Birkholz
Birkholz
173 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The mandarin and aquatic notes collide with immediate sparkle, creating that characteristic citrus-and-sea impression, whilst the orange blossom softens any harshness with its honeyed whisper. Within minutes, the aniseed emerges as an unexpected guest, bringing a licorice-tinged spice that makes you question what you're actually smelling.
The aniseed settles into conversation with geranium, the latter adding a dusty, almost faded rose quality that anchors the composition's middle act. Mint dances across the edges, providing a cool breath that keeps the fragrance from becoming thick or syrupy, whilst the fruity accords continue their gentle hum beneath.
Amber and sandalwood claim their territory as the citrus dims to a whisper, creating a warm, woody foundation that's never quite heavy enough to feel truly oriental. The aniseed persists as a spectral presence, a reminder of the fragrance's unusual heart, whilst patchouli adds a final layer of subtle earthiness that grounds everything on skin.
Birkholz's Luxury Passion announces itself as a sparkling contradiction—a fragrance that wants to be both crystalline fresh and deeply sensual, and largely succeeds through sheer compositional audacity. The opening mandarin and orange blossom create an almost beverage-like brightness, that distinctive aldehydic snap of citrus peel meeting delicate floral sweetness, but this is no conventional fresh fragrance. Lurking beneath is the aniseed, that polarising liquorice-like spice that transforms the composition into something altogether more complex and slightly dangerous. The geranium adds a subtle rosy earthiness that prevents the anise from tipping into gourmand territory, whilst the mint provides a cooling counterpoint that makes the whole thing feel paradoxically both warm and refreshing.
What makes Luxury Passion compelling is how it refuses to choose sides. The heart sits in a perpetual tension between the fruity vivacity of those top citrus notes and the creeping warmth of amber and sandalwood below. That aniseed-geranium pairing is the real protagonist here—it's not floral, not quite herbal, occupying an ambiguous space that rewards close attention. There's a subtle peppery quality that emerges from the geranium-mint interaction, almost imperceptible but crucial to the overall architecture.
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3.9/5 (271)