Indolis
Areej le Doré (2018)

Indolis from Areej le Dore is a most peculiar white floral perfume in which Jasmine rules supreme.
I did not expect something like this from Russian Adam. It hardly smells like anything from the house, in style and aesthetic. Reading reviews, I expected a big, verdant jasmine perfume, loud and proud and maybe too monolithic for it to stand out for me. Smelling it from the nozzle, you'd also be inclined to think that. However, once you put it on the skin, everything you had expected it to be crumbles at your feet. Had I smelled it blind, I would have never guessed this to be an ALD perfume.

Calling it a green-floral perfume is an understatement. Its complexity reaches far beyond that. It's not just the way it was built, but the materials used that play a pivotal role in its outcome. It feels like a work that took many years to finally come together as it has, searching for the right materials to add and the perfect balance to reach. A titanic quest.

The opening is far from what you'd expect. To me, it almost feels like a fougere, with a jasmine backdrop. The first stage is the busiest, liveliest, like some big Asian cities at rush hour where everyone runs (more like rides) for their lives. A piercing bitter green galbanum note cleverly offset by a sweet and aromatic lavender note and tart green tea balanced by juicy and natural-smelling pineapple and tangerine. At this point, the jasmine waves at you somewhere in the background, gently winking whenever it catches your gaze. I love the opening of Indolis. It's so full of joy, unique, and cleverly put together.
In the heart, this buzz from the opening starts to cool down, allowing the jasmine to reveal its full splendor. The jasmine here smells unlike any other. It is not big and assertive, indolic, or headache-inducing. It is delicate, milky-sweet, with a narcotic yet faint aroma. I assume the way it was extracted played a significant role. It's so delicate that if you gasp, you might miss it.
In the dry down, there's no musk, ambergris, or agarwood, as you'd probably expect. Instead, a creamy, plush, soothing sandalwood that complements the jasmine and marries it seamlessly. Gentle olibanum smoke might be perceived at times, yet it is so soft that it is barely worth mentioning.

To call Indolis a floral perfume is difficult. It's too much of an oversimplification. It's a delicate Oriental perfume that makes use of the prettiest jasmine I've smelled in an olfactory composition. I can see why many die-hard ALD fans would find this boring, and also, how few understand its genius. It is not among my favorite compositions from the house, yet I feel it is one of the most special. I know Russian Adam puts his heart in all of his perfumes. Here, it feels like he poured his entire soul.

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Genre: Floral

For me, Areej le Doré fragrances have largely been about enjoying beautiful raw materials, as opposed to compositional interest, and Indolis is a good case in point. I see this as a lovely white flower accord, set off by a potent, bitter green note that just manages to keep the whole construct from teetering over the brink of overly sweet. And that's it. No matter how complex the pyramid, the end result here smells relatively simple. Lush, yes, but neither complicated nor in any way particularly original. To put it another way, the apparent olfactory depth and the considerable attraction that Indolis holds for me stem from the materials themselves, rather than the manner in which they are used. This is not necessarily a bad thing. As with cuisine, there is much to be said for selecting fine ingredients, and then allowing them to speak for themselves.

(As an aside, I don't smell much obvious indole here. Not, at least, in the manner of Lush's Lust or Serge Lutens's Fleur d'Oranger.)

Update:
I wore Indolis today and I just had to say how spectacular it is! Such a wonderful job of blending. I don't know how I could enjoy a fragrance more than I did Indolis today. It has the white florals, but they are mixed so well with the frankincense, ginger, citrus, pineapple, sandalwood, oakmoss, etc. that it just rocks my sense of smell! Masterful job by Russian Adam with this one!



Right off the bat there is a nice white floral. However, I am also picking up spices. I know the ginger and olibanum are listed in the mids, but I am getting them after 15 minutes on my skin and I love it! A hint of lime as well, which pleases me greatly! Dare I say I love Indolis so far? I didn't think I would based on the comments I've seen that it's just basically a white floral, but there is much, much more going on for me in this first wearing. Something weird is that I showered with Dove soap this morning and the Indolis is mixing with the smell of the Dove soap, and the outcome is rather intoxicating! I think I'm going to need at least a nice decant of Indolis! I'm so grateful there's no musk in this one, as I love it just the way it is!

Very nicely assembled Green and White Floral. Blue Character? Well I don't know. First blast of Jasmine carries a little Indol, however this scent remains pretty and naturally green, throughout it's life, on my skin. Galbanum takes a bite at my nostrils and then settles back to the canvas. Tonka and Benzoin lends it's sweet warm blanket. The fruit is beautifully placed as to only hint of the Exotic, Tropical. Lavender sweeps in at moments, haylike and dry. The real joy of this, is the absence of chemical enhancement, which offers a pleasing dreaminess. Has me happy, not blue. But then, Jasmine Indol always has me smile.