Few have matched the highly praised L'Air du Desert Marocain (Tauer Perfumes) for its lucidity, which sketches a picture of the Maghreb desert: infinite planes of sand, a vast cloudless blue sky, and spice markets in the distance. It is a fantasy of blushing sunlight and desert winds carrying a melodious flow of spices, resins, and incense. And for a real bounty, consider Jubilation XXV from Amouage - utter luxury, it's like uncovering the treasures of Aladdin’s cave, where the very best Omani Silver Frankincense melds with tart blackberry, honey, and addictive oud. Its magic is the rendering of many notes so as to receive them in a singular instant – a beautiful demonstration of coherent blending on the part of master perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour. Jubilation XXV rightfully smells celebratory, but also authentic and confident.
Tweak this in a higher register and arrive at Aziyade (Parfum d’Empire), an aphrodisiac blend that hums with syrupy pomegranate, biting cumin, and the deep, rounded, and leathery fruitiness of plum. This is a veritable feast, as glistening fruit rests on an addictive amber base, as if to warm these materials slowly, from the inside-out. While The Dark Side by Francesca Bianchi seems to meander through markets hosting rare spices and precious extracts of resins and balsams. Its predominant incense and wood heart provides the base for a generous surface of smoky honey and dark spices, which turn to warming embers that radiate beautifully off the skin.
Etat Libre d'Orange's Spice Must Flow champions cinnamon - that blunt blushing spice, and puts it in tension with the cooling cardamom and the crisp fire of ginger, all at the behest of a magnificent Turkish rose note. Look through Spice Must Flow, gaze at its dizzying surfaces and its magical ornament, and cascades of incense are revealed. This fragrance is a weave of aroma and sizzle, warmth surrounding a cool heart, spices between the folds of rose petals – a precious, all too precious unguent emanating a healing heat. Extending this theme, 500 Years (Etat Libre d'Orange) adds saffron to the composition, its honey sweet shine the perfect complement to the rose note, balanced with oud and rolling it in bitter cocoa powder. The difference is earthiness, a collage of notes that make up a singular impression – velvety, dry, and full-bodied.
