Study No. 23 / Newsletter

Not far from being my dream sandalwood. Let's start with a very green, syrupy beginning, lemonade/fennel syrup under a summer thunderstorm. Patchouli is there in the background, tickling the back of the nostrils. Then sandalwood arrives... Woody, milky, round. Reddish-brown, powdery wood, incense-savory. Myrrh, cedar, moss. Immortelle is there, yes, somewhere: its density disturbing, its face attractive for all that. A soap too, waxed, frothy, piney, mysterious. Drying "synthesizes" again, film or cellophane filter, kaleidoscope, metal that jams on the small grains and mirror-labyrinth-reflections. There's perhaps a hint of Diptyque's home fragrances, the warm scent of living rooms-bobos-Persian rugs-travel memories on the antique wood table and the stack of design books. It's a Vincent Delerm perfume, perhaps, but with all the cocoon-charming-memories-family-comfort it will remind some people of. For me, it's happiness, everything my memory loves, and here in a beautiful upscale. Very beautiful, very beautiful.

Dry churchy incense in the top (with some greenness, why probably people vote similarities with El Cosmico... but it's very remote), supported by woods and smoky myrrh in the base, showing both its vanillic and cola-ish/medicinal facet. Moderate performance. Shares similarities with several other churchy incense fragrances (the usual suspects), thus not unique, but really masterfully blended! And that seems to be the song with (nearly) all of Miller et Bertaux's juices: they do not revolution their respective categories, but they are "if-you-have-to-own-just-one-in-that-style-this-is-it" kind of fragrances. A bit like Chopin: many pianists have played it, but if you have to own just one record, get one by Kissin or Pollini, and call it a day! I probably don't need an extra incense (or vetiver) fragrance, but I don't care.... there will always be some space in my wardrobe for an extra one! (especially a perfect interpretation like the present one!)

A coriander fizz, cola pop, crushed myrtle leaves, the opening of No. 23 Newsletter is the headline: "Incense for Artsy Tree Huggers." Why, that's me! Mmm, myrrh, lots of it, tacky and dark, bittersweet as the aldehydes settle, the crunch of fennel seeds, that burst, it smells vibrant yet cool. There is zero citrus here but a huge slug of tawny cedar brimming from under the effervescence. Going from fizzy and crunchy to slightly smoldering and will-o'-the-wisp glow, it feels like a dusty, tiny abandoned church in the pines and I've lit some sandalwood incense from within, heeding to Smokey the Bear, safety first, and saluting to the majesty of the decay. Shards of stained glass remain, illuminated from the filtered light that enters, and I think to myself, there is no other place I want to be, but here, right now.

I feel like someone who found a treasure walking around nature, this quality and creativity hid in an almost unknown brand! I dont know how to describe this, this is inscency but not bothering, this is sweet but not a baccarat rouge type of sweet, this is spicy but not a regular spicy... its not like any perfume that I have ever tried, REAL NICHE, so nice and PERFECT QUALITY, LONGIVITY, UNDER 100$??? I am just gonna give a 10/10 for now and review it later when purchased a whole bottle soon...

It opens with spiced woody cedar aroma with a hint of incense and C11 aldehyde (clean , leafy smell resembling fresh air mixed with coriander, not really my favourite part of the scent). Mid and base notesa are more smoky and resinous (incense, sandalwood and myrrh) with delicate accent of fennel. its the smoky, resinous notes that made me fall in love with this fragrance instantly. its very long lasting and truly envelopes the body in warm, sensual notes.