Burvuvu

I’ve been searching for a signature scent to wear year-round and as a lover of all things cedar and rose, as well as some of the other notes like mushroom and basil, I fully expected this to be my dream fragrance. The first time I smelled it on a strip, it was so overwhelming that I actually didn’t want to wear it. The cedar was so astringent/sharp to the point that it almost reminded me of acetone nail polish remover. Something made me try it again later, and I actually liked it a lot better. I got Cedar in the open, followed by a fresh green grassiness, which was probably the basil, and then a hint of rose with some warm amber muskiness. Sadly no mushroom or damp earthiness detected for me at all. Worn on the skin, I also get a strong open of cedar wood which I love. But disappointingly the cedar, my favorite note, fades in about 20 minutes and is replaced with the honey sweetness with maybe a bit of the ginger spice and amber. I don’t get any of the green grassiness or freshness of the basil on my skin at all. I also get surprisingly only a minimal amount of rose or geranium - after 2-3 hours of wearing, I got a bit of a powdery rose, but it’s mostly overwhelmed by the amber, musk, and patchouli that lends a very warm and masculine quality. No mushroom earthiness on the skin for me either. Overall I’d describe its flow as cedar > amber honey ginger > powdery hint of rose underneath warm amber, patchouli, and musk. This isn't really the fresh “cedar forest with rose bushes and mushrooms and herbs growing” that I hoped it would be. I guess I like my fragrances to be atmospheric but I couldn't really place where this would be smelled or imagine a clear picture from it, as all those warm musky-ambery notes wouldn't really be found out in a cedar grove. I wish there was less amber-musk warmth and more green aromatic freshness to pair with the cedar and rose. It also pulls so warm that I would only want to wear this in fall and winter and it feels too heavy to wear on a hot and humid summer day. So I enjoy it, but sadly not the year-round fragrance of my dreams! Trying Eiderantler and Smolderose next. Also like the previous reviewer, my cat tried to lick this off my wrists, so apparently it's a fan fave with felines.

Burvuvu was launched in September 2018, exactly one year after the launch of Vaporocindro. With its red-amber color, it bears the image of a man carrying wooden pieces on his shoulders, from which some mushrooms sprout. Burvuvu is a fragrance classified by its creator, John Biebel, as woody and amber-spicy and has notes of geranium, Canadian white cedar, red cedar, Texas cedar, rose, patchouli, ginger, amber, Tonkin musk, mushroom, henna, basil, honey, and castoreum. Its name, as well as in the other perfumes in the house, was chosen by joining words of strange and/or obsolete languages since John is not comfortable using French words. Vaporocindro, for example, was born from the junction of two Esperanto words: vaporo (vapor) and cindro (ashes). Burvuvu is a true tribute to cedarwood and its variations, explored by perfumery for so many years. By combining three types of cedar, we have a range of nuances that go from the scent of light woods to the smell of pencils, passing by camphorated, sweet and drier smells. But there is a twist in the concept and the result when we realize that Burvuvu is far from being a typical woody fragrance. On the skin, Burvuvu is sensual and full of floral touches, obtained through geranium and, mainly, the rose. And it is interesting to wear a fragrance that does not bring the absolute of roses (or more than one variation of this ingredient) as a central theme, to note the high quality of what is inserted in the composition. When I wear it, I smell a rose - not feminine - with a vibrant opening of ginger and a beautiful layer of honey over cedar logs soaked by a sensual and animalic musk. I'm sure I've already written or said this somehow, but it's worth repeating: John Biebel is one of the biggest independent perfumers of recent years. His artistic essence is revealed in an olfactory way and his creations are surprising for their commercial difference and, above all, for the quality. Usually, his fragrances are very rich in evolution, trail, and durability. To me, Burvuvu is not just about cedar. It speaks of the lumberjack who fells trees but plants roses in his flower bed.

I spend a lot of time in the woods with my partner as we wander through paths and tune in to our surroundings, removing ourselves from the artifice of human existence. I run my hands across the moss, focus in on lichen to the point where I almost see the tiny tardigrades squirming about teddy-bear-like on their surface. I smell all that I can, shoving my nose into swamp azaleas and spicebush, old logs, and all of the fungi that mysteriously between animal and plant. Burvuvu evokes so much of this to me. It opens with an immediate rose, slightly fermented, adhered to ancient trees, arresting and sharp, moving into the forest further, old growth, aging wood, clusters of honey mushrooms and inky caps. It feels more damp over time, with rose feeling more like pelargonium leaves immersed in deep humus. Facets of propolis, beeswax, and tacky pine sap follow. The cedars (John Biebel uses three here) are what flesh it all out, and it may very well be my holy grail cedar as it is more John Muir cedar than the Disney cedar for which I've become so accustomed in perfume. It includes the less "pure," more camphorous aspects that consider not just the wood but also the distinct aroma of cedar needles. A castoreum further amplifies the experience, inky, a bit dirty, and warm. Burvuvu is both enchanting and bittersweet to me, my heart flutters and yet aches. It has me wanting to reassess, regroup, and get back to my roots. It is returning me to the source of my love for scent, and has me considering a paradigm shift. Therein lies the power of fragrance: it can overcome all the superfluous chatter, over-analyzing, over-thinking, if we allow it to. This is a masterpiece to me.

If, like myself previously, you feel that you've generally exhausted cedar as a note, you owe it to yourself to seek out and give Burvuvu a try. This is wonderful stuff. The opening of Burvuvu is lively, dense red cedar, an almost citric greenness and a nebulously floral element that immediately subverts "woody" fragrance expectations. It has a sharpness that serves to highlight the cedar's more interesting, aromatic elements. I am reminded of old blankets that have been stored in a red cedar chest. Shortly after the floral element reveals itself to be a wonderfully green rose note which immediately turns the previously masculine (to my nose) scent decidedly unisex. From here it warms up further, revealing a dark brown ambery/earthy backbone. The castoreum comes through just a touch to my nose, but I sense no mushroom. Perhaps a touch of patchouli and an overall sort of botanical-herbal feeling. Performance is the one let-down of Burvuvu. While the immediate opening gives the impression that this is going to really stick around for a bit, the actual lifespan of the fragrance is only a few hours. The projection seems a little light as well, which I think actually works to the scent's benefit as it may quickly become suffocating otherwise. I'm so glad to finally find another cedar note as pleasantly referential as Smell Bent's Totem Eclipse. Certainly a beautiful and unique work, and the strongest of the house in my opinion. 8/10

WOWOOWOWOWOWOWOW. I am astounded by the quality of this fragrance. Its begins with this sharp wood and spices. The mushroom smoothing out the beginning to make it eerily similar to the smells of the forest trees and lower underbrush near my home during the winter months. This is weirdly nostalgic for me as well, I don't know why but it just is. That isn't a bad thing though. It's almost like an old comforting log cabin in that way, but more rugged and statement making. This stuff is potent though, so be careful in case you don't want to project this smell a lot or don't want it sticking around for a long time. The whole thing is very well balanced between the sharpness of the cedar woods and spices versus the sweetness and roundness of the honey and amber. This really is a one of a kind fragrance and I am in love. I will say, this leans more masculine and probably works better in the colder months, but don't be scared to wear this you are going to a late night date party during the warmer months as you will still make a welcome statement nonetheless.