Arabian Horse 3.1

I love equestrian-themed perfume compositions and consider this one the bar from all I have tried so far. I'm looking forward to the new one from Papillon. I do feel that this one is hard to top though. An almost flawless perfume. Complex, unique, compelling, well-blended, smooth, true to its idea, and wearable. Especially the latter part. I feel these types of compositions are difficult to pull off. Many artistic perfumes are not that wearable around people, and the other way around. This one feels like an artistic exercise yet upscale and poised to the point that no one would think you have just been horse riding. It also stretches beyond that. It's an agrestic, hinting to the fields and wildflowers, a pseudo-chypre making use of mossy-earthy accords paired with labdanum, a leather perfume, after all, horses and saddles usually go well together, and an Oriental once it settles into the base where there is a nice warm glow from the cistus and the musks. The opening smells like a field in the countryside as soon as the Summer rain hits. Wet grass, wildflowers, clover, followed by narcissus. At this point, you'd think, why call it "Arabian?" as it smells more like a meadow. The heart is where the brilliant "horse mane" accord comes into play, together with a well-paired leather facet. In my childhood, I used to play around horses and sometimes press my face against their neck or mane. This is what it smelled like. Difficult to describe. I can only imagine that Pierre loves these animals and spends a lot of time around them to develop such a vivid accord. The base of the perfume is not as impressive as the opening and the mid, yet still intrigues with the perpetuating creamy leather accord, pressed against cistus and musks. At this stage, the name fits, as it shifts from the meadows to the dunes. It is one of the perfumes that made a long-lasting impression on me, even more so coming from a house I did not know back then and from which I had never expected something like this, highly recommended to people who want to experience a unique composition or those who love agrestic perfumes, leathers, and of course, horses. IG:@memory.of.scents

This is beautifully unique but inoffensive. Arabian Horse opens with slightly sweet florals that dissipate quite quickly, and present almost no green notes on my skin. I can't say I'm particularly familiar with Cypriol oil, but there's a vaguely medicinal essential oil scent that is reminiscent of a menthol-based heat rub like Tiger Balm. It's pleasant and clean without being overbearing, and adds a refreshing vibe to an otherwise warm scent upon dry down. The dry down to me is more sweet-sappy woody than musky. The musk that is there doesn't have the heavy, animalic intensity that I would expect of an equestrian-themed perfume, but I think this is for the better. It's more of a vintage leather coat at an secondhand shop. Whether or not this hits the mark as an equestrian perfume, I can't say. What I can say is that this is a gorgeously true unisex. The smoky wood and musk notes lean masculine, but are pulled back towards femininity by the faint-but-sensual sweetness. Unfortunately the sillage on this is upsettingly weak. I have to press my nose to my wrist to get anything after the initial application. Would love to own a bottle but for the price, it's probably not in the cards.

Truly a fragrance which evokes equestrian scenery; starting from wildflower covered meadow to "de luxe" wooden barn and leather riding accessories, this smells natural and unconstrained and at the same time refined and privileged. Hermes comes to mind, except this would be further upgrade, a higher level of imagination and complexity. Accordingly, stages of development are including various notes - from grassy green, earthy and flowery, woody, leathery, animalic and balmy. Tipically PG - masterfully blended, to my nose this fragrance is most of the time a leather fragrance - smooth as a butter, so to speak. In short - begins as a muted spanish leather and develops into very fine and smooth animalic/oriental. Drydown took my breath away and I would buy this expensive fragrance (signature collection) just because of it (totally agree on BaV comparison)!

I'm obsessed with this and have been since I first...ok maybe the second time I smelled it. Unbelievably morish. An animalic musk sits in the background of this photorealistic olfactory dream; leather, hay, dew drops on wild flowers in a yellow and green English field, the sun is rising, the fenceposts are aged and creeping with green moss, and it's springtime. Perfumes like this are why I'm so in love with perfumes if that makes sense(?) Serene. 10/10 even with its poor longevity--just means topping up after a few hours and experiencing that glorious opening again. Edit again: the longevity on this is not poor by any stretch. I just had to let the bottle sit. This is, and always will be, one of my favourite scents ever. Love

A complex fragrance. Florals (narcissus and rose), musky leather, sweet amber and strong cypriol in the base is what I get. Overall a smooth very unisex leather fragrance, even if its overall sweetness may please more the feminine crowds, in spite of some animalics facets. The price point is a bit steep for me to justify the purchase of a full bottle that I would reach for only occasionally, but still, it's one of the best offerings of Pierre Guillaume and a must try, at least a sample. Colder days, 30+ Edit: After another couples of wears, I have to say that it is extremely unique, and definitely entered my to-buy list, even if this house is rarely discounted, and the full retail price for this one goes around $300 :(