Fin de Siecle

If Libertine’s fragrance Fin de Siècle is any indication, this house will become a bright star in fragrance night sky in the not too distant future. It isn’t as if there is something revolutionary going on in the ingredients—its ingredients as listed on Libertine’s website are: black currant, rose, patchouli and oakmoss. Fragrantica lists 8 notes, none unusual. But from opening sniff to dry down this one is one of these intoxicatingly fruity, floral, mossy, patch scents that can compete with almost any of the many scents that include these ingredients. I think it is the black currant that helps move it to the higher echelons of the rose heavy fragrances. Since I have just received the bottle early today, I have been trying to find either a useful metaphor or another scent to compare it to. Since many have smelled or tried a sample of Portrait of a Lady, I will invoke it as it has black current, rose, and patchouli. It also has a very long list of other notes. It is much more complex and for some this is what makes it world class. I love both for the overabundance of subtle notes and the high quality of the ingredients. Fin de Siècle is much more in your nose from the get-go. Some might find this both too much and not enough. While its palette may not come close to POAL it still leaves me with a depth of heady and carefully chosen ingredients. It is supposed to invoke the decadence of the time and character of Oscar Wilde and the art for art’s sake era. Provocative, self-assured, paradoxical and brilliantly witty in Oscar, more somber in the likes of Walter Pater. I think this scent is somewhere in between those two, reaching for the art of fragrance while still acknowledging the desire to shock. Sample first, as it is powerful and long-lasting.

Very under-rated gem and it should deserve more attention! Fin de Siecle is a retro-ish, green, mossy and jammy rose yet still feels modern and current. The initial spray is a blast of jammy and sweet rose full of life and nuances, the rose swings from fruity to mossy, back to fruity, another min to jammy and mossy..., and dries down to a lovely rose skin scent. It is ever-changing and never boring with the interesting contrast of moss and civet, neither does it feels too retro and should have stayed on the 60/70's shelf. The perfumer (Josh Smith) is a great artist and really captured the quirky spirit of the rose. Lasted 7-8 hrs on skin and even longer on clothes.

The most jewel-like pomegranate-colored rose, glowing and multi-faceted, reflecting prisms on cave walls. It’s lush and passionate, no sterile soapiness or virginal dew, just wild growing branches, emerald vines, ruby juice and the fire-bright golden last flash of sunset. This feels royal and alive, the psychic rose of past life dreams.

This contemporary Chypre uses high quality ingredients to make a modern classic. It has depth, a bright blackcurrant opening, a smooth rose, the right amount of sweetness showing skill already beyond his years. This is a rare house and relatively new so for the fraghead, a must try. 4/5

This is my new favourite rose scent. It's like rose and skin and fur and it's a bit juicy but in a slightly bitter way. Wonderful.