Parfum D’Empire Madagascar Le Baume Vanille, Diptyque Lazulio, Le Labo Osmanthus 19 and other reviews

Osmanthus 19 4:10
Eucalyptus 20 15:20

One of the few enjoyable things about summer ending is that it means I get to resume my YouTube broadcasts and my interactions with all of you. I’ve presented several new episodes over the course of the last few weeks, featuring reviews of releases from Le Labo, Diptyque, Jil Sander, Acqua Di Parma and Parfum D’Empire. Here are links to all the videos, followed by further thoughts on some of the scents: Le Labo Osmanthus 19 and Eucalyptus 20 reviews — Acqua Di Parma Gelsomino A Freddo, Aesop Above Us, Steorra, Isabelle Larignon Mandi Rhubi, Nicolai Creme Ebene and Iris Medicis, Parfum D’Empire Madagascar – Le Baume Vanille reviews — Diptyque Lazulio review — Jil Sander Olfactory Series I review — comparison of Les Indemodables Vanille Havane with Parfum D’Empire Madagascar – Le Baume Vanille.

Acqua Di Parma Gelsomino A Freddo (Daphne Bugey) 2:12
Aesop Above Us, Steorra (Celine Barel) 14:42
Isabelle Larignon Mandi Rhubi (Isabelle Larignon) 23:03
Nicolai Creme Ebene (Patricia De Nicolai) 31:25
Nicolai Iris Medicis (Patricia De Nicolai) 40:06
Parfum D’Empire Madagascar – Le Baume Vanille (Marc-Antoine Corticchiato) 43:34

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Leaf (Julie Masse) 6:40
Black Tea (Nathalie Lorson) 11:46
Smoke (Berenice Watteau) 15:28
Miel (Mathilde Bijaoui) 20:08
Coffea (Paul Guerlain) 24:34
Earth (Julie Masse) 28:09

The new Aesop is worth a sniff. Spicy ambers haven’t been in short supply in recent years (Guerlain Ambre Samar is a particularly commendable example) but they’re difficult to resist when they’re done well, and in the Aesop, Celine Barel has balanced the cardamom and the vanillic facets with charming subtlety. It’s much more likeable and easygoing than its name. Equally convincing, albeit in an entirely different way, is Isabelle Larignon’s cologne-like Mandi Rhubi. Pepper, tart rhubarb and sharp blackcurrant have been persuaded to come across as both energetic and friendly, and to stick around for an impressive length of time. 

The tension evident in Nicolai Creme Ebene is fascinating to observe. As I explain in the video, smelling it makes you wonder if Patricia De Nicolai was grappling with trying to meet the demands of increasingly east-focussed clients and her own, more classical sensibilities. The result is well worth seeking out, and certainly one of the better entries in the ‘oversized woods’ genre. Iris Medicis is a far more traditional Nicolai scent, and what it lacks in drama it more than makes up for with sheer class. 

Artistic tension is also apparent in Quentin Bisch’s Lazulio for Diptyque. The ubiquitous perfumer’s style is recognisable from the very first sniff — that familiar, monolithic incense-Akigalawood-vetiver combo — but it’s given an unexpectedly tender caress in the form of a gentle, pink-hued rose. Even though the angrier elements dominate in the drydown, this is an intriguing meeting point of Diptyque’s beatifically smiling aesthetics with those of Bisch. 

I’m impressed with Jil Sander’s return to the perfume scene, for reasons I present fully in the broadcast. From the debut sextet, I’d recommend Miel, for its puzzling juxtaposition of peaty, cereal-y notes with sweetness, Coffea, with its romantic, almost old-school take on suede and roasted notes, and Earth, which pushes the rose+patchouli idea into curious, fusty, metallic territories. I do hope this initial range fares well enough to persuade the brand to release others, and that they’ll all be created with similar thoughtfulness.

Finally, we come to Parfum D’Empire Madagascar – Le Baume Vanille, Marc-Antoine Corticchiato’s latest for his justifiably admired brand. For decades, vanilla has been much maligned in perfumery, largely because the stuff that passes as the material is invariably a cloud of sickly, overwhelming sweetness. In Madagascar, Corticchiato reminds us of its power to bewitch, seduce and beguile, using rum, black pepper and cloves to give us a potent brew that wouldn’t be out of place in a production of Macbeth. Unsurprisingly, many of you who watched my video review of it asked how it compares to the equally excellent Les Indemodables Vanille Havane (Antoine Lie). This prompted me to broadcast a side-by-side comparison video, which you’ll find below. I hope you find it useful.

Persolaise

[Reviews based on samples provided by the brands.]

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