Brocéliande

I’m surprised that this has not received as much attention as other fragrances from the brand such as Mandorle (which I also loved), Gladiator (which felt unremarkable to me), and Janny (which took my by surprise as I usually don’t like literal gourmannds but I loved this iteration). I got the sample set (which is a bit on the expense side btw, but...) and along with Mandorle and Janny this one was a clear standout to me and a complete surprise as I am a bit sensitive to animalics (this is not an all indolic btw, as least not to my skin. Thankfully!) and I don’t particularly like citrus and fresh scents so I did not expect to like this, let alone love it. But this is a fragrance for those that are looking for a fresh and citrus scent that still has some depth to it and is not straight up citrus or blue. It is a very complex scent that in the opening has a citrusy boozy vibe that is not too sweet and not one dimensional. You get the zinginess from the ginger, lemon and lime and the booziness from the rum but there is an underlying sweetness (very slight to my nose), a bit powdery and spicy. While it develops it becomes less zesty and more deep and sweet but never cloying. I cannot detect the animatic notes at all, so I guess they’re used in moderation to make the scent more complex and interesting. It is very interesting and uplifting and has a fun vibe to it while still being very elegant to my nose. To me, this is a summer staple, especially for those that are not typically into summery scents (like myself), but it can easily be worn year round. It’s in offensive, very likeable, and it performs quite well (8+ hours on my skin, with a moderate and not too loud presence). It was definitely a surprise as I did not expect to like this but after spending a few days with the sample I could not resist getting a full bottle for the summer ahead!

Very nice fragrance! Starts with that talked about citrus sweet note that could be compared to any type of lemon cake/pie etc smell... the citruses in here are more of the kind of realistic peel of the lemon smelling kind of like something like renaissance from xerjoff?? Maybe but lighter and also i get a lot of that sweet note which i pick up mostly a mix of that rum with the vanilla and the caramel so u get this mix of lemon peel like the one u add to the lemon cake if you are related to bakery or have made a lemon cake before... with that very wonderful sweet mix Dont take my word but i get like a very very far away similarity to the experience i get when smelling by the fireplace from maison margiela... has nothing to do since this is not smoky but idk why i got that in my head when smelling broceliande If you like sweet fragrances with a hint of citrus like a lemon cake mix then you will like this... i would wear this on a summer night 8/10 Dont know about longevity or other stuff... just got my decant and this are my first impressions!

Opens up *very* citrusy and *very* zesty. ...and contrary to what I'm reading online, on my skin, the scent remains citrusy throughout the wear, never developing to have these rich vanillic accords with rum and cinnamon, that other people seem to get. To me this is a spring/summer scent; I couldn't imagine wearing this during the colder months. Weird. And I have an official Sora Dora sample, so it doesn't seem likely that I would've gotten a wrong scent with my order. I found Broceliande to be the most underwhelming of the seven releases, despite having high hopes about it. I'm not saying it's a bad scent - it definitely isn't - just not at all what I was expecting and hoping.

So there's two versions of this, the first one from 2021 is more animalistic/smoky/woody which I quite like. But the one from 2024 is more boring and tame. Doesn't get as dark, and stays more bright with its citrus. I have a sample (the sample doesn't start citrusy at all) which I believe it's from 2021 but I got a full bottle and to my nose it smells like it's the later version 211145BE maybe someone can confirm for me, unless it needs to get macerated? So apparently I have the 2024 version which smells weaker and not as smoky, and more citrusy. Kinda boring.

From the brand website, in case you want to see what they consider to be the top, heart, and base notes. It's a wild ride...and I love it. Top notes: Essence of Italian Bergamot, Essence of Lime, Essence of Lemon Heart notes: Essence of Ginger, Essence of Coriander Seed, Essence of Ceylon Cinnamon, Iris Base notes: Sesame CO2, Castoreum, Civet, Essence of Pyrogenic Styrax, Vanilla, Caramel

I really like this. Like others said it’s a bit experimental. It starts really citrusy, fresh and aromatic than it gets to the animalistic notes that make the perfume unique and stand out. It’s not for everyone, the animal notes make it a bit synthetic and plasticky but not like burned tires and gasoline but something more pleasant. Definitely not blind buy safe, but very lovely.

Pleasant, versatile and unique - but not to my taste. I get the citrus mixed with the animalic elements, but to me, it ends up smelling like a citrus + incense combination of some sort with a touch of sweetness. I don't get the booze, unfortunately. After the opening, I don't get the incense anymore and it starts smelling like a baked good of some sort. It's not literal or too gourmand, but that's the association I get. Kind of like a baked good from a church? The incense smell isn't there anymore, but there's still something giving it that vibe. A mix of the spices and animalic notes I assume. It goes in and out of that phase though, sometimes it smells less churchy, I don't know how to describe it. I generally don't like animalics so I think that is what's bothering me (even though these are on the tamer side of the spectrum, no stink). I could wear it sure, I like it, but I don't love it. Not a safe blind buy.

The top notes reminded me of Akro Bake so much that I had to check if Olivier Cresp was the perfumer, it’s the sweet gourmand lemon cake vibe. But after smelling them side by side Bake is a sweeter cake vibe than Brocéliande and the similarities start to fade as the top notes burn off and the funkiness starts to come out. It’s pretty restrained funk to my nose, so much so it is barely noticeable at first. This has an interesting evolution and I appreciate the gourmand mixed with something slightly dirty, almost like there is some barnyard like oud. Works for me, but Bake is a better choice for a straightforward gourmand.

Nice and unique It smells like lemon with spicy ginger, suede leather and resins, that’s what I get from it. The dry down is spicy with less lemon and more ginger, suede and resins. This is very unique and beautiful! Rating 9/10

Citrusy coca cola with rum and vanilla. Very unusual and interesting smell! Selling my partial bottle in EU, pm me if interested.

I decided to get a full bottle!

The opening is lemon-gelato with hint of ginger and cinna. It is immediately followed by a surprising animal note! Synthetic and animalic! This fragrance should, in my opinion, be in the 'experimental' category. The juxtaposition of opposites is very unsettling. The clean, citrusy scent of lemon and bergamot together with the animal dirtiness! There is also a boozy quality to this scent, and the styrax is definitely there. I am sensitive to this note. Sesame and styrax add a very noticeable spicy-balsamic character. Love em. I appreciate it, but I can't use it all the time, it's too experimental!

Opening super zingy from ginger, lemon and lime, but it soon transforms into food like and animalic hot mess (probably from the iris, coriander and animalic notes). I can imagine this is how a cook in a high-end restaurant would smell like after 12 hours on the shift - there is a lot of contrasting and unmatching food scents mixed with sweat and exhaustion and juxtaposition that just does not feel right. I`m wearing it today to the office and it makes me feel super conscious about myself as I fear I`m projecting something quite disturbing with this scent.

Strong lime+lemon in the front, leather, caramel, vanilla in the background. This is very unique and absolutely not a safe blind buy. I would say it smells a little bit close to smell in church, if you smell it closely. I cannot say more.. because this is very complex fragrance with really strong lime+lemon in the front and slightly Lira from Casamorati in the background. Just more lemony and more... interesting. Yet, not for me or at least I need to give it a time to understand it.

Brocéliande opens with a blast of citrus. After a short time the lemon gives way to hints of cinnamon, caramel & rum. It’s a boozy, well blended unisex scent with great longevity & projection. It’s good, but I’m on the fence if I want a fb. I think it’s the castoreum/civet dry down I’m not thrilled with. I’ll continue to wear my decant to help me decide. Definitely worth it to purchase a sample! I found mine on Etsy!

A daring blend of clear blue water, lemon, lime, alcohol and sweaty beaver sex. The almost misplaced animalistic elements made me want to dislike Brocéliande, but this is an overall smooth and unique blend. An acquired taste that I can definitely enjoy in the right circumstances. This isn't bad, it's...daring.

Like Lira but with rum. The rum reads as latexy to me, so I personally wouldn’t pick this over Lira

I think everyone smells something different here, depending on what our noses are sensitive to. I personally see no similarities between Brocéliande and the Lira family. Yes, citruses are present, but instead of strong vanilla sweetness, I get animalic, almost faecal notes. Not a safe blind buy at all.

Trying Broceliande for he first time, from the Sora Dora discovery set. I read the reviews first just before spraying it on the dorso of my left hand. Now I can't un-smell the "bad breath" of the dry down. I had to spray Tuscan Leather on top to mask it. Broceliande is a no for me.

Wonderful smelling on initial spray but unfortunately for me that castoreum and civet is just a little too pronounced in the dry down. It ends up smelling like bad breath to me, and I couldn't wash it off quick enough. Wish I loved it like everyone else seems to!

@sreza7 I get the same ! 😄 I brought a discovery set from Sora Dora and the only one I like is Orchidee Rouge (even that one is 7/10)

I pick up a lot on the civet and castoreum a lot here. So for me, it’s a pass. Lemon, caramel and bad breath.

This is a win from the house for me, just like Mandorle! This one starts off very citrusy, I get a lot of lime and bergamot, and along with the citrus is this rich, sweet caramel-cinammon combo that is to die for. It’s rich, caramelized, and boozy... it reminds me of a hint of caipirinha, a drink is Brazilians are very familiar with. It’s a boozy cocktail of lime muddled with sugar until there’s almost a sugar-lime paste on the bottom of the glass, then we proceed to add ice and cachaça, our national vodka, which is stronger and a tad thicker than vodka. This opening is so so similar to caipirinha! This deliciousness lasts about 10 minutes then it get darker, at this point my bf said it smelled dark and creamy and I agree! It’s caramelized aspect gets a bit deeper but the lime still peaks through every so often making these little whiffs of citrus pure happiness. It stays sweet, caramel-y, a bit powdery, with a hint of spice for a bit and I adore this so much, the vanilla is the creamy dollop that I start perceiving as the drydown starts taking a back seat so the mid notes can come out and shine! This does have an animalic something, notes like civet and castoreum always leave a strange, dead flower smell on my skin that I normally don’t like but in here? It’s extremely pleasant and definitely gives the fragrance depth and character! Wow, this reminds me also of rubber, somewhere in the midst of the long list of notes I smell a new tire accord, it’s lovely, it’s not something meant to smell like tire but the notes combined creates an accord that reminds me entering a tire shop and sniffing a brand new tire. Wait!!! I’m the only one who does that? Ooops! Don’t mind me, the fragrance smells incredible, there’s so many layers to it! I told my bf this juice is a trip as it takes your mind to places...mine went to Minotaure by Paloma Picasso, new tire, caipirinha, caramelized iris, sweet incense, vanilla cream and it’s crazy but I picture a very fluffy, fuzzy wall a lá “ Get them the the Greeks” would smell like that too! A giant brown bear with a strong, hard exterior but a sweet, comforting interior! Yes, try this is a ride!!! Try this for yourself and don’t be scared of the animalic notes, they’re there to entertain your, not scare you!!

Like this a lot. It's oddly charming- which Sora Dora seems to manifest by pairing niche, herbal, aromatic accords with rich, indulgent, sometimes gourmand ones. Perhaps it's just that these extraits are designed to be dense and heady, but I have yet to try any of the EDP variations so that's my impression so far. I also love that I can't really place it singularly into any one genre, and I find that's a common theme with the things I like from the brand. This is an...aromatic, incensed leather, in a mild gourmand wrapping, with a clear rum cocktail theme. Initially it opens with a very a resinous incense aroma- mineralic, a bit stony, a little soapy, and accented with notes of citrus. That rum note really makes me think of orange at the end of the day though- altogether it reminds me of a cocktail garnish with the bitter, aromatic liquers rising up to meet your nose. There's a constant undercurrent of sweetness tying it all together that feel mostly like notes you'd get in rum- caramel, vanilla, maybe oak. It's balanced like you would balance a cocktail as well- bitter and sour to meet the sweetness. Readily apparent but not distasteful or cloying. Eventually the cinnamon and ginger poke out a bit more, and also the surprise note for me- sesame. It lends a nutty, slightly savory twist to it all and pushes your attention in yet another odd but coherent direction. The closest real object that comes to mind is something called Jian Dui (Sesame Seed Balls), which is a glutinous rice ball stuffed with sweet bean paste, deep fried and coated in sesame seends. Chinese bakeries stock them fairly regularly. After a while the cocktail elements fade and the caramel-sesame-leather is the final thing to stick around, but I'd say it's unique and still a bit complex for such a long-lasting aroma. I was worried about the civet and castoreum notes but they do not lend a big skanky, sour musk effect, and probably contribute more to the smooth leather accord, which I enjoy.

I don’t despise this, but there is no way I would want to wear it. I get lots of citrus, and then yep, it is very reminiscent of bad breath. Unfortunate. If someone smelled this on you that’s what they would probably notice. It isn’t strong by any means, though. It might have helped to have added something to soften the animalics in this somewhat more. I respect art and fragrances that go in a different direction than what is popular; however, for this price it ought to be something people want to smell like, too. Also, this in no way resembles Love and Crime to me. That one is citrusy, sweet, airy, bakery etc. This is not that. Not even close. I really hoped to like this brand, but so far nothing is exciting me.

Wow the opening is so good, the dry down is so bad. People really weren't kidding when they said the dry down smells like bad breathe. That's exactly what it smells like! You remember in school when the teacher leans over to look at your work and they mouth breathing and you get the stanky morning breath, phwoahh! With that said, the opening is phenomenal it really does smell like a cross between xerjoff lira and akro bake...but then in the dry down it takes a turn for the worst. It's very animalic in the dry down you could probably describe it as like an animalic leathery bad breathe smell. Because usually I get that same smell from some leather fragrances

This has really grown on me. When I first sampled it, I thought “another typical mens cologne”. On skin and dry down, it smells like a roasted slice of pineapple dusted with cinnamon. It’s gourmand but not vanilla or dessert-y, so it works for me. A little bit peppery (probably from the ginger) which I love. It’s much more complex than my first impression.

Starts off straight lemon cake super similar to D&G devotion, them within minutes you are hit with the animalic civet and Castoreum notes, then the deep dry down is a lemon cake gasoline type scent. I don't know if I love it or hate it.

I am looking to buy a sample or decant plz... (in 🇺🇸)... if you have other fragrances you want to sell samples of, I would look at those too ♡ DM me on IG at: @charmedbymeghan

upon first spray you get a hint of cola, lemon sherbet then dries down to a light powdery citric caramel. its well blended and definitely unisex. very nice.

My decant from Etsy is all rich caramel scented pencil shavings. This is def not OK for summer. Hmmm

This kinda sums up everything I hate in more modern style perfumery