Triptych

Alright, now look... I was sent this with no preconceived ideas about the brand or notes or anything and that's often the way I like it but was immediately struck by two things...a complex amber accord, studded with gems, little pockets of intrigue and real oud funk. Specific to my nose is what oud experts call 'fruity thai oud' which just helps to bombard the senses with yet more complexity on top of what is quite a sensory overload of a perfume. What immediate association did I make? Well it was with a perfume by Strangelove, Fall into stars, a very expensive niche brand, gold encrusted and exclusively stocked which I would probably scoff at due to the working class chip on one shoulder and the massive boot of the elite poshos and neuvo riche cunts who by this type of shit, on the other, pressing me down into the dirt where I belong. However, I loved Fall into stars, it's an absolute triumph of a piece, full of aroma chemical trickery, big ideas and small sparkly ones, oudy funk and clearly no expense sparred on materials but also made very well and with restraint by an incredible perfumer in Christophe Laudamiel. For Aqualis Triptych to even evoke...to momentarily glimpse the spirit....of Fall into stars, can only be a good thing. (or downright plagiarism? one or the two haha) However much I enjoyed this, it didn't quite bring the magic or joy of FitS. Maybe it's because it's second to my olfactory market, I've smelled it all before? so to speak... I don't think it's that. I genuinely think this gets rosier than I recall, and the oud is a little more short lived, cheesy (in a good way. like literal cheese!) and woody mulched manure with that oddly fruity edge, doesn't punch through as hard after several hours. Couple of caveats... this perfume is considerably cheaper than strangelove for a greater volume, and if you want a broad strokes approximation you can't go far wrong, and this CLEARLY contains real oud not a cheap material and not something which can be phoned it, it's character is unmistakable. This is a BRILLIANT perfume, do not get it twisted, I enjoyed it immensely, it lasts and has depth but not quite as much of a all immersive DMT trip that fall into stars was for me, but very, very, few perfumes are. PS: I read this back and it read a bit like it could be open to misinterpretation... allow me to clarify, when I say 'I was sent this...', I mean I was sent a small decanted sample by a friend, not a free bottle by the brand or via PR companies or anything of the sort. I have no affiliation with the brand.