Le Dieu Bleu

To approach Le Dieu Bleu, "the Blue God," one may want to consider its intention: as a recreation of a perfume that far, far predates modern perfumery. Otherwise, it eludes a nose that expects a familiar structure, a halfway predictable arrangement with components hewn together through some Jean Carles type of methodology. Le Dieu Bleu is based on the age of mortars and pestles, primitive processes of extracting botanic materials, and perfume as ritual. It is an interpretation of kyphi, intended for ceremony and medicine (imagine if we regarded modern perfume in the same way!). It is nearly impossible to replicate kyphi, but what Ropion does here is approximate its timbre. It is peculiar for sure, but I live for the peculiar—yet this is by no means a challenging wear. The sappy, terpenic mastic resin here sets the tone, while an impressive appearance of calamus really took me surprise. Could this be an ingenious reconstruction, or was there a calamus oil sans beta-asarone (a carcinogenic constituent) used here? At any rate, its damp, squishy, doughy and marshy nutmeg-and-cattails sweetness is here. It happened to be one of my favorite essential oils in my earliest explorations. Midway through, I am reminded of raisin bread and port, and then there is the sticky, bitter underline of myrrh. It has intimate sillage and its curve of development is four hours tops. It's best appreciated as a scent object to wear with single-minded focus.

I don't think I've ever been so surprised by a fragrance. This does what it says on the tin: you are transported to Ancient Egypt. This smells primordial, herbal, resinous, ritualistic, dark and fresh/sour. Not in the notes but for me it districtly gives sour booze. And I LOVE IT. It sings! How does he do it? I wouldn't get a large bottle but I'm sure I'll go through several of these 10 ml ones in due time. It's peak summer time here, soaring temperatures and still wonderful (which makes sense, since the idea originates in Egypt). Not safe for blind buys, test it our first- unless you're a fraghead or a collector. In which case? RUN, don't walk. This is so unique. Decent sillage and longevity, a prerequisite for me at this price point.

This scent tells an ancient story for sure! For me, it smells like pines if they would start growing somewhere in Egypt during the summer. Also, myrrh and oily notes. Not very long lasting, but okay. Worth smelling at least once!

(for our details, you may look at my previous post) Kyphi was basically an incense that was used in Ancient Egypt for propitiatory rituals. The list of notes that Astier provides is at best incomplete: "honeyed broom, mystical and heady myrrh, green and fresh lentisk, and fruity opoponax". Fragrantica adds calamus, woods, and spices. I would add: raisins, juniper berries, incense, and a red wine accord, while the woods feel sandalwood-like. The opening is stunning with a beautiful contrast of the dry bitter herbal, the fruity, and the liquorous notes, while the base is about a soft incense imbued with myrrh and some resinoids. My problem with Le Dieu Bleu is about performance. My nose seems to register the scent only in the first hour, or - to be generous - in the first couple of hours and then is almost gone. Follow me on IG @alexolympia6 With almost no projection, to detect the scent itself I need to press my nose hard on my harm and trasmute myself into a grey-hound. As an aesthetic object, I very much appreciate it, but a perfume should possesses not only an intrinsic-value, but also a use-value. I need to evaluate whether one hour of use-value is enough to invest in a 30ml bottle. For now, I would say no.

LE DIEU BLUE by Astair de Villatte I think that the creation of all these perfumes is a wonderful project. Put together two people interested in the history of perfumes - i.e. Ivan Pericoli e Benoit Astier de Villatte, the founders of Astier de Villatte - an anthropologist researching the sociological apsects of the history of odours - Annick Le Guerer, a master perfumeur - Dominique Ropion and you get the creation of unusual scents. These are not to be intended as phylologically accurate as that would be materially impossible (we do not know some materials; people in ancient time did not dilute essences in alcohol; current restrictions) but it would make the scent unbeareable to modern fussy noses. So, these are Ropion's interpretations of historical scents, not the scents as they were. Le Dieu Blue is a scents that the high priest used in Ancient Egypt. It is very evocative. The centre stage is myrrhe where its resinous aspect is emphasyzed. I do not find it extremely herbal, but very well balanced. Perfectly wearable, it is meant for those who want to venture into new territories. Follow me on IG @alexolympia6

A part of a series of scents intended to recreate ancient scents using modern ingredients, this is a scent designed to evoke the kyphi incense used to worship the ancient Egyptian god Hapi (the blue deity). The scent is a herbal woody incense which opens with mastic resin, calamus and broom flower leading to a firm heart of myrrh. The perfume settles on a bed of synthetic musk, spices and woody notes. The masculine leaning scent has moderate projection and good longevity. Overall, a nice interesting and evocative scent but not for everyone. Enjoy!

The Fragrantica write-up on this says: "Le Dieu Bleu smells like some kind of traditional medicine... Perhaps an herbal cough tincture or a Vietnamese ointment-balm with a chilling menthol scent." The turpenic properties are indeed quite strong, and the myrrh here is bitter with some rubbery qualities. Minimal spice to me, just kind of humming underneath. I always like the idea of medicinal smells but in practice they are difficult to wear. Not an easy reach, a fragrance to wear when you are casting a spell, doing some necromancy.

There is an intense raisin or sour plum quality throughout the duration that I enjoy. Initially, I found this to be a study in opposites: warm balsamic something meeting something cool. Now, after drydown, I only smell the balsamic tartness. I feel insane, but it smells almost, if not actually, identical to Artaban. Maybe if I squint, Artaban has a bit more of a sharp brightness (cardamom?) on top and something ambery, powdery warm (labdanum? Cinnamon? ) at the base. But then going back to LDB, I sense some of the same powdery characteristics. And then I get the sharp tartness again. Going back and forth, it's so difficult to pull out differences. The moment I think I've got them pinned, they smell different once again.

intriguing, hard to pin down. spring summer fruity spicy eence floral. I think this one might capture me over time. light. no longevity.