eo02
by Biehl Parfumkunstwerke

“High-class colonial style. Very sophisticated.” (Biehl Parfumkunstwerke website)

I have to wholeheartedly agree with odysseusm on this one – it simply left me cold.

[Original submission date: 05 July 2008]

I’ve smelled attempts at this kind of citrus / green opening accord in a few fragrances: None of those attempts come anywhere near the quality and beauty of this one… it’s consummately better than anything of its nature that I have tried. On my skin the citrus (grapefruit / bergamot) is muted and the green (galbanum / cilantro with a cardamom) is silken smooth. It doesn’t seem either citrus or green and yet it can be recognized as both: conspicuously elegant and attractive. The accord picks up the jasmine and rose as soon as the citrus elements have exited from the opening and the subsequent heart accord is the kind that I call “texture” because the floral and woody elements integrate themselves seamlessly into the original green texture to form a heart accord that is a bit reminiscent of Gucci Envy EDP or an extra smooth, extra lustrous Nemo… it’s lovely, semi-gourmand, and entirely unisex… soft, but with a full olfactory spectrum. The base is a refined and rich cedar, sandalwood, and patchouli in an amber / vanilla sweetness. Long lasting biehl parfumkunstwerke eoO2 is quietly lush, sophisticated, and brilliant.

I do not get much projection from this but what I do smell is a very nice woody oriental with solid sweetness and spices note. The alphabet soup list of accords is overwhelming and the fragrance itself becomes a complex obstacle course and it feels like you're wearing a jigsaw puzzle. Very interesting to say the least.

EO 02 is a zippy perfume from the biehl parfumkunstwerke line which would appeal someone (male or female) who enjoys light, unisex herbal fragrances with a twist. At first, it started off a little unpromisingly with a strong, perfumey, sharp green, almost generic “man’s fragrance” smell. But – it just needed time! Once it settled onto my skin, I became entranced. The thyme note was unexpected but a very intriguing addition to the composition, especially when coupled with fir and sandalwood in the middle notes. Rose and jasmine eventually appeared in the base which made it wearable for a female but still, it would be great to smell this on a man. I didn’t catch much of the base notes listed below- maybe a little patchouli if I really tried. Which is just as well since I am not much of a fan of heavy oriental perfumes. Overall, EO 02 was refreshing and I very much enjoyed it. Well done, Egon Oelkers!

Here are the notes, courtesy of The Perfumed Court: Top: bergamot, grapefruit, galbanum, cardamom, coriander, Middle: thyme, davana, fir, rose, jasmine, carnation, Base: atlas cedarwood, patchouli, sandalwood, incense, vanilla, cinnamon, amber.

An extraordinarily complex and brilliant composition. It's taken me about three months to decide whether I even like it or not. I do. This is an oriental of sorts, but the sweetness is restrained and sophisticated and entwined with resinous and herbal elements - there is the "Occident meets Orient" feeling here that I like about Nicole Farhi pour homme, only this is on a higher plane. Nothing about this perfume is loud. It opens without fanfare, like a true gentleman easing into the ballroom it elegantly takes its rightful place without verbose pronouncements. There's nobility here, and no need to firework the budget on a few dazzling topnotes. What there is, is a beautiful haze of blending notes, the citrus fruits, the green, spicy, foresty, floral and woody elements melt effortlessly into something quite unique - to my nose there is a milky coconut-like sensation at the intersection of all these aspects. There is richness without the heaviness the list of basenotes would suggest. As the long-time head of R&D for Haarman & Reimer, which then became Symrise, Egon Oelkers knows his materials and he certainly had fun with them here. Nearly on par with the oriental perfection of Ambre Sultan.

I find Egon Oelkers (eo 02) to be a spicy-woody-ambery sort of scent. It starts with good spices and brief citrus notes, and a bit of aromatic galbanum. I searched for the very interesting heart notes but they eluded me. This very quickly settles into alternating notes of cedar (excellent) and rich amber (well done but not to my taste). If you like buttery amber you’ll probably like this. I feel it could have been so much more. I’m neutral on it, a bit disappointed given the great potential of its ingredients.