my apologies - i know it's been a long time! a full two months have passed and i've experimented with many a scent, and i've been thrilled with so many. however, i think it's uniquely appropriate to saunter back into my perfume blogging with a review of one of Andy Tauer's most recent creations, Incense Extreme. (circumflex accent left away due to the RSS feed.)
you'll see on his site that Mr. Tauer set out to create a minimalist interpretation of incense, yet the fragrance itself is called "extreme." this type of poetic conflict abounds in this scent, where the frankincense itself is both dry and rich, the amber is dusty yet soothing, the coriander is not even remotely foody, and the iris leaves its powder scattered in the dust of cedar's footprints. the fragrance is definitely meditative in nature, but it has a distinct "warrior monk" cast to it. this is the fragrance of the three wise men, following naught but a star through the cold winter desert. this is the fragrance of a visionary on a mountain, seeing her gods in the smoke before bringing power back to her people. in this fragrance, the orientalist* in me knows herself both dreamed of and loved. it combines the serenity of wisdom and calm as well as the ferocity of purpose and drive, and does it without any olfactory histrionics. (that said, i can't claim my own prose doesn't contain some poetic histrionics. ;> )
on my skin, there is very little drydown to this scent. it remains steady through 7-8 hours. my physical chemistry amplifies cedar, so on my skin Incense Extreme smells like a composition of equal parts cedar and frankincense, with far smaller amounts of amber, coriander and iris. this turns out to be a rather enchanting blend. it makes the natural austerity of the composition more magical; it evokes images of a treasured carved box of resin carried miles over the dunes.
i've quite loved other compositions that Mr. Tauer has created, but this one is special. it is reminiscent of other things he's done while still having a very independent spirit of its own. for this perfume, nothing but smiles from this perfumista!
*orientalist meaning perfume genres, not outdated cultural or ethnic concepts.
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1 comments:
I'm a big fan of Tauer's fragrances and i would reccomend u to try his Incense Rose, it is his last creation and i dare to say this one is enduring masterpiece! As well as Lonestar Memories (my absolute favorite) and L'air du desert marocain.
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