Horla

Enjoyed the sample of this enough to buy a bottle. I wanted something that would create memories for my wedding, and this fragrance is unique and delightful. When my fiancee and I got together I'd always wear Chanel No.5, and this was recommended to me as something that kind of evokes the ghost of that while being very different and containing the woody notes I prefer now. I have to say, I don't totally see the Chanel comparison but I love how it opens with strong aldehydic florals and how it develops into something much sweeter, almost spicy, a cup of tea with milk. It's going to be perfect for my wedding day; the journey it takes me on reminds me of the journey from fresh young love to a sexier, mature commitment. EDIT: After wearing this all summer I don't think I praised it nearly enough. This really is a masterful perfume. It's truly romantic and delightful and feels, honestly, like a modern classic.

So I just got my FB of Horla. It has to be one of the most unique scents. Which is expected of January Scent Project. It starts out with the clear lime opening and then becomes something that I haven't experienced before. It is somewhat airy I assume due to the aldehydes and the milk and almond and bay leaf add up to a total that is quite enjoyable. Is it a freshie? Kind of. Is it an oriental? Definitely not. The patchouli and the spice and the castoreum support the heart of milk and almond. It is not nearly as "butter" as Selperniku. I'm not sure I even get "milk" here as a note. This is to me not gourmand at all. I think it will take several more wearings but I highly recommend you try it if you enjoy unique offerings that are not built around the typical notes. This is really a breath of fresh air.

typical of JSP very complex and a bit weird but wearable not conceptual; this one is a lovely floral that dances with sharp herbal elements but is a powerhouse; it's sweet yet bitter; this went on with aldehydes and ylang out of the gate that almost turned into tuberose territory then the huge bay leaf with a little vetiver and nutmeg swept in; finally, it ends up with the floral, nutmeg and bay in harmony; not for the faint of heart or those who do not like intense yellow florals that have a powdery aspect mixed with intense and astringent herbal elements but faded very very quickly so I downgraded from love to like and probably will not buy a bottle. For the price I would expect it to last longer than an hour coming out of the gate like it did.

After reading the article about it on here, I got myself a small bottle of Horla (and Smolderose). The initial spritz is super strong...a huge blast of aldehydes and ylang ylang. There is something very familiar about it and very clean, soap-like. It reminds me of the colognes or floral waters found in botanicas. On my skin, it quickly turns creamy with a hint of spice and just slightly sweet. It pretty much stays this way, but I also get wafts of something herbal and green, the bay leaf or patchouli perhaps. Horla lasts a long time. It is comforting, but at the same time has an otherworldly quality about it. I think this will be a perfect fall-weather scent...beautiful stuff. Also, I loved the packaging/presentation.

Fresh and sharp resin, like soapy incense, my new favorite of the set- it's so well balanced and smells great on my skin; I'm looking forward to buying a full size. Since I haven't said it yet: the JSP sample set is well worth it- the frags are all complex and interesting, and the set comes with some beautiful prints with the notes listed on them. It's really thoughtfully crafted and I strongly recommend.

This one made me cry. The only paid employment my mother has ever had is as a cleaner, and Horla smells like her hands. Floral, sweet, bitter with bleach, and clean like the scent of that cheap pink or pale yellow bar soap that dries and cracks down its side when it's used enough. Like a scrubbed basin as a votive, or an altar for ironing on.

Round fluffy, slightly powdery, creamy piles of fresh laundry that have been lightly sprinkled with flower petals and the barest breath of slightly sweet bay leaf. Cozy and fresh without smelling soapy. It feels velvety and like a soft embrace. Somehow perfect for both spring and fall? It feels classic and vintage, but in a way that I actually enjoy. It’s not something I would wear, but it is undeniably lovely. I liked the journey this took me on.

Public bathroom hand soap- thick, floral, waxy/powdery, a little stinky. Becomes just a little sweeter and more lactonic a few hours in. It also projects like crazy- one spray would do the job- and lingers on the skin even after a shower. Might wear this for my Kobeni cosplay since I figure the vibe is suitably abject

Horla is a weird one. Yes, it’s a kind of Chanel homage, but it is so unexpected and strange. If anything, reminds you what was so captivating about No. 5 the first 100 times you smelled it. As specifics are concerned, though, the No. 5 comparisons must cease. The aldehydes aren’t waxy so much as powdery, perhaps slightly metallic. And of course, ylang ylang is the star here rather than Iris. For all JB’s talk of his milk fascination, Horla really is a kind of ylang ylang soliflore to my mind, with the flower’s contrasting custardy and soapy facets BOTH amped up. The aldehydic floral opening eventually allows a creamy floral banana/rice pudding gourmand to spread its aroma beneath. All of this is achieved with the kind of airy, billowing quality that I am discovering is the JSP calling card. Many of the notes in Horla have a kind of attraction/repulsion effect on me. Ylang ylang and aldehydes can both be difficult for me, yet both often awaken a kind of animal curiosity on me. Creaminess, too, can awaken appetite or disgust. The phase shifting soap / rice pudding character of Horla is matched by my visceral ambivalence. There’s a kind of urinous tinge to the aldehydic opening that I can’t quite pin down and persists for the first hour or two of the drydown. This, too straddles the line between intriguing and repulsion. Afterward, it’s not as off putting but also not as interesting. My boyfriend ADORES it, and while I can admire it, I just can’t bring myself to like it outright. Then again, fragrances that catch me with a kind of perverse ambivalent attraction like this often grow to be loves.

Man, I was really excited about all the notes listed in the description of Horla (milk, almond, bay leaf, aldehydes, yum!), but as other reviewers noted, I also find this scent a bit challenging. It has a very rich savory depth to it, but overwhelmingly I get a very sweet bay leaf once it dries down that reminds me a lot of like Smarties (the chalky fruity US candy, not the UK chocolaty candy). Ultimately I didn't up liking this scent for its sweetness- however it was distinctive and unique enough that it does make me curious to explore other scents from the January Scent Project. 6/10 for my tastes.

Citric/aldehydic civet, supported by a soapy vanilla. Even if not at all a clone, this is clearly John Biebel's (contemporary) take on Chanel No.5, with toned-down aldehydes and with a musk twist (or cream, or soap, or milk, call it as you prefer- but this is it). Should a man absolutely want to wear that one, it is probably easier to wear compared to Chanel No.5, but I would sincerelely prefer to smell this one on a woman. In a nutshell: A nicely blended fragrance, decently priced, but not overly unique, nor overly wowing (just my personal opinion). Fall days, 30+

My JSP sample set arrived today, and after sampling Horla I knew I had to post a review— Despite finding it repellent, I think it’s a work of art. A modern art gallery near me is currently exhibiting a sculptural-interactive piece (bear with me) named Perfumer’s Organ, constructed around Chanel no. 5. Twelve squares, each of which, when compressed, emits an isolated note of the iconic perfume. Horla, after its inoffensive pear (!)-floral opening, reminded me of that: of the air after the lemon, adelhydes, musk and vanilla squares were activated. It would’ve been nice if it had stopped there, as a lightly spicy, creamy, musky scent. Then comes the civet note, and combined with the adelhydic florals and almond milk-vanilla lactonics, the scent becomes deeply disconcerting. Like the smell of fresh decomposition in a bed of sweet flowers, or almond-verbena soap made from just-rancid fat. At once floral, musty, excremental, sweet, warm, powdery, fresh, rank. I was gravely unsettled. I’ve never had such a reaction to a perfume before. Horla is a stroke of genius on Biebel’s part: a perversion of Chanel no.5, distorting the familiar and recognisable scent into an ominous parody.

I'm surprised most people don't like this perfume and even more surprised at the comparison to Chanel 5. In no capacity does Horla smell like anything Chanel 5. Horla is a deeply complex, heavy white floral with touches of lactonic notes and a slight aquatic touch. Its a tropical scent without having anything to do with the traditional tropical notes. Almost reminiscent of mango sticky rice with a touch of florals. Let's leave Chanel 5 and all other Chanel Perfumes out to dry. They do nothing good for this world except make 23 year olds smell like they are 80.

You're walking along a path in the herb garden & a cool breeze of aldehydes is picking up the Viburnum, Bergamot, Bay Leaf, & Vetiver aromas. You reach your destination, where a lovely person hands you an exotic wooden tray containing Almond custard & coffee with accoutrements - nutmeg, milk & vanilla creamer. Is Horla a freshie for summer? Is it a gourmand for winter? Is it aromatic for spring? Yes.

an aldehydey-milky- floral composition that comes across as a little too feminine for me. The milkiness is a nice counterbalance to the aromachemical nature of the aldehydes, but it's just not my kinda thing... Worth trying, definitely, just not what I usually go for...

this is a beautiful ylang-ylang-civet-milky-sandalwoody scent on me. top-notes are very limey -- and then it dries down into this truly fabulous, warm scent. can't stop sniffing my arm. a stand-out for this year, for sure. i think i will need a bottle for christmas :-)

Chanel as it should be with none of the IFRA regulations.