PARFUMERIE GENERALE PSYCHOTROPE: Psychotrope is described as a leather-jasmine scent, inspired “from a vision of a flower with leather petals” — which does sound intriguing when you get right down to it, yet while Psychotrope fulfills the flower end of the bargain, the leather aspect is left a bit wanting.
Psychotrope opens with a green-floral flourish, though rounded rather than piercing thanks to the prominent placement of jasmine, one of the earthier florals in a perfumers palette. I get a good dose of violets and lilac, as well, plus a bit of salt water, but the black leather that’s supposed to found in the base of the composition eludes me (especially due to the watery element — whoever heard of a watery leather?) and appears included in the list of notes as a suggestion of how the company wishes you to perceive the product rather than how it actually comes across.
Which is not to say that this isn’t a perfectly good fragrance in and of itself — Psychotrope should definitely appeal to those who are looking for a floral perfume that’s not powdery, sweet or naive, the equivalent of a brunette in a bottle, or a floral fragrance for the girls who wear glasses.
It smells like how I would assume this scene would smell were I to be standing there in real life (with the addition of some treemoss):
Not too shabby. But don’t buy the hype about the leather — there’s hardly any there there.
PROFUMUM CONFETTO: starts off on a high and sweetly bright note, then lowers altitude, smooths itself out and pretty much stays course on the medium-body highway from then on.
I keep thinking of candy when I smell this on my skin — it’s sweet and a little sticky. Nothing minty or chocolate, but more like a warm gumdrop kind of scent. The anise pushes it even further in this direction once it makes its presence known.
Probably more of a fun, party fragrance than anything you’d wear seriously. Gourmand fans might be thrilled with its almond and anise composition, but it lacks the deeper, bitter spices necessary to give it oomph and drama. There’s a bit of musk at the base, but this only sours up the mixture rather than adding depth. A sour licorice gumdrop? No thanks.
TANN ROKKA AKI: an opening burst of citrus (or something — maybe it’s the camphorous note of the patchouli?) that’s quickly overtaken by a terrific blend of ambers and woods. I was certain I would find that Aki did not live up to its hype in the slightest, but I’m more than happy to admit that I was wrong wrong wrong.
This is a beautiful example of a woody-oriental, with the vetiver, patchouli (and the patchouli is excellent) and cedar balancing out the amber sweetness so that the fragrance as a whole glides expertly across the tightrope, performing a balancing act so effortless and full of grace that you forget the countless others that have plunged clumsily to the nets below.
I’m ordinarily not the biggest fan of cedar frags, but Aki is so well-blended, its wood note full and dry, that I’m impressed in spite of myself. If Tann Rokka Aki had a Chanel or Gucci label slapped on it, I’m guessing it would be a big hit. As it is, this is a best kept secret you should be willing to explore, especially if you like woody-orientals to begin with.
THIERRY MUGLER A TRAVERS LE MIROIR: I have no idea what to make of A Travers le Miroir. There’s a definite vinegar type quality that’s not particularly my idea of what I want to wear on my skin, or smell all day wafting in my wake.
It’s not downright awful, though it’s close, and it’s certainly nothing I would ever choose for myself, or for anyone else — and if I ever did smell it on someone else, I would wonder what they were thinking; how, with so many other good to amazing perfumes out on the market, they would settle on the thin, vinegary A Travers le Miroir as the scent that best represents the image they wish to project to the public.
If you’re looking for a zingy, non-citrus fragrance, I would take a pass on A Travers le Miroir and go for L’Artisan’s Dzing! instead. In all fairness, however, peredepierre gives it high marks, stating: “Opening with a tangy, metallic floral note, a woody backdrop soon joins the picture and creates a very unique pairing. There’s also a hint of licorice that marries surprisingly well with the floral tones. The whole “masculine/feminine” angle is hardly new, and doesn’t always work as intended, but Dadier hit a homerun with his interpretation.”
So I say take a pass, while peredepierre claims it’s a home-run. Proceed with caution.
