Rake & Ruin

EN. A bold and unforgettable olfactory experience Rake & Ruin by BeauFort London is a perfume that leaves no room for banality. From the very first drop, you are transported into a world full of contrasts, where dark and smoky notes intertwine with an explosion of spices and metallic hints, creating an aroma that evokes the atmosphere of a billiard room after an exclusive event. Its composition is deep and layered, with notes of juniper and leather accents blending into a boozy heart and a base of smoky woods. This combination gives the perfume a unique elegance and a strong character. It is perfect for those seeking something unconventional, suited to a strong and confident personality. One of the most fascinating aspects of Rake & Ruin is its evolution on the skin. Initially intense and spicy, it softens over time, revealing delicate shades of musk and woods that make it extremely sophisticated. It is ideal for special evenings, elegant events, or moments when you want to leave a lasting impression. The longevity is extraordinary, with a sillage that leaves a persistent and intriguing trail, capable of capturing attention without ever being overpowering. I have no idea what people think of me when I wear it, but frankly, I couldn’t care less. Rake & Ruin is not for everyone, but it is perfect for those who want a perfume that tells a story and makes a statement of style. On me, I find it very attractive, and I believe it all depends on how your body absorbs it and then transmits it to the world. It’s a fragrance that accompanies me in significant moments, reminding me that a perfume can be much more than just an accessory: it is an olfactory signature that speaks about who we are. IT. Un’esperienza olfattiva audace e indimenticabile Rake & Ruin di BeauFort London è un profumo che non lascia spazio alla banalità. Sin dalla prima goccia, si viene trasportati in un mondo ricco di contrasti, dove le note scure e affumicate si intrecciano a un’esplosione di spezie e accenni metallici, creando un aroma che richiama l’atmosfera di una sala da biliardo dopo un evento esclusivo. La sua composizione è profonda e stratificata, con note di ginepro e accenti di cuoio che si fondono in un cuore liquoroso e una base di legni affumicati. Questa combinazione conferisce al profumo un’eleganza unica e un carattere deciso. È un profumo perfetto per chi cerca qualcosa di non convenzionale, adatto a una personalità forte e sicura di sé. Uno degli aspetti più affascinanti di Rake & Ruin è la sua evoluzione sulla pelle. Inizialmente intenso e speziato, si ammorbidisce con il passare delle ore, lasciando emergere delicate sfumature di muschio e legni, che lo rendono estremamente sofisticato. È ideale per serate speciali, eventi eleganti o momenti in cui si vuole lasciare un’impressione duratura. La longevità è straordinaria, con un sillage che lascia una scia persistente e intrigante, capace di catturare l’attenzione senza mai risultare invadente. Non ho alcuna idea di cosa pensi la gente di me quando lo indosso, ma sinceramente non me ne potrebbe importare di meno. Rake & Ruin non è per tutti, ma è perfetto per chi desidera un profumo che racconti una storia e faccia una dichiarazione di stile. Su di me lo percepisco molto attraente, e credo che tutto dipenda da come il tuo corpo lo assorbe per poi trasmetterlo al mondo. È una fragranza che mi accompagna in momenti significativi, ricordandomi che un profumo può essere molto più di un semplice accessorio: è una firma olfattiva che parla di chi siamo.

I googled Inexcusable Evil to see if there were any bottles on ebay or other similar sites and Beaufort was displayed amongst other items and caught my attention. I then went and got a Discovery sample pack and this was in it. I sprayed one small puff from a 2ml vial on my forearm and bloody hell..... The opening is utterly brutal, offensive, unbearable, opressive screams in your face. It's an avalanche of overwhelming bleeding cilantro that chokes you, irritates your nostrils and for a few good minutes after smelling it your nose is rendered ineffective. There is nothing else but freshly chopped cilantro or dill smells that invade, rape your nose and fry your brain and you hate yourself for having a nose and not being into other hobbies such as opium abuse and defenestrations. Some good minutes later, around 5-7 mark the offense starts to lose steam and you slowly regain the ability to smell and by this time the most violent top notes have left the building; and so you start to detect some very stoic, old, ancient woody notes, some of them charred some of them matured, and also some pine/Christmas tree notes start to subtly whisper. It all finally starts alligning, making sense and blending in nicely. However, one of the offensive notes remains and it feels like it's concentrated eucalyptus or something similar like in the little tubes you insert in your nostrils for decongestion purposes. From up-close it offends, from 3-5+ centimeters is tolerable. 20-30 minutes later some fruity notes become bold enough to be distinguishable once their violent housemates have left for town and the fragrance becomes even slightly more sophisticated. Later on some more notes join along and become even more complex and layered and the sky starts brightening up, its not all dark and green anymore and finally all those notes mentioned in the note list start making sense. 2 hours later there is no more offense at all and it dries down to a cocktail of lively woody and perhaps every so slightly rotting fruit, which is still a good accord. Very conflicting and cinematic transformation and evolution. Good story-telling for those who have patience to make it to the second act, but I feel that it loses steam a bit too quick one the top and half of the mid notes have evaporated. I would avoid this if I were 30 or younger. Definitely not a club-scent like Phantom or Sauvage or the like. You wear this to your uncle's funeral or at an outdoor event or shooting competition or if you have to undergo a ceremony to be anointed as an Earl. Appropriate for jolly undertakers and farmers/gardeners too. This is what Sean Connery would have probably worn if he was still around and was going to an outdoor function. However you must be able to stand your ground if you wear this because you might be questioned over it. You might also question your own nose too. I must say I like it but I would love it even more if it did not transition so quickly to its final form and remained more smoky and more green. Splendidly creative exercise though and beautiful suspenseful cocktail.

Beaufort is one of those fragrance houses that treat their wares like a whisky drinker treats his dram: for me and nobody but me. I will admit sometimes I have dared to imbibe for the sake of others, be it my lack of nerves after said consumption or maybe I think I'm funnier (probably not) after having done so; but for the most part if I choose to pour myself a rather nice glass of single malt, or make a cocktail, it's for my own personal enjoyment. Drinking for the enjoyment of others just doesn't really make sense at that point. Much is the way of BeauFort in general, and Rake & Ruin in specific in this instance. You are not wearing this (or Vi et Armis, 1805 Tonnerre, etc) because you want others to enjoy themselves around you. Yes, they might, if they are of the persuasion that you yourself seem to be if you are indeed wearing this, but chances are you're not putting this on and going out to the bar or the club to attract a member of whichever sex you fancy. The general populace is not saying, "Gosh I hope I find someone tonight that smells of smoke, pine, gin, and castoreum!" Maybe after 8 hours in a dive bar and 3/4 of a pack of Marlboro Reds but I digress... Rake & Ruin and most of BeauForts other offerings are a personal experience meant for those who take fragrance as a unique, individual enjoyment. And this is why I love this house so much. If I put on a fragrance, I'm the one living with it. The right fragrance can be an 8-15 hour long ride of small hits of enjoyment, nuance, and progression in a way that a single pour of whisky can only hope to achieve for half an hour's duration. Fragrances such as this, with its dirty, heavy, alcohol filled journey of bad attitude and lamentations of having one too many are our ability to personally experience an art form up close in an intimate way. If you may think you'd like a brash, raw, daring scent that feels so far removed from designer houses that GQ wouldn't put a peel and sniff advert in its pages no matter how much money you threw at them, try this out. Just remember the journey is for you.

Up here in the Colorado Rockies, fire isn’t just a smell, it’s a season and that season is now. This perfume opens like the crack of lightning across a parched western slope sky. It’s a sharp and bitter smoke that cuts through the mountain air and makes my chest and bowels tighten with recognition. It’s the scent of resinous pine igniting, of juniper branches popping and sparking as my beloved Roosevelt Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park gives itself over to flame. Then comes the whiskey heat which I will call boozy and reckless. It’s like the handful of men who hang around town (Grand Lake in this case) who’ve watched their homes, cabins, and shacks burn while pouring another glass of local Leopold Brothers Three Chamber Rye, cursing the wind, Japanese beetles, and the dry pine needle earth in equal measure. It clings to me like a story told around a fire pit, equal parts tragedy and equal parts bravado. As it settles, the fragrance softens into glowing embers, charred wood that breathes warmth even as it reminds me of what others have lost during these late summer months of past. A little sweetness lingers under the smoke, the way new grass stubbornly pushes up through our thin layer of blackened soil. Up here we know fire takes and fire gives, and Rake & Ruin seems to capture both the ruin and the resurrection in one raw, untamed whiff.

OMG - what the heck is this stuff? I got a sample spritzer from Blooms in London (excellent store by the way - thoroughly recommend them. Great service). I did a single spray on my wrist yesterday. Gunpowder, burnt stuff, more burnt stuff, leather, some more burnt stuff. An astonishing scent - but I actually loved it. Now right at the top of my list of "must buy full bottle". Longevity is fantastic - lasted over 12 hours on my skin. I've smelled nothing like this before and really didn't expect to love it so much. I would be astonished if I got any compliments wearing this. I would be astonished if anyone came within 10 feet of me to be honest. It's a difficult, challenging, original and utterly enthralling scent. Magical. UPDATE : I've still not purchased a FB of this. I keep asking myself, is this something I want to smell like all day? Don't get me wrong, I still love the fragrance, think it's magical, but do I really want to smell like I'm half way through being tarred and feathered in a leather barrel? I may come back to this in a few months. I've sampled 4 of the Beaufort fragrances so far; Iron Duke, Lignum Vitae, Couer de Noir, and Rake and Ruin. They're all masterfully crafted and simply wonderful scents; as scents. But of the 4 only Iron Duke is something I'd want to wear, at least currently. Maybe my nose and tastes will develop.