The Hedonist

The Hedonist is one of my favourite smoky fragrances. It develops beautifully, and the animalic elements explode from the skin. It's bold, and extremely distinctive.

Wow, what an intense smoky punch in the face on first sniff! Woody notes hide underneath a strong, smoky incense that's blended in such a way that smells to me just like a bushfire. I was in Victoria during the 2019-2020 bushfires and remember the air smelling almost exactly like this for months. A thick, deep leather scent enters the dry down, and the fragrance stays as a woody, leathery bushfire for about an hour before the smokiness calms just slightly and we're left with a more leather-prominent version of the opening. This is the type of woody-smoke scent I was imagining By The Fireplace would be before I actually got my nose on it, although the two aren't really comparable at all aside from the use of smoke on the notes pyramid. The Hedonist is an incredibly bold scent, not to be messed with and not for the faint of heart. I can imagine someone smoking a cigar, pencil moustache, laid back on a leather armchair in front of his chunky mahogany writing desk, whisky on the rocks in hand, and rocking this powerful smoky, incense, woody-leather scent. I can almost hear Don Corleone telling me to "make him an offer he can't refuse". Certainly not a crowd pleaser, but if you're looking to make an impression, The Hedonist fits the bill, like an unrelenting 1940's gangster.