Rock Crystal
by Olivier Durbano

A masterpiece. Absolutely beautiful scent. Very evocative of a small countryside church. Dry, mineral, herbaceous, incensy. You can almost feel the sun on your face, smell the wood the church is made of, see stones and herbs growing on a cemetery around. And down there at the bottom of the hill the church is on is a village where, like in some H.P. Lovecraft's story, something evil lurks. ;-)

10/10

22nd November, 2011.

Among the Avignon rip-offs the Durbano is probably the most original (which is an euphemism to say that is slightly less literal). The typical church-y cedarwood/incense accord is joined by some spices and other woody notes and it's paired to the usual balmy, sort of synthetic Durbano's signature. Nice but forgettable.

6th March, 2011. (Last Edited: 16th January, 2012.)

If I didn’t already know Dzongkha and Avignon, or what Olivier Durbano did with incense in Black Tourmaline, I’d be more excited about Rock Crystal. A few years ago, when incense was uncommon in personal fragrances, Rock Crystal might have made more of an impression, but in a niche market flooded with outstanding incense fragrances, it comes off as a bit commonplace.

Rock Crystal has an especially tart, brisk lemon top note, followed by an austere, dry accord of incense and vetiver. The name is apt, because the fragrance is extraordinarily transparent, hard-edged, and at the same time, substantial. The foundation is a clean leather that is also devoid of any sweetness, and which contributes to the mineralic texture.

Rock Crystal bears a stylistic resemblance to some of Bertrand Duchaufour’s incense and leather scents, including Timbuktu and Dzongkha, but it lacks the exoticism that makes Duchaufour’s work so unique and challenging. I can’t help but think of it as a Duchaufour in miniature. There’s just a bit less of everything: less frankincense, less smoke, less character. On my skin Rock Crystal also lacks the projection and tenacity that distinguish scents like Avignon and Timbuktu. I suppose if you’re attracted to the idea of a dry, austere incense scent, but are feeling too timid for those in the L’Artisan Parfumeur and Comme des Garçons lines, Rock Crystal may be your thing. To my way of thinking, though, it’s just nondescript.

16th December, 2009.

I would have to say that an excellent, lasting mineral accord is currently the fragrance discovery that I desire the most, and Rock Crystal comes excruciatingly close to fulfilling my wish. I love the mineral-like opening… The combination of citrus, spices, incense, and myrrh with possibly cedar and oakmoss thrown in the mix, creates a truly excellent mineral accord that, unfortunately, lasts only about five minutes. After the five minutes, the mineral accord moves on to become an adequate myrrh / incense accord. The short-livedness of Rock Crystal clearly exhibits the main problem with mineral accords: longevity… it seems impossible to get any kind of longevity out of this kind of composition. When the mineral accord is lost, also lost is the sillage. The heart and base of the fragrance – primarily composed of a bit of incense, moss, and myrrh with a dominance of vetiver – are both pleasant, soft, and discreet; the whole fragrance lacks projection and longevity. I question the classification of this scent as a feminine scent. Judging by the way it reacts on my skin, it could easily be considered masculine. I love the idea that Rock Crystal represents, and I sincerely regret that it is not quite successful enough in accomplishing an adequate longevity. I wanted so much that this be thumbs up… it is a valiant attempt, but it doesn’t quite make it for me.

30th April, 2009.

You love Olibanum (Profumum)?
I like it too, especially the heavenly dry down.
Cristal de Roche is almost the twin of Olibanum, but stronger and longer lasting.
Oh, I forgot, it's half the price of Olibanum.
My actual favorite together with Hinoki.
Unisex and best suited for 30-60 years old people.
Thank you Olivier Durbano!

11th March, 2009.

Dry, cold, woody mineral. Has the same "menthol" accord I noted in Black Tourmaline. Here, the "menthol" is really nice and peppery but still cold. This is very elegant but unwearable for me, but really neat to sniff at.

17th January, 2009.