J.F. Schwarzlose Berlin
J.F. Schwarzlose Berlin
160 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Ginger and bergamot arrive with startling clarity, bright but shorn of sweetness, joined by lemon that tastes almost saline on the skin. The citrus dominates initially, feeling clean in an almost clinical manner, yet there's already a whisper of warming spice beneath.
Black pepper and nutmeg unfold, the composition pivoting from fresh into spiced territory—ginger now plays with the pepper, creating a subtly warming accord. Orange blossom absolute blooms softly, introducing creamy nuance that prevents the fragrance from remaining cold, whilst woody notes (vetiver and cedarwood) begin their ascent beneath the florality.
The citrus evaporates quickly, leaving vetiver and cedarwood to dominate a increasingly austere landscape. Patchouli and ambroxide provide final warmth, but the fragrance becomes a whisper—a woody-spicy ghost of its opening rather than a fully developed base. By the fourth hour, projection has largely surrendered.
Altruist opens with the kind of brightness that suggests moral clarity—sharp ginger and bergamot striking first, then lemon arriving with an almost medicinal precision. There's something austere about this citrus profile, lacking the plump juiciness you might expect; instead, it's angular, crystalline, architectural. But this is where Véronique Nyberg reveals her hand: the composition refuses to be merely fresh. Black pepper and nutmeg emerge quickly beneath the citrus, creating a spiced undercurrent that feels almost peppery-warm rather than cooling. Orange blossom absolute keeps things from becoming too austere, introducing a creamy, slightly buttery dimension that humanises the initial sharpness.
What makes Altruist compelling is its woody spine. Vetiver anchors everything with earthen, slightly smoky character whilst cedarwood adds a linear, almost pencil-shaving dryness. Patchouli threads through, grounding the composition rather than dominating it—this isn't a boisterous patchouli fragrance, but one where the note provides backbone. Ambramone adds an ambroxan-like warmth, preventing the vetiver-cedarwood pairing from becoming too austere.
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3.4/5 (156)