Arcadia

I wasn't going to sample this because I thought it was going to be like his Vetiver, and Vivacious offerings, nice but dull and frankly a bit underwhelming. But curiosity got the better of me and here I am. But I am happily impressed w/ Arcadia. What a gorgeous unisex perfume. My husband FLIPPED for this, and I think I am going to have to surprise him w/ a full bottle. We can share it of course but he will reach for this a lot. The opening is a fresh and cold rush of pure lavender, the highest quality lavender w/ minty, eucalyptus and evergreen nuances. Like being on top of a snow-covered mountain w/ a bright sun shining down upon you. As the fragrance goes along the lavender becomes tamer, more familiar and quite cozy. Warm resins and zesty spices cocoon the lavender and give the fragrance depth, making the perfume full bodied. Arcadia is very strong, a little goes a long way. Huge throw, it fills a room. I can see a man wearing this for an everyday fragrance, but it is upscale enough to be wonderful on a date night or even a black-tie event. If you love lavender this is something, you have got to get your nose on. Absolutely stunning FBW. Edit: 4/30/23 testing this more tonight and I do love it. The only thing is it does lean male for me and I think it would be better on a man quite frankly. I think that a full bottle of Ma Librete From Jean Patou is in order for me and Arcadia for my husband. They make great companions.

Definitely starts with emphasis on the tart, aromatic aspects of the fougere--lots of citrus and lavender. Some of the minty/green/citronella-like geranium also peeks through at the beginning. Tonka is obvious as well in the background. As it dries down, the tonka takes more center stage in harmony with an earthy patchouli and sandalwood. The coumarin/patch/sandalwood final drydown evokes that same combination in the late drydown of vintage Jicky in a way, but this feels more green and "undergrowth-like" than the Guerlain. In fact, true to intention, this feels like an overall more natural and rough around the edges interpretation of the original Houbigant accord (though Fougere Royale is sweeter and less woody and is more based around the isolated coumarin rather than a genuine nutty, almondy tonka). Lasting power is good and, after some initial aromatic fireworks and sillage, the slightly powdery sweet drydown hums along beautifully. The waft of it is gorgeous and definitely better than smelling it up close on the skin. In that way, it has that classical, impressionistic perfume structure from the late 1800s and early 1900s trailblazers. I could definitely imagine it's sweetened with jasmine and shaped with spices and resins, and there is a spicy floral note that reminds me of ylang ylang, but the essential fougere accord of tonka-lavender-citrus-patchouli-geranium is what is most recognizable.

The opening reminds me of the highest quality Marseille olive oil based all-natural lavender soap and a comforting hint of medicinal grade homeopathic ointments containing ingrediënts like beeswax or woolfat. The flowers show their herbal side and blend in beautifully. A touch of bergamot gives it a pleasant shimmer. Non-sweet but a dense and full, high grade perfume. The lavender, jasmin, rose mix is entirely magical. It captures the tingles you get when you sniff the flowers up close. The resins and bergamot seem to serve this purpose as well, adding vibrancy. The spices, sandalwood and tonka beans radiate warmth and add depth and ground. The patchouly seems to add yet another herbal twist in a supporting role. It's starting to dry down now after a long while and it gets better and better. I suggest you take your time with this one, while it's an extraordinary, warm and comforting perfume and I am slowly being seduced. Arcadia is a part of me now. It gives me this particular sense of comfort I didn't know I had lost.

I get 12 hours from this beautiful unisex scent of clean, lathery lavender soap and highland heather and ferny oakmoss. This is a luxury lavender soap scent, that’s fatty/lardy and white and lathers into a dense creamy foam. It’s straightforward and very easy to wear. It reminds me of the smell mature, Mediterranean men after a fresh shave. Irish Spring soap is a pretty close comparison. I feel this is what Chanel are trying to achieve with their more unisex/male scent imagination profile, but never quite get there. To me this reminds me of a cross between (but way better than) 34 Boulevard Saint Germain by Diptyque, Antaeus by Chanel and Lavande 31 by Le Labo. But this is luxurious heaven in a bottle in comparison. A beautiful creation which gets better every time I wear it.

Austere lavender soap, perhaps the most unapproachable to me out of the current lineup of the house. As against the ad copy this is not really evocative of a forest; I get instead a bunch of associations with classic French perfumery and its Lebenswelt. Beautiful, well-crafted, though not a scent profile that works for me. Edit: I keep wanting to wear it...what a long pleasant tonka drydown. Now somehow a favourite. This perfumer is just so skilled.