L'Olympia Music Hall

The room is a consuming pitch black - the moon has gone into hiding on this godless night. A few sparks and a gentle flame light the scene - two naked, sweaty bodies lie in a disheveled bed...they don't speak and they dare not connect a single glance. The simmering rage is palpable in the room. She thoughtlessly lights her cigarette and blows invisible rings into thick darkness. The ashen fumes mingle with her desecrated scent - a dense, fleshy iris and a sinful rose spiked with carnal tangling and the unspoken disgust between failing flames. The years have not been kind to either, but her obsession with smoke and drink have aged her haggard. Whatever love or lust guided you toward each other has long since faded and all you see is her leathered skin distracting from the blackened heart she hides beneath. You breathe the toxic air in, slowly, and think of the insatiable longings of your youth. You drink your poison deeply and hope that the silence of your empty dreamscape claims you soon...another moment in reality might prove to be too much. Your breath slows...the dank patchouli and musk of the smoky room swirls like clouds in your storming mind. The alcohol takes hold and your lover's presence fades from your perception....you find your momentary peace....at the trivial cost of your health. Day 95 - Poison Listening to: Flying Lotus - The Kill Notes: I don't know if this has been reformulated or not, but I'm using a decant from a year or so ago. Upon opening I get the slightest hint of citrus, but the moment is brief at best. The heart rages almost instantly - thick, smoky incense plumes mix with a lush array of florals, iris and rose being the most distinguishable, and hints of fiery saffron and a pinch of sweaty pepper. It is both repulsive and exciting as I've never smelled something quite like this. There is also a very dense patchouli note that lies somewhere on the humid scale....and a mineral musk and cold suede note counter the more spicy and hot notes. The drydown brings a bit of vanilla and dry cacao sweetness to the patchouli, suede, and musk....but the mineral musk unfolds as the strongest note and carries the fume to its close. Longevity is a decent 8 to 10 hours and this fume can easily be worn by anyone - the florals are never overpowering nor are they the longest lasting component! This fume definitely has a strong personality so make sure yours is strong enough to compete!

The opening is a bit much, with every note shouting for attention, without any discernable cohesion. I guess it does remind me of the old hall where I used to attend boy scouts as a kid, but I'm not enjoying wearing it. But then it starts to settle and fall into place. The pepper and incense suddenly become very strong, followed closely by the lilac, then the other notes cohere to provide a powdery suede base. It could be a floral flanker of Honour Man, with leather instead of vetiver. Many people have said it's soapy, and it definitely is at first. Now, far into the dry down, I can really smell the chocolate and licorice. What an interesting perfume! I feel like it will have many facets and perform differently in different circumstances, time will tell. It's very complex, and I can't decide if I like it yet. Maybe I'll never be able to decide. Second wear, and oh my, I'm starting to understand what this is. It's incredible. It's a patchouli perfume, sort of dry and dirty, almost like patchouli sawdust. There's mystery and magic, with cocoa and vanilla swirling round, but it's all BONE dry. This is as niche as it gets! Update: this is in my current top five perfumes, absolutely wonderful and unique. Impossible to define, ever changing and intricate, but cohesive.

I've never been to the Olympia Music Hall in France but as an American, this is still strongly still nostalgic to me. It really does smell like I remember the old music halls in the United States smelling. Here, it's taken a step further and people are added to the mix, so it's not just wood you're smelling, but the guests as well. Additionally, this is how I remember the old theaters and buildings in school smelling back when everything was made out of wood, before plastic and other synthetic materials were used en masse. It does get a touch feminine in the mid from my nemesis peony, but thankfully it's not strong, and still completely wearable for me as a man. I love many from this house, but I believe this is Gérald Ghislain's finest artwork. I LOVE when a fragrance can transport me to a time and place, and this one does that. It really makes me feel like a young boy again - in a big and exciting world, filled with possibilities. -------------------------------------------------- Scent 9.8/10 Performance 7/10

Not sure how wearable this would be for me but I was very impressed with this composition indeed. I really haven't smelled anything remotely like this a wonderful fruity/berry/citrus type opening then an explosion of florals which I can't even begin to categorize (at least in the opening)I think it's mainly peony and rose TBH, but I'm not expert. Then incense, musk, patchouli and my favourite saffron this is a veritable classy (up)marketplace of notes! The drydown is a delicate suede, leathery, talc which remains floral and uplifting and works well with that saffron note. I think L'Olympia Music hall is a definitely a unisex fragrance but it would take a man braver than me to pull it off, and I'd wear almost anything! It's not feminine, just very daring. Good longevity and projection a wonderful creation from Gerard Ghislain (someone I can't say I'm familiar with) truly innovative stuff. Fragrance lovers need to get your nose on this love or hate it will reinvigorate your appreciation of fragrance.

nonostante una piramide olfattiva pirotecnica, questo profumo spicca per eleganza e sobrietà, a dispetto del nome glamour. è un bel floreale speziato, lieve e aereo, basato sulle note di lillà e pepe nero, le cui potenziali asperità sono smorzate da una combinazione equilibrata di cuoio, muschio e patchouli. intendiamoci: non c'è traccia, per me, della liquirizia, dello zafferano, della peonia, del cioccolato etc etc, ma la fragranza, nella sua leggerezza, è assai gradevole e per nulla invadente. mi aspettavo qualcosa di smaccatamente complesso, annuso, piuttosto, una bella acqua fresca ed estiva.