Sycomore Parfum

There is Guerlain’s Vetiver (the original EdT, not the new messes also called Vetiver), and there is this, my two favorite vetiver perfumes. Compared to other Chanel extraits this is the least grand, the least symphonic, and the least nuanced but that is probably as it should be. A sycamore tree is not a grand, operatic, nuanced thing; it’s just there, it’s solid, and it’s unwavering and unmoving, but in that there is something quite majestic as well. Vetiver is front and center stage throughout the entirety of Sycomore’s life. The evolution of the perfume is the changing of the supporting characters that flank it. The vetiver is equal parts green and swampy aromatic - the wet, salty, fetid, grass compost aroma that many find challenging - and also woody, stiff and peppery like some strange species of cedar. This wide spectrum of aromas to the vetiver accord leaves a lot of “room to fill” from an olfactory perspective. Olivier Polge has decided to fill those gaps with orris, tonka bean, and leather. The first to get noticed is the orris, and it is beautiful. The dry, powdery, starchy, and slightly earthy purple floral accord keeps the pushier green elements of the vetiver to good behavior, softening the presentation of the vetiver. The tonka bean and leather show up roughly around the same time to highlight the vetiver’s woody character. Earthy vanillics, leathery animalics, and aromatic woods have been bedfellows for a very long time across many thousands of perfumes simply because they work very well together when coaxed into the correct positions. Polge dials them into a perfect three part harmony, letting the tonka bean add a touch of silky and earthy sweetness, the leather a bit of an animalic purr, and with the woods plenty of classic elegance and regality. What remains in the final skin scent is the powdery orris, an extremely gentle leather, and the woody aspects of vetiver. It's at this stage of Sycomore that I fell in love with it. It is so gentle, soft, and pleasant in the most classically masculine perfume sort of way. Endlessly addictive. I cannot stop going in for one more sniff. Circling back to a previous statement, at no point did the perfume ever feel big, loud, ostentatious, grand, or symphonic as a classic French extrait often can. It is quiet. It is serene. Sycomore is like a virgin forest, where any wind rustling through the trees, or a crunch of a twig or leaf under your foot, will echo and boom in the stillness. There is something achingly beautiful to pristine silence and natural stillness, teeming life all around you yet never making a sound.

I got this extrait today at Chanel. I'm posting preliminary impressions here and will update this review later as appropriate. Full disclosure: I love Sycomore EDP (and miss the extraordinary EDT). As I write this post, the back of my left hand is adorned by the extrait & my right, the EDP. Is the Sycomore Pure Parfum identical to the EDP? No. Nor is it a simply a more 'intense' version of the EDP. The extrait is deeper, richer and less vetiver-forward than the EDP. Here, the iris mellows and smooths the vetiver. And, to be clear, this fragrance is still vetiver-focused. But in this iteration, the blending is spectacular and the compounding delivers a more multi-faceted fragrance than you found in prior versions of the fragrance. Elements that are barely perceptible in the EDP are more noticeable here. No one element dominates the others. There is a lovely powdery element that plays against the woody notes and there is just a faint trace of Cuir de Russie leather lurking deep in the recesses of the fragrance that I don't notice in the EDP. The result is a more elegant, breathtakingly beautiful unisex masterpiece. The extrait is more subdued than the EDP, with less projection but longer duration. I love it. To my nose, the vetiver here is more bright and minty than than in the EDP, where the vetiver is a bit more grassy. This observation is not to suggest that Sycomore Pure Parfum is a mint scent, but it is simultaneously both brighter and smoother than the EDP -- all the roughness of the vetiver in the EDP have been smoothed. I suspect those folks who remember the sharpness of the original EDT will be surprised by the contrast in character found in the extrait. This Sycomore is complex in a way that earlier versions, as good as they are, cannot touch. It is beautifully suited for evening use and will likely be stellar in cool temperatures. The darling little 15 ml bottle is appropriately elegant and just a bit pricey at $280. Yet I am delighted to have bought a bottle of Sycomore Pure Partum and recommend that devotees of the earlier Sycomores get their noses on this gem. I suspect they'll love it. Exceptionally highly recommended.

Sensational... I love the EdP, never fell for a perfume this fast and this hard. Have made it my signature scent and do not want to wear anything else from now on. Unfortunately the 15 ml extrait parfum were all discontinued last year. Before i discovered Sycomore. Now today I walked into one of the local official Chanel fragrance stores in my city and asked if they will be relaunched. The saleswoman looked at me and almost whispered that they still have some different ones in a drawer but not on display. She checked and they had 1 bottle left of Sycomore. THE VERY FIRST BATCH PRODUCED IN MAY 2022. Batch 7601. I did not even ask how much it was, did not matter. The quality is stunning, just simply on completely different level than the EdP. With much less alcohol and more essential oils it is much more rounded, creamy and soothing. It is heavier on vanilla and sandalwood, the vetiver is less smoky, much more muted. This is heaven. Almost like a velvety aura. But actually very different to EdP version. It has that Sycomore EdP recognizable dna but warmer and more sensual. I never thought of perfumes as masterpieces but to produce something like this, what an incredible craftsmanship. BTW the price was converted into approx 310 usd and worth every cent. I understand that is a lot of money but trust me, it is incredible and I will use it on special occasions and treasure it.

This is probably the most beautiful interpretation of Vetiver I have ever come across. Intensely crisp, vibrant and fresh while simultaneously very rich, balsamic and voluptuous. There is a lot going on there, so you’ll need to invest some time in it to get the whole picture. For me personally this is hands down the best Sycomore version so far. The original EDT was a bit too rough, dry and too smoky for me. This is incredibly round absolute perfection! Regarding projection: this is pure perfume, a concentration which by design will not create a vulgar cloud of fragrance announcing you before you enter the room, so don’t expect that. It’s discreet as it’s supposed to be, a fragrant symphony that plays only for you and those you invite to come closer. It is fairly long lasting since it’s composed mainly of base notes.

I recently, impulsively, acquired a 15 mL bottle of this perfume. The bottle is quite difficult to open! I had to use a paring knife to free the small stopper from the neck. I initially thought I made a massive mistake buying an extrait without trialling it for a few days - but wearing it yesterday completely put my mind at ease. The opening reminds me somewhat of baby shampoo and freshly cut grass. A few moments in, the warmth of the vetiver and soft leather accord envelops my senses. I was still able to get whiffs of this beautiful perfume 6 hours after application. I look forward to add more of the Les Exclusifs Parfums to my collection.