Oliban (2004)
by Keiko Mecheri

Oooooo...luvvin' this incensed rose with its hint a honey, fresh cured tobacco and glove leather. On me MUCH warmer and less Cathedral than Avignon...am pining for a full bottle.

The incense note, when it enters in, is incredible — it’s beautiful, it’s proportioned and delicate. And it’s almost a pure incense note until it a joined by the cedar, which adds a sort of sparkle to the incense. Next I get a clear, soft rose note that weaves in and out of the incense… the combination provides a graceful sensuality, but it doesn’t last very long until it drifts into the drydown: tobacco and leather touched by honey. The drydown has very good longevity and it even presents the translucent incense still in the background. The drydown is where the fragrance deserts me. I like the tobacco of the base, but I get a little off note from the leather, which is my typical response to many leather notes. Oliban is labeled feminine, but I find it more unisex… I know that I don’t have a problem wearing it except for that leather note. It’s a nice fragrance — it has a touch of mystery — a touch sensuality – a touch of elegance. If it didn’t have that touch of leather, it would be a thumbs up vote up from me.

Oliban has three phases. The first is amazingly good, the second is OK, and I don’t care for the third. We start with a frankincense/cedar opening. It is deep, dark, woody, and very impressive. Excellent! This changes into a tangy tobacco/rose chord. Smells like a tin of pipe tobacco... charming in its own way. The third phase is a powdery, vanilla amber note which grows with the passage of time. Here’s the thumb goes sideways. I just don’t like that aspect. That’s why I prefer a leaner, more austere incense scent like Bois D’Encens or Bois D’Orage or some of the Comme des Garçons line. I’d characterize Oliban as being in the style of old-school late ‘70s male powerhouse scents: dark, rich, assertive.

This reminds me a lot of L'homme Sage by Divine, but a bit spicier. It is definitely not exclusively a ladies fragrance. I wore it for about four days to great effect, but did not purchase it because I felt the incense element was not its strongest suit. This is a charming spice fragrance that is warm and very friendly. Wearers looking for a little incense layered with spice and a little fig or other dark fruit will be very happy with this.

I can't really pick out any notes in Oliban, except maybe the tobacco. It's just a warm and sweet and rich presence Perhaps a tad "perfumey" - as in a well-blended, classical scent with notes like rose and tobacco, rather than a modern, original scent with a jumble of notes. The reason I don't give it thumbs up is that I'm honestly not wild about it, I merely enjoy it, and there are many scents with a similar comforting aura.

Oliban features a very elegant and classy opening. The dry down is so delicate it's almost a feminine statement. A Masterpiece of a fragrance with limited sillage. It begins with a delicate burst of leather and tobacco accents leading to an enticing floral drydown. There is an almost imperceptible frankincense note throughout. Can be worn in a business environment as much as casual settings. For a date, certainly a killer (in its good sense, of course! :-) Two thumbs up!