OE

Bogue O/E - A very long review for a complex and fun Perfume! Antonio Gardoni’s approach to perfumery really excites me. Many people write how he creates modern interpretations of old classics. I don’t agree. To me he does experimental perfumery inspired by the classics, or rather: He conducts alchemical olfactive experiments with classical perfume structures as the starting element! O/E is a great example of his experimental practice were Gardoni's old world sensibility and avant garde edge join to create something unexpected, thrilling and also humorous. Wearing O/E is a wild ride. The perfume keeps morphing and changing on my skin, a truly fascinating experience! Spraying it is like lighting the fuse on a bunch of some crazy professors home-made fireworks in your yard, running away in panic, watching crazy explosions go off, hoping your house wont burn down. It opens with an intense burst of yellow, fresh, juicy citruses, fizzy, bittersweet rinds. Intensely bright lemon meets the old fashioned, ice tea-clean Citron with sharp Neroli that nod in the direction of old colognes from the 1700s. Soon the astringent and «lemony» facets of pine + frankincense resins, as well as maybe Aldehyde C12 mna, make the citruses more stale and screechy, going in a cleaning product direction. But before veering too far into floor cleaner and wood varnish territory, a camphor note enters, as well as herbal, medicinal rosemary and thyme. I love how Antonio Gardoni plays with camphor-notes in his compositions, I don’t know of any other perfumers that make we want to wear something medicinal like camphor! In T-rex the camphor from laurel leaf really make the otherwise vile, burnt florals+leather cosplay as a 1800s gentlemans' scent. In Maai, camphoraceous notes really challenge the perception of a classical floral bouquet. Back to the camphor in O/E. All of a sudden this medicinal ointment smell takes over: muscle rub and Lemonbalm cough drops. Before you can make up your mind about if it is annoying or pleasant, it tames down a bit to create the impression of old fashioned potpourri, much like the lovely blend of tuscan herbs and flowers by Santa Maria novella, also sold as a perfume named exactly Potpourri. As you sit down to relax and inhale the aroma, a citric geranium, a spicy clove, some baking soda and lavender start to fizz and foam into a thick lather of old school shaving foam. This shaving foam won’t stop frothing and expands into a monster, a «hyper-masculine» barbershop scent. It is here I feel Gardoni's humorous side come through, as he is almost mocking the old «alpha male» scents from the past. O/E is now a misbehaved fougere monster I imagine personified as a cartoonish bodybuilder on too much steroids, so blown up by his «alpha-ness» he eventually bursts like a ballon. And again, the perfume takes a turn towards something different. Fortunately this wild ride does not last forever as the scent calms down after a few hours and gets warmer with soft spice and more resins. It is also very woody and coniferous. As the dry-down progresses I smell more juniper than pine. The lemon starts smelling less fresh and more candied or boiled, not sweet but more overripe or maybe "spent" is a fitting word. Antonio Gardonis vision about capturing a bowl of lemons at the point of turning fortunately never means moldy aromas! Moldy citrus smells like penicillin or something to me and I can smell them from a mile away. When the deep golden hues of the resins tuck the wild greens, yellows and aromatic herbs to bed, O/E is finally settling and allows you to relax and sink into deep, mysterious woody resins and balsams, a base which I find has some similarities to the very late dry down of Maai. The notes in O/E are very much something that in traditional western perfume, usually is marketed towards men. I usually hate fougeres and «mens scents» but since this is so experimental and far away from the mainstream mens perfumes sector, I really enjoy it. It’s also worth mentioning that this composition is free of the horror of «woody ambers», well, it might have some Iso E super in it but that’s about the only synthetic amber-wood I can tolerate especially since the many naturals in this composition are clearly of high quality and dominate throughout. Who would have thought that a perfume that smells like lemons, cough drops, herbal ointments, floor cleaner, dishwashing soap, shaving cream and mens perfume could be this interesting!

My bottle of MEM arrived today, with a handmade sample taped to the full-bottle box. I only discovered Bogue two days ago while reading about Antonio Gardoni and his reputation for perfumery ingenuity. MEM immediately piqued my interest, so I blind-bought a bottle (still unopened as I write this!). For context: I had no idea what OE was. The sample simply had “O/E” written on it (thank you Finn at Slickboys!), and because the vial looked slightly oily I was intrigued enough to open it first. I wasn’t prepared for what happened next... From the moment I smelled the sample, a wave of nostalgia hit me so hard it almost took my breath away. Suddenly I was back in a barbershop chair as a child in Egypt, being doused in a hundred handmade lotions, pomades, tonics, and oils — all slapped onto my face and neck with that unmistakable old-school barbershop vigour. OE smells exactly like the combined memory of all those artisanal potions. Before I even processed the scent properly, I was frantically on the Slickboys website trying to work out what “O/E” meant. With 5pm approaching, I even called Finn and left voicemails and an email. Eventually, after scrolling through the comparatively small selection of fragrances on the site, it dawned on me: “Could it be a Bogue fragrance?” Of course — it was. And here I am, reviewing OE with pure enthusiasm before even opening my bottle of MEM. Yes — OE is absolutely a full-bottle purchase for me. To my nose, OE smells like a blend of old-world lavender-and-citrus pomade mixed with the sharp salts Egyptian barbers used post-shave — the ones that stung like hell and looked like rock salt. There is also a very distinct urinous facet here. I don’t mean that negatively — in fact, it’s part of what makes the fragrance so addictive. The urinous element is almost certainly civet-like, even though civet isn’t listed. But knowing Antonio Gardoni’s style — sometimes rumoured to use 60–80 materials per composition — there are many naturals and tinctures that never make it onto official note pyramids. The effect here is unmistakable: warm, intimate, animalic, and strangely comforting. Anyone familiar with civet will recognise that soft, addictive “human skin” undertone that only civet (or civet-like naturals) can create. Beyond that, I get camphor, thyme, citrus, rock salt, and an elegant English barbershop pomade vibe — hints of sandalwood, vetiver, maybe even dried herbs and aged balms. Nothing dominates; everything is woven together with incredible subtlety. This is exquisitely and masterfully blended. A true work of art. For those unsure about civet or animalic nuances, I strongly recommend sampling first. But for anyone who loves — or is even curious about — complex animalics and vintage barbershop elegance, this is a must-buy. I’ll be wearing OE for the rest of the evening, and then finally opening MEM — which I hope will be every bit as extraordinary. Enjoy — and God bless. 😊

(Review of the new 2025 formulation) Before applying O/E I had prepared two thoughts firmly in mind: one, this was going to be hugely green and camphoraceous from looking at the pyramid, and two, since it’s a Gardoni composition, everything in it is going to be lobbed at me in one massive and hulking blob. I wasn’t prepared. The opening of O/E is like a bouncer checking you at the door. He looms big, large, and he’s not kind. Upon first sniff the camphor note is huge - chemically and sharp as well - but it is accented with green herb notes and peppercorns that are equally as loud. It is nose blinding and challenging, but just like a train wreck I can’t seem to look away. These fade pretty quickly though to a lovely citrus fruit salad - yes, a fruit salad, this is Gardoni remember: the citruses are presented to us as a morass. Bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, and probably some lime as well are given a lightweight sheerness and sheen via a very metallic and piquant orange neroli note. It is tantalizingly mouthwatering. This camphor, green herbal, citrus and metallic floral opening is grand and sweeping; every inhale brings the question of how is it possible for these materials to have so much breadth and depth. Gardoni’s multi-layered and languid approach to material handling is serving the mandate of O/E very well so far. Big. I have I said O/E is big yet? It’s big. Very big. Just when you think you’ve peeled back every layer this onion has you find several more. Evergreen resins and aromatic woods of every possible tree you can think of are here: I smell cypress, pine resin, cedar, spruce, fir, and slowly they reveal one of the biggest gin notes I have ever smelled. The smell of botanical gin, a massive steam distilled juniper berry accord, is very potent here. Wear this to the office and people might think you enjoyed a liquid lunch at the nearest tavern. Despite the typically sharp nature of the woods and resins, and the “heat” that can come with a juniper/gin note, they are very well rounded, soft, and slick in O/E. Big, but not hurtful or pushy. By the time the skin scent is reached O/E has calmed down to a green and aromatic vetiver adorning a spicy and resinous sandalwood and cedar base. Big, no more. The skin scent is quiet, but there is still plenty of freshness and energy. What a trip! O/E manages this strange but brilliant trick of funneling down, of sitting so many enormous things on top of something timid and tiny, without the whole of it collapsing into a mess or becoming hilariously out of balance. Speaking of hilarity, read the superlative-laden website description. Egos as big as the perfume, it seems. But that’s no matter, because O/E is as good as it’s made out to be.

O/E opens with a complex swirl of dry gray-green herbs, pale-yellow citrus, and champagne-y civet. A civilized, rather light perfume, reminiscent of traditional masculine colognes but still clearly unique. A few minutes in, the citrus is more overtly lemony: light yellow, very dry and astringent. Some piney conifer-juice aspects are beginning to come out too. This is the point that Fragrantica commenters start complaining about “wood varnish” and “lemon Pledge”, but I like a little sharpness and I don’t find it excessive. C'mon, it’s Gardoni, he hits a little harder than your average perfumer and that’s why we love him. Behind the lemon-pine stuff there’s still this breathy, soft, pale-yellow aura, like the gentlest wind on the first day of spring. It’s subtle, but we’re clearly being cushioned on a bed of tender flowers and soft ambers; it’s not *pure* sharp lemon. Gradually, I also start to get some deeper, browner fragrant wood or incense notes; a little like the friendly, hippie-ish incense of Lita, but much fainter, an accompaniment to the main lemon melody. About an hour in, the brown spicy incense is dominant (Gardoni calls it “tobacco”, whatever). It’s warm, almost sweet; bright coppery brown; and, here, it’s fortified with camphor and the remnants of the piney lemon chord. I get it now; O/E is the Gardonified version of a woody-citrus. Instead of a “light, fresh” lemon-herb top, we get a strong lemon with piney resinous qualities, and instead of a dry, discreet woody backdrop, we get an amber-warmed, spicy-camphorous woody base. Woody citruses are a classic masculine genre, evoking brisk mornings and professional competence; O/E keeps the finesse but amps up the energy. Less executive, more mage.

Thoughts on breaking in a new bottle... * Had this as a sample and liked it so much that I decided to buy a full bottle. * First atomizer application put a huge smile on my face. * Ridiculously potent. * This might just jump into my top 5 List. * Has a rubber cap that if placed on too tight causes unwanted sprays. * As a result left my nightstand and surrounding area smelling of overly ripe lemons for the next two days. * Place cap on half way down and no more wasted squirts. Problem solved. * After 2 hours it becomes a very strong intimate scent if that makes any sense and stays that way untill about the 7 hour mark. * Twelve hours later it is still a very decent skin scent. * I like lemony scents but they are hard to get right for my liking. They can either be too fresh and fleeting or tart like sour candy lemon balls or like Lemon Pledge furniture polish. * This on the other hand is so different. It is straight up lemons. To me it smells just as Antonio Gardoni intended. O/E according to Antonio is supposed to mean "either or" in Italian. And he is overstating the point of ripeness of a lemon specifically just before it goes bad. * I think he nailed it. * To me the dry down is all about the lemon peel itself. ** In conclusion I like this through and through. What a fabulous scent. My favorite from this perfumer, although Lita, Maai and Mem in that order are also definite likes of mine. In my opinion Gardoni is one of the best perfumers. *** O/E is officially in my top 5 list.