Phileas

Phileas ("FIL" + "ee" + "uhs", as in Phileas Fogg of Jules Verne's 1873 novel "Around the World in 80 Days", note the fabled balloon on the box) begins with a Campari aperitif tartness coupled with the most heavenly juniper berry I've ever experienced in a fragrance, piney-piquant, mushroomy-cool, crisp-cool-breeze bright. There is also the suggestion of lime to my nose—so invigorating and enduring. It grows more wormwood-like and coniferous and dense as the top notes descend, green sticky resins, and a pine straw tawny underline. Then comes impressions of celery seed, a spiced melange and dried rustic herbs: more vigor! Furthermore, I am reminded of the aroma of crushed cypress needles. Its vegetal and evergreen qualities are reined in by labdanum and vetiver, rendering Phileas dirtier and earthier, echoing that of Yatagan and Devin, yet with Phileas, there is further suspense. It smells like a foggy damp forest floor after a long rain, the saturation, the foliage and mud. It traverses through dry to wet and sharp to round in the course of its development. It really does achieve the effect of Phileas' journey: but none of it is too pretty and elemental. What a concept that was destined for commercial failure but has won the hearts of diehard fragrance enthusiasts. It was produced only until the 90s and one must either spend a great deal for any sizable quantity or wait, and wait, and wait, for that one phenomenal deal to surface, and then snatch it with an accelerated heartbeat.

Phileas is one of those extinct super male dinosaurs of the decade of the 80. Bitter, strange opening, citrus with aldehydes, a sweet, waxy touch and an aromatic point, juniper berries that produce that bitterness, it seems a swirl of wind that uncontrolls the aroma, but when that wind begins to calm down and the fragrance is centered, The aroma recovers, it becomes complex, the carnation and the spices like cinnamon arise, give warmth, sensuality, pine takes over the aroma, it becomes drier, leather, tobacco and cedar are subtle but they fill with masculinity He tells Phileas. A dry oak moss sets the aroma to the classic and gives an excellent duration. Phileas is very masculine, the aroma tremendous to pine, the woods, the leather and the tobacco they grant it. Drying of oak moss is the rubrica. Still, the strange thing that Phileas has that makes it special and different from other peers of its time is that delicate floral-aldehyde aroma that is latent at all times, it seems that it is not, but it never disappears. Phileas might look rough and rough like a week-old unshaven beard on a furry, angular, strong, closed face, yet it's all appearance. Under that roughness one feels the softness, the delicacy and a lot of class. Rating: 8.5

This is a rare gem! A sadly discontinued fragrance of immense beauty. Phileas is quite a complex composition that opens with a considerable amount of aldehydes, citruses and juniper for an overall effect that is at the same time stark, freshly-green and almost powdery/soapy. Patchouli rapidly makes its appearance joined by other spices (a light cinnamon), coniferous notes, leather and tobacco. In this phase Phileas reaches its peak of beauty with its perfect balance between the classic powerhouse style and an incredibly sophisticated elegance. In the drydown I get a lot of resinous notes (labdanum), pine (again), and a subtle cedarwood laying on a slightly metallic amber. Compelling and unique. This is a very hard to find fragrance, so if you're lucky enough to find it, don't miss the chance to get it. Complex and definitely overlooked. A masterpiece Rating: 9/10

Original EDT 10 ml bottle - The bottle is lovely, weighty, simple and classy. The bottom is embossed with all the information, and the name is in gold on the shoulder discreetly, so need for those pesky... oh so how shall we say....middle class... labels.... A deep straw colour tinged with a faint green tone, the light is pretty going through the bevelled glass. Now rushing to dump more on my arm after I just gave it an eye opening very first sniff. Wow, this is a toe curling Mediterranean sea-ed, cedar treed, pine-forested, camping trip, with the Head Cheerleader. Freshness, fun, fires, laughter, and fresh cotton sleeping bags. This cologne is making me cry. It is just beautiful. Nina ́s best. Beseeching the Perfume Gods to please bring it back. It is like what would happen to another top cologne, if it went to the finest Swiss Finishing School.

Named for Phileas Fogg, the hero of Jules Verne's 1873 novel "Around the World in 80 Days" (played by David Niven in the classic 1956 film), the intent was to create a fragrance using ingredients from all six continents (since nothing much grows in Antarctica, only the other six were included.) The ingredient list is complex, but the overall effect is classy and refined, and tends more toward the dry herbal than the sweet balsamic Orientals. There is something elegantly Victorian about it, yet modern as well. It might be the perfect fragrance for Steampunks, since it styles itself as a bridge between the antique and the modern.