mb02
by Biehl Parfumkunstwerke

“Relaxed avant-garde. Very sophisticated, very casual, very mmm.” (Biehl Parfumkunstwerke website)

I find violet scents very tricky to wear and this one’s no exception. The green woody notes provide a masculine edge to the overall composition but, once again, its understated and translucent nature (pretty much like every other offering from this house) leaves me feeling underwhelmed. Still, Mark Buxton’s creations for this house are still worth investigating.

[Original submission date: 05 July 2008]

mb02 is a lovely, if not fleeting, floral that smells very much like equal parts Apres L'Ondee and YSL Paris, with a nice dash of crushed pepper. Definitely worth exploring.

Mb 02 is another ethereal scent created by Mark Buxton for the biehl parfumkunstwerke line. Whereas mb01 is all floral gorgeousness, mb 02 is a little more sporty but still very elegant. Mb 02 has Mark Buxton’s trademark etherealness and is very much in keeping with his style of creating perfumes that stay close to the skin. From the top note I get lovely warm notes of bergamot and neroli which are charmingly leavened with violet. The violet then goes on to work very nicely with the fir balm to create a cheerful yet calming scent. I am not much of an iris fan but the small amount added is just enough to give the perfume gravity without launching a rooty “ashtray” accord that can sometimes accompany iris. In fact, mb 02 reminds me a bit of Armani Prive’s delicately exquisite iris masterpiece, Pierre de Lune.

However, the best comparison I can think of is that mb 02 is to mb 01, what Diorella is to Diorama. And those of you who know those Dior classics will know exactly what I mean. Well done, Mark Buxton!

Here are the notes of biehl parfumkunstwerke’s mb 02, courtesy of The Perfumed Court: violet, bergamot, tagetes, basil, carnation, violet, iris, labdanum, sandalwood, musk, fir balm, benzoe siam.