#002 The Patchouli Affair

The Patchouli Affair is number two within the L’Envie Parfums collection. The fragrance was created by the company's exclusive perfumers, Fanny Grau and Isaac Sinclair, and is defined as a journey into the past, but with an eye on the future, whose creation brings patchouli as its protagonist. Its olfactory pyramid reveals notes of mandarin, ginger, and petitgrain at the top; Honeysuckle, frankincense, tonka beans, and amber crystals, in the body; Vetiver, sandalwood, cedar, musk, and patchouli, in the base. On the skin, The Patchouli Affair is of endless explosive tenderness. It could even be called Patchouli Explosion. The starting point is juicy and not too acidic, with a greater emphasis on mandarin oranges. The notes of tonka beans and sandalwood are very evident, from the first moment, but they are not responsible for the warm and sensual path of this fragrance. The amber crystals transmit an orange-colored vibration and give a vanilla facet, which gains strength with the smooth honey effect from the honeysuckle. The Patchouli Affair seems to be linear, but there is a subtle evolution that unfolds to reveal the warm and earthy side of the patchouli, with chocolate nuances and an extra creaminess, thanks to the sandalwood note. There is a very evident quality in the construction of this fragrance, as patchouli lost its prominent place in the most commercial fragrances of the last decades when it started to be represented by an extremely sweet and tiring accord, which was replicated to the extreme in women's fragrances. And here, we have the good old perfumery ingredient, the result of which smells closer to that of its essential oil and takes us back to the more elaborate creations of Haute Perfumery, which still work with better quality raw materials and, above all, with accords that respect the key ingredients of each creation. In this case, patchouli with real patchouli scent, not cotton candy! The Patchouli Affair's fragrance takes me back to the 70s, when patchouli oil was widely used by the hippie community, as well as being part of countless men's fragrances. However, it gained a touch of modernity and a brush of refinement, showing itself to be more contemporary and shareable. And different from the olfactory memory that fragrance #001 - São Paulo is Burning brought me, with greater popular appeal, this one takes me to more noble shelves of Exclusive Collections or brands in the Niche segment, but with a big difference: the bottle of higher volume (100ml) costs far less than the competition. It's worth a try!