Not for me.
There's a market for this fragrance, but not for me. Very heavy, dark, no fade through the course of the day. I'll stick to the lighter floral and spices.
Byredo Tobacco Mandarin was launched in 2020. Part of the Night Veils collection, this is an extrait. Created by Jerome Epinette, their take on an oud/tobacco/leather scent wrapped in mandarin.
From Byredo's description - "a smoky cloak of narcotic Tobacco envelops all; at base, further anchoring and compelling, are ancient resins and woods, both sacred and profane—Olibanum or Frankincense with its connotations of holy, aromatic sweetness, Oud and Sandalwood with their nuanced and captivating soothing woodiness."
You know, I'm not sure what I thought this would smell like before I smelled it, but it is an amazing cumin bomb on the open, and that lasts a good while. It slowly drifts down, leaving you more tobacco and oud, but that cumin, resins and tobacco are heady, skanky perfection. Mandarin weaves in and out, softening it a bit, but it's like spitting in the wind, that cumin-tobacco-resin will not be denied.
I read a Vogue press snippet about best fall new releases, and it went on and on about the tobacco and mandarin in this and never once mentioned the cumin - does anyone who writes these things even smell what they write about? If you hate cumin, you need to run like the wind in the other direction. If you love cumin, especially skanky stuff surrounded by oud, tobacco, leather and resins, this is on your list.
Notes of mandarin, coriander, cumin, labdanum, leather, tobacco, sandalwood, oud and olibanum.
Founded in 2006 in Sweden, Byredo perfume's creator Ben Gorham (former basketball player) wanted to create perfumes of quality while keeping their production in Sweden. Gorham had been fascinated with fragrance much of his life. When he meet Pierre Wulff, a perfumer, Byredo came into being. Currently Gorham works with Olivia Giacobetti and Jerome Epinette to create his line of perfumes
From Colognoisseur - "he cumin here carries that dirty sweat scent profile. With the fruit and coriander it forms a slightly odd version of a clove orange. I smell the cumin and coriander when I pay attention, but they also do a creditable imitation of clove when I’m not focused on it. The tobacco comes next in its extraordinarily rich narcotic form. It must be this way because the spicy citrus needs an equal to stand up to it."
From Fragrantica - "This is the best release from this house in a very very long time. Reminds me of TF Tobacco Oud. Woodsy, classy, rich. Cumin is a bit annoying, doesn't let this be perfectly smooth...between Black Afgano and Tobacco Oud but projecting more incense and less leather."
Fragrantica: "This one is making a definite statement, that it's opulent and sensuous, even deep and dark, but not overly extravagant or showy."
There's a market for this fragrance, but not for me. Very heavy, dark, no fade through the course of the day. I'll stick to the lighter floral and spices.
Francis Kurkdjian (Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris)
