11 Candles In Antwerpen

This was my latest perfume purchase and I’m so happy with it. Freddie continues his quest for simplicity and themes which appeal to him, and this one spoke to me. The opening is floral, laconic, soapy musks and coconut (not any kind of conventional coconut note, think the toasted coconut of Santos de Cartier or something) also a kind of mild, classic chypre, peach fuzz. It’s powdery. Even a light damascene or even a spectre of violet. There’s a push n pull, a slight astringency of hairspray or ‘hairy’ salon things. The trump card though is the waxiness of the 11 candles... of the title. This is an accord which cleverly uses myrrh to create the effect of an ancient altar or something, coated in candle wax. My description probably sounds it sound complex, like a lot going on, but there really isn’t, it’s one cohesive vibe, a wonderful idea, perfectly executed. Bravo!

Just received my bottle two days ago, so I obviously need to spend more time discovering it, but these are my first impressions. 11 Candles in Antwerpen took me on a weird and wonderful journey, from a fresh floral and peppery opening, through beautiful resins and cold candle wax, to coconutty, peachy tuberose in the drydown. I've never smelled anything like it and I'm so happy to have added it to my collection :) Very much looking forward to Freddie's future creations.

I have tried this on a paper strip and on my wrist. Either way, the initial effect is really like the smell of a candle. Not a candle that's burning, but the fatty, waxy smell of a candle when it first comes out of the box. I sprayed the strip on Friday and now, on Monday morning, that's still what I'm getting. However, my wrist, which I spritzed this morning about 3 hours ago, has only the faintest memory of candle wax and smells warm and fuzzy: there's musk and something spicy and possibly slightly animalic. On Freddie Albrighton's site, here is how he describes 11 Candles in Antwerppen: "A classical white orchid bouquet, spiked with pink pepper, melts into a bed of dense, creamy candlewax and myrrh. A memory, a soft focused, glowing light - minimal, radiant, aery." I can see that Duftie and Houdini4 both picked up the flowers. I don't get the slightest hint of them. And then, in the pyramid provided by Fragrantica, this is what it says: Amber Sweet Warm Spicy Balsamic Beeswax Aromatic Honey. So whoever wrote the entry for Frangrantica isn't getting the flowers either. Also, I'd flip the order and put beeswax at the top and the warm spice lower. If this smelled on me like it smelled on the strip, I wouldn't wear it. The smell of a plain wax candle is not objectionable but it isn't anything particularly attractive, in my opinion. The warm spiciness is very wearable but not very distinctive, and if Freddie Albrighton is anything, it's distinctive - try Mabel's Tooth. So overall, this is an enigma. Are we all smelling different perfumes? Could it be variation between batches? I wish I got that orchid bouquet, but it just isn't there.

Candlewax dripping on skin. Soft sweetness and oh I love myrrh so much. A truly sensual ride!