Osmanthus Interdite

I summarize in 4 words "the best osmantus in the market". Fresh and green by the tea note, a life-giving tea that is sure to be accompanied by cheerful citrus and ozone shades by the helional, without preamble and without warning appears "the osmantus", the absolute, a very real osmantus, gleaming, proud, It feels like an important floral note, it is like "a prince", prince that is left to accompany the absolute of rose and a white floral note surely helional or liral that has nuances a fruity ozonicos and the other one of jasmine, the apricot qualifies, contributes a Creamy touch as if it were cream, this accompanies, dresses, stuffs and lets the proud osmantus note feel that it is felt by all this potentiated as if it had taken a high dose of proteins, would have gone to the gym and would have left more biceps of the Usual, this new, strong and empowered osmantus feels more handsome than the rest and will be there accompanied by all his entourage until the end. The note of musk sweetens, shades the drying and fixed in skin passing unnoticed as it should be in a realistic modern floral. The suede looks great, gives body, is the prince layer that carries the Osmantus and gives a more woody effect than animal, all incredibly well nuanced and balanced, very good work. Excellent durability and stellar addition I find a rather unisex potential. If it is Cortichiatto, I do not know, of course it has looked very good with this fragrance. Rating: 9.1

Osmanthus finally done right! Over the years Ive come close to purchasing Osmanthe Yunnan, as it was the only osmanthus based scents out there that I had access to, but I always hesitated. OY takes the osmanthus in a sheer, watery direction that always felt "wrong" to me. Osmanthus is probably my favorite natural scent in the world, and I have deep associations of it and many beautiful autumns in Japan. The deeper, darker aspects of the flower always stood out for me. Osmanthus is sunny and bright without being sharp or citric, and also warm and autumnal but without any melancholy. Osmanthus Interdite is the first scent Ive tried that seems to "get" the flowers essential character. OI us sunny, warm, suede-y and fruity all at once, on a bed of (thankfully not too astringent) tea, bolstered on all sides by its naturally occuring notes of apricot, suede, leather and a kind of purple grape candy note. It has a almost vegetal quality at times. I suppose this is more for women but I dont think this creamy-apricot-suede is too feminine for men. To me it reminds me of so many autumn days in Tokyo, with crisp air and blue sky, and fallen leaves and sweet osmanthus on the breeze. I was prepared for a weaker scent but OI has surprising projection and longevity. Compared to the cruel joke that is OY's potency, this has nuclear strength. This is absolutely the osmanthus holy grail, and the only fair treatment of the flower out there.

It’s a balmy day, low 80sF, spring humidity still in the air, bright yellow sun, a cool breeze lazily drifting through, I’m under an umbrella lounging on a chaise by the pool, a bit of mezcal with a lime wedge in hand, and wearing Osmanthus Interdite. Life is great. OI is a fitting partner here. Its broad citrusy and soapy characteristics lend to an energetic cleanliness while the florals feel as though they’re adorning me like leis on this beautiful day. This isn’t strictly an osmanthus perfume, but perhaps better thought of as a deconstructed osmanthus. The pink and yellow citrusy tree fruits and the soapy musky floral attributes hold in the perfume from start to finish. Leave it to Marc-Antoine Corticchiato to convince me where so many other perfumers have failed that a true woody green tea accord is not only possible in perfumery but actually photorealistic and gorgeous. A honeyed white jasmine is the quiet glue bridging it all. Suede is the foundation in which this all rests, powdery and gently animalic; it’s a living suede, not dead hides. Gorgeous. It’s one of the most alive osmanthus perfumes I’ve ever smelled, as if the living flower were capable of greeting you with a smile - and so helpless to its easy, pleasant, and bright charms are you that you smile right back. Osmanthus Interdite is here to brighten your day, to give you a cooling caress and help you forget worries and stresses for a while. Let it.

It is a Haiku: refined, elegant and discreetly chic. It is also a sin, a forbidden sin for a man like me ("forbidden sin" = "péché interdit" in French). I don't like citrus scents for summer (Iskander smells sour on me and suddenly becomes very sugary amber) and don't want anything too heavy (Eau de Gloire turns to dry, dark leather very quickly on me -not for summer). I think I found THE perfume for summer. In addition, I love flowers for men. Why not?! Everything is subtle, nothing is aggressive, nothing is sweet. The fruits are more "fruit tea", very light and not invasive (not specifically feminine). And the final "leather" note (called "suede") is not heavy and is eminently suitable for summer. But take a seat, I tell you the story: You are comfortably seated in a sublime japanese garden, fresh and calm. A tea is offered to you, lightly scented with flowers. The garden is warmed by the sun and you can smell the sweet scents of the fruits that scent the air, without ever invading you. Then night falls and we offer you a delightfully comforting Pashmina plaid (the suede note). That's what is Osmanthus Interdite! Really a unisex perfume in my opinion. [sorry for my poor english, I speak Google Translate very well]

This is one of those fragrances where I got a sample and sprayed it on and immediately went online and bought it. I mean, right then. That is how much I liked it. I had no idea what I was smelling that I loved so much (and still am not quite sure) but it must be the osmanthus. This is a fragrance unlike any other I have ever smelled. It is green and watery and I get no fruit whatsoever but I still do not think "floral" (although I realize it is floral). I get some musk in the dry down and maybe a little tea at some point. I think I am smelling a tiny touch of mint. But I get a heavy dose of whatever that is I am smelling the most....again, must be osmanthus. I don't know how to describe it, all I know is that I like it. This smells way more feminine to me than masculine but I noticed some people said it was unisex. It definitely smells like it was meant for a woman to me. I don't feel like it has much projection (although it is hard to smell myself from a few feet away) but it seems to stay pretty close. Which is how I like my fragrances. I don't want to be the person clouding up a room, no matter how good my cloud smells. I find this to be a heavenly fragrance...feminine and fresh but that little bit of different.