Psychotrope is multifaceted and evolves quickly on the skin before settling into a woody and ambery fragrance.
The journey begins with a bitter, dusty, and slight gourmand-balsamic accent that reminds me so much of dark cocoa powder. It stays for a couple of seconds before swiftly turning into a somewhat smoky and nutty profile, with a slight animalic facet of musks. All that makes me imagine a wooden whisky barrel that is still wet. Indeed, it smells boozy. This phase does not stay longer than seconds until it evolves into dry, spicy, earthy, and somehow aromatic woods. This evolution happens instantly, passing like a whiff of air, yet smooth and subtle.
Psychotrope’s woodiness reveals the dry and ambery facet of cedarwood. However, the dryness is accentuated by the spicy and aromatic features of cloves and nutmeg, which I suppose come from the pimento berry, and saffron. I imagine this phase being so vibrant and lively! The pimento berry’s cloves and nutmeg facet create an exotic ambiance, and the saffron amplifies it. The saffron sets a bridge between the opening and the wooded base, creating a path and make the transition easier. It engages our senses to walk through the bridge and follow the scent passionately because something exciting awaits us on the other side of the bridge.
The first wood that we encounter is cedarwood. But before entering the woods, there’s incense. The incense balance the warmth of the woods with its fresh aromatic profile. Simultaneously, incense’s terpenic side gives a warm peppery finish, emphasizing cedarwoods’ dusty and ambery character, hence adding more richness and sparks. Brilliant!
Although cedarwood is very much dominant in the first sniff, other woods plays a big part in building the fundamental character of Psychotrope. Sandalwood and cypress. The combination of both wooded materials is seen in many woody fragrances because they genuinely compliment each other in so many ways.
Psychotrope’s woody sillage conveys a fresh and neat feeling.
Although woody, cypress has a beautifully aromatic and herbaceous character, similar to pine oil. Foggy, damp, but fresh. It embraces sandalwood’s spicy, earthy, and herbaceous character, allowing the wood’s clean side to manifest.
Cypress also has a sweetness of amber that is getting more prominent towards the dry down. It somehow has a fruity and floral silhouette, honeyed. Psychotrope settles nicely on the skin, smelling rich ambers, powdery, and balsamic. In the end, it has a musky finish with a suede texture. Psychotrope has excellent performance, and it lasts long on my skin. I can smell it all day.
This woody-spicy fragrance is created by Delphine Thierry in 2015 for Malbrum® Parfums. I first discovered Psychotrope through a blind sniff session provided by Waroeng Francais. There were seven perfumes to smell, and Psychotrope by Malbrum Parfums came out as my number one favorite. It was also the first time I encountered the brand Malbrum® Parfums, a brand founded by Kristian, aka Malbrum, in his home country, Norway.
I think the main reason why Psychotrope is very attractive to me is because of the clean, woody smell.
The woods are prominent, the center of attention, yet surrounded by aromatics and spices that are fresh and exotic. I like how Psychotrope evolves on the skin to become more floral and sweet with time. It feels like the flower gracefully grows in the middle of the woods, bright and lovely.
Have you ever smelled Malbrum® Parfums? They have six fragrances in their collection, but I have only smelled Psychotrope and Safarīyah (this one is awesome too). If you are curious to discover, you can shop their perfumes online on their website. If you are in Norway, France, Germany, and the USA, you can shop in their reseller stores. Indonesians? Easy, Malbrum® Parfums are now Waroeng Francais partner brand, so don’t hesitate to contact Wenly to shop.
I hope my post can bring you more light when deciding which Malbrum® Parfums to buy. Psychotrope could be a suitable option if you’re looking for sandalwood or incense base perfumes. Good luck!
Cheers,
Gia.
Disclaimer: Perfume courtesy of Waroeng Francais with no obligations. Picture and all thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own and not influenced by anyone.
