Scent of the day - Mazzolari Lui

Today I revisited a patchouli fragrance that I have often referenced to, yet for some reason have seldom worn over the last year, namely Mazzolari Lui. 

You can find a review of mine from a couple of years ago here. I'm not sure what more I can add to this, considering that since that review I have probably tried a dozen excellent patchouli-dominant perfumes, probably more. To be honest, Lui still strikes me as one of the best. Having said that, if you aren't a fan of a strong, distinctive patchouli note, then I'd be surprised if you will like Lui. 

Lui is animalic, fur-like, musty, earthy and dry. Then in the dry down it becomes warmer, slightly sweeter, almost polished in feel, without losing its sexy, distinctive character. Lui means 'him' if I'm not mistaken, but to me Lui is not necessarily that masculine. Personally I often find that patchouli has a more masculine character about it anyway, particularly the stronger ones, though that isn't to say that I think a woman can't wear patchouli. On the contrary  I would positively encourage anyone to try Mazzolari Lui. It is that good.

Mazzolari by Mazzolari

So far I have only sampled two perfumes from the Mazzolari line, Lui and the one I'm reviewing today, Mazzolari. I have to say, I'm not disappointed thus far. I think this is a very good perfume house. Lui for example, is an excellent, potent patchouli fragrance with an animalic twist to die for, in my opinion. Lovers of patchouli could do far worse than try it. The notes for Mazzolari include citrus, green notes, vetiver, sandalwood and spices. Fairly vague actually. What Mazzolari is to my nose is a green, spicy perfume reminiscent of Caron's Yatagan, without the fierce wormwood note. Having said that, I think the two are sufficiently different from each other to warrant at least sampling both. Mazzolari opens with a blast of green, herbal notes. There may be citrus in here but it is by no means dominant. I find it hard to identify exactly what the green notes are, but they are herbal and intense, with what I suspect is a hefty dose of galbanum and vetiver. There might be a wormwood note in here, with a touch of anise, but just as I think Mazzolari is going to ape Yatagan, a slightly creamy sandalwood enters, to shift it away in style, but not emphatically so. There is also a slight powderiness at this point, which surprised me and for a short while there were hints of Nicolai's New York, with perhaps a light touch of lavender. Thankfully for me this fades fairly quickly and the rest of the progression is mostly green and bracing, with some nice creamy woody undertones. I really like Mazzolari and think it is a well-constructed, interesting perfume. It becomes fairly linear through the heart and dry down, but is by no means boring. Although I suspect this might be preferred by men, I didn't think it was overpoweringly masculine and I can't see why a woman shouldn't wear this, particularly if she enjoys green notes in perfume. By the way, this perfume is not green as in a green chypre, and there are no mossy notes to my nose. This is green as in herbs, twigs, sticks and sap. Mazzolari is an eau de toilette, but has extremely good lasting power. I highly recommend this.

Image credit - Luckyscent.com

A Tale of two Irises

About two or three years ago Iris in perfumery came back into fashion in a big way. It was a bit like what oud is now - you couldn't view a new release that didn't have iris as a note. I have grown to love the use of Iris, but prefer the more woody and earthy styles, as opposed to the powdery aspects. I also enjoy Iris pared with leather, especially when that buttery note emerges, like in the style of Dior Homme for example.

I tested two Iris-based perfumes recently, both by Parfumerie Generale, Iris Taizo and Cuir D'Iris.

Iris Taizo

This opens fairly bright and zingy. There is no citrus to my nose, but it is a sort of sour accord. There's also a rooty iris note that appears almost immediately and that slightly fruity/sour accord lingers beneath. It is pleasant. As the iris strengthens, it comes across just a bit powdery, but is mostly rooty and earthy. This smells slightly dusty as well, and the scent sweetens a bit as what I perceive as a subtle amber note seeps through. There is a spiciness as well, and perhaps what I'm getting as these sweet and spicy notes with a hint of fruitiness is the cardomom, a note that I am not very familiar with, but if this is it, I like it a lot. I wouldn't say this is totally an iris-focused scent; there is quite a lot going on here and I detect a bit of incence as well. However, iris is present at all times, well balanced with the spice and sweetness. I've read some reviews that describe the fragrance as cloying. I don't find it thus - I think all its parts complement each other, without any note becoming too dominant. If you like your iris woodier and less floral, with a slight twist, then I think Iris Taizo may be to your taste. Although marketed as feminine, I think it is entirely unisex and would smell great on a man or a women.

Cuir d'Iris

This opens bone dry, with a note almost like floor polish or wood wax. There is an iris note, but it is so subdued that blink and you may miss it. Within a couple of minutes or so it disappears off my skin and a very subtle, butter-leather note comes to the fore, but it is not obviously leathery, at least not to my nose. It does sweeten, but again, I don't get any obvious citrus or florals. Into the heart and I start to get quite a lot of patchouli. In fact, although not as obviously animalic, it does remind me a bit of that furry accord in Mazzolari Lui, but only for a very short while. After this the scent becomes quite dry and I get a hint of saddle-soap and then all I get for the next hour or so is patchouli, lots of it. In fact, I think this scent is all about patchouli and I get very little leather and even less iris. I know that patchouli is often used in leather scents and admittedly as one gets to the base notes a more leathery accord does emerge, but its a strange one to me. If there is still any iris present, it is very well hidden by the patchouli and I can't detect any. In the dry down it does soften considerably and the patchouli is not as forceful. In fact overall I would say it is a fairly quiet scent. It certainly is different and I can see people who enjoy Cuir Venenum quite enjoying this one.

Overall I think Taizo is definitely the more interesting of the two, for me. I think Taizo is bottle-worthy. I can't think of any other iris scent that is quite like it, so it stands out for me.

Image: Claude Monet - Field with Irises

Patchouli amazing - two to try

Mazzolari Lui

Two brilliant patchouli-based scents today and first up, Lui, by Italian house Mazzolari. I had read quite a bit about Lui before finally obtaining a sample. Many people have described this as a beast of a scent, and as is often the case, I was slightly sceptical about the hype. Well, what can I say? I was proven wrong. Lui reminds me of a black panther for some reason. I think it is the opening. Upon application I get a blast of camphorous patchouli, no holds-barred. No sweetness or citrus here. Straight after this a strange accord wells up. It reminds me of fur, dusty animal fur or more specifically, the fur of a large cat, hence the panther association. Its quite disturbing, frankly. This note lasts for the duration of the heart notes; while the scent does sweeten, it maintains an edgy, uneasy feel, thanks in no part to a strong patchouli note. Its the sort of patchouli I like - earthy, almost woody and quite dusty, without being powdery. Into the dry down and the beast has put on his overcoat in readiness for dinner and the scent becomes slightly more refined, without ever totally losing that animalic thrust. The scent has great longevity and far into the dry down its pure patch, with perhaps a smidgen of what I perceive as a floral note. It is a compelling scent and I have to say, I love it.                  

Borneo 1834 - Serge Lutens

Borneo also opens with a blast of straight-up patchouli that is rapidly joined by a dusty cocoa powder note, not dissimilar to the note found in L'Instant by Guerlain. This may seem fanciful, but the effect or association for me can be likened to being in a shiny, polished corridor, lined with wooden panels and benches. I don't really know why. There is also a camphorous edge to this, but more restrained, smoother and sophisticated at this point than Lui. Borneo is like the older brother who knows he is due the inheritance; Lui is the younger brother who decided to join the gym instead and juice up on steroids. Into the heart and the cocoa note can still be detected and there is a sweet, slightly ambery note peeping in. At this point I am struggling to tell the two scents apart. Lui is perhaps less sweet and still has that vague unsettling note of animal fur lurking underneath, whereas Borneo is a touch more refined. Into the dry down and the patchouli dominates, but like Lui, it is a dry and earthy patch, not powdery or too sweet. Borneo doesn't use the familiar stewed-fruit-and-spices accord found in a lot of Lutens' fragrances. It is quite unique in the line, I think. In the far dry down it would take a good nose to tell Borneo and Lui apart. Perhaps Lui still bares his teeth a bit more, but they smell very similar at the end.

I have to admit, both these fragrances are in my opinion very well executed. I think I like them both equally, but although I said they are very similar, there are enough differences between the two, mainly in the opening and early mid-notes. I am not a huge fan of patchouli in general, having struggled with the note in the past, but these two are both very enticing. If you are looking for fruitchouli, look elsewhere - you ain't gonna find it here. 

Would I buy either of these? If my wallet allowed, both would grace my fragrance wardrobe. However, a word of caution - I would struggle to wear either of these daily as they are both powerful and make a very definite statement. Both come highly recommended though!

Panther pic from animals.timdaru.org

Borneo 1834 from hexagone.ru/images