Jovoy
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Mandarin bursts through with almost aggressive brightness, but within moments those competing vetivers claw their way forward, creating an immediate sense of discord. The citrus rapidly becomes peripheral, overwhelmed by a green-earthy surge that's simultaneously fresh and slightly acrid.
The fragrance settles into its true character—a woody, spiced composition where nutmeg adds considerable bite and the dual vetiver notes establish a prickly, complex base. Smokiness becomes increasingly apparent, lending a burnt-sugar quality that prevents any mawkishness from creeping in; the earthy accords (76%) dominate convincingly.
Patchouli and sandalwood gradually eclipse the top and heart notes, leaving a warm, woody skeleton with lingering spice and a faint smoky haze. The fragrance becomes more grounded and less confrontational, though it never truly softens—it simply grows more meditative and austere.
Incident Diplomatique announces itself as a paradox—a fragrance that wears civility like a tailored suit whilst harbouring something distinctly unsettling beneath. Vanina Muracciole has constructed a scent where mandarin orange's initial brightness becomes almost discordant against what emerges immediately behind it: a tangled mass of competing vetiver notes that refuse to play nicely together. The Haitian and Java vetivers don't complement one another in the traditional sense; rather, they create friction, a deliberate tension that mirrors the fragrance's name. One reads as dry and almost medicinal, the other earthier and more grassy, and their interaction produces something genuinely complex rather than harmonious.
What makes this composition truly distinctive is how it weaponises spice. Nutmeg doesn't sweeten the proceedings—it adds bite, a peppery sharpness that prevents the scent from ever settling into comfort. The patchouli and Australian sandalwood arrive not as cushioning base notes but as reinforcements to the woody, earthy assault already underway. There's a conspicuous smokiness threading through the composition, lending an almost burnt quality that suggests diplomatic tensions finally boiling over into something irreparable.
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4.0/5 (154)