Laboratorio Olfattivo
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Saffron hits with immediate spiced pepper whilst pineapple adds a slightly indolic tropical brightness—there's something almost floral lurking beneath the fruit, like exotic spice markets butting against a fresh produce stand. Within moments, you're aware this is smoky territory; the incense top note is already creeping in at the periphery.
The frankincense swells into full prominence, joining the incense to create a resinous, almost religious atmosphere that completely subsumes the pineapple's brightness. The tonka bean absolute weaves through this sacred smoke as creamy caramel, creating an unexpected softness—the interplay between resin and sweetness becomes almost hypnotic, drawing you deeper into the composition rather than pushing outward.
The bourbon vanilla and musk establish themselves firmly, creating a warm, creamy second skin that retains the smoky-spicy character but surrenders the brightness entirely. What remains is intimate and powdery-vanilla soft, threaded through with the lingering memory of temple incense and the faintest ghost of saffron's peppery warmth.
Vanagloria is a fragrance that refuses subtlety, announcing itself with the peculiar brightness of saffron threading through ripe pineapple—a spiced tropical opening that immediately signals this won't be a safe, linear composition. Dominique Ropion has constructed something deliberately contradictory: the incense and frankincense in the heart transform that initial fruity sparkle into something ceremonial and austere, as though you're walking through temple smoke carrying the ghost of dessert on your clothes. The tonka bean absolute arrives not as conventional sweetness but as a creamy counterpoint, tempering the resinous austerity with soft caramel undertones that prevent this from becoming austere.
What emerges is a fragrance for the person unafraid of olfactory complexity—someone who gravitates towards unconventional pairings and finds comfort in spiced warmth rather than conventional beauty. This is a scent for autumn evenings when the air carries that particular crispness that makes incense seem natural, or for those moments when you want your fragrance to feel like a private ritual rather than a social announcement. The bourbon vanilla and musk base anchor everything into creamy skin-scent territory, preventing the composition from drifting into pure abstraction, yet the smoky accords (at 100%) ensure this never becomes cosy or maternal.
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4.0/5 (290)