bdk Parfums
bdk Parfums
754 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The cardamom crackles with black pepper undertones, whilst fig arrives almost creamy before the black tea's astringency reasserts control. Within minutes, you're catching mineral-green notes that suggest iris waiting backstage, but the composition feels deliberately underdeveloped—restless, searching for its centre.
Cistus blooms with a dusty, resinous character that makes the fragrance suddenly cohere. The iris tingitana absolute softens into a subtle powder whilst bourbon vetiver emerges as a grounding force, and the spicy accords (100% weighted) create a gentle warming that feels almost body-heat activated. The composition develops a creamy undertone without ever becoming warm or gourmand.
The cedar and sandalwood framework finally asserts itself, creating a drydown that feels almost skeletal—woody rather than sweet, despite the tonka bean's presence. The vanilla and patchouli settle into a soft, skin-scent finish that's genuinely intimate rather than projecting. By the fourth hour, you're chasing ghost notes rather than enjoying a presence.
Gris Charnel arrives as a fragrance that understands restraint—a whispered confession rather than a declaration. The cardamom-fig opening suggests something almost edible, though there's a deliberate austerity here; the black tea grounds the sweetness into something mineral and contemplative. This is where Mathilde Bijaoui's restraint becomes apparent: she allows the tea's tannins to prevent any cloying descent into confectionery.
The cistus and iris tingitana absolute form the fragrance's philosophical core, transforming it from a gourmand sketch into something genuinely complex. Cistus brings a resinous, almost leather-adjacent dryness that plays beautifully against the iris's powdery, slightly green undertones. The bourbon vetiver doesn't announce itself aggressively; instead, it threads through like a bass note that's been mixed low enough to feel subconscious rather than obvious.
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Fragonard
3.8/5 (87)