Barry Lyndon

When I was very young, I would study maps for hours, studying the legend and all of its symbols, reading through all of the landmarks, memorizing names of cities and towns, hours and hours, fixated, hoping some day I'd visit so many of these far off places. I recall one map of Great Britain and Ireland that my father gave to me. What stood out were the designation of lands labeled "heath and moor." Heath is the infertile, well-drained soils, characterized by plants such as heather, gorse, bracken, billberry. The moor is upland, with wetter habitats, bog-marsh, damp, peaty soil, low-growing grasses, shrubs. In these landscapes, fewer trees grow, and if they do, they are smaller birches and willows, sprouting out from the panorama. Barry Lyndon, named for the protagonist of Thackeray's 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon (adapted in a fantastic film directed by Stanley Kubrick), is the story of a rogue that would scale these terrains on horseback. However, I divorce myself from this interpretation as it feels far more introspective, reaching into the quiet and sitting there in a space among the wet, cool vegetation, oceans of heather and artemisia. The leather representing a saddle would be instead a satchel containing a leather-bound journal, the vetiver is the ink from the pen with which to write about the struggle while surrounded by heartbreaking beauty. A withdrawn green, a slow stir, the fuzz of the air, the protagonist in my dream is one who finally had a chance to live in the reality the maps represented, even if for a brief time, a chance to be elsewhere, no longer bonded by love and lust. So there you have it, that's how I honestly feel when I wear this. It's a marvel much like the sighting of a bright orange juvenile salamander, a red eft as they call them, crawling from under the watery stones, dewy and soft, far from human clangor, reminding me of where I must be for awhile, with my trusty map, a pen, and my thoughts.

Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful Barry Lyndon! Also a good news in a grey world: even nowadays there are still creators whose talent and ability produce emotions on us when we are so lucky to come across their works! I read somewhere (I'm sorry not to be very precise!) that M.C. Gentile while inventing "her" Barry Lyndon took inspiration from the film more than the novel itself. So she was visualizing the hero - in a moment of the plot - while he was trying to escape, riding through the English countryside. I can see more than this.... Sometimes descriptive fragrances could sound like descriptive music: just student's home-works more or less predictable; more or less precise more or less unuseful and really boring, no doubt! This fragrance - for me - is a sort of concentration of "dusty" light in a bottle. The "Nose" can handle with a light hand different "heavy" substances (for instance the leather here used is more similar to saddle leather than to glove one) BUT keeping always in mind the sense of measure. Not too much of... not too little of. Every element seems to go hand in hand with the other. The result - according to my skin is an immersion in reach notes (as usual, much more than those indicated in the piramid above!) recreating a rarefact atmosphere. Probably I'm changing too much or... getting older: I've never got crazy for aromatic or fougere fragrances all my life, up to now! Longevity is also very good, discreet silllage: it as an elegant frag. after all! I've tried B. L., this morning but perhaps it is better not for the too cold season but for fall and spring. p.s. One hour ago, I sprayed it on 2 my male friends: even better than on me. If polygamy weren't forbidden (in my country) I would ask their hands instantly!

This is herbs and grass, in the best way possible. It's the level of herbs that reminds me of a handful of herbs freshly cut from the garden. There is mint in here that gives it a cooling and energizing feel, without being toothpastey or too medicinal. But being a herb forward fragrance, there is some danger of coming across as an "all natural pharmacy". Personally, i'd say Spring and Autumn are where this fragrance will shine. Spring and Autumn are great seasons for herbs and/or balsamic notes (this is Not balsamic). It has a slightly powdery undertone. Not so much as to call the fragrance powdery. But it has the effect of a powdery fragrance. Performance is almost too much. The samples are dabbers, and i got about 1/4 of the 1.8ml sample on my arm. It's choking me out a little bit. Lasts and projects Very well. Especially considering the high level of natural ingredients. Where: That's a hard question. Casual to semi-casual. It's not the most versatile type of fragrance type. It's got the "comfort and soothing" effect for some. "Energetic and lively" for others. Try it and decide for yourself. When: Autumn, winter, and spring. I wouldn't wear it in summer, as it is quite potent, and a potent herb fragrance can be quite dense in the summer heat. Who: Unisex, with a little masculine lean. It's mostly unisex. Age i'd say mature. I don't see any teens or people in their 20's being the biggest fans of this herbs and greens style of fragrance. Personal score: 8.75/10. I love it, but i don't know when i'd wear it. I don't really wear herb forward fragrances very often. If i did, this would be on the top of the list so far. Absolutely worth a sample.

As I consider Stanley Kubrick ́s “Barry Lyndon” to be nothing short of a masterpiece, I was very curious to try a scent that was inspired by this film, or, more specifically, by one of its scenes (Barry ́s horse ride through the English countryside). I ́m relieved to say Maria Candida Gentile ́s fragrance does deliver. From the very first moment, the scent feels outdoorsy thanks to green and grass notes. Shortly after that, leather makes its entrance. The note is beautifully rendered. Even though it dominates the heart, it never becomes overwhelming. It evokes the smell of Barry ́s saddle mixed with, I dare say, the smell his four-legged vehicle. A few moments later, the leather note becomes a little softer, blending with vanilla. The leather-vanilla combination is my favourite stage in the development of this perfume. Whenever I wear it, “Barry Lyndon” manages to put me in a contemplative mood. I know the adjective “sophisticated” is brutally overused when it comes to describing fragrances, but Candida Gentile ́s creation is a perfect embodiment of this characteristic. It ́s also an intimate perfume and an ideal companion for a quiet evening in when I pour myself a glass of wine, open a good book, or just let the ideas in my head run riot. A marvellous fragrance from an incredibly talented perfumer!

I had no hopes for this at all--a perfume named after one of my favorite books about a total scoundrel. I expected something vaguely green and shamrocky but, by god, she nailed it. This opens cool and green--almost minty. In a few minutes the balsam and heather come up--very classic and very well done. Then the surprise that makes this so good: a note that alternates between tar and something quite bitter. The only word I can think of for the note is "insolent". The note never goes away but it does move toward the background leaving leather, green notes and balsam in the foreground with just enough vetiver to make it a bit salty. As I said before a beautifully built classic fougere but with a twist that makes it memorable. Not a scent for beginners but well worth knowing. My only complaint--for an EdP it has a rather short life. Sillage: conversational, 2-3 feet Duration: 1-3 hours Fabulosity: excellent port wine Value to price: reasonable 7/10