Art Collection #02 (2010)
by Jacomo

Art collection # 2 takes me back to primary school, a place were I was closer to the ground inhabiting the fertile landscape for all later life smell related pleasures. Memory and smell are well documented and probably close to the heart of any lover of scent and smell whether natural or created in the lab and bottled for the delectation of us all. Perfumes that move me are indeed the ones that have the abitiy to transport me back through time to a place where discovering the world involved the nose and everything was sniffed and touched and stored with a present moment awareness. These are the smells we respond to because in their sniffing the doors to lost memories are flung wide open and as if by magic we are presented with the details and minutae of our past. Art collection #2 does this by opening the doors to the school art room with the tactile pleasures of modelling clay, of playdoh, and a touch of parquet flooring. This is not the school of confusion, over stimulation, fear and reprimand but the affirmative school day memories of creativity, free play and comfort. Beautiful work and a unique pleasure from start to finish. Ignore the gender spec. This can be worn by anyone.

10th January, 2012.

#02 turned to be my favorite fragrance from this line. I didn`t expected much from it after Chandlerr Burr review that said it was a better version of Code, but it turned out that to me this statement showed to be false. Even that Code and #02 use tonka as an important part of their evolution, #02 receives a different base to nest the tonka, one which is consistent and cozy, perfect for winter. I don`t get the bergamot or lily at this one, it seems to go on me straight to the base notes. At first there is a certain sweet and brown resinous aroma to it, that i thougt it was opoponax. Takin more attention i noticed it was the comibination of vanilla, amber and patchouli producing it. The vanilla is the sweet part, while the patchouli and amber mimetizes the smoky, powdery aspects, adding a discreet woodiness to the idea. The tonka seems to develop on the top of those notes, like a top and middle note. Here the tonka reminds me of the delicious tonka of Tonka Imperiale, one which has a controled sugared sweetness that for me is distant connect to a syrup idea. The tonka goes in and out of focus between the basenotes, and after 3 hours it fades entirely leaving you with a balance base of vanilla, patchouli and amber.
If i would pick one to purchase, it`d be this one.

7th September, 2011.