Numero Uno
by Carthusia

Carthusia Numero Uno

Laura Tonatto undertook the task of creating perfumes for Carthusia back in 2006 and Numero Uno was released in 2007. Ms. Tonatto has created a very masculine chypre which develops in a fairly traditional way but holds true to what I think she was trying to accomplish. The top of Numero Uno is a classic, some might say ubiquitous, mix of citrus and lavender as a tart orange note is cut with lavender. This is the opening of many scent journeys and there are no new revelations made in this one just a competent opening salvo which is well-executed. It is in the heart where things get interesting as it is here where Ms. Tonatto chooses to amp up the herbal character of the scent by making thyme the central note but pairs it with ylang-ylang and a camphor note to give the heart of this a vaporous beauty that is unique as it revolves from aromatic herbal to lush floral to the iciness of camphor. This makes for a beautiful heart of this scent. The base is back on common ground as vetiver, patchouli and a hint of musk bring this back to familiar surroundings. For a man looking for a masculine chypre I think Numero Uno could be just the ticket.

I was very eager to see what Carthusia was all about after reading thru interesting quotes in Blogs and the constant praise and admiration this House has. It didnt disappoint...however, it didnt smell unique..in other words, i was familiar with the accords in it and it reminded me of few scents it must have been possibly inspired from...

Numero Uno opens with a very boozy accord, in a very nail polish remover kind of way...this accord very soon progresses to a very tart, bright, citrus notes... the effect of Orange peel is very very similar to YSL Live Jazz with a healthy dose of Lavender..its some where in transition from Top to Mid notes that it Uses Thyme in a powdery, copperish way that we are so used to and done in a elegant way in one other scent. The scent that im refering too is PDN New York. Numero Uno relies heavily on this Herbal accord which was so well crafted by PDN in her Masterpiece New York...the mid notes is merely a combination of YSL Live Jazz and PDN NY, not as spicy and balanced as NY though...somewhere in the base, the accords get very crowded and it almost a colossal display and disturbing collage of animalic notes on a base of mushy green vetiver and incense. somehow, it's very raw and real.. seems out of place..maybe it was intented to be raw in it's approach..but again, for someone who has YSL LJ and PDN New York..it'll be hard to ignore the similarities...at the same time, Fans of the same would rever this scent with same passion.

A linear spicy musk. Very "perfumey" and old and in your face.

A chypre of unusually masculine character. In spite of the inclusion of ylang-ylang in the formula, this isn't remotely a stereotypical feminine scent in feeling. It may be the one note that rings false in this chime; it seems out of place with the more herbal floral of lavender, and certainly with eucalyptus and the other herbals. In conjunction with the musk, the sweet floral makes this scent a bit powdery at first, although that impression diminishes after the first twenty minutes or so. Then it blends more smoothly into the rest of the formula and largely loses the powdery aspect. This fragrance took a little getting used to for me, but once past the rough spot, I now like it quite a bit. In the end, it comes out as a slyly suave and even slightly rakish bit of work, the sort of thing to wear when one is in the mood for fun and a little taste of the offbeat in life.

Nothing too exciting here: Numero Uno is not number one in my book. It’s a competent chypre without major (or even minor) flaws: It is primarily masculine because of its somewhat rough camphorousness and sharper textures from the use of eucalyptus and vetiver. Numero Uno is traditionally structured, and its movement is quite uninspiring. The opening is forgettable – I know this for sure because I had to apply it three times before I could force myself to pay enough attention to it in order to register it in my brain – make that four times, I just did it again. I tend to nod off at that citrus / lavender opening that I have met in so many fragrances, and this one seems as mediocre as the majority of that genre. The citrus in Numero Uno is bright and clean, but the lavender muddies up the accord. The middle is herbal / floral, with the thyme being the dominant representative of herbal group: poor choice as far as I’m concerned. Thyme doesn’t get along with lavender IMHO. The florals that excel are ylang-ylang and violet. The middle is competent but just as forgettable as the opening. For the dry down I get only the vetiver and a little bit of myrrh with an understood but intangible patchouli. The base has a real chypre feel to it, and is my favorite part of the fragrance.

In all, I find this an earthy fragrance – rustic, even. It is without flaws except that it is too safe, too uninspired. Its chypre classification is very real, and that is what I respect most about the fragrance. Test out Numero Uno – it’s a respectable fragrance that unfortunately holds too many squeaky boards for me, but I’m sure it would perform well on someone else.

I tried this a few days ago. It was an interesting scent. Not the best I have ever smelled - but it was interesting enough to try again and maybe buy later on. I recommend you try it. Thumbs up for now.
benb