La Lanterne Rouge Extrait de Parfum
Auphorie (2018)

After wearing Miyako for about a year and recently being introduced to the the wonders of Eau de Nyonya (and how well it captures the sweet baked essence of Peranakan confections sold right down my street in Singapore), it was time to try another thematic release from this incredibly talented team in the hope that La Lanterne Rouge might re-create the deep, incensey RED that I associate with the smells surrounding Chinese traditional (and specifically Buddhist) festivals.

One moment I feel the complexity and unique quality of this far-projecting sweet-tooth of a fragrance. All things red radiate from my skin, and I find it warm and enveloping.

Moments later, I feel as if I have painted my arm with one of those chisel-tip markers used in elementary classrooms–the ones that are purposefully associated with some recognizable fruit smell. In this case: Strawberry. Not real Strawberry. Synthetic scratch-and-sniff strawberry.

So I suppose it will depend on context and association. This fragrance can read both avant-garde and trashy/cheap. In both cases, it's sweet as hell!

Regardless, it's fun.

This unusual hyper-sweet perfume is like an olfactory representation of far-Eastern pop romantic sensibility – bright, busy, with an abundance of satin bows, hearts and all things ‘cute'; so over the top it can't but be sincere. And, yet, if that sounds off-putting, disregard that description, as we are dealing here with an impressive feat of balance. Behold, sandwiching the saturated sweet notes is a leathery saffron zinging across the top and an amazing aged wood accord in its depths, apparently inspired by Chinese red Dalbergia wood furniture, soft, deep, with a kind of burnished feel to it that really does call to mind antique furniture in dimly lit perfectly appointed salons.
And then there's the heart and soul of the perfume – sweet riches that seem completely exotic to my nose, fruity tones overlapping with honeyed florals in a novel, unforgettable mix. I know what the numerous suggested components smell like – dates, osmanthus, peony, mandarins – and yet I couldn't have pinned them down in this perfume. It's a heady, enticing mix, airy and diffusive, a scented street full of promise one can't help but head down.
So far so fantastic, but one needs a sweet tooth to stay the course with this one, as in the deep dry-down both the saffron and the woody notes dissipate leaving a marshmallow core of ootchy cootchy hearts and flowers. It still maintains my interest, but I can imagine it may be touch excessive for some wearers.