Midnight Pretenders

I have had the joy of obtaining this very early in its release and this is quite honestly one of the most unique compositions of Clément Marx's creations. Let me start by saying that I am a great admirer and fan of Clément's, I find his approach to perfumery to be extremely artistic, creative and pure in a very interesting way with each fragrance in his repertoire. There is part of me that associates this with the delightfulness of Afternoon Tea at Fortum & Mason, the elegance and familiar sophistication of it through the bloom in its florals, but at the same time, there is a sublime tranquility and mystery to it, a ritual appreciation for tea but at dusk. Opening unquestionably floral with a very prominent cherry blossom, but with the identifiably uniqueness of Ylang-Ylang, it creates the image of blossoms in season carried in the breeze. But where this fragrance gets truly interesting is in its heart...three incredibly poignant notes in how identifiable they are in perfumery, and here I feel each one is allowed to shine individually as well as in a layered composition. The calming, almost dry woody nature of chamomile, the soft rice like clarity of Sake in its pristine transparency and then the serene, meditative softness of Oolong tea with slight smoky nuances. Together they create something really rather magical, and completely inimitable. What a masterpiece, one I need to spend more time with admittedly to form a fully balanced opinion, but it is a rare thing when a perfume utterly captivates you immediately and can be likened to nothing else, especially as someone who tests and critiques them as a career, but this one is one of them.