The Mariner's Rhyme

I like how this fragrance is not just unique, but how the overall experience of wearing it evolves over time, almost like the arcs of a short story. (I don’t know if this happened because my nose adjusted to the scent or the fragrance itself matured, but each day felt different.) My initial impression of Mariner’s Rhyme was a blast of harsh chlorine like salt, slapping my face like the waves of a stormy sea. I genuinely felt like a mariner whose ship is caught in a violent storm, and he's thrown overboard, swallowing seawater while clinging to a broken plank, struggling to survive. The next day, the fragrance felt calmer and slightly warmer. The elemi and a faint hint of frankincense became more noticeable, and I immediately imagined our mariner waking up the next morning, washed ashore. His face rests in sun warmed sand, and the air feels peaceful. The anger of the sea has passed, replaced by a soft breeze and gentle sunlight. On the third day, the scent took another turn : this time feeling greener and more floral. In this final chapter, the mariner explores a forest near the beach, where trees are covered in moss and scattered flowers are all over the place. He walks away from the sea, yet a faint trace of sea salt still lingers in the air. Overall, I'm really surprised by the transition and complexity of this fragrance.It was an amazing olfactory experience. This was my first experience with this house and I’ll definitely try more of her offerings in the future. the only complaint i could have is the longevity. it barely makes it to the 6 hour mark, with the sillage turning into a skin scent after about 1.5 hours. I'll still be testing it in more situations to see if it changes. UPDATE: I had this idea that the fragrance might have matured after the first use. In any case I was enjoying this creation so much that I went and bought another Bianchi, the Black Knight. After owning the second bottle I am fully convinced that some "maturation" happens with Francesca Bianchi fragrances because now I see both my Bianchis changed dramatically in just a few days. Now I understand why associated scents like PVC rubber boat or Stormy sea mentioned in some reviews are not present in my fragrance because most people tested using the 1.5ml sample and that is not enough to observe and detect changes in the scent. My final take on the Marine's Rhyme is that it’s a beautiful calming chypre fragrance that feels slightly powdery and warm. It’s incredibly cozy and soothing and sometimes I spray it before bed. It helps me sleep like a baby no joke. scent: 9.5/10 longevity: 6/10 sillage: 6/10 uniqueness: 8.5/10

Texture Galore === I remember rowing and rowing Not moving an inch A man shouting I think i felt resentment Yet I know i felt content I Looked around the boat Felt the breeze, I felt the sea Don't recall reaching the shore it doesn't matter anymore === Starts with a beautiful citrus, For me citrus openings aren't about the specific note/fruit. rather the feeling of a spark that brings the smell, it sets a stage of brightness from the opening. Here we have the first beautiful aspect of this fragrance: It is crisp almost mentholated. This brings coldness and weight. In cold weather it sharpens when its warmer it gives the feeling of water protecting you from scorching sun rays. This texture reminds me of ice, brutal in the cold, soft and soothing when its warm. The aldehydes of that were in "Love for sale" Make their way in this scent, its more menthol and cool air as opposed to this almost itching vibrancy that something like No. 5 Chanel has. Don't go of thinking about mint, or any aromatic plant. This is a feeling you get when there is a mentholated substance around you....not the actual smell.... Moving on. Even though I'm a fanboy of this perfumer, this scent didn't impress me the first time i wore it. After i gotten the bottle and now wearing it frequently i can confidently say: This is a work of art. Back to texture as theme, for people that grew up around the sea: This feels like home, like sitting at a non-tourist beach sort of tired from swimming in rough waves. Undefined saltines, and mineral roughness. Nicely balanced by a comforting vibe. That for me is inherent of the sea.

In salty dark, where tides pull deep, A bottle glows,*The Mariner’s Rhyme.* Oakmoss hums low beneath the waves, And Iris emerge from the soul. No words are spoken,none are known, Just footsteps on the wetted sand. Like her, in black dress dragging tide, I carry silence in my hands. A piano plays where none can hear, Beneath the moon’s cold mercury glow. Ambergris drifts like buried song Lost verses only hearts can know. This scent is not worn,it arrives, Like love that dares not speak its name... Salt-stung and solemn, true and strange. Extraordinary Chypre The Mariner’s Rhyme is a fresh and bright chypre with dominant iris. If you took out the ozonic notes, what’s left is a beautiful classic chypre soaked in iris. I always enjoy how Francesca Bianchi modernize classic fragrances. This is not only a marine scent to me. It’s way bigger, way more complex, way more emotional. Imagine the movie, The Piano 1993. It reminds me a lot of that movie. Lush forest, fresh air, sea breeze, moist earth, dewy leaves, passion, kindness, beauty, turbulence of emotions, hope, secret sexual affairs and love. All in a beautiful island. Bianchi’s DNA (Animalic Orris) is prominently present in it. This time orris is fresher and brighter and its pair with ambergris. Very lovely. Very shik. Performance is also very good. I think The Mariner’s Rhyme is one of Francesca Bianchi finest works.

This is a wonderful perfume. It's art. I have a keen interest in the poem Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner because my mom did her master's thesis on it, which I read when I was 12 (I had nothing to read, there was no home internet back then lol.) My first serious academic reading and I got to discuss it with the author for the next 40 years. So I was really excited to try a perfume that is an embodiment of the poem. And it is amazing! It's beautiful in the way that waves are beautiful. Not an alluring beauty but the beauty of deadly nature. Blue waves and sea salt, the creak of the wooden ship. Nothingness to the horizon. Perfume, perfume, everywhere, nor any drop to drink. 10/10 I need a full bottle. I need two bottles, because I want to give one to my brother. I can smell the deep blue sea. Which is a form of desert. Blue like that is devoid of life, deep and far from any shore or reef. This is the sea of the Leprous White Lady, life in death, the goddess who is both alive and dead, the winter that comes for you in the end after all the leaves have fallen and there is nothing left but the mistletoe. Nothing left but sacrifice, in a liminal space between earth and sky-- or between sea and sky, the ship of the dead man, the cursed albatross-killer, waiting the absolution that comes only from Hel.

The Mariner’s Rhyme is perhaps the fragrance which detaches most from Francesca’s usual signature style, yet still retains her enigmatic charm deep within. This is an intensely marine and aquatic scent, with so much depth it feels like staring into the bottomless abyss of the ocean. Ambergris dominates, this provides the bulk of its characteristic salty and marine feel, elevated by the ozonic notes listed. Grapefruit lifts this into the sky with its bright and juicy facets, reminiscent of how the sun sparkles against the rushing waves of the sea. As it develops, the scent is then grounded and pulled back in by the dense thickness of orris, oakmoss and incense which perpetuates the idea of the dark ocean depths. It’s a fantastic creation. If you’re a lover of marine and aquatic fragrances this is a must try in my opinion. I’m conflicted whether or not I want a bottle as it’s not my usual style at all, and yet something keeps pulling me in. I imagine I’ll cave at some point and buy a 30ml.