almost absent because they over on a salty water accord. this phase reminds me a bit of Acqua di Scandola, but while in the latter the feeling is of herbs dried by the sun nearby the sea, in the former it is about overheated sweat skin nearby a water that is not properly iodized, the mixing waters of the foci of river and the sea. The skin effect is attained by a combination of synthetic musks sustained by the vetiver-sandalwood ensemble in the base. Consider following me on IG @alexolympia6

This Is my favorite from this line, it's not exactly easy to wear, but not too challenging either. The "naked-male-post-coital-skin-smell" effect Is (like It or not) extremely realistic, cumin Is very much present, of course, but this scent manages to be both sexy and refined, let's Say that the man wearing It has quicky put his sartorial suit and tie back on after a sexual rendez-vous 😏 Back to the scent itself, I would call It a Woody/Musk perfume, because the spices and the sage in It provider a Very musky profile. I also detect some green, piquant note at the beginning, something that reminds me the green-pepper note in another perfume by Corticchiato: "Body Paint", for the Vilhelm brand. Unique, very Corticchiato, and very intriguing, I want a full bottle of this. P.S. Alfarom might like this perfume.

This is really pretty. Absolutely unisex, but to me leans toward confident yet charming masculinity. Opening is phenomenal, although I am biased towards clary sage. Transition is quick and soon settles into intimate sensual, salty, slightly spicy, slightly funky yet crystal musk. Very reminiscent of Neanderthal, and although this fragrance does not claim to have Cypriol, I can definitely smell something similar (perhaps a part of the “skin” accord?). It projects nicely and later you get this dry vetiver and slightly dull and bitter muting note at the very end of the whiff and closer to the skin. Office scent, daily driver, casual gatherings. Very light, inviting, unoffensive and intimate. Refined and modern.

For starters, anti parfums is an amazing line of fragrances. But I will say this is the only fragrance from the line im not the biggest fan of. Having grown up in a Mexican household cumin was used a lot in the dishes we cooked, and that is primarily what I get in this. A musky salty cumin, while I do enjoy it in food and some fragrances this really isn't for me. With that said I will continue to wear my sample on skin to see if my opinion changes on it. Current Rating: 4/10

Corticchiatto used cumin on like barely anything of his aziyade and belle amour is all I can think of. And those don’t even stink. Just such an odd and off read on him in the review below.... Oh this guy hates corticchiato lol damn near bullying him in his reviews it’s kinda funny.

It feels like thick, slightly bitter olive oil with a pinch of salt and cumin. Very interesting composition and I assume it will shine in hot weather.