Byzantium

Byzantium is a lovely floral amber of a kind we have numerous amounts of over the decades. You know what this smells like: sour and bitter bergamot overlaying a beautiful floral heart of jasmine and rose while a resinous and earthy vanillic base plays upwards. Is it a bit pedestrian and derivative? Sure. As I said, you’ve smelled this before and there is not much of a point to me wasting your time and the energy within my hand muscles to type-out what is already known and understood. So is it worth any time then? Yes, absolutely, if you fall into one of these two categories: 1) you are highly experienced when it comes perfume, and/or 2) you love a floral amber. The reason for number one is because of Reinthal’s materials. I don’t know how or where she gets what she gets but she has secrets that must be dearly held close to her vest. The tinctures or absolutes or whatever they are for the jasmine, rose, patchouli, and labdanum are beyond criticism. Those that “know how to smell perfumes” will find themselves quite taken with Byzantium for this reason. The labdanum in particular is of excellent quality, very realistically carrying the rosey floral notes well into the base. Then there are the floral amber lovers, number two. Immediately perceptible and understandable by all of any experience level, but yet gravitate to the genre, will find that it wears quite differently from most that we encounter. It smells rich and thick without bearing down on top of you; it smells complete and naturalistic without trying to lie to you; you’ll feel like a million bucks but it won’t cost you a million like some designer and niche offerings attempting to achieve the same. Great stuff.

I have the solid perfume version of this and it is exquisite! Juicy citrus and a lingering Cypress lead into a super chewy, almost fruity combination of jasmine and rose. Later, the Rose overtakes the jasmine and is met by a slightly nutty Ambrette, which finally gives way to spicy leather sweetness from patchouli and oriental amber accord. What is there not to love about this and all the other wonderful creations by Ms. Reinthal?

Byzantium has a rich aroma, but is so silent. It's bright and very quiet. When I opened the cap, I felt like a naturally matured Mediterranean Citruses in the old barrel. When it put on my skin, cool Cypress and Jasmine join in this. (Like the turquoise colored sea) Finally the scent became dried woody taste, but there are still Citruses and Rose. That's enigmatic bright oriental scent.

On application I was greeted with a bunch of notes not listed above. Checking the TRNP website confirmed my observations: tons of lavender and myrrh, softly floral, herbal, laced with luminous orange and perhaps a hint of grapefruit. I can also pick up some cypress too which adds to the freshness and sense of outdoor adventure in the vastness of the mountains. Woodiness, a hint of warm amber, and a bed of leathery greenness. I love how the lavender softens the composition with its floral muskiness too. The rose is subtle and velvety, young and tender. There's a certain honesty in this scent, an innocence that is multi-faceted yet clean. Energetic yet grounded, alluring without beckoning.