Espionage

For some reason my tiny sample bottle had either leaked or evaporated, so I was horrified to discover that all that was left was a tiny drop of brown stuff at the bottom. I added a drop of alcohol so that I could get it out and, while it may not be the original concentration, it’s good enough to test qualitatively. My reconstituted version of Espionage is a smoky, woody, herbal-scented vanilla, reminiscent of the smoky smell of lapsang suchong tea with a shot of vanilla extract. Campfire smoke and good vanilla make excellent partners. Because this is an all-natural perfume, what is listed in the notes as “leather” is probably an accord that contains cade or some such material. I think I actually like the smoky note better than I would have liked a synthetic leather note in this composition. The smoky note lasts for a couple of hours, gradually dissipating to reveal to a slightly more floral vanilla scent with hints of dried rose petals and tobacco leaves. The smoke lingers in the background for an hour or so, after which the drydown turns into a sweet, candied rose scent that reminds me of Jordan almonds and many Arabian perfumes. Ambrette is listed in the notes, but it never becomes obvious. Instead it just supports and expands on the rose. The drydown lasts for 6 hours or so, overnight on clothing. For an all-natural perfume, sillage and longevity are excellent, but this should be taken with the caveat that my sample might have been super-concentrated. Espionage is worth trying just for the initial smoky two hours.

I have been searching for a nostalgic tobacco perfume for ages- something that reminds me of my Grandfather's fresh pipe tobacco- and I was hoping that this would be it. Alas, the sweet tobacco scent in this perfume, although present, is held captive behind a thick curtain of nauseating incense smoke. It reminds me of the perfume oils you can buy in Alternative Stores along side strings of sandalwood beads, white metal jewellery and tiny soapstone deities. I always leave these stores with a nasty headache, so while this scent may work on others- regrettably, it does not work on me. There is a "dirty" element somewhere in there that I often associate with cedar. I would not recommend it to folk with similar sensitivities.

One of my favorites Ayalas, Sabotage is my Casablanca in a bottel. As i often cpmpare in an absurd way perfumes and movies this has all the elements. The longing of the piano melody, the trenchcoat, the atmosphere in Rick's cafe, the desperate and the heroic. For an alla natural leather scent is surprisingly creamy and nutty, fresh and elegant by bergamot and well rounded albeit a bit melancholic. arty but accessible