Ile Mythique

This is one of my absolute all time favourites. It's so anise-dominant that I don't think there is a way around it. You really have to love the note, because everything else in this is playing second fiddle to the anise. It's both potent and long lasting, so there is no getting away from it, which for me is a massive plus, obviously. There is nothing generic or commonplace about this fragrance. Aside from the immediate blast of anise, it opens with a dose of lavender and basil. I can even make out the tarragon if I put my mind to it. But the latter is not particularly strong. Especially as there are other notes in this that can work together to a similar effect, and by that I mean the combination of myrrh, anise and basil. Reading the notes could make one think this is likely on the sweeter side of things, but I can tell you that this is absolutely not true. The composition comes across almost salty. At its final drydown I can mostly detect anise (still going strong) with the resins and perhaps a hint of woodsy notes. The ambroxan in this isn't overt because of the nature of other notes, but I believe it definitely adds to the projection. The leather comes through more than the votes would suggest, in my opinion. It's not a linear fragrance, but its development is so gradual and smooth that unlike in a lot of other fragrances where notes just suddenly disappear it's much much harder to pinpoint the stages. And as it's *very* long lasting this process is also stretched out over a long time. This is something I can still smell on myself the next day, even after a shower. Its performance is outstanding.

At last, I found my Brach's anise-flavored gum drop note in a fragrance, ever so lightly sugared and vanillic, the showstopper at the opening of Île Mythique. Another discovery is that, twenty minutes or so into development, there's a distinct tarragon note. Its scent profile is often compared to that of anise or licorice, but what it's mostly composed of is not anethole as in anise, but estragole. I've studied this natural constituent in isolation, and while similar to that of anethole, it's more bitter, fresh herbaceous, and phenolic (earthy/smoky/medicinal). I truly love that a tarragon accord makes up the heart of Île Mythique after its anise opening. It's what most certainly sets it apart from peers such as Lolita Lempicka etc. Estragole is found in great quantities in basil as well, which accounts for suggestions of its presence in this stage. Myrrh and other resins fix this all into the base of Île Mythique, growing more dusky and mysterious, like facing a walk into dark, shadowy woods. It's appropriately autumnal in feel, evoking the winding down of life. Its dry down gives me moments of the sweet decay of leaves in the undergrowth; those leaves that have blotches and beautiful discolorations, like sassafras leaves and the ghostly purple of maple viburnum. An almost salty, dry quality begins to come through in its last stages, likely attributed to ambroxan (used in a principled manner here), further fixing the resins to a trace of a skin scent hours later. This is a non-linear development, moving from light to dark, which makes it a true standout and a joy to wear.

As every Chabaud fragrances this is also no too deep, layered, nor complex ( for example compared to a Pierre Guillaume creation) but very lovely! Because there is that recognisable fringerpint of the brand which makes their scents very harmonious, emotional, delicate & tender. Ile Mythique isn' t different. It's a fine piece of olfactory art with its own dainty simplicity. In this fragrance Anise is the roleplayer, the every other notes are just modulating & toning it until the upcoming result become a blurred, gloomy, dusky deep & dark turquise-green dense haze with a bit transculent, sparkling, ethereal & mystical light veil on it. This is the most mellow, anis-dominant composition what i ever smellt and it has this arcane, melancholic but also playful vibe which makes it truly beautiful. It wraps you in to mystery. If you like that similar, mysterious absinth/green-fairy vibe of Kilian L'heure Verte (its compisitions also builds up to the contrast of dark and light) but u find it a bit too "agressive", contrasted or maybe masculine then give Ile Mythique a try! It's a more mellow and ethereal enigmatic green fairy! ✨️💚⚗️🧪🐍🌌🌑🛸🧫🎠🔮🎇

I am a sucker for a smoky, woodsy fragrance, so it's hard not to like this one. That said, I was quite surprised at how the dry down, on me, lacked complexity. It's a straight-up fireplace scent. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, but it's not exactly intriguing or mysterious or layered. And the star anise, on my skin, isn't nearly as aggressive as it seems to be on many others'. I just get plain, burning wood. Not something I'd buy, personally, but I could see this being exciting for someone who has yet to venture into the woody fragrance territory.

Opening is centered around star anise, with a burst of spicy notes (basil and lavender coming through). After the first few minutes, it's mostly wood notes - the spiciness and sharpness settle a bit. Dry down is a mix of leather with a note of star anise (it comes back) - it's surprisingly sweet. It's very potent, spicy and masculine at the beginning, settles into a pleasant smell that keeps close to the skin.