Unreal

Unreal arrives as a calculated collision between citrus brightness and leather darkness, a fragrance that refuses easy categorisation. Christian Carbonnel has constructed something genuinely spicy—the ginger and white pepper create an almost tactile bite that immediately signals this isn't a comfort scent. The Amalfi lemon cuts through with Mediterranean sharpness, but it's the juniper berry that proves the masterstroke, introducing an herbaceous astringency that prevents the composition from softening into feminine florality. The iris here is architectural rather than powdery; it meets the magnolia as a structural element, not a decorative flourish.

What makes Unreal compelling is how it prioritises tension over resolution. The leather accord—sitting at 76% prominence—doesn't wait politely in the base; it weaves through the heart notes as a fundamental component, creating friction with the magnolia's creamy softness. There's a peculiar warmth from the rum and benzoin that suggests fermentation and smoke rather than sweetness. This isn't dessert; it's the smell of a leather-clad figure standing in a spice market at dusk, holding something amber-coloured that catches the light.