Aperture

First of all, I am growing so weary of the summer and this unrelenting heat wave we are having here in Massachusetts that I am pining for cooler days and fragrances to wear on such days. Therefore, I am reaching for fragrances this week that I am far too impatient to wait until autumn to enjoy, starting with the unsung animalic, musky, woody, peppery masterpiece that is Aperture. The opening may prove to be a challenge to any niminy-piminy, priggish type who must have clean and sweet, extra sugar (or Splenda), or two-dimensional woody ambers. No, we have no coumarin here, either. This is pungent, feral, and raw, particularly in its opening, without being overly loud or vertiginous. Black pepper and a mildly (I stress only mildly, not to fear) urinous undertone is accompanied with aldehydes at the top. No you won't smell like pee-pee when you wear this, but it's a facet that comes from the dense cedar, musks, and what could perhaps be Animalis or Shangralide in the composition. Then the tobacco fades in, blooms, if you will, lending its unctuous voice to the chorus in the heart, buttressed with a jasmine and muguet. Then an ambergris (not ambroxan but a really great replacer of ambergris here) is this cool, almost salty bloom into its dry down. Seldom do I find a fragrance so poetic yet lascivious all at once, it truly is impressive. I agree with Andy the Frenchy that it is reminiscent of Muscs Koublai Khan and Dzing! but I would also add L'Air de Rien for its lived-in quality. Aperture is for the hardcore fragheads who live for animalic, musky scents and are hungry for a titillating new experience.

The opening is all about a pungent animalic musk and aldehydes, supported by tobacco and a subtle peppery/woody note... In the drydown the aldehydes calm down to leave a small spot for the ambergris to make an appearance. This fragrance is quite linear and performance average, but what a masterpiece!!! That said, I smelt that before andI thought... and thought... and thought.......... The musk reminded me of... yes, I'll say it: Lutens MKK. Yes, but despite some clear similarities, I wasn't there yet. Indeed, Lutens is even more unapologetic, animalic, more complex and the civet note is missing here. Then, where did I smell that before? Booom! Here it is: the heart stage of Dzing! How could I not think of it before??? While Dzing! will round the edge of the musk with some sweetness in the background, Aperture has a hint of ambergris that keeps it cold and the musk stays sharp. The similarities between these two are obvious and strong. In any cases, I'm not sure if I'm smelling a circus or a polaroid just developed, but in any cases, it's a piece of artwork, that unfortunatley only hard fragheads may understand. Fantastic. Highly recommended to whom is into challenging frags and fans of animalic musk. Colder Spring and Fall days (not office-safe though), 30+

This is unique, attractive stuff. I pick up prominent civet and ambergris supported by tobacco, clean vetiver, and some peppery, cedary, woody notes. The combined effect is animalic yet strangely clean, mildy camphorous, and modern. Sort of a bunch of stuff that I like mixed together, so It's not a really a surprise to me that I'm enjoying this. The most interesting thing going on here is the opening's dichotomy of the slighty-skanky, balmy animalic notes with the very clean woody sweetness underneath. In a sense it reminds me of a sort of mainstreamed, "lite" version of HDP's Edition Rare (Petroleum comes to mind, Ambrarem less so). Sort of eschewing the concept that something modern has to smell clinical or aseptic and instead embracing funkiness. I will say that aperture is much more instantly likable and safe than either of the aforementioned fragrances, for better or worse, so don't let the comparison deter you. Aperture is not a performance monster. I got about average longevity and pretty soft projection. The drydown just radiates a hushed, dusky aura of salty soapiness for a few hours and then it disappears. I do think 200 bucks is a little steep here, but I would probably pick up a smaller bottle if one is ever offered. Thumbs up. 7.5/10

Just a tiny, tiny dab... my first sampling was completely abhorent with an overapplication from my vial, and that was with only about three swipes of the stick/dauber. Some pretty impressive potency here. There is a lot of ambergris in Aperture. Or I should say that it is strong and that the other notes in this perfume are also prominent and well balanced. Initially, jasmine and plenty of dry pepper introduces a wonderful aromatic interplay of dry, fresh, and botanic. Lily of the valley adds some sparkling notes of greenness and flashes like something metallic now and then. Contrast this clean accord with some serious funk. This ambergris is fatty, fecal and fresh but adds some really beautiful richness. It's quite overwhelming if you apply too much. In moderation, it's sublime and not to be dismissed. Smoky notes of tobacco weave in and out and carry a lightweight cedar and soft white musk that helps the sweetness of the tobacco to drift rather than become mud with the rich ambergris. Aperture is like a Polaroid picture coming to life in the evolution of its scent. A well faceted clean structure with a rich heart, culminating into a beautiful woody, lusty musk. Just be careful not to overexpose!

As a rule of thumb I'm really not fond of pink pepper since it has become a lazy cliche when someone wants to punch up some boring juice but I think I've found an exception here. When I first sprayed this I got about of minute of -- absolutely nothing, which is startling in an aldehyde scent. Once it warmed a got a big waft of cedar and tobacco, followed by civet. As the evening has passed I keep getting whiffs of camphor--not a listed note but the effect of the cedar and tobacco working together. I'm not finding floral notes or much ambergris but the pink pepper gives this a bit of bite at the edges. I'd consider this a civilized version of Lutens Borneo 1834 so use that as guidance if you know the Lutens perfume. Sillage: soft, close Longevity: 3 hours and going strong Fabulosity: hand carved teak Value to price ratio: low but not unreasonable 7/10

In recent years, when guys have asked me for summer scent recommendations, I steer them away from the ubiquitous citrus offerings and direct them toward something more individual, like Aperture. As one of my fellow reviewers commented, this is unique; the average scent at a cologne counter will not smell anything like it. Although the main note is leather, this is light, airy, sunny, clean. Ulrich Lang has bottled summer for us, and was able to do so without resorting to an orange grove or a pina colada for effect; the aldehydes did the trick just fine. Kudos! Despite it being so light in feel, there are some nice musks, esp. in the drydown. And Aperture also has great sillage and several hours of longevity. (This is also a very ‘smart’ scent; perfect for the office.) Really first rate. Gets 8.5/10 from me.

Animalic black pepper and urine opening (but oddly not in a bad way at all) with an undertow of tobacco and ambergris. Does indeed smell a lot like Polaroid film being developed. One reviewer below stated that the number of reviews that comment on this slightly esoteric idea suggests that said reviews were all shills. However, this fragrance is a collaboration between Lang and the Aperture Foundation - a very well known body in the photographic community, where news of the launch of this fragrance, along with the fact that it was designed to be similar to the smell of photographic chemicals received heavy rotation, so this is an aspect that would be well known to many of its intended audience.

I was recommended this as a modern take on the concept of Kouros - the contrast of a dirty animalic side and clean side. Aperture is doing its own thing, but the dirty, from up close almost urinal, thing is definitely present and so is an interesting take on freshness. I don't know what polaroid film being developed smells like, but the whole composition does smell chemical in a way, and unless my memory is failing me, it does remind me of photo labs as they existed years ago when analog photography was ubiquitous. Smells quite exciting to me, too bad it apparently didn't sell well and is likely either already discontinued or about to be.

Musk, pepper, aldehydes, ambergris, cedar, vetiver--I get it all. It's experimental, but it works, and it's glorious. Fans of Poivre Piquant will enjoy this, I think. Another reviewer said it's not an office scent. Balderdash. It's an everything scent. I can't think of a time this wouldn't work. It might be a bit much in high heat+humidity environments, but that's something you'll have to figure out for yourself. To me, this is a great pick, year round. I thoroughly enjoy this. I was able to pick it up secondhand for less than half of the MSRP, but this isn't one to miss--even if that means ponying up two Benji's for it.

A lovely modern abstract amber based perfume that is extremely sexy and sophisticated. It starts off on a burst of aldehyde and then reveals peppery notes and then hints of jasmine, cedar, tobacco before settling into a nice animalic powdery base of musk, ambergris, amber and a hint of vetiver. A beautifully blended somewhat mysterious concoction with alternating dark light hues with moderate sillage, projection and longevity, this is a nice example of unisex high order modern abstract perfumery. Very heavy on the salty animalic ambergris, so those of you not into that note need to stay away. Overall like a Polaroid. Evolving slowly and beautifully over time with patience. Enjoy!

Salty seaside ambergris! This is weird attractive! i am getting something very animalic but at the same time very comforting! something like a seabreez with salty ambergris ozonic seashells beachy. i get seashells, ambergris, seasalt, lily of the valley, tobacco, pepper, and vetiver. Again, this is weirdly attractive and addictive with its musky touch. Beautiful.

I really, really wanted to like this. I liked Anvers and Nightscape a lot. The photograph on the package for this, the one above of the silhouette of the young man against a beautifully colored sky, suggests that this might be youthful, complex, and richly contrasted with bright notes on top of warm, glowing hues. Instead, all I got was ambergris, with a bit of vetiver and pepper on the top. You really have to like ambergris, which I do, but I didn't care for its combination with the tobacco. It comes off as a bit too heavy, ungainly. I wish there'd been something sharper or brighter to balance a palpable mugginess. The ambergris here is a blunt instrument, neither challenging nor compelling like I've encountered it elsewhere. Maybe it's not a high quality synthetic ambergris? Not sure, but this was a big disappointment for me. Overall, this fragrance seems to lack direction and coherence, like it was assembled, rather than crafted, by someone who has yet to find her/his voice. This Aperture is too narrow and the vision behind the composition never really comes into focus.

Pee. Pungent pee. Pungent pee in a filthy public toilet. That's just what the opening feels like. It gets less anti-human afterward, but honestly, with that opening...I don't have the courage to enjoy the rest of it.

If you can get past the smell of the opening which smells like urinal cakes, it actually becomes pleasant, but getting there is a bit of a mission. It's basically a dry concoction of Ambergris, musk, tobacco and some spices. Fans of musk will enjoy.

Seems to be more to the masculine side.