Allegretto 7.2

Allegretto translates, "at a fairly brisk tempo." The opening of this fragrance mirrors the chords at the climax of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. Note for note, so to speak. Energetic mint and green leaves, leading the composition into a cloud of smoky lavender. Cedar and vetiver compliment one another effortlessly, as if they were one singular note. Due to the presence of smoke and benzoin, there is a scorched resin effect. This is the darkest and most intricate lavender I have ever smelled. As Allegretto 7.2 overtook me, I could close my eyes and almost feel my surroundings change as I was transported to another era. There is something excitingly melancholic about this fragrance, telling a story of mystery and adventure. I would like to thank Fragrantica and the house of Berceuse Parfums for selecting me to receive such an incredible fragrance.

Antonio Gardoni (of Bogue fame) does for Vetiver what he did for lavender in MeM: he uses a laundry list of novel ingredients to reveal Vetiver for what it’s always been: a bracing, soothing, multivalent, kaleidoscopic note. This fragrance starts clean, minty and pure before spinning through a series of transitions, from herbal, to smoky, to musky, back to fresh. The ylang ylang in combination with benzoin, gives this the Bogue Signature: a glowing, three-dimensional base that elevates the whole composition and makes it float. I’m shocked that Gardoni didn’t keep this for Bogue. Stunning work. Up there with MeM, Maai and his T Rex for Zoologist. Iconic.

Not one to spend so much on a perfume but this one just blew me away when I sampled it. There is layer upon layer of variation in scent all day long. At first spray, it is fresh & slightly woody & then mid-wear it is a beautiful floral. Finally it settles into a lush & warm skin scent that lingers quite a long time. For me there is nothing masculine about this perfume. It is sophisticated & multi-faceted. It is well worth the price.

Thoughts on a sampling... * Opens with a spicy mint blast. * First hour is a rough kerosene aroma that smashes me in the nose in a not so agreeable way. * Towards the end of the 1st (act) symphony Laurel (Bay Leaf) and Ylang Ylang play their parts. It’s during this act that it goes slightly feminine. * Petrol (Gasoline) stays predominantly strong for the first hour and a half. * Smells like a putrid dark brown out of tune cello stench with rotten stained out of sequence sheet music. * As the fuel burns off in the later part of the second hour the wood starts to appear. However the Kerosene stench never really dies off completely. * By the third hour the smoke appears ever so faintly as the concerto becomes a skin scent. * It lingers on in the 4th and 5th hour practically inaudible by this point. No grand crescendo here. * Warning: Do not attempt to wear this to any symphony or you will be bounced out on your nose. But not before the conductor stabs you with his baton. * Beethoven would be appalled by this scent. * The bottle design is a face and uses the musical "flat note" symbol for a nose. Unfortunately true to form Allegretto 7.2 flattened my nose. * I enjoy most of Antonio Gardoni's work and I really did try to give this a chance with five different sample wears however in the end it just became pure torture. * Being stubborn I continued sampling a half dozen more times until the vial was completely drained and amazingly the strangest thing happened. It has grown on me. Sort of like a song you can't get out of your head! * I can see myself at the box office buying tickets at full bottle price for this performance. ** Final thoughts: Bravo (applause), Bravo (applause), Bravissimo (applause / standing ovation). Go figure.

Interesting grassy fougere that carries the traditional signature style of its perfumer. The scent opens with grassy notes, lavender and mint. The heart has vetiver, cedar and a smoky accord. The perfume settles on a benzoin base accented with slight synthetic musk and vanilla. The mostly natural masculine leaning perfume has moderate sillage and good longevity. While it is nice and pleasant, it does not have the heft of Gardoni’s other works. Enjoy!

When I popped my little sampler vial open, I could smell the sweetness from vanilla mixing with the smoke and woods off the dabber. Then I got a little on my fingertips as I snapped it shut. The magic happened then. It is powerful and beautiful. It's the scent of sticky nights clinging to our skin... I think this one is something special. UPDATE: Okay, this is an important discovery. I put it on when the weather got cooler and less humid. It smells like burning mint and plastic. It makes me so sad coz it was so delicious just a couple of months ago. This fragrance works best in hot weather for me. Go figure.

A first hit of turpentine, then a rather stifling wave of grass and mint before mellowing in the dry down to an astringent, smoky dryness. It's not unpleasant but it's not something I want to stay with for too long either. It's like that part of a country walk when you wish you could have a break from the smells of the farmyard and the dank woods and get back to the hill overlooking the sea, where the air is clean and clear. Even hours later you can never quite dispel that dankness from the memory.

I was excited to try this, but I strongly disliked it upon application. Mint, smoke, and a sharp, sour greenness meld together in a way that brings to mind someone chewing mint-lime gum in an attempt to mask cigarette smell. It is very unique, and I think it might be amazing on the right skin chemistry, but not for me.

The smokiest (or should I say ashiest) fragrance I’ve ever smelled, Amouage’s Interlude Man doesn’t hold a candle to it. I really didn’t care for this, I was totally unprepared for the intense smoke factor. Underlying the smoke is some resinous sweetness but it’s overwhelmed, not well-balanced imo.

When you have a large collection, and have sampled hundreds of perfumes, it’s not often you smell a scent you’ve never experienced before. Berceuse is mostly mint in overdrive, opening and drydown this note is dominant over lavender and vetiver. After a few hours I smell more... vanilla smoke? What a strange coupling. There’s a cooling effect, but this fragrance is also heavy and thick. Best described as a dichotomy in a bottle, and I keep sniffing my arm for more. Performance is pitch perfect. And the bottle design, so sweet. I love it.

Allegretto 7.2 from Berceuse It is an Olfactory experience, another challenging scent that came across my way thanks to Mr Wade Wheeler. Interestingly enough, it is made by the same perfumer Antonio Gardoni, who created Douler!2, which I have recently reviewed. I find the initial blast of this fragrance to be dark, dry and potent. It is a smokey, mint green lavender with woodsy vanilla. I do like the drydown, and I'm looking forward to wearing this in the colder months.

Like the reviewer just below, I'm getting a lot of ylang too. Maybe that's the mint + lavender? ETA: Just was looking at the box it came in & Ylang Ylang is listed note, so missing from this Fragrantica page.