Ulrich Lang Lethe, Laboratorio Olfattivo Viaggio In Italia, Angela Flanders Leather Rosa, Histoires De Parfums Ambre 114 – Skin Time October 2022

Laboratorio Olfattivo Viaggio In Italia

No-one would begrudge Jean-Claude Ellena a well-earned rest. After all, he has nothing left to prove. Not only has he created some of the most influential scents of the last few years (including Bulgari Eau Parfumee Au The Vert, Cartier Declaration, Frederic Malle Cologne Bigarade) but he’s also turned around the scented fortunes of an entire brand (Hermes) and he’s developed a style that is distinctly and recognisably his own. And yet, with admirable energy, he keeps going, returning to explore olfactory territories which we’d thought he’d abandoned for good.

His latest efforts come to us from the Italian brand, Laboratorio Olfattivo. Their output has been dubious in the past, but their decision to commission Ellena to come up with four Italian-esque colognes* may well be one of the best they’ve made. I covered Limone in a recent YouTube video, but the other three are worth trying too. Bergamotto brings its eponymous fruit to mouth-watering life through a deceptively simple blend of citrusy, floral and tobacco facets. Mandarino presents milky, green jasmine alongside the requisite sugary zest notes. And even the least convincing of the four, Arancia Rossa, manages to bring something new to its orange-y tale through the use of sharp, sulphurous grapefruit. 

All are characteristically photo-real, although perhaps not as three-dimensionally so as the aforementioned Bigarade. But what’s more important is that they’re suitably fleeting. Thank goodness somebody gave Ellena permission not to load these compositions with weighty musks. True, they don’t last very long, but then they’re not meant to. And what they lack in longevity is more than compensated for by sheer, soul-soaring optimism. They are the equivalent of waking up at a seaside villa in the middle of August and having the privilege, if only for a few moments, of not having to think about the state of the world. How wonderful – and how encouraging – that even at this stage in his career, the master is capable of infusing his work with such unadulterated, un-cynical joy.

Ulrich Lang Lethe

I ought to give this release some time in a YouTube video, but in case I don’t manage to find the time, I want the record to state that Lethe* is one of the more intriguing pieces of work we’ve had from the underrated Ulrich Lang brand. The clue to how it works is in its accompanying photograph (by Łukasz Wierzbowski). This is the realm of sweet intimacy, of musks, ambers and resins forming a subtle second skin on the wearer. Of pepper filling the air with just the faintest whisper of danger. Of tart fruit making your mouth water, making your tongue hungry.

It offers geekier pleasures too: like a cross between Paloma Picasso Minotaure (which we recently saw revisited in Parle Moi De Parfum Wake Up World) and the original Bulgari Homme, it rests within that gorgeous balancing point between spices, resins, sweetness and musks. A territory where the main sensation is a thrilling, albeit quiet, hum. Like the mythical Lethe river, it may help you erase your memory. But its own substance manages to remain memorable. If only Lang would let us know who composed it. 

Angela Flanders Leather Rosa

Speaking of memories, it is with tremendous fondness that I recall the few times I met the late Angela Flanders. An able perfumer in her own right (who was always honest about her use of bases and synthetics) she created several scents for her own brand, many of which developed a loyal following. Since her passing, her daughter Kate has kept the AF name going, and she’s just added a new release to the catalogue: Leather Rosa*. The combination of this particular flower with tannery notes is, of course, not novel, and there is perhaps an excessive sense of familiarity in this release. But it’s been put together extremely well, and it displays the unfussy naturalness for which the brand has come to be admired. I suspect Angela would have approved.

Histoires De Parfums Ambre 114

Finally, a few more lines on tried-and-tested structures. Rose + leather may be a ubiquitous pairing, but it isn’t anywhere near as abundant as the classic ‘amber’ accord of vanilla, labdanum and benzoin. It is, of course, the main thing that makes Shalimar Shalimar. And it tends to bring tremendous success to brands that decide to embrace its uniquely resinous-powdery-sweet personality (think: Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, Tauer L’Air Du Desert Marocain, L’Artisan Parfumeur L’Ambre et al). However, it is also a genre to which it is extremely difficult to add anything new. So perhaps that’s why I sometimes enjoy reaching for one of its purest expressions: Histoires De Parfums Ambre 114**. It may be a by-the-numbers affair, but it works from start to finish thanks to the quality of its materials and, crucially, its lack of fear around smokier, more herbal notes. There’s something deeply primal about the blend of these particular ingredients and Histoires have done well not to mess with that magic. One sniff, and you can picture a fire illuminating the shapes and patterns of an ancient cave painting. Just close your eyes, and allow yourself to be pulled back. 

Persolaise

* sample provided by the brand
** sample obtained by me

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