L'Art de la Guerre

My #1 fougere fragrance. All season, unique, fresh, tart, earthy, enjoyable, watery vib. "The art of war." There is a war of contrasting notes and fragrance accords going on here, and it's the art and beauty of this fragrance. I think Immortelle is the predominant heart note. It can allmost be thought of as an exquisite Immortelle fragrance. I own a bottle of this, and it took me quite a few wearings to get to know the Immortelle; it's like straw, or curry, toasted bread, it can smell fruity and earthy. This is very sophisticated, and very well composed fragrance, artfully done, very natural smelling notes. It's very gender neutral, slightly leaning masculine for me. Jovoy has a fragrance like this, that does lean more strongly masculine, Les Jeux... This is herbal, earthy, woody, with very nice, fresh sour fruits of rubarb and green apple. The lavender and violet are in the background, like in many men's fougers like YSL Rive Gauche. L'Art has a slight aquatic vib, because of the violet. There are some nice crunchy, earthy green notes, perhaps it's an oakmoss/ rubarb accord. The oakmoss is a key note in the heart accord of the fragrance. It's a bit sour and earthy. With the sour green apple, rubard, the earthy patchouli; you have these earthy, yet contrasting notes making a unique and harmonious fragrance accord. This interplay of the fresh fruity, and floral notes, with the brown earthy, woody notes is fascinating. This is a fragrance that takes many wearings to discover the beauty going on. It's a discovery of what's so enjoyable about it. The nutmeg adds a great touch of balance to the tart fruity notes, makes me think of brown, drawing it back to the earthy ground. It's a homage to the mossy masculine fragrances of the 80's. Yet it is supremely modern in it's innovation. I think it was Jean Claude Elena that said of vintage Hermes Equipage, I could wear it a thousand times, and still not discover it fully. I think L'Art de la Guerre is in that category. This perfumer in NYC, has a small niche perfume house Apoteker Tepe. She composes wildly interesting fragrances; some not so wearable. This frag reminds me of her fragrance, "After the Flood". It has earth, mushroom, with water Lilly and violet. I can see this as a signature fragrance, super unique, but very wearable. It's a creative fragrance, that doesn't fit into any classic category; like chypre, fougere, etc. It's kind of like Zoologist fragrances. PS: In my first impression, this did not wow me. But after further inspection, there is a lot going on here in a good way. This may be the best Jovoy, if you factor artistic perfumery, and overall enjoyment. Don't miss Colin Maillard's review 2nd to the last, he nails it, and really gets into all the complex nuances. Colin erased his review here. You can find it on base notes. He says it has, "a gloomy, earthy, organic soul". Colin creatively expresses the "feel" of a fragrance. Rating: 9.75/10 God bless. John 3:16

The opening is simply full of spicy autumn vegetables and fruits and they are all combative and full of character. While this might sound odd I think it is amazing. As you might guess from the metrics, this is a scent that is a little bit polarising, but it is undeservedly underrated on this site; L'Art de la guerre is a modern yet timeless, niche, vegetal fougère that is unparalleled in my book. In the opening and for 30 minutes you will, then, perhaps be a little bit surprised by everything going on. Anyone with a bit of cooking experience will recognise the combination of rhubarb, green apple and celery stalks as a very contrasting yet successful balancing act of aromatics, the surprise to me is how well it works together when you cannot intervene with sweetness and acidity that you can on the tongue. Supported by leafy herbals (violet and patchouli) and spicy nutmeg, the aromatic vegetal impression remain a signature throughout the full 8-12 hours this scent will last you, but eventually lavender, oakmoss and sandalwood comes through and suddenly there are nods of recognition towards the classical fougères. You can feel the debt it owes to Pour Un Homme de Caron (1934) and Trumper's Wild Fern (1877) but yet it is idiosyncratic and entirely own thing – none of the talcum notes of Caron nor the strong coumarin of Wild Fern. Once the base is properly established, the ever so odd combinations are lifted into a state of harmony and peace. Some have said elsewhere that it is a little sweet, but I disagree. The rounded odours you will find in especially fruits are not by destiny associated with sweetness although in the memory of many it will; damascenones, esters, ketones are prone to fool the brain into believing that sweetness will eventually reach your tongues receptors, a bit like when you smell and taste a bone dry yet fruity white wine. But I find L'Art de la Guerre to be very little "sweet" myself, although other people might have different experiences. At any rate, it all balances out, and I think some of the magic is that the drydown feels both so classically masculine and yet so idiosyncratic at the same time. Anyone with ever so slightly developed olfactory receptors will notice that this is not your average male scent, whereas those who prefer mainstream scents will fully accept it (at least if my varied surroundings are anything to go by). Although Jovoy presents it as unisex, it is a bit difficult for me to imagine women appreciating the long lasting oakmossy drydown phase.

The Art of War Another unique and fantastic perfume from Jovoy. It opens with a blast of bitter and sour notes of rhubarb and typical bergamot, softened by mellow smell of green apple. Then it gradually reveals its lovely immortelle as its pivotal player with a hint of spicy nutmeg. In this middle phase, L`Art de la Guerre is a rather unique combination of the sour rhubarb and powdery-spicy immortelle. Then as it moves forward to its final phase, the charming but soft leather note shows itself together with sensual labdanum, dusty patchouli and oakmoss give the whole structure a classic mood. Vanina Muracciole has successfully created a perfume which is modern and classic at the same time.This is the art of war. A war between modern and classic structure. But the outcome of this war is a peaceful agreement. L`Art de la Guerre will pleases both classic lovers and novice modern tastes interested to get familiar with the amazing world of classical aromas and structures. In a sense, L`Art de la Guerre can be considered the summer edition of 1740 from Histoires de Parfumes with the shared immortelle and leather as pivotal notes supported by sensual and spicy notes like nutmeg and labdanum. هنر جنگ شاهکاری دیگر از برند جووی شروع کار با هجمۀ ترش و تیز ریواس و ترنج آغاز میشه که با ترشی ملیح سیب سبز تلطیف شده است. بتدریج نت های میانی علی الخصوص ایمورتل جذاب که نت محوری کار هست خود را نمایان می کند و بهمراه آن شمه ای از حالت ادویه ای جوز نیز حس می شود. فاز میانی این کار که ترکیبی از ترشی ریواس و حالت پودری، نسبتا تلخ و ملیح ایمورتل هست حالتی خاص و منحصر به فرد است سپس با محو شدن نت ترش ریواس، اینک نوبت نت های جذاب پایۀ کار است که به مهمانی ایمورتل بروند. چرم در اینجا لطیف و ملیح است و با لابدانوم اغواگر ترکیب فوق العده جذابی ایجاد می کنند. همچنین حالت خاکی پچولی و خزه به ساختار کلی عطر حالتی کاملا کلاسیک می دهد وانینا موراچیوله با موفقیت توانسته است اثری خلق کند که در آن واحد هم مدرن است و هم کلاسیک. نام عطر اینجاست که مفهوم میابد. این هنر جنگ بین کلاسیک و مدرن است. جنگی که ماحصل آن توافقی است صلح آمیز. عطری که هم علاقمندان به کارهای کلاسیک را مجذوب خود می کند و هم ذائقه های مدرنی که در عالم کلاسیک تازه وارد هستند و میخواهند بیشتر با دنیای جذاب روایح و ساختار کلاسیک آشنا شوند. از جهاتی می توان این عطر را نسخۀ تابستانی و مفرح 1740 از برند هیستوریز دانست با همان نت های ایمورتل و چرم بعنوان بازیگران اصلی که نت های ادویه ای و اغواگری آن را پشتیبانی می کنند.

Absolute love as many Jovoys. Blended to perfection In the begining bit strong but settles quickly to a symphony of notes but I would say accords very hard to pinpoint each. Name is apt Art of War, as it is beautiful war among flowers (airy) and heavy notes (heavy) with hint of fruit where bno one looses every ones wins and creates a unique vision of of war-statement Smell : 10/10 longevity: 10/10 easy 14 hours ,even after 2 baths (current 2023 bottle) Sillage : 7/10 which is perfect for scent profile in my view. ---------- Now coming to the notes playing the roles here: Note purely my feeling about the perfume,Let me try to describe below: Leather (prominent from mid to base and it is not typical industrial leather its soft just to represent humans/animal in war) Oakmoss ((supports as greenness representing war field not very heavy from mid to base) Patchouli (Jovoy signature and backbone and does the job of the above along with providing darkness) Labdanum (prominent from mid to base, gives bit ambery sweetness representing happiness of winning) Sandalwood (supports and hold the base and provides the vision of weapons made of) Rhubarb (not so sure) Green Apple (Ofcourse there from start to finish representing food needed to for soldiers) Bergamot (for initial few secs or mins) Immortelle (Ofcourse there from start to finish representing the hay for horses , tobacco for soldiers who are essential from start to end of war) Nutmeg, Lavender, Violet Leaf (adding spiciness and breaking monotony and lift up if at all it goes in summer heat rarely )

Psychedelique opened up so eccentric and sensual but the nondescript musk drydown was such a letdown. Out of all the Jovoy I tried, L'art de la Guerre is the more sensible and mature along with Gardez-Moi; a dusty sunset with floral decadence, Private Label; dark, smoky, boozy, well-layered patchouli. Others in the series were either too redundant on patchouli, faded out too quickly or too sickeningly rich and complex. L'art de La Guerre starts with the effervescence of organic, self-grown produce in a cosy kitchen evenly balanced with a touch of citrus. It smoothens into mid notes where things start to shine - the slightly "smoked wood" undertones supported by oakmoss and leather emerges, robustly composed like a passage of a Hemingway prose. Picture yourself sitting at an oak executive table in cosy study filled with rustic ornaments, while you enjoy a book and pour yourself a whiskey. I find description of "gunpowder" an appropriate category, as mentioned by a user below. Linearity of midnotes to drydown with the immortelle at play evokes such a powerful combination reminding me a lot of Gucci Guilty Absolute (Men), less of animalic woods. Here, the Immortelle creates depth and character, perfectly replicating the bitterness of wood on GGA. You can pick up the organic transition from simple and nuanced vegetal notes, which segues into mature leather, oakmoss with Immortelle and finally nutmeg. Very uniquely blended 8.4/10