Written by Lygia @thesensory.club and Carina Dilla @atarisa.fragjourney.
We agree that in perfumery, scents can evoke certain feelings and memory.
But then the question will be, will you allow yourselves to know a new fragrance? Will, you let yourselves get carried away with a new scent?
When it comes to perfume, we often try too hard to identify every single note in it. We sometimes let go of our chance to get to know a fragrance because it contains a particular note that we might not like or may be unfamiliar with. We do not do that to our food. We rarely ask for every ingredient unless we have a specific health reason or another reason for avoiding particular food. Then why don’t we bring the same attitude to perfume as well?
Sure, trying out a new perfume, just like trying out the food, will result in a hit or a miss. There is a 50:50 chance that you might find a hidden gem or not. But fragrance has so much to offer; it lets your mind wander, ignites your emotion, and evokes a certain feeling in your heart that you wouldn’t know you have. Such experience will only come if we let ourselves give a shot at new scents.
Dilla, my smelling and writing partner for this post, was so ready to try new scents. When I first read Bagheera’s notes, I knew already that it suits my taste. However, it was not the case for Dilla. The first time she got to know Bagheera from Malbrum, she felt hesitant to try it because the notes seemed weird for her taste. She fancies truffle oil on the food, but in a perfume? She wasn’t sure.
Moreover, truffle has a robust earthy taste that not everyone can accept. Combines truffle with blackcurrant note which tends to give fruity and sour nuances; she really doesn’t know what she would expect. Hence, I was excited to see her first reaction.
On the first spray on paper, Dilla told me that Bagheera gave her lots of punches to her olfactory sense, in a good way.
For her, Bagheera smelled very fruity, woody, chocolatey, and earthy. The blackcurrant note felt a bit sour, but it gave a bright impression to the opening. The blackcurrant note lingered for a while, then truffle notes came and shaped the overall perfume into a more earthy and chocolatey feeling.
We both agree that sniffing Bagheera on paper took us on a journey to the forest, with many giant cedar trees around. The trees were covered with wet moss. The soil and the leaves were a bit moist, which damp from the morning dew. There was a blackcurrant tree nearby, which fruits were already ripe and made me crave for their sweet and sour taste. There was something that smelled leathery and medicinal, almost like alcohol. It was a complicated scent, and it felt like Bagheera gave us so much to smell in the air.
When Dilla talked about the fruity and sour blackcurrant with some woody and earthy notes, I totally get it. Bagheera starts with dry notes like a glass of champagne on my skin, smelling somewhat woody and fruity. The sweetness reminds me of blackcurrant and grapes. Although dry, it is fresh and a bit minty. The aromatic notes around it boost its freshness and make it even more transparent. It feels like a sheer veil on top of other Bagheera elements, and it welcomes us to enter its wild, deep, and intense universe.
Before going deeper into the woods, Bagheera’s blackcurrant notes appear clearer and brighter. The fruity, green, and minty facet also carries slight sulphuric notes, acting as a punch in the top. It smoothly transitions to become sweeter, with some berries accords which also present. They appear harmoniously together and create some sweetness that balances the more ominous side of Bagheera, making the opening smooth and comfortable to the nose.
Bagheera’s blackcurrant and berries notes linger on top of the dark violet accord, which carries complex powdery floral notes. It slowly opens its layers, showcasing its green honeyed elements that convey some rose and tea notes. It quickly fills up the air with its floralcy, giving largeness to the heart of Bagheera.
The dark violet accords gradually show its creamy, woody facets and with a silhouette of suede leather. Its buttery, opulent scent creates a unique leathery-floral sensation, although camouflaging between the woody core. In the backbone, the papyrus makes intense, rich, and multifaceted woody notes. It has some smoky aspects in it, vetiver-ish, and slightly animalic. On my skin, Bagheera leaves woody, leathery, and musky trails.
Nevertheless, on Dilla’s skin, Bagheera didn’t smell as complicated as on the paper. Yet, we both like how it smelled on the skin rather than on the paper strip. The blackcurrant note was staying a bit short on Dilla’s skin but still gave sweet and sour vibes. The woody note was very prominent; it was resinous and warm. But it toned down with truffle, which gave an earthy and chocolatey feel. It was a bit sweeter, like vanilla-sweet, and a bit velvety, if not felt like powdery.
Trying Bagheera gave me a new olfactory experience since I have never smelled this kind of fragrance before.
Carina Dilla @atarisa.fragjourney
If you want to see how Bagheera works on you, you can try it in the Malbrum discovery kit. You can purchase it on Malbrum’s website or their new platform at www.artisticfragrances.com. For my Indonesian friends, you can purchase it at Waroeng Francais.
Tell us, do you like our post? Because this is the first time I am writing with Dilla, and yes, I am enjoying it. Smelling and writing with Dilla were lovely. She is very open to trying new things, and what I love the most is her capacity to visualize the scent and make an intriguing narration. I sincerely look forward to seeing more writings from Dilla.
Now, should I do this smelling-and-writing session more often? Who’s interested in joining me? Please send me a DM on Instagram; maybe we can arrange something in the future 😉
