Timbuktu (2004)
by L'Artisan Parfumeur

It's like an encounter with a loud personality at a party that wants everyone's attention. Initially irritating but over time you become aware that without it the party would be dull.

Flamboyant but entertaining, no surprise it stirs up strong feelings. Like in the party metaphor, having it around for too long makes me feel tired as it dominates everything. Good for a few occasions but not to hung around with regularly.

23rd January, 2012.

Unimpressive. A bland concoction of Duchaufour typical spices and woods, where I can't find any originality or suggestion related to the inspiration behind it! On my skin it is very tame and quiet, definitely non-exotic!

21st November, 2011.

I've only tried this in a store, but here's my take so far: Light, heady, dry clear incense smoke with a hint of woodiness and vetiver. Do I detect a touch of cardamom in the smoke? Seems quite natural, not synthetic, like most modern scents. I can see this being worn by either men or women, but it seems a little more on the maculine side to me. Nothing quite like it. Luca Turin [I know, I know, and I don't always agree with him either] in his Perfume guide rates this 5* out of 5. According to Turin, creator Bertrand Duchaufour used a rare Indian essential oil named "Cypriol" to create the light smokey effect. It does seem fairlylinear to me, so theire doesn't seem to be a huge change from top to base over the approximate 10 hours I've thrice tested it. Sillage has died down from the initial projection, but it's still maintains a definite presence. All in all, a fantastic creation!

17th October, 2011. (Last Edited: 30th December, 2011.)

The first part of development is almost disturbing and is basically  tart and lemony vetiver, earthy greens, black pepper and hints of frankincense-olibanum under my nose. The development is dull and the smell doesn't take off because of its crudity and olfactory wilderness at once. A note of rape mango is listed and it's responsible, on the side of bitter citrus, berries and vetiver, of that sour, viney and fruity crudity whirling around. A touch of smoke in the meanwhile starts enveloping and shadowing the elements slightly understating the level of green-fruity bitterness. This is a first stage of improvement but is not enough. It has to pass more than a couple of hours before the smoothing and resinous elements flag just a bit the crudity wraping the incenses and the spices in a cloud of mild resins and myrrh. In this phase the fragrance is more appealing although holds on to be a very wild beast to tame. A touch of patchouli sets boldness and autority enhancing the general sense of darkness. Frankly i don't detect exotic flowers in the mix except for that spark of almost womanly and rosey sophistication characterizing the wake many hours later. Probably the rosey (or better vinegar kind) smell is enhanced by the union of citrus and vetiver as many other times is determined by the link of tea and citrus or floral notes (as happens for instance with the link of hybiscus and tea note in Costume National Scent Intense). Anyway an exotic flower is listes and plays its part for sure. In the same vein of L'air du Desert Marocain but drier and less sweet and coloured,  Timbuktu is surly fragrance that is not able to side step in a more modern and acceptable way its high level of tart, dissonant animalism and acerbity. The quality of the elements, the carnal sensuality exuded and the appalling level of darkness place anyway it among the worthy pieces of work, as usual for the Duchafour's fragrances even if Timbuktu's kind of interrupted development, while preserving the darkness, hinders  distinction and mystery, fields where Dzongkha, Jubilation XXV and Avignon didn't fail. The  sillage is in the average.

14th October, 2011. (Last Edited: 19th November, 2011.)

Timbuktu Opens very dark with incense and spices, but nothing exaggerated, where over time, acquires a certain soapy character but nothing overdone. This particular fragrance seems to me a much less intense version of L'air du desert marocain, making this a much more versatile and unisex fragrance, but without the mysterious and powerful personality of Andy Tauer's creation.

17th September, 2011.

This fragrance is a good deceiver. I recommend that you try it on your skin, rather than on paper. Aromatic, airy, complex, exotic: adjectives that describe well the parts, but not the whole. Constructed carefully from interesting accords; absolutely masculine, and yet, not exclusively male.

1st September, 2011. (Last Edited: 2nd September, 2011.)