Olibanum Gardenia

We all love a good niche fragrance and Olibanum Gardenia by BohoBoco is most definitely that. I blind bought this about seven months ago and on first spray didn't like it at all. It felt flat and one-dimensional, dry and a bit stuffy as if struggling for air. Months of maturation in the bottle has absolute transformed this though, into something very unique and incredibly beautiful. I started my fragrance journey not a fan of incense / olibanum fragrances but Amouage and Matieire Premiere have changed my view and it seems possible it isn't just this juice that has matured in the last seven months: I think my nose has as well. What we have here is a surprisingly bright and not-at-all-stuffy incense note from the olibanum turned almost to a medicinal cola vibe by the vanilla, lime and floral accords. It is now incredibly wearable and is the sort of creative niche perfumery I really do enjoy but do not indulge myself enough of. The refinement is off the charts here, I think because of the way this fragrance sings to me. It is all about that dark hotel speakeasy, extremely strong sipping cocktail sort of vibe. It evokes secrets, liaisons, secret liaisons, wordless trysts and extremely high end hotel fragrance. It isn't a million miles away from the kind of thing you get piped into the major Las Vegas casinos in fact. I've always loved that MGM Grand signature scent and it is not like that but certainly adjacent. The drydown is a joy. It settles into an absolutely incredible skin scent. Whilst you could never call this a daily wearer, Olibanum Gardenia is a bold but workable choice for the office and I think unisex, leaning slightly masculine for whatever that is worth. If Louis Vuitton released this with some oud in the base people would be losing their minds over it. Actually I think I would be losing my mind over it hahahahaha Even so, this fragrance isn't one of BohoBoco's better known bottles and I would say is something of a hidden gem in their lineup and generally. My feeling is people will sniff this off a tester strip and maybe not give it the ten minutes on the skin to warm up and settle into the drydown, because it does require that. I absolutely do recommend this one. Give it a squizz next time you see it, it's such an interesting fragrance. Three Word Summary - Secret Hotel Mischief Layering combination - Musc Nurasana by Crivelli as a base layer, this on top. Outfit suggestion - black shirt, black jeans, black suede designer penny loafers and a black face Zenith El-Primero moonphase style watch on a leather strap. Scent - 9/10 Drydown - 9/10 Sillage - 8/10 Bottle/packacking - 7/10 Performance - 7/10 40/50

The opening reminds me of old-school hand milled soap for linens. It's quite sharp but creamy at the same time. I don't particulary detect the coconut and gardenia but I guess they add to the creamy feeling. This lasts for about 15-20 minutes on my skin with quite strong projection. Then, all of a sudden, it quiets down drastically and moves into a slightly smokey, resinous incense with a touch of sweetness. I wish this part was a bit more noticeable and lasted longer on my skin as I find it to be really gorgeous! Although it is an incense perfume, it has a light, airy quality to it which makes it perfect for all-year-round wear. I would maybe avoid it in the height of summer.

Fruit Punch Incense! Does have the Avignon incense but with a floral fruitiness. The notes make sense for the amber incense aspect but they don’t capture the other half of this fragrance which is a fun floral fruity twist. Reminds me of of a tropical Southeast Asian island in the evening. Very clean and modern however, something like entering an outdoor lobby for a high end hotel. Incense burning, floral perfumes in the air, tables of refreshments and fresh fruit. Relaxing and romantic but also exotic and shimmering. This is so beautiful and I rate it much higher than 3.7 This one has definitely inspired me to go check out more from the brand!

Tropical incense is a bold concept, but imo it has absolutely been executed well here, wether you like it is another question. As for me, it makes me feel like a missionary in the caribbean in the early 1700s! Pretty evocative in that sense, I can't help but picture the worlds of pirates of the caribbean and AC black flag, imagining what it'd smell like to enter a church in those worlds :,) I think this won't feel out of place in summer

like going to church with wet hair that still smells of shampoo. reminds me of girlhood in catholic school. ecclesiastical mischief. also kinda smells like a tiki drink! One of my favorites in my collection