A. A. Vantine & Co.
A. A. Vantine & Co.
118 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The clove and bergamot announce themselves with sharp, almost peppery insistence, immediately tempered by a thick leather accord that feels like the first breath after entering a tannery. The bergamot brightness attempts to lift this heaviness, but frankincense—somehow simultaneously resinous and smoky—ensures that lightness remains merely theoretical.
As the composition settles, iris emerges with an almost powdery, slightly green undertone that plays elegantly against patchouli's earthy fermentation. Ylang ylang adds a subtle creamy dimension, but never dominates; instead, the frankincense deepens into something almost liturgical, whilst leather becomes the true protagonist—supple, used, undeniably present.
The base settles into an intriguing triad of leather, patchouli, and tonka bean, with musk providing a soft, skin-like anchor rather than projection. Cistus and the lingering frankincense create a dry, almost woody finish that feels almost masculine in its restraint—spice fades to memory, leaving behind a sophisticated leather-musk whisper that suggests afternoon light filtering through aged paper.
Corylopsis arrives as a leather-bound grimoire of spice and smoke—a fragrance that feels less like a perfume and more like a sensory manifesto. The opening clash of clove and Calabrian bergamot creates an almost medicinal sharpness, immediately grounded by leather and frankincense that lend the composition a distinctly ecclesiastical character. This isn't a perfume trying to whisper; it's one that demands you listen.
The heart reveals a peculiar floral restraint: iris and ylang ylang emerge not as conventional flowers but as austere, almost dusty presences, sharpened further by the resinous frankincense that refuses to let anything become pretty. Patchouli enters the discourse mid-way, earthy and slightly fermented, conversing directly with the leather in a way that suggests aged suede worn smooth by deliberate use rather than accident. The spicy accord (88%) never truly retreats—clove lingers like an undertone of intellectual provocation.
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4.1/5 (206)