Magnolia Au Vetiver du Haiti

OK I am the second reviewer and already totally against @calvini below me. I think this is an amazing fragrance, nothing compared to encre noir, which I own and all its flankers, and I do love Lalique, as I love Chopard, and all the Malaki's collection, so this one I ordered first a sample and I recognized immediately the long crafting needed to create this fragrance and definitely deserving to be a part of a special collection, and is worth the price, so I ordered the whole bottle and I am so happy I did, and come on...! one of the noses behind this beauty is Alberto Morillas, and of course another great perfumer: Nathalie Larson so I am not surprised this one was love at first sniff.

This fragrance saddens me slightly, and the reason for that is because it is a gorgeous fragrance, absolutely gorgeous, but its performance on my skin is below average. I got this discounted at a fraction of the price, if I had paid full price id probably be crying. The oil concentration on this is high, and is visible on my skin, and remains a shiny patch for ages. I do not know whether I go anosmic to this, or the performance is sub-par. I have tried to overspray, and that does help. If you can get this discounted, go ahead, it's lovely, and is very easy to wear and versatile. I feel it's kinda unique, but doesn't stand out much.

I love how you actually can smell both of the two main accords in there. They are very prominent and perfectly balanced. The dry woody heart of vetiver matches nicely with sheer, citrusy and slightly green magnolia. It’s fresh and elegant.

If you are willing to get past the opening's harshness, you will find a very delicate fragrance. I highly recommend trying it on the skin for a proper experience, where for me it was much less linear than on paper. The opening is an unpleasant splash of alcohol and the immediate drydown very woody, and somewhat bitter and peppery. Half an hour later however, the scent transitions to a more complex and delicate one, making way for the magnolia to shine through. Two hours later, I get faint wiffs of the magnolia's delicate scent and sweetness, some green notes (not sure if the sandalwood or the violet leaf), and some bitterness you have to like not to forfeit the fragrance. One big con: the drydown is quite intimate for the price.

This is a very peppery and natural smelling vetiver; dry, masculine (I'd hoped for more magnolia), and minimalistic. It's quite comparable to Encre Noire, which makes the price a little ridiculous.