Bête Humaine

Inside the Forest Witch’s Warm Lair.... A deeply meditative, sensual, soft-leathery, nutty, green-powdery and earthy fragrance. I haven’t read The Beast Within, but if the idea here is about the animal within us; about instinct; it doesn’t feel violent at all. Instead, it leans toward something far more sensual. This sensuality isn’t aggressive or feral; it’s bodily, intimate, and reassuring, like the quiet warmth of a cat’s belly, offered without tension. The fragrance feels genuinely sensual in nature: simultaneously calming and meditative, yet intensely tactile and instinctual. What I perceive are a softly sweet, powdery note, paired with a green accord reminiscent of matcha; though more earthy than fresh; along with nutty and salty facets. The color it evokes in my mind is never a vivid green, but rather brown-green, natural forest tones. Perfectly so. This isn’t a fresh forest scent; it feels more like the moment you stray off the path and, without fully realizing how, find yourself at an animal’s nest hidden deep among the trees. The den is low, close, and instinctively comforting; lined with dry woods and filled with a skin-warm, milky atmosphere, the kind of warmth that radiates from bodies rather than fire, like milk slowly heating, never boiling. Outside, a cool pine breeze moves through the forest, crisp and airy. Inside the den, everything folds inward, settling into a cocooning warmth. You push your head out for a second, feel the chill brush your skin, then retreat again; choosing the quiet, milky safety within. The warmth isn’t loud or heavy; it’s intimate, steady, and deeply comforting. You stay there, breathing it in... and eventually, you fall asleep (because every witch’s true comfort lives in her own home) Tag(s): warm-skin, kitten belly, intimate, sensual, milky, powdery, cocooning, witchy, greenish, salty, nutty

I recently obtained a sample of this wonderful creation from a boutique in my city. The sample cost $4 but it was definitely worth it. Les Liquides Imaginaires is fast becoming one of my favorite houses and this new creation and wonderful creation by Amelie Bourgeois is one of the reasons. This is a beautifully composed and magical elixir. Blended to perfection. I can't even describe it as I've never smelled anything quite like it. It just smells beautiful. I disagree with the reviewer below about it smelling leathery as I don't pick up any such notes or accords. On my skin, there's nothing edgy, animalic or smokey. It's just smooth, creamy, woody and a bit sweet. I don't even know based on the note breakdown where that sweetness is coming from but over 15 hours since I first sprayed it, I'm still picking it up on my skin. The fragrance is perfectly unisex. I feel as though anyone can pull this off, but it would be better suited for fall or early spring and even in winter. Day, night, office or casual. Scent : 10/10 Longevity : 10/10 Projection : 8/10 Sillage : 8/10 Overall : Woody and wonderful Final thoughts... One thing I do agree on with the reviewer below is that it is not a safe blind buy. I believe that nothing is ever truly a safe blind buy and that everything should be sampled and tried on skin first. I do love this fragrance a lot and will consider a full bottle because I think it is wonderful and unique. Again, I've never smelled anything quite like this and I definitely want to smell it again.

A complete falling in love for me. Of all the samples I had ordered, this one (actually all of "les eaux de peau") I expected to hate it, since I'm not a fan of animalics. Funny thing, this one is not animalic at all! It's actually more green and woody to me, very woody but also green and balsamic, thanks to the cypriol and papyrus which dominate the drydown to my nose. On opening, I get warm chewy/buttery chestnut (not buttery as in the smell of butter but rather, like in a chestnut spread) which quickly fades to sandalwood and other woods (cedar?) on my skin. An hour or so in, the cypriol and papyrus come in and last for the rest of the time. For those unfamiliar with papyrus, it's similar to vetiver in some ways, but instead of burning wood, think about it like papery ashes. Those who like sandalwood and vetiver will find much to like here. I feel that this smells like a city guy wandering into the woods: a clash of urban and nature. A return to the roots, to simpler times. Many of the fragrances of Liquides Imaginaires tend not to push out too much and stay within arm length and close to skin but personally that's fine by me, I can safely wear this at the office without getting flack. Also, in the current heat and humidity it has presence but doesn't seem to overpower everything so that's a positive thing as well. I actually got a few positive comments from this one so that's a winner for me. A wonderful surprise from a house I've fallen in love with.

First- in my own defense- let me emphasize that "reminds me of" does not mean "smells like", and there is a big difference. With that out of the way- this instantly, and after 3 hours still, reminds me of Yesterday Haze by Imaginary Authors. I realize that the pyramids don't look alike, and I also admit that this impression is my 1st wear, but my nose and brain says this is woodier and less sweet; also more natural and more discreet, but definitely a relative (if not a sibling then certainly a first cousin) of Yesterday Haze (which I own and love). I like it. I will update after subsequent wears if I decide my nose was crazy tonight. *EDIT- second wear: Still can't shake the YH connection, and I figured out why- it's the combo of creamy and dusty, along with some nuttiness, and they both have what I perceive as an effervescent fuzzy fizzy buzz -that may be more of a chemical reaction than an olfactory impression, I'm not sure. This one is greener and woodier, and evokes a surreal vision of nature. Just like YH I'm loving this one in the high heat.

Woody pine cypriol... This weird and very interesting indeed! It's like a green but woody blend mingles with smoke (comes from grilled chestnuts), mastic, labdanum, & violet leaves. It is sour, yet woody green. It has something animalic in it somehow but more plant based animalic notes. Interesting. Edit (31st Dec 2022) Very interesting indeed! i get that moist chestnut in-between violet leaves, cypriol, mastic, lapdanum, pepper, powdered woods, touch of chili, & sandalwood. The colder the prettier it gets. Beautiful. Edit (19th Aug 2023) Ok, today i sniffed it and i am becoming infatuated by this animalic beauty! it is very much like Arabian Mamool, bokhoor mix! & i believe this is one of the smooth animalic blends that you could wear and makes people around you admire you wildly and insatiably! i mean the mastic, cedar, sandalwood, gaiac wood, pines, and vetiver makes it insatiably addictive. very smooth, very harsh, and yet very beautiful! if anyone hates it and wants to give it up, then i am here to call :) Beautiful indeed.