Chembur (2008)
by Byredo

I've a feeling with Chembur I've not totally understood yet. It's shy, not loud, kinda laidback but it's there, and you pleasantly notice. Basically it's a frankincense fragrance but it takes its distance from others scents of the same family (Avignon, Cardinal, Incense Extreme) by introducing a metallic note in the opening that I quite appreciate. It's dry and cold at first, a bit pungent, a bit astringent but never too loud, never too much. The drydown is very gentle and comfortable, almost imperceptible and it gave me the sensation of a room where they burned sandalwood incense sticks (the good quality ones), but two days ago. My aim was to write a "not so good /nothing special" review but having Chembur on my skin that shyly appears with its subtile allure, changed my mind and left me somehow fascinated.
I don't think I will never get a FB of this as I usually love darker and warmer church incenses but, if you're looking for something quite distinctive but not too daring, give Chembur a chance.

7th March, 2011. (Last Edited: 2nd November, 2011.)

This has a resinous, incense-oriented character, and I like it. It starts with lemon-citrus notes and then settles into an airy, woody-incense scent. It is transluscent, subtle, and very classy due to the restrained treatment. At times, there is something suggesting damp, cool and moist undergrowth. There is also a nice bit of spicy ginger. The dry-down gets more substantial but is never heavy or sweet. The ginger-incense chord strikes me as similar to what I find in Miller & Bertaux’s Spiritus/Land.

7th December, 2010.

I cannot understand Byredo`s brand. Why put money, efforth, creativity, to design fragrances so mass-marketed? Their offering sound like your commercial fragrance done with a little better materials and concentration, but without any risks. Chembur looks like an citrusy-incense offering for men. It opens with an adstringent citrus note with a resinous edge. This first blast develops to a incense note similar to Calvin Klein Man, with an incense smell that looks like it hasn`t been burnt yet. The ginger is fresh, not soapy, and make a dull - but pleasant - combination. The base is a common place combination of musk and amber. Something on Chembur is quite similar to Samourai 47 by Alain Delon. I still wonder why someone would buy something so expensive that smells so similar to something cheap. Not bad, but not great too.

13rd July, 2010.

Hmm... I'm surprised I don't see patchouli here, I thought I detected it. This has a high ringing medicinal finish that I usually attribute to patchouli.

I' now wearing this for the second time, and enjoying it more than i did the first wearing (this usually happens when I find a scen that I like, as my brain has a better reference for it).

Chembur opens very green, a light, almost watery green. I love this phase!!! As it dries down i would describe it as a citrus infused chypre and not as an oriental spicy, which is how it is marketed. I"m really questioning the ingredients listed, I don't smell the incense at all, nor the nutmeg/ginger. this is very firmly a green floral on me, and a darn good one at that.

It probably comes down to chemistry wiht this one, but this is a very pretty, bitter crisp fragrance that is fantastic for summer time. This really works on me!

21st June, 2010. (Last Edited: 4th July, 2010.)

Chembur is clearly in a great deal of distress. An ugly addition to the Byredo family - it has so very little to commend it. The opening is astringent, with a potent ginger presence that exacerbates the harshness in the citric elements. Beneath the unsympathetic opening is a warm and sensitive core. Heart notes of incense and nutmeg provide a welcome, if brief distraction from the preceding unpleasantness. Sadly, the base lacks the necessary ingredients to complete the rehabilitation, the dry woody components lack the vitality and potency to retain any continued interest.

4th December, 2009.

Byredo Chembur

Byredo is a new perfume House created by a Swedish Indian designer, Ben Gorham. In 2008 they released their first five fragrances. Jerome Epinette was the nose behind Chembur which is the incense centered scent of the line. Chembur is a city outside Mumbai, India and it is where young Mr. Gorham would spend days with his mother having a picinic. There was a temple nearby and he wanted to capture the mix of green grass and incense from just over the hill. I think M. Epinette succeeds in that but this makes Chembur a very light fragrance. The top carries a lovley lemon zing to it and it carries nicely into mix of nutmeg and ginger before the incense comes wafting in. The inspiration was to have it feel like incense from far away and M. Epinette does pull that off but as someone who loves the note this was a tease for me. I wanted the incense to slowly get more intense and pick up depth. Instead it stays just over the horizon and out of reach. The base is musk and amber and they are good compliments but again I wanted them to be stronger. For all that it is light Chembur has good longevity on me and it is very close wearing. I found my experience with Chembur to be frustrating as I was left wanting more. If you are someone who likes incense in lighter doses then Chembur might be just what you're looking for as it is a well-constructed piece of perfumery.

16th November, 2009.