Bergamoss Solid Perfume
Aftelier (2015)

This started with the unmistakable "ButterOil" accord that identifies Oakmoss for me. I say accord because the carrier medium whether it's Beeswax, fractionated oil, adds a smooth texture which smooths the palette.
I do not identify the Bergamot as it may be a variety I am not familiar with. The Citron provides the Citrus bite to further provide the Classical Counterpoint necessary to fill out, the base canvas. At this point I fail to identify Civet, however I am taken by the use of almost hay-like, mildly camphourous cloud, formed by touches of Sage and the notable plonk of Native Sweetgrass (Tobacco) which replaces Patchouli, Lavender etc.
This all forms an interesting arc of a vague urinous souring, that for a moment has me thinking this is not good with my skin. A mild sweetness rounds the corner (Sweet Orange?) to bring it back together.
Bergamoss strikes me not so much as a perfume as a medicinal ointment to heal wounds both Physically and Spiritually. It speaks to the reverence for Oakmoss and Tobacco in Celtic and North American Native Cultures.

The Bergamoss solid perfume smells as much like citronella to me as bergamot or oak moss. I like the consistency of the paste, but I didn't get very good longevity from it.

For the record, I'm wearing the liquid perfume, not the solid.

To start, if you're looking for a traditional chypre smell, that's not what this is. Instead, Bergamoss is much deeper and weirder than you'd expect. It's vegetal and green. I smell lemongrass and something that reminds me of the smell of boiling brussel sprouts, but with an effervescent sparkling quality, like some sort of weird vegetable soda. The bergamot is way upfront as well, but it's more verdant and vegetal than your standard bergamot - after all, this is Aftelier, so it's built with painstakingly sourced raw materials that often don't smell like what you'd expect. There's also sage in there and a touch of civet poop.

The whole recipe put together smells like vegetable soda at first, then fades to what I think is a mix of bergamot and clary sage. The combination smells mossy, but like a moist garden, not the oakmoss in a classic perfume. It gets weak fairly fast, as natural perfumes do. I think it's great, but I can also imagine this being confusing and frustrating (seriously, brussel sprout soda with poop?!). Whatever - I like it and I think the vegetable soda effect is fantastic.