Mechant Loup

Gray timber wolf, that got drunk, wondering among woods on its hind legs. The opening is very boozy and woody, but I also straight away detect nice hints of balmy-animalic fur scent, that truly makes me think of big animal, native to wilderness, walking on soft paws on mossy, herbal and moist soil. And I am not self-hypnotised here. Before deciding to go ahead and buy a FB I read reviews many times and what made me confident to go for it is that there is a certain group of ppl, who constantly complain on very bad silage and longevity of L'artisans and their "annoying concept, that don't worth the money", and myself, after being familiar with at least 12 other L'Artisan fragrances and never experiencing any problem with longevity (or better say ability to smell it) or - concept - I just realized that L'Artisan is simply MY house, I love all they do and how they do it, so it was the matter of trust really. Been never disappointed and I love Mechant Loup, just like I love forests and wolves, even though I remember plenty of times , when they have destroyed the roof or make a hole under my Grandad's hog pen at the farm, killing few sheep in winter. I was secretly wishing those bad wolves "bon appetit", while Grandad was cursing them, naturally. I was a bit worried about licorice, I didn't want it take central stage and to ruin sweet woodiness and it didn't happen, - it just adds tiny bitterness, like wormwood would, boozy and sweet from honey and praline, woody from hazel shrubs (rather than from hazelnuts), a bit of cedar and resinous myrrh and overall, good-mood attractive fragrance with pleasant balmy vibe.

For a time, this was my absolute favourite scent. It's what got me following the career of Bertrand Duchaufour, collecting his fragrances, and ultimately turned me into the frag-head I am today. The first thing I'd like to say about this scent is that I think Anglicising this as "Bad Wolf" is a huge mistake, as that makes it sound dark and threatening - the feel is much more "Naughty Wolf", a confident young wolf behaving badly, carrying the smell of woods and booze. "Bad", yes, but not "Big Bad Wolf" bad, more "cheeky/sassy" bad. I find myself returning to this scent all these years after my initial purchase, as I realised I never reviewed it, and I wanted to clarify the feeling I get from the name. Also, I should probably mention that it bears a striking resemblance to La Nuit de l'Homme by YSL, to the point where it could almost be a flanker - if you appreciate that scent, but feel like it needs a niche twist to set it apart, you will find this a pleasant and worthwhile buy. For me, my taste has gone much more aromatic/woodsy/green, warm leather, or slap-your-face citrus in the last few years, but on a cool-ish (ca.55-65° F) evening in the late spring, and all throughout summer and autumn, it's a catch.

The world is dark and, contrary to popular superstition, there is no moonlight to speak of. I hide amongst the wet, dead leaves of the forest floor, my hands grip the wet moss and there is fresh soil lodged in my fingernails. I am surrounded by groundfall apples...perhaps some strange hybrid of Cortland and something sweeter. I can smell the humidity in the air and my own cold-damp, frightened sweat. I pull deeper into the brambleberry brush, the last of the wild raspberries cling to thorny shoots. They nick my skin and I know that something is out there that can taste the drops of my blood in the breeze floating throughout the depths of this night. I can hear the chill. My leather gloves are no protection tonight. Something is hunting me; I grasp the musky fur as its largess pummels into me. There is hot breath, the sharp tang of teeth, and scratches so deep into my chest and arms that I cannot breathe. Mechant Loup has me is its grips. My red, woolen hood is shredded and will soon be wet with dew and blood. But is it the wolf's or mine?

Forêt de conte de fées. Senteur 9/10 Usage par journée d'automne pluvieuse pour cette merveille qui pourrait cependant lasser à force d'être portée. C'est un noisetier olfactif merveilleux : au lieu de vous promener avec l'arbre en entier - ce qui certes n'est pas pratique -, vous avez le concentré. Usage urbain, dominical de préférence : accompagnera fort bien une promenade en ville. Longévité 2/2. Sillage 2/2. Totalement en adéquation avec son usage. Vous diffusez sans agressivité. Masculinité 1.5/2 Ce parfum accompagne parfaitement ces journées d'automne à la lumière déclinante. C'est peut-être aussi un parfum un petit peu déprimant pour cette raison, comme une mélodie belle, mais un peu triste. Il est masculin, mais pas totalement sexué : plutôt dans sa version rassurante. Conviendrait plutôt à un homme déjà en couple. Evolution 2/4 Evolution qui semble s'appauvrir petit à petit passée les notes de coeur et semble de moins en moins original voire un peu lassant à force. C'est le défaut de ce parfum. TOTAL 16.5/20

I bought this fragrance blind, just for the name, when it came out in the late 90’s. As if judging (even worse, buying!) a book by its cover - don’t get it why so many people say it is something unwise to do? It can go awfully wrong, it can go very right, it is a 50/50 chance, which isn’t that bad? The most beautiful hazelnut note is the backbone of this, after all, somewhat honied wolf. There is no sharpness, no menace, there are no teeth. I read it as being the representation of the seductive, dandyish, enchanting nuances of Perrault’s take. The wolf you meet stray from path tends to have it all easy, no need to use strength, we are already taken by the distraction anyway? If I could make only one wish, I would have asked the liquorice note to play just a little something more subdued... all the rest I find magistral. Honey is right (not an easy note ever?), all the trees in these woods are right. L’Artisan Parfumeur is right, I am right. Long life to red ridding hood.