Grandenia
Areej le Doré (2020)

Grandenia suggests that it might be going big on the famously creamy, mushroomy lushness of gardenia, but this is not the case. Rather, this is a tightly-wound, stiffly-starched green floral that starts out at the data point of a citrusy-piney frankincense – a resin that here smells like a freshly-stripped piece of Silver Birch – and winds up in Chandrika soap territory.

I find this pinched, freshly-scrubbed sort of floral a chore to wear, but it may appeal to people who like Antonia by Puredistance. I also want to acknowledge that this would be a good white floral for men, as it is completely devoid of the soft, candied creaminess and tinned-fruit syrupiness of most white florals. It is clipped and pure; the sort of thing to stiffen the spine. A very good wood accord develops in the base that smells more like sandalwood soap than oud or sandalwood per se. And then, finally, in the last gasps – a ghostly imprint of gardenia, with that slightly glassy, freshly-cut-mushroom quality it shares with myrrh.

This feels like beautiful new ground for Russian Adam. There's a gorgeous sprightly and tangy greenness here that I LOVE and haven't smelled in anything else he's done. (I'm guessing it's a combination of the lemony bergamot and rosemary and nutmeg.) I'm pretty much a goner for this surprising and unexpected beauty! It's actually my favorite from this series, and reminds me of Hasu-No-Hana or vintage Shalimar, but minus the cloying sweet powder and enlivened with some stunning and natural-smelling greenery.

Simply and greenly gorgeous!!

Fantastic vintage citric amber. Opens with tart lemon, and morphs into an oud/patchouli amber masterpiece with creamy gardenia notes throughout.

The lasting power is simply forever. One spray on the chest and you will get creamy, whispy wafts throughout the day.

There is a smokey quality to this scent, not birch tar or cade, but patchouli incense and oud. Its very lovely in the cold weather.