Invigorating
Boadicea the Victorious (2008)

The opening of Invigorating is much more delicate and dark than I expected by reading the composition and other reviews. Basically I get ambery (and ambroxan-ish) dusty resins which smell - besides incredibly good - warm, sweet, “round”, slightly boozy and tobacco-ish with a gentle frame of floral notes breezing from soapy (rose) to lightly indolic-dusty (jasmine) and an echo of resinous-incensey-earthy labdanum. The head accord of orange-yuzu notes is lively, although barely perceivable and ultra-quick to vanish. I won't define Invigorating a “gourmand” for sure, rather a discreet floral-tobacco-boozy-resinous Oriental scent with a shady and dry personality: there's hints and echoes of gourmand notes, but they too are rather dark and smoky (licorice, cocoa). On the base I also get something like leather, which may be some wood. Initially it does not smell much balsamic, but soon the fir balsam note emerges: it's good, dense, pleasant and with earthy-mossy nuances (besides obviously an “invigorating” balsamic feature). I am not a fan at all of Boadicea, but I must say this fragrance is surprisingly well made, to any extent: the notes smell crisp and solid, the composition is somehow “daring” as regards of the concept (dark-bright-fresh-resinous notes all together), yet it smells effortlessly well calibrated and balanced, perfectly harmonic and compelling. The contrasts are there, but are rather just nuances going perfectly together: shades of smoke, balsamic forest notes, warmth of amber and resins, gentle silky floral notes, with a fruity touch. I won't surely define this “summery” or “fresh”, rather an “autumnal” scent in my opinion. Much Lutensian as regards of its inspiration, although less rich and less “French”: it smells solid and dense but not syrupy and not “materially” rich, the substance here is rather dusty, thin, light, much discreet and velvety. Also I get some similarity with Fougère Bengale by Parfum d'Empire and perhaps another couple of scents by that house, although Invigorating smells more interesting and creative for me. Longevity is a bit weak, though. Worthy a try!

7,5/10