Le Chypre Du Nil

I am in love with this. To me this has the allure of a classic gargantuan 80s chypre from the golden age, before all the reformulations. And few people seem to know about it, so I feel like I'm harbouring a priceless, illicit secret when wearing it. Imagine the sweet, ambery-vanilla of Shalimar, remade out of gold and incense and ancient materials... but somehow modern... ? I'm struggling to describe this. I think it's the orris root that gives it that addictive, seductive, can't-stop-sniffing-it quality, while the top notes are light and playful. Projection is excellent, silage could be better, but for me this is signature scent-worthy.

I’ve always loved this perfume in fall/winter season. But this summer I am realizing it smells completely different on my skin in warm weather. My gosh I fell in love with it once again, but this time with different, sweeter notes shining through. Only a masterpiece perfume can do this.

I do love a mysterious oriental, especially if there's a story of an exotic faraway land maybe a queen in the write up. I'm thinking Penhaligon's Vaara, Shalimar, and the likes. This has all the right elements for the type of unique oriental elixir I'm always after, without any of the candied sweetness. So anyone who loves all the olfactory jewels of the orient, but none of the overly sweet notes, this one's for you. The orris root grounds it and makes it almost dry, the wormwood and pepper gives it an earthy tone. Dried fruits and amber give it it's heart and warmth and if your skin is prone to turning things sweet this will still have an air of gourmand around it, but just a subtle, light one. The damask rose here also gives it a unique twist distinguishing this from all the generic rose patch combos out there. Really lovely - worth a try for all you oriental lovers out there. I'm a little disappointed by the generic bottle, this one warrants at least a bronzed tastefully detailed bejeweled perfume container - the kind you can get in the Cairo market! I was actually hounded by a perfume seller there just over a decade ago - he claimed I looked like Nefertiti (and my short brown haired friend Cleopatra) I'm sure he said that to all the girls, nonetheless, I bought a bottle of beautiful lotus perfume in a beautiful oriental bottle. If only I still had it...

A very delicate, woody rose, reminding me of the rose by the Scent Society (which I much prefer). Here, I'm more reminded of the suede-like material evoked by this scent: rough, arid, sawdust, scraped wood, rough velvet, the texture of a shoe or a handbag. The work on the Damask Rose gives the fragrance this particular aspect, a denser, more mysterious scent, less girlish and more sensual, which is always a pleasure for me. The drydown just sweetens, becomes more fragrant and suave, and I really appreciate its evolution over time. But: beyond this pretty realization, well, really nothing new under the sun (stop me if I'm wrong). Is the price justified, then? As pretty as this rose is, I wouldn't invest in a bottle.

Bitter sweet chypre. The 2018th vintage chypre blend. Superior dried fruit with a bitter note of elemi, sweet amber, and harsh yet tender patchouli. Sichuan pepper, is quite obvious and is adding that worm note to the blend. It does present the great Nile. As a matter of fact i see Nefertiti "The Queen Of The Nile" Lying on standalone bed overlooking the ancient Nile and on the side table there is a bowl of dried fruits (Mostly apricot) and wearing a pure rose oil. It a scene in a bottle. Amazing.