Tenmoku I Mei Hua San Nong

Tenmoku I - Mei Hua San Nong from Auphorie. A perfume as complicated and unique as its name suggests. Try saying that fast. See? Of the Auphorie perfumes that I tried, this one is the most captivating and peculiar. The composition is built around the Plum blossom and Plum wine accords. Not the fruit. However, there is much more going on. Hot, steamed metal, resins, ambergris, spices, and burning agarwood incense sticks. It's a heavy, smoky, resinous, and warm perfume. Pure Oriental. There is an unami feel to the composition that I cannot place. I suspect the ambergris is playing a pivotal role in creating that facet. The perfume plays on this sour-sweet duality. The steamed metal accord stays strong for the first couple of hours. It smells like an empty teapot left on the stovetop. A boozy plum wine accord blends in the metal pot together with a delicate, almost fleeting floral chord. The dry down steers into a rich, resinous base with an everlasting incense touch. A perfume of unique accords, opposite flavors, and striking contrasts that works unexcpectedly well. It's also one of the few perfumes I strictly use during colder weather. Coming from someone who looks down upon these labels. It is too rich and dense to wear in warmer temperatures. Just like a glass of Plum wine. It will light up your soul and keep you warm. IG:@memory.of.scents