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

Jovoy is a house that I respect and adore. Their fragrances are artistically blended hence the fragrances may not be suitable for the novice nose. In any case, try before you buy! L'art de la Guerre's initial opening radiates a sense of freshness due to the presence of bergamot and green apple, however, the freshness is restraint by the tartness of the rhubarb. The opening stage is the shortest in comparison to the other stages and, from then onwards, L'art de la Guerre is dense but, surprisingly, it retains its freshness throughout the journey of the fragrance. The heart of the perfume is dominated by the lavender and immortelle. In general, the combination of Immortelle and lavender can give off a synthetic plasticky smell but that not the case here. The ingredients here are of high quality and it is not difficult to tell them apart. The base is warm, as expected, with the leather, vetiver, sandalwood and patchouli. L'art de la Guerre gives off a moderate-to-heavy sillage and remains perceptible for at least 8-12 hours. It's a unisex scent that leans towards the masculine side but, like good wine, both sexes will appreciate it equally. Overall, I enjoy the well-mannered contrast between the fresh and dense qualities of the scent. This is how I would best describe L'art de la Guerre, which makes it similar to the weather during spring, at least in the UK. 8/10 NB. This and most of Jovoy's fragrances are shower-resistant.

The smell of his perfume quite difficult to distinguish, many have same approach, notes. Nevertheless, you turn your head in the side of the wearer passing you by. Very beautiful frag on masculine side due to light leather note well presented from the beginning to the dry down, much elegantly than TF Tuscan Leather. This frag is definitely for Pachouli lovers. All together are rounded with camphor like smell, I would say in Creed way. This is long lasting eau de parfume with perfect projection as it exactly should be for man's frag. There are some similarities with TF Santal Blush especially dry down, with Scandal for men of Roha Dove at the opening and midle stage. However, these both are on feminine side. What else - I think it's hardly so recognizable as Aventus Creed or Chergui SL, but L'Art de la Guerre is not so boring, not so liner, and 100% compliments collector. This perfume is in Creed league for sure. Regading price/quality ratio Jovoy could be the winner in Niche segment. I am not ready yet to inaugurate L'Art de la Guerre as my Signature perfume, but who knows :) PS. The box, the bottle are gorgeous, much appreciated.

When I first sampled this I loved the opening, but couldn't tolerate the bitterness that followed. I tried a couple of times on skin but was dissapointed. Fast forward a year and while I was discarding older samples, I tried one last time and to my surprise I loved it. I ended up buying a full bottle recently. It opens fruity, classy, sparkly with a hit of dry leather. The rhubarb pushes the apple to one side, establishing it's authority and the whole experience presents itself as overwhelmingly romantic. It definately evokes some strong imagery and tells a story of passion and hope. The immortelle introduces a dry bitterness and the patchouli jumps off the skin for a while, appearing clean and almost transparent and glimmering. This is a fragrance that stays fresh and airy throughout. Full bottle worthy. I am a little concerned as it isn't listed currently on the Jovoy UK website. I hope it hasn't had the chop. I've only just found it.

Update a few months in: I now have over 60 top of the line fragrances and L'Art de la Guerre is still one my favourite ones. What an amazing composition and so unique! Absolutely top notch fragance again by Jovoy. I didn't know what to think of it at first. L'Art de la Guerre is so potent, so masculine, rough, raw, sharp in its opening! The opening is bright and brash, almost metallic and aromatic. The dry down is amazing! I care a lot about longevity and Art has great longevity. The scent feels almost dissonant at first, on purpose. I like it a lot! It is not an evening scent for relaxation but definitely an early morning one, when you wake up on a Napoleonic battlefield, ready to conquer the world. :-) Then it settles down into a very classy and smooth fougere, with a strong and unique character.

Damn it Jovoy, just take all my money why don't you. I didn't expect to love this but it is one of the rare (maybe four?) fragrances that ever changed my mind on how I want to smell. Last time was BR540, a long time ago. Now, this. I think my, usually super-difficult, skin is a perfect match for the juice. The review by gedlive from 2018 below is absolutely spot-on, I have nothing to add to his analysis. I do understand that it might not work on everyone, I wouldn't recommend it for a blind-buy. This is the best fougere I've experienced, by *far*. I can't even remember the second, it's obliterated. Jovoy has a way of turning me on to categories I was averse to up till now. Will I get a full bottle? It's already in the mail.

As with most fragrance fanatics, blind buys seem to be in the cards. For some reason there are few brands that just seem to 'work' for me as well as Jovoy does. L'Art de la Guerre at first spray comes off a little bitter to me (almost a fresh celery vibe), soon dries down to an absolutely GORGEOUS and soapy delight! It has quickly become one of my favorites from the line ... but nothing will EVER beat Incident Diplomatique. Incident Diplomatique is the only fragrance that drew the following compliment from a lady in passing, "Damn you smell good!!" Getting back to L'Art de la Guerre, I absolutely LOVE it and found it to be a stellar blind buy!

Just bought this beaut while in Paris last week at the Jovoy boutique. In the initial opening of this gorgeous fragrance, it quickly & definitely brought to mind Nasomatto Absinth -- especially the light spiciness and faintly Cannabis-ish waft that Nasomatto Absinth produces on my skin. I absolutely loved this about Nasomatto Absinth so also totally love this aspect with L'Art de la Guerre. This Jovoy offering was a pleasant surprise and I couldn't resist picking up a 100ml bottle of this beauty as I knew instinctively that I had to have it or would deeply regret not snapping it up while over in France.

Fresh rhubarb in the top. Shortly after, the immortelle takes the lead (the main player), and will be joined by the oakmoss to give a great impression of leather. Performance is good on my skin. This is the masculine counterparts to HdP 1740, a more unisex/sweet-ish take on the immortelle/leather theme, although with a quite different result. I slightly prefer Jovoy's, and highly recommend it to who is able to appreciate yesteryear takes on leather. Note that loving immortelle is a requirement in order to enjoy this one. I prefer to wear this one in colder days, and it's a keeper for me!

I think this is the best Jovoy fragrance A true hidden gem. I reviewed this a few years ago when first purchased. Rediscovering how good it is. The pros and cons by fragrantica are very good points. This may smell too much of kitchen spices to some. But I love a good spicy fragrance, as this is. The rhubarb and green apple are great unique fresh fruits that make a great accord with the nutmeg. That's the first hour opening. The dry down is good but not as exceptional as the open-mid. In the dry down I get more patchouli and a bit of leather with some spice.

From the men's discovery set, by far my favorite. A very easy uplifting wear but also refined and complex. Looking for a full bottle now. Rhubarb and antique leather notes, very French, very happy garden sunlight memory. Other jovoys: Psychedelique really nice but grew cloying after an hour with heavy chocolate base. Incident Diplomatique and Private Label both were overwhelming also not me. Good though! All good but each feels tailored to particular personality types. This one is a gem.

Feels like hugging someone you have deep love and appreciation for, while they are cooking and wearing an apron that has soaked in everything in the kitchen. It’s so sweet to me for a long time, and after the rhubarb and apple clear up it gets a bit more green and earthy. So beautiful.

Opens with a blast of sweet rhubarb. After 5 minutes the sweetness is gone and it becomes a mix of bitter celery and coriander seeds wrapped in a tomato leaf. But, the sweetness comes back in the dry down. Very unique and interesting. Ordered a full bottle after the second wearing.

Wearable Jovoy, I reckon sits on the more warmer days spot in this line. Loved it at first sniff to be franck with you. Performance can't catch up with others like psycodeicue or private label but still perfect for summer evenings and spring times. Cheers and stay safe.

Such a beautiful and addictive fougere. Starts with a fresh rhubarb and turns very warm and spicy, this contrast made me emotional. It has some sweetness which I usually dislike but here, with the immortelle, I think it works perfectly.

Fresh, spicy and fruity opening. Green and aromatic with a solid Woody and leathery base. Not to heavy and manage to stay fresh and a bit sweet. The first hour with Rhubarb and green apple is imo absolutely amazing