Lubin
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The first spray delivers a triptych of contrasts: galbanum's bitter-green resin, bergamot's sunny citrus, and cardamom's aromatic warmth hit simultaneously, creating a brief moment of sparkling clarity. Within minutes, that clarity fractures as cinnamon begins its smouldering ascent, the composition shifting from bright to brooding with remarkable speed.
Damask rose emerges in full regalia, its petals seemingly dusted with cinnamon powder and frankincense ash. The jasmine weaves through like incense smoke, adding a heady, almost narcotic quality whilst the spices continue their slow burn against the rose's opulence. This phase is dense, enveloping, the florals and resins locked in an embrace that feels both sacred and sensual.
The base settles into a skin-close aura of sandalwood and patchouli, their woody richness softened by vanilla's creamy sweetness and tonka's hay-like warmth. The rose persists as a ghost of its former self, now just a musky-floral memory threaded through amber and wood. What remains is comforting yet complex, like aged wood furniture in a room where incense was burned hours ago.
Black Jade unfurls like a damask tapestry soaked in resinous smoke and crushed spices. Thomas Fontaine has orchestrated a scent that feels simultaneously devotional and carnal, where the greenish snap of galbanum and the citric brightness of bergamot provide only momentary relief before the composition plunges into its true nature: a rose absolute smothered in cinnamon bark and frankincense tears. This isn't the demure rose of English gardens but something darker, closer to the rose otto used in Middle Eastern attars, its indolic richness amplified by jasmine's animalic undertones.
The spice work here is masterful—cardamom's eucalyptus-like coolness tempers cinnamon's heat, whilst frankincense adds that peculiar combination of lemony brightness and cathedral-like solemnity. As the composition settles, you're left with a base that's classically constructed yet effective: patchouli's chocolate-earth facets meld seamlessly with sandalwood's creamy woodiness, whilst tonka and vanilla provide just enough sweetness to soften the edges without tipping into gourmand territory. The amber accord glows beneath it all, that nebulous warmth that holds everything together.
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3.4/5 (230)