Xvert

XVERT opens with a note in it that really resembles wet dead leaves on the ground. The wet dead leaves accord is tempered by a dill that is quite familiar from many other O'driù creations and no one does it better, IMO. Cumin and cardamom spice couple with other culinary herbs like tarragon and oregano in the heart notes to mingle with the remnants of the wet dead leaves accord and dill witnessed in the top notes that hang around well into the heart. The earlier spice diminishes just a bit to reveal jasmine, sandalwood and an animallic presence in the base that I can't quite put my finger on... The scent in general is very dark, earthy and spicy, with slight animallic qualities. Projection is average and longevity is excellent. XVERT took me a bit by surprise, as the first time I tried it I was not too enamored with the composition. It's rendition of dead wet leaves decomposing on the ground (whether by using the materials themselves or some inspired clone) is spot-on accurate, bringing back memories from my early childhood visiting my grandparents where they would always have wet Maple leaves piling up on their yard with the exact same scent. It is a bit off-putting at first, but I am now warming to it. This is not really the kind of accord I want to smell of, to be honest, but it does evoke pleasant memories of the past... The dill also plays a key role here, as it tempers the bite of the decomposition early-on and well into the heart notes. Still it is the scent of earthy decay that dominates the spicy composition from start to finish and that makes it a tough one to wear; not because it is so shocking or off-putting really, but rather it is more of an artistic vision than a scent one might want to wear regularly. Very strange but interesting stuff here from O'driù that earns a "very good" rating of 3.5 stars out of 5.