#smokyperfume

[thefruittreewild]

By now, you guys have guessed that I love smoky incense-laden fragrances. Even with that, my expectations were very modest with Dunhill Egyptian Smoke, in part because the brand is not one I know well and for some reason I associate it with an old school Burt Reynolds style of man. Also despite my fascination, the size of my collection means it's hard to find a smoky scent that actually is different.

Egyptian Smoke is not avant garde by any means but it does manage to bring a lovely gourmand twist to a familiar genre. The black tea, ginger and vanilla lend a honeyed warmth to the more powerful patchouli and labdanum notes. I immediately feel like I'm sipping aromatic tea from an ornate glass and nibbling on candied delights, all the while surrounded by heady bakhour. A smooth and enjoyable scent with amazing longevity. Marketed to men but solidly unisex.

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Top: ginger, pink pepper, black tea

Middle: rose de Grasse, papyrus

Base: patchouli, labdanum, vanilla bean

[thefruittreewild]

Dedicating Wednesday to this peat monster.

If I had to get rid of every fragrance in my collection except one, I'd keep Amouage Opus VII. Not because it's an everyday scent, but because I think it is a masterpiece and I still haven't smelled anything like it in my many years of perfume obsession.

I bought this fragrance years ago based on a review on the Kafkaesque blog and have never regretted it. I was initially skeptical about the Opus Library, firstly from the abstract, nondescript names (I,II, VI, what?) but I think I love them more than the "classic" Amouages.

Opus VII is green. But it is also woody, leathery and incredibly smoky. It's like the sexiest peat bog you could ever wear. I never thought I could entertain a green fragrance until I smelled something as wild as Opus VII. That wildness is not chaos though. It is sleek, stealthy and predatory.

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I have heard that the Opus line is being or has been reformulated. If you can get your hands on one of the old bottles, buy it. It will take you on an adventure.

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From Fragrantica: "The fragrance features galbanum, pink pepper, cardamom, fenugreek, nutmeg, amber, agarwood (oud), patchouli, leather, ambergris, costus, musk, sandalwood, olibanum and cypriol oil or nagarmotha."