Akat
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Eucalyptus and acorn emerge with sharp, almost piercing clarity—dusty and slightly chalky, like opening a tin of dried herbs that's been forgotten in the back of a cupboard. The freshness is decidedly cool and slightly austere, utterly devoid of the sweetness one might expect from a contemporary release.
The orange blossom arrives with a tart, slightly soapy character, its brightness clashing pleasantly against the dry woody backbone of Nootka cypress. The composition settles into something almost architectural—still fresh but now underpinned by resinous, faintly medicinal notes that prevent any softening or seduction.
The base reveals itself as a quiet, understated affair; the cypress becomes increasingly prominent, skeletal and slightly smoky, whilst the floral and citric elements fade to near-imperceptibility. What remains is predominantly woody, synthetic, and faintly mineral—less a traditional drydown and more a gradual dissolution into the faintest ghost of the original construction.
Akat presents a deliberately austere vision of freshness—one that prioritises clarity over indulgence. Honorine Blanc has constructed something genuinely peculiar here: the eucalyptus and acorn opening doesn't read as conventionally green, but rather herbaceous and slightly mineral, as though you've cracked open a dried seed pod to find something faintly powdery within. That dust accord isn't accidental softness; it's a deliberate desaturation, lending the composition an almost scholarly restraint.
The orange blossom in the heart refuses to sweeten this composition into approachability. Instead, it functions as a tart, almost metallic counterpoint to the woody skeleton beneath—there's no creamy indolic warmth here, just the sharp aldehydic snap of neroli meeting the resinous, slightly medicinal character of Nootka cypress. The synthetic accords (at 76%) don't feel like a budget compromise; they read as intentional, giving the fragrance an almost soapy, institutional quality that some will find refreshingly honest and others will find off-putting.
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3.5/5 (722)