Psychotrope

Psychotrope, from the Scandinavian brand Malbrum Parfums, is a 2015 release, a spicy resinous blend with notes of incense, elemi, pimento, saffron, and mixed woods. Dense, rich, a little and sharp and savory, it offers a spicy, slightly smoky intersection that is not too exaggerated in any one respect. I regard the woods as being more in the background to the resins and spices, but certain they provide some modification to preclude the experience from being wholly a bomb of, say, incense and saffron. Pimento adds a bit of flavor, and perhaps is the source of the savoriness that I perceive, and it has a varnish-adjacent aspect in the background that I like, which reminds me of the unrelated Dua original, Wood and Cognac. Psychotrope (along with the rest of the line, seemingly) is extrait concentration, priced at $135 for 30ml, sold in the US via the house site, the boutique Perfumology and some other points of sale like Max Aroma. For a fragrance of this potency and sophistication, I think it’s reasonably priced as a little should go a long way, even in cooler climates. 8 out of 10

This is a great fragrance. The notes carry a beautiful sweet cypress/woody scent & thank god I came across this. I own a full 30mL bottle and have been wearing it non-stop. My favorite place to wear it is on beach days or intimate nights. It doesn't last longer than 4-5 hours, but I use an Iso-E super spray to get some serious 6+ longevity out of it. Overall, this is a unisex fragrance that is best during the day or when in close contact with others at night.

a sticky, slightly naturally sweet but not sweetened light wood with the freshness of cypress that feels like an aftertaste. When you breathe out is when you notice it. I cannot think of anything similar. It almost feels plummy but not quite. Def bottle-worthy, have worn my sample many times now.

A warm animalic fragrance with a beautiful sandalwood at its heart. Subtle notes of cypress and incense bring crisper accents but the woody base with styrax and ambergris (ambroxan?) stir the senses into a darker and more erotic landscape. A deeply sensual fragrance. I love it!

The brand itself calls this “bold and unconventional niche”, so I thought; why not try it, since they make that claim. This was the first one that caught my attention: the bottle has animal motifs, and the presence of cypress and styrax signalled it might be right up my alley. First impression: sweeter than I expected. Yes, it’s very woody and definitely bold, but there’s also an amber-like warmth and sweetness that comes through. I love it for its woody and balsamic qualities; the incense level is excellent and well-balanced. It never overwhelms, neither raw olibanum nor overly smoky: just right. I’d imagined it would be very animalic, but it isn’t. To me, it reads more balsamic-woody with a hint of amber. Thanks to its bold and shadowed facets, I’d call it strong and full of character. Unconventional? Not really; at least not this one. I’ll have to try the others before I decide. Alluring? Yes! Very much so. Tag(s): Bold, dark, balsamic