Alkemi

Alkemi refuses the typical trajectory of an amber fragrance, opening instead with ylang-ylang's creamy, almost narcotic floralcy colliding directly with resinous amber—a deliberate clash that Marie Duchêne orchestrates with the confidence of someone uninterested in easy wearability. This is amber as raw material rather than comfort blanket, its sweetness tempered by the immediate presence of myrrh's bitter, medicinal edge and frankincense's cathedral-cold smokiness. The patchouli here reads distinctly Indonesian—earthy and fermented rather than clean—whilst Atlas cedar contributes a dry, almost dusty woodiness that prevents the composition from dissolving into syrupy abstraction. What's remarkable is how the spice accord dominates without relying on obvious culprits like cinnamon or clove; instead, there's a peppery, slightly camphoraceous quality that seems to emanate from the interplay between ylang-ylang and the resins themselves. The vanilla and sandalwood in the base function less as featured players and more as structural elements, rounding edges without softening the fragrance's fundamentally austere character. This isn't for someone seeking a plush, enveloping amber—it's for the wearer who wants their incense sharp-edged and unapologetic, who appreciates the tension between sweetness and asceticism. It smells like a private ritual conducted in a room filled with aged wood and forgotten spice jars, equal parts devotional and defiant. Best suited to cooler weather and contemplative moods, worn by those who treat fragrance as meditation rather than decoration.