Diesel
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The bergamot-galbanum combination arrives with crystalline brightness, immediately undercut by a distinctly synthetic edge that feels almost plastic-tinged. Within minutes, the fir balsam emerges, lending a cool, resinous quality that anchors the opening's sharpness.
The cypress and fir balsam develop into the composition's green spine, while tonka bean begins its gradual introduction of creaminess beneath the woody-fresh top. By the second hour, you're left with a peculiar balance—the spicy-fresh notes remain assertive, but the base's sweetness softly contradicts them, creating an appealing compositional tension.
The labdanum and tonka dominate, settling into a warm, honeyed woody base whilst the opening's brightness fades considerably. However, this fragrance's notoriously poor longevity means the dry down arrives prematurely and disappears almost apologetically, leaving only a faint, sweet-woody whisper by hour four.
Spirit of the Brave opens with a decidedly synthetic sensibility—one that doesn't apologise for its artificiality but rather leans into it with the confidence of someone wearing futuristic sportswear. The bergamot and galbanum pairing creates an almost metallic freshness, sharp enough to cut through the synthetic base without pretending to be natural citrus. What distinguishes this composition is how Carlos Benaïm has positioned the heart: fir balsam and cypress work in tandem to build a green, resinous core that feels architectural rather than forested, all clean angles and deliberate structure.
The real narrative tension emerges between the fresh-spicy character (the galbanum and cypress providing peppery snap) and the base's sweetness—labdanum and tonka bean introducing a golden, almost honeyed undertone that complicates the initial austerity. This isn't a fragrance that achieves seamless blending; instead, there's a deliberately contemporary discord between its woody-fresh opening and its creamy-sweet foundation, which speaks to a fragrance designed for someone unafraid of contrast.
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3.9/5 (84)