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.

Love at first wear. Not a surprise because these are the notes I’m usually drawn to. I agree with Joys of Life, House of Matriarch comes to mind. Especially The Red Room because of the cedar. But this composition has quite a bit more going on, more pleasant surprises. I also get the green banana, an offnote I usually find in green florals (lilac, LOTV, hyacinth, ylang) so there is probably more to the formula then highlighted above. My favorite part is the patchouli in the drydown. I’m very picky about patchouli with Soivohle Meerschaum my benchmark for perfection. But this is equally great, quite similar in character but with less amber, just different enough an expression of my ideal patchouli to make it a desirable purchase. Everything else about Meerschaum is completely different, but something in that patchouli note reminds me. I’m only 3 scents into exploring this line but I am pretty certain this will remain my winner. 4 out of 5.

This scent is like stepping into one of those old-fashioned cedar lined closets, full of the wardrobe of someone who wears a really nice, straightforward rose perfume and it's sunk into all their clothes. Delightful. Anyone could wear this, it's a perfect marriage of masculine and feminine components. The juice is a bit dark, so watch out for light-colored clothes, but it's worth the effort. Also, it feels less fall/wintry than I'd imagine from the notes, and I'm looking forward to seeing what it does in hot weather. Honestly, my biggest complaint is that my brain keeps wanting to call it Buruvu, slant-rhymes with Subaru, and that's just not actually its name. (FWIW, I have The Bug, and I'm not sure why that one is coming up as similar. Maybe the elemi in Bug is reminiscent? If you, quite reasonably, hate The Bug, don't be afraid of Burvuvu. If you, like me, kinda like The Bug, then no, I have no idea why we are like this.)

Burvuvu from January Scent Project. Such a unique and beautiful perfume that almost recalls a magical forest. It explores the earthy and more organic smells of the flora. The forest foliage, the Earth, damp cedar, and wilting roses. Shivers of glowing amber and speckles of dark musk in the background. I picture a forest during Autumn, at Dusk. Lying on the ground amid moss-covered tree logs and mushrooms. As evocative and unique, it remains poised and wearable, even elegant. A woody-rose perfume for those who shy away from roses. Moreover, one of the best uses of cedar in perfumery, a microscopic dissection of this wood's facets. The dry-down brings more warmth and purr with the musks. To me, it also bears a weird nostalgia. Old wooden wardrobes full of dusted winter coats and furs, my grandparent's house. A special and beautiful composition. IG:@memory.of.scents

"Wow!" from start (a burst of floral/cedar freshness) to finish (mellow, mellow, honeyed woodland bowers). How refreshing to find an amber fragrance that evolves through successive notes, instead of that smothering ambergris/ambroxan blanket that spoils otherwise loveable frags such as Ambre Sultan. I don't get mushrooms, but I do get honey ... and not in a sweet or cloying way but in an olfactory timeslip to a memorable breakfast on a Greek island, when a dark amber resinous gloop of liquid, gathered from piny beehives, smothered a delicious platter of forest fruits. I don't get castoreum, but I do get rose ... the sort of rose that perfumes The Thousand and One Nights: musky, mysterious and deeply romantic . The lingering impression is that of incense rather than cedar. I feel as if I have journeyed through a sacred wood to find sanctuary at a hidden shrine.

wow... i reviewed this about 9 months ago, and i was a different person then, living in a different hemisphere and everything was just different. so, i don't quite know what i was on about there... When done/mixed/levelled well, rose can smell downright dirty and messy, an example of this is in Kilian's Cruel Intentions as well as MANY Mid East attars. this rose is playing off something else, possibly all the cedar, and it's creating some wonderful, bubbly accord that i'm really digging. though not heavily featured in the notes by other users, the resinous amber is playing a pivotal role in the scent. the more it develops, the more i feel it growing in stature. you know, i really do think i like this one. i really really do. i'm gonna have to try it in isolation, as opposed to just on my wrist, to see how i like it...

It is a fantastic perfume, indeed. An idealised scent of an autumn forest here in Northern Europe. What hits me most in this composition is the mushroom note. There are some notes frequent in perfumes which are unfrequent in my life, like fig leaf. I know the note from many perfumes and whenever in the Mediterrean I tend to sniff fig leaves just to compare and remember, but it is not a smell of my country, not a smell of my childhood. Mushrooms - on the contrary, it is a smell well estabilished in my mind since I was a kid, as we pick, cook and eat a lot of mushrooms in Poland, they are an ingredient in many of our traditional dishes. But I would have never thought it was a note I could enjoy smelling on myself. But, my God, JSP has made a perfume that makes me love the mushroom smell on me.

Fantastic fragrance. Unequaled creativity. A patchouliesque turkish rose fragrance, supported by cedar, and a hint of mushroom. After the storm, a healing patchouli/amber drydown follows... Amazing. Not exactly low cost, but despite that, it stills cost half the price it should. The "wow factor" is very high here. Bold. I wish it projected stronger, but the creativity counter-balances this weakness. A masterpiece, ranking at the top of the masterpiece league. Not a crowd-pleaser, but admirers of Nasomatto and Serge Lutens will be pleased for sure. Unisex (but not sweet) leaning masculine. Performance could have been better though. For the colder season, but not sure if it is better worn during the day or the evening... 30+

I am thankful to have my hands on this! On my skin it is a very green and herbal cedar that is a bit medicinal. The basil, castoreum, and geranium are strong. It does have some similarities with some designer colognes out there but it smells more realistic and natural. As it settles the rose merges with the cedar to create a super rich woody scent. I am really loving this part. In fact now that I know it is coming I start smelling it earlier and earlier and it really is remarkable how with all of those rose oud scents out there you never see it's smoother and sappier cedar rose cousin

Turned earth the morning after a brief rain up front, with mushrooms growing from rotting wood and a deep rose scent sweetened by resinous amber. It dries down woody, spicy, and even herbaceous to a gentle musk. This is everything that I loved about the vibe from Etat Libre d'Orange's Hermann a Mes Coates, but without the overwhelming frankincense in the heart that turned me off. I was taken aback by the opening, but intrigued, then sold on the middle and base notes. A complex scent story, but one that makes sense narratively, from my point of view. This will be my go-to fall scent.

i've read all the reviews above/below, and i gotta be honest, i'm getting mostly frankincense here; not much else. it's a soft, delicate unburnt frank scent with little else going on in the background. i'm about 3 hours in and whilst i can smell some bleached, white woodsiness in the background, it ain't anywhere near as potent as the frank. i gotta admit, i am quite enjoying the the january scent sample pack, nothing has grabbed me by the scruff of the neck just yet, but it's innovative, creative different and intriguing stuff...

Opens very green and resinous - very head-clearing and bright. The woody smell of wood rumbles through eventually, but the almost menthol-like clarity of the resinous ceder is always present. Soft muskiness emerges too, and honey (the sort of 'warm milk and honey' smell of my childhood). After 8 hours, it's mostly a semi-sweet skin scent with hints of rose. Just gorgeous. Edit 13 Oct ‘22: 18 months in, and my opinions of this just solidify: it’s very clean and precise, from start to finish, and travels in a gorgeous arc.

The first sniff evokes a hippie-run natural food store--patchouli, ginger, rose, shot through with dusty wood and anchored by a soft earthiness. It evolves in a beautiful way, with the cedar notes gaining more clarity, on top of a syrupy rose. My gut reaction was that I didn't want to smell like an old hippie, but this scent quickly escapes those associations. Plus, hippies have some nice instincts for natural scents.

Holy Moly. Another big love from the house that John Biebel built: a supernatural, smoky walk in a cedar forest. Very unique but still completely easy to wear. I think that makes it a masterpiece. A little sweetness equals a perfectly unisex scent. I put my order in for two others a few weeks ago.... if I had sampled this it would have been number three. Immediately on my “want” list it goes.

This is like walking through the deep forest & then stumbling across a wine-tasting room & trying out the deepest, darkest cabernets, noticing the flavor from the wood barrels. The cedar in this is so true & natural, not the thin, "pencil shavings" variety found in many mainstream perfumes. This is one of my very favorite wood scents, and it's a favorite category.

Oh John, you did it again. Oh you beautiful monster.I love this. It is strong and a little goes a long way. It has this winter pine tree quality to it and also a camphorous and smokey quality. The cedars dominate, especially red with a lovely sweetness to them along with some underlying musk and rose. Mmmm. Smolderose seduced but this one brought me home.