Cistus

At last, a fragrance has been created that is dedicated to botanic material we call cistus. Extracted from the same plant as that of labdanum, Cistus ladanifer, cistus can be distilled as an essential oil or as a solvent-extracted absolute. How it differs from labdanum is that, while labdanum is the oleoresin from the plant itself, cistus is the essential oil that derives from leaves, petioles, stems, and tops of the plant. While there is some overlap in scent profiles, cistus is brighter, sweeter, with a dankly herbaceous tea-like quality, notes of leather and honey. For me, it evokes wet mixed forests, tacky dried coniferous resins expelled from the tree trunks, dried medicinal herbs in apothecary jars, even the smell of newly produced textiles. I absolutely adore it. Perfumer Delphine Thierry annunciates the qualities of cistus, both that of the oil and the absolute, through the use of complementary accords. For enhancing the top notes of cistus, she incorporates the sage-thuja-minty Artemisia vulgaris and a curious oil from the leaves of the buchu (Agathosma betulina), with its ammoniac-cassis, minty, and mildly sulphurous qualities. They glorify the opening phases in a way that simply using cistus alone could not achieve. Significant support from elemi adds further dimension and refulgence. The colloquial name for Cistus ladanifer, Rock Rose, may make matters confusing for those fragheads who are shy with botany nerdiness. Many may even claim to smell rose where it may not even exist in the formula (see Clive Christian Rock Rose). Here, however, rose does in fact play a role, finessing the roughness associated with cistus. Cistus is fixed with a briny-tobacco ambergris, olibanum resin and smoky papyrus—what a gorgeous dry down. Yes, it's true, I mentioned pretty much all the "notes" in the breakdown, save for the implicit bergamot and geranium, because the others all have a legibility while at the same time serve the purpose of elevating the centerpiece. The result is something that feels noble, yet evocative. It is stimulating to a nose like my own that so often seeks the confluence between naturalism and sensuality. It escapes the trap of reductionism that is so often a mishap of newer niche releases, many of which contain ham-fisted approaches to concepts. This feels so real and raw, yet embodying a fluidity and earthy elegance. It is the 2024 release for which I am most impressed.

As much as I was afraid of rose overpowering the whole blend, as it often does in my opinion, I don't feel like it's happening here. As an incense fanatic, I'm in love with how this perfume smells like rose incense sticks from an Indian store. I remember using those in my teens, so this scent evokes some fond memories (there's more depth to it though than plain incense sticks, of course). I only have a super small sample, but I will definitely cherish it!

Cistus, in my opinion, is D:SOL's best fragrance from their entire catalogue, at the time of this writing. Cistus has always been a note that held many compositions together enough to pass as 'okay' in my book, compositions that I would've considered lackluster otherwise. And now trying a cistus-focused composition feels like we're finally giving the note the appreciation it deserves. Cistus begins with a short-lived bergamot zest, followed by bitter-ish herbs, green and slightly sharp, which is the artemisia. It gives the scent a distinct opening, paired with a camphoraceous facet from Buchu - a highly aromatic South African herb. All of this creates the ideal conditions for the geranium to blend in, adding just a bit of a rosy accent. Won't matter much, as at the heart we get a proper dosage of lush, jammy Turkish rose that's vibrant, delicate, hardly overpowering, yet in full bloom, not feeling diluted or thrown in for the sake of it. It feels like it actually belongs here. So does the elemi resin, with its signature piney/lemony balsamic attribute that further adds a layer to the scent structure. But the cistus provides the base, with its unmistakable resinous warmth that oozes of sweet, herbaceous ambery accents and makes the fragrance feel rich and deep. Hints of honey, conifers, or even medicinal touches can also be sensed throughout, yet the direction is set clear: resinous cistus paired with jammy rose as the main protagonists. As time passes, the cistus stays very much alive, while maybe the rose takes a small step back to let a soft whisper of incense step in. It's faint, diluted, overshadowed by the papyrus which adds warmth at the base, somewhat woody and earthy, yet it still carries its recognizable aromatic/mineral grassy dryness, and that signature "old" smelling sensation; like old books or a dusty library. That and with traces of musk from the ambergris make for the "Rock" in "The Rock Rose", which is the descriptive title that the brand gives to this fragrance. The performance results I got from Cistus were satisfactory... on one side. And that's longevity, surpassing 12 hours on my skin. But projection leaves to be desired, as the first two hours I had moderate pushing power, without much sillage, as the fragrance basically created a bubble around me and wouldn't want to 'pop'. After the first two hours, it soften to a skin scent by somewhere around hour 4. A bit disappointing, but nothing overspraying can't fix. Cistus doesn't smell like daily material to me, but neither stuff that you can get to enjoy once per year at a wedding. It feels as if it's asking for a more distinct occasion, not because it couldn't be rocked on daily, but because it asks to be related to certain memories, not to grocery shopping. While most of the other D:SOL fragrances have not exactly aligned with my taste, Cistus single-handedly saved my experience with the brand from being somewhat forgettable. I don't love it to death, don't get me wrong, but I appreciate it for what it is and the way it delivers on its promises - a cistus-based composition that holds "The Rock Rose" on the altar. For anyone fond of the note and resinous, herbaceous, and botanical compositions, Cistus is well-worth trying, especially given the more approachable price tag. Presentation: 7/10 Scent: 8/10 Longevity: 10/10 Projection: 5/10 Versatility: 8/10 Value for Money: 6.5/10 Overall: 7.4/10

There is something in the base that reminds me faintly of another work by Delphine—Autumn in Lhoka—but the whole here is more aromatic and floral. Where Autumn in Lhoka is smoldering, dry and warm, Cistus leans brighter and fresher, resulting in scent that is more contrasting and unisex than its older brother.

What an unexpectedly beautiful sweet/floral and yet rounded smell. This in a way reminds me of another perfume by Ella K, but in its dry down. This is far more evolved and refined. Most certainly planning on getting a full bottle. I don’t have enough words or eloquence to do it justice, but wow!