If you had to make a list of perfumery ingredients which convey intense excitement, what would be on it? Sparkling citrus oils? Fizzy aldehydes? Sensuous vanilla? How about clary sage? Evidently, Simon and Mark Constantine feel this sweaty, highly aromatic material is exhilarating, because they’ve placed it at the centre of Euphoria. That’s fine as far as it goes – it’s always interesting to learn about other people’s olfactory reference points – but unfortunately the combination of the sage with other herbs, a few camphoraceous elements (possibly eucalyptus) and the hay/tobacco vibe of coumarin (perhaps from tonka bean absolute) doesn’t quite hold together and leads to a very simplistic drydown.
Devil’s Nightcap is a more interesting prospect. Balancing a refined whisky note on the one hand and a bitter, mossy facet on the other, it creeps up on the wearer with a silent insistence which would probably make Satan himself proud. Unfortunately, as is the case with many of the other Volume 2 scents, it never convinces that it’s more than a well-constructed accord, but it’s certainly one of the highlights of this new collection.
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I like Devil´s Nightcap quite a lot! On me it is an explosion of oakmoss with some hints of a boozy citrus and later on a mellow wood… No whisky at all!
Nadja, I'm glad that it's found a fan. I definitely detected a booziness in it, like you. But I guess I saw it as being woodier, whereas you read it as citrusy.
Devil's Nightcap.. like pouring a teapot of Lapsang Souchong over you without being scalded
Anon, I shall have to re-smell
I always turn to Tea For Two for my Lapsang fix.
Isn't it interesting how sometimes a mixed review can tempt more than an out an out good one?
My curiosity has certainly been piqued and will search these out soon.
I quite like clary sage…
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Dandy, yes, sometimes a more nuanced response is more interesting than extreme praise or extreme disapproval. I'd say anything by Lush/Gorilla is worth sampling at the very least.