Humo de Rubí

review from my wife Ruby Smoke by Fueguia 1833. Ruby Smoke is an exceptionally vibrant and distinctive fragrance from the brand. It's audaciously loud and leaves an equally bold impression, much like Amalia Gourmand. Once you've caught a whiff, you won't forget it. The flowers here are fleshy, dense, predatory, summoning and hymning the gods and goddesses of the night. In the crystal coolness of the air, they become more pronounced, and nothing distracts from their allure. I distinctly detect the familiar indolic tuberose, large-flowered jasmine, and honeysuckle from southern lands, exuding a fruity-berry accord with a hint of soapy honeyed champaca, perfumed orchids from the Cattleya genus, slightly mushroomy gardenias, canal tuberoses, and animalic narcissi. Throughout, I'm accompanied by the sensation of freshly brewed Indian tulsi tea with white jasmine over an open flame in a cast iron kettle. Light vapor, smoke from red cedar branches, tamarind, fir, rising towards the night luminary and the starry sky. Oud, mentioned here only to emphasize the corporeal sound of the flowers, which, in turn, will be sacrificed to a small bonfire for the sacred potion bestowed by the gods upon humanity. Impressive is the fact that despite the floral sensuality, they are depicted as art objects filled with spirituality—a detached sensuousness and eroticism. In terms of potency, density, and aroma, Ruby Smoke can be compared to Jasmine Full Montale and vintage Nuit d'Orchidee by Yves Rocher. I believe Ruby Smoke is suitable for any season in the latter part of the day and is gender-neutral. These perfumes are not for everyday wear and can be overwhelming. However, this does not diminish their beauty, which one would want to admire forever.

Recently, Julian Bedel launched three fragrances featuring an endemic species of night orchid from Papua New Guinea. These include Coral Nectar, Ruby Smoke, and a special edition for Japan, Cristal del Iberá. Coral Nectar didn't quite hit the mark for me, as its composition resembles a high-quality soda fizz—sweet, watery, with nose-tickling bubbles. It could easily pass as a new Comme des Garçons fragrance. The Japanese version is still elusive, but I managed to get my hands on Ruby Smoke, which stands out noticeably from other Fuegia scents. It captivated me with its non-conventional character. The scent is a mix of unsweetened, heavy honey (similar to when it fully opens up in hot countries like Night Flyer Olympic Orchids), brutal floral animality with a hint of "dung" (it's a type of jasmine), burnt paper infused with caramelized sugar—all perfectly balanced. In essence, it's an explosion of heavy, animalistic flowers. Interestingly, Oud Caledonia is included in the composition, but pure Oud Caledonia (derived from the Redwood tree, not true oud from Aquilaria trees, and a variation from North American trees) smells quite different. I really liked it, but it's not an everyday fragrance.

Delicate beautiful and minimalist floral woody musk centered around the champaca flower. The central note is enhanced by the addition of slight night blooming orchid. The base of the scent is the familiar Fuegeia proprietary plant based musk that gives an ambrette like vibe and a woody accord headlined by a nice non skanky oud. The slight feminine leaning scent whose name translates to Ruby Smoke is intended as a tribute to Buddhism and has moderate sillage and good longevity. Recommended for those into soft florals. Enjoy!