Traversee du Bosphore

Duchafour has created a unique gourmand with a new and unusual combination of notes in Traversee du Bosphore. Its opening is familiar; a leathery lipstick infused iris reminiscent of Dior Homme with a red, tangy fruitiness gradually creeping toward the forefront. By the half hour mark the iris has taken a back seat, overcome by the tart fruitiness which has grown in both intensity and sweetness. Now a jammy red rose enters the picture as well, coated in a rich, sugary syrup, and we are presented with Bertrand's interpretation of Turkish delight, a dessert I'm all the more eager to try now that I've smelled this. This is the heart of the fragrance, a soft, pale suede note graces the background just noticeable, while on top of it a distinct candy-like sweetness, slightly tart like a red apple, but sugary and delectable, has taken hold blending in with and accenting a rich, honey-rose syrup drizzled over chunky nougat. It is sweet, it is tart, it is very much red, and it is unlike anything I've smelled before in the world of perfumery. The heart persists for some time, and just when you're beginning to feel stuffed, as if you can't take anymore of the rich, treacly, candied-rose, it all starts to settle down and warm elements of tobacco and a nutty pistachio bring a sobering, neutralizing reassurance to the base, grounding Traversee in a warm, savory finish. What an olfactory ride! Du Bosphore may not be loved by everyone, but if you connect with it you will indeed love it. It is completely unique, and the creative, deft hand of Bertrand Duchafour is on prime display in this complex gourmand extravaganza. I've been lucky this year to discover both this and Noir Exquis (another Duchafour creation). Both are among my best discoveries of the year, but more importantly, both are undoubtedly the best gourmand fragrances I've sniffed in at least three years (I haven't been this impressed with a gourmand since Pierre Guillaume released Tabac Rouge). However, while I can wholeheartedly recommend blind buying Noir Exquis, I have to recommend sampling Traversee du Boshpore. It is so unlike anything around I have no reference point to orient potential buyers. In that case, it's probably best to sample this in the unfortunate case that you find Turkish Delight just doesn't sit right with you. Gladly, I don't have this issue, so I'll be wearing this quite a bit in the future with great pleasure. T The feel of Traversee du Bosphore is casual, though it could probably be dressed up a little too. It leans more toward night than day in my opinion, but seems well-suited for almost any season. I imagine the sweetness could become too much in really hot, humid weather, but other than that I don't see many seasonal limits for this one. Projection on my skin is very good and longevity is impressive. Please note that there seem to be altering, inconsistent accounts of its performance, though I find for a L'Artisan this is extremely well-performing and I've have had no issues with it. Thumbs up all the way. It's not every day something like this comes along and for that reason Traversee du Bosphore is a truly special scent. 8 out of 10. EDIT: After wearing this for several weeks, I have one issue with it: The sweetness can sometimes become overpowering, especially in its initial stages. While this is a very interesting scent, and beautiful at times, this sweetness grates on me after some time. For this reason I would change my final rating to 7/10.

In one word: Exotically Divine! Istanbul is an exciting place and embodies so many paradox aspects of nature, being half European Mediterranean, the other (bigger) half being Asian, or "Near East" to be more precise. Islamic but very Euro-friendly, resulting in modern new found freedom, constantly rope-tying with the old-world of tradition and confinements of religion. Everything of those aspects are in this juice, juxtaposed, that I think should be seen as a celebration of the modern Turkish woman: Feminine, modern yet in touch with her past and respectfully so, sweet and delicate, and just so breath-takingly beautiful. I also wish to say at this point that I am a huge fan of the Turkish language that flows so elegantly and is so harmonic and melodic, usually rare for a typical Islamic language. This scent flows like this language. It's a song. This juice opens up very medicinal and it catapults me back to my childhood days, when mom took me to the "Reformhaus", German for an apothecary that sells organic products, remedies and all sorts of tinctures and chemical compounds, that seep into the environment, creating this marvellous sharp beginning. Soon after most of the floral notes come through, in particular, I love the tulip note, that is very unusual and not to be found in many fragrances. The sugar and apple seem very dominant on my skin, and cover the rose like the typical Turkish Delight, rolled in additional honey and broken wafer chips. At this point this creation is not dissimilar to BOND #9's "West Side" but while the latter goes more towards vanilla, wet juicy rose, this one here remains sharper, spicier and has the nutty nougat meets pistacchio gourmand note. Yes it smells of ice cream but it is not sickly sweet thanks to the leather and saffron accord, that keep your nose longing for more. It's almost like a carrot in front of donkey, you never reach it, but you reach out for it. It is always there, dangling in front of you, creating an allure of being close enough to reach; similar to the beauty of these modern, proud, beautiful women. It is not a sillage monster but it lingers and envelopes you into a wonderful skin scent that won't let go for hours, like a reliable and loyal companion. To me this is instant "feel good" happy go lucky scent therapy and should work for someone looking for a truly delightful, modern Mediterranean leather-rose gourmand. Bertrand Duchaufour is a master and this is another masterpiece of abstract perfumery in my book. Verdict: 10/10.

Traversee du Bosphore... So many thoughts on this scent. My first niche experience. I somehow stumbled into the Artisan shop in Covent Garden, London and knew very little about niche and this line as I normally wear gourmand, very sweet designer fragrances. The gorgeous saleslady greeted me with a huge smile, she was very skilled and happy to have a chat with me about perfumes, she let me take my time and sniff all the goodies they had. I explained to her that I liked gourmand, vanillaish, sweet scents. She showed me Vanille Absolument which I thought was OK and some others and then she introduced me to Traversee du Bosphore. A little bit different, she said as she sprayed it on my wrist. Turkish delight? Sounded good. Leather and tobacco? Not so sure about it, it was new to my nose. I was definitely being pushed out of my comfort zone with this fragrance and it just felt so damn right! This stuff is gorgeous! Starts off very leathery with prominent tobacco, to my nose at least. As it softens it gets a bit sweeter, but it is not that sugar-overload I am usually used to, Traversee du Bosphore is not actually sweet to my nose at all. I do detect honey, I guess it is supposed to be the Turkish delight accord and I could swear that I smell almond as well, although it is not listed , but almond is very close to Turkish delight, right? If I could make up a whole new olfactory group for just one single fragrance, it would be Traversee du Bosphore and I would classify it as an oriental - leather - gourmand, such an amazingly interesting and complex scent. It is like trip to an exotic land indeed. Longevity is amazing, it lasts all day on my skin! Sillage is not monstrous but pleasant and I think this perfume is actually thick enough to make a good nighttime scent, I find it extremely sensual with all it`s warm unisex qualities. When I visited the shop I ended up buying Nuit de Tubereuse and I got a sample of Traversee du Bosphore which I enjoy wearing and sniffing every now and then. When my sample is gone, and it is gone soon, I am going back to that fabulous Covent Garden shop to buy a big bottle so I can be a happy owner of this extravagant, exotic perfume which basically introduced me to the world of niche perfumery and got me fascinated by L'Artisan Parfumeur. Thank you ever so much.

My husband travels a few times each year to Istanbul for business and when he comes home, he always brings a package of Turkish Delights. This fragrance reminds to me of opening the box and that sweet, powdered sugar reaching my nostrils. IMO, the actual delights have more prominent rose notes than Traversee and a caramel note that's completely absent here. Traversee also reminds me of baby powder, but only after the initial suropy taste has faded. I find that I like it very, very much and it's a very comforting but also elegant scent for winter. There's little to no projection, but I don't mind since it lasts and lasts on my skin for hours and I get whiffs of it constantly. It may not be a sexy scent, but it's not girly, or fruity either; it's a skin scent that even grown ups can enjoy and wear with ease all day. Just don't let the initial sweetness scare you away because it doesn't last too much. Oh, and the drydown, after 5 or 6 hours that is, reminds me of a softer and less sweet Louve, as the almonds become much more pronounced. I do own Louve as well, but find it somewhat overwhelming when the temperature's not completely frigid; I think Traversee is more intimate and also easier to wear even in warmer weather due to its soft nature. In fact it's one of very few sweet scents and/or gourmands I own, that can be worn all year round. Beautiful and distinctive, if it's a skin scent different from the usual musks and sandalwoods that you're seeking, this one is worth a try. Update: The number of compliments this one has brought me is more than any other fragrance I own! Even after a full day at work, people still smell it on me, but it's never offensive, always soft and tender, like a baby's breath. And though I don't see it as such myself, almost everyone who comments on it, identifies it as an oriental, even before I tell them its name. Can't say I see it as an oriental myself, but I guess it has a mysterious aura besides the sweetness after all :)

Verdict first: It's a YES PLEASE from me! There is so much I'd like to comment on with Traversee Bosphore, that I'm going to break into bullet points! *What power the name holds! This scent is a sophisticated journey to the treasures that belie a Turkish souk. Yet.... "Marshmallow dream" would probably have been a totally plausible alternative, was it not for the top quality of the product. The PERFECT name has been chosen. WHAT an enjoyable journey! (Honestly, go and sniff the drydown! It's amazing how similar nougat / pistachio can smell to marshmallow!!) *Having been enticed by smouldering reviews, I've eyed up this one for a while. Blind buy time! (I live far away from cities and fancy perfume shops.) There was the usual anticipation.... WOULD I LIKE IT?! *The opening: a brash "I'm not your USUAL perfume!" Totally original! I sense a preserved lemon note - as used in Middle Eastern cuisine. Not listed among the notes, but that's what it smells like to me... * The drydown arrives soon after: the lemon gives way to a most glorious nougat and pistachio. *On me, this sublime drydown remains fairly linear right to the end (and boy, am I thankful for that?! I just can't get enough of it!) * Longevity: 7-8 hours on my skin - I usually struggle to cling onto any scent for more than 4 hours. Yay! * I think this scent would be a winner whether I smell it on a lady or man, in laundry powder or a candle... even in cooking! *IN FACT! I bet you could sniff this when you have dessert cravings, and be left fully satisfied without needing anything to pass over your lips! (It's THAT good!) *YES, it's a gourmand - and it's a GREAT one! (Not particularly leathery on me.) *I'm not usually a fan of unisex perfumes, and couldn't believe how feminine this is on me.... while at the same time masculine on my husband! Crazy science! * I imagine one day, when I'm in heaven, THIS celestial drydown will be the fragrance that gently floats past! Heavenly, oh yes!