While Le Labo's Labdanum 18 is a big, bouncing, Golden Retriever puppy of a fragrance, rushing out of the bottle all wagging tail and sloppy kisses and with a personality so sunny and sweet you just want to throw your arms around it and breathe it in by the lungful, Patchouli 24 is dusky and smoldering at first contact, with a quiet char to its character that recalls embers burning low -- smokey, outdoor fires with a tarry, black-pitch undertone that subtly reveals a bit of a honied, amber glow once you've contemplated its nature for a while.
It's the difference between a wine-fueled afternoon picnic in the park and sitting sober under a summer night sky while a huge yellow moon drifts overhead.
A fondness for the bitterness of birch tar and the sharp freshness of styrax resin are a must. I know one woman who loves smoky, patchouli scents but just can't give Patchouli 24 the thumbs up, and I think it's the styrax/birch tar combo that's keeping her enthusiasm at bay. Personally, I love the almost acrid campfire smoke character these ingredients provide, blending with the patchouli to result in a smoky, incense fragrance that's a bit out of left field.
Patchouli 24 was created veteran perfumer Annick Menardo, who also created Bulgari Black, Yves Saint Laurent Body Kouros, Dior Hypnotic Poison, Boss Hugo Boss, Lolita Lempicka and more.
***This review was updated 09/03/08
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