Lalfeogrigio by O'Driù, 2011

After being so thoroughly impressed with its sister scent, Lalfeorosa, it did not take a great amount of effort to motivate me to try Lalfeogrigio... Lalfeogrigio opens with what now appears to be the O'driu house style of featuring a bracing blast of herbs and spices. I am getting a lot of oregano, dill weed, saffron and maybe even a smidgen of cumin (but I am sure I am missing a whole bunch of others in there too). These spices mix with the same heavenly subdued rose undertone that impressed me so much when I smelled Lalfeorosa. The heart notes hold onto the herbal mixture with the rose now very much in the background, then adding a large dose of hot chile pepper into the mix, slightly tempered by tonka bean that only sweetens the scent a tad. At this point I would say that Lalfeorosa and Lalfeogrigio are very similar, the differences between them quite subtle. Then shortly afterwards, the rose subsides in Lalfeogrigio and inserted in its place a mugwort (wormwood) note emerges. Wormwood is consistently a note that I have great problems with, but not here. I don't know how Mr. Pregoni did it, but in Lalfeogrigio it just meshes in with the other herbs effortlessly, like the wearer should just expect it to be there and not call undue attention to itself. The base features a sublime mixture of real semi-sweet sandalwood, meshing with the remnants of the spice and a very subtle coffee note that I detected in another of his other brilliant creations. Musk is in the base as well, but it is so well-balanced it does not come off as dirty or off-putting in the least. Projection and longevity are about average. I could go on and on about the things I like about Lalfeogrigio, but in truth I would almost be copying my prior review of Lalfeorosa so I will spare readers the repetition. If I had to choose a favorite of the two masterworks, it would be Lalfeorosa, primarily due to the rose playing a bit more of an overall role in the scent's development that appeals to my personal reference for that note, but it is almost a toss-up. Both scents are easy recommendations to try if you have the ability to do so. In the case of Lalfeogrigio specifically, I give it a very strong 4.5/5 rating. A winning concoction, for sure.

Lalfeogrigio blew me away! Literally! I don't know where to start as there is really a lot going on here... Ok, first of all I learned that the perfume pyramid above it's just indicative. Appearantly it should represent what the fragrance is supposed to evoke with its main accords. When you purchase the full bottle (or sample), the packaging comes with an additional list of actual notes that in this case includes more than 50 (fifty) ingredients involved in the making of this concoction (allergenics excluded). If, for certain reasons, this may sound a bit pretentious or off-putting, at the same time Lalfeogrigio delivers exactly what he promises: a huge fragrance. What it smells like? I guess this is one of those compositions that may change depending on the wearer. Don't get me wrong, in this specific case, I'm not saying that your body chemistry will make the difference but, considering the incredible amounts of ingredients involved, it really depends on how you are sensitive to certain notes instead of others. Me? I get an initial blast of culinary herbs and spices (Piper Nigrum, Sage, Cumin, Laurel, Oreganum, Rosemary) that is arresting to say the least. As previously experienced with other compositions from the same house, the opening is brutal, unpretty, rough...If you're familiar with Villoresi's fragrances you'll probably know what I'm talking about. Sort of an ugly duckling type of stuff. If you survived to the initial "assault" you're now ready to be treated to a consistent amount of resins (Boswellia Sacra, Boswellia Carteri, Myrrh, Styrax). The transition is repentine but skilfully handled by introducing an extremely sophisticated floral accord (rose and jasmine) joined by vanilla and tonka beans. In this phase, Lalfeogrigio plays the juxtapositions game contrasting the sweet base with a strong masculine vibe provided by geranium, leathery castoreum, spices and absynth/lavender. WOW it's musky too! Perfectly balanced! If this may sound a bit over the top, let me tell you it's not. Everything is so detailed and clearly detectable just like an high resolution picture. The main point of streght of Lalfeogrigio is to be incredibly bold but at the same time never loud or vulgar...pure symphonic perfumery. Another remarkable aspect is that everything smells incredibly natural (as opposed to synthetic) which, nowadays, is quite a plus... I could go on saying what else I detect but I prefer to stop it here. Just let me write a list of fragrances/brands that popped up in my mind while wearing this outstanding concoction... Parfum Sacre, Jicky (and other Guerlains), Musc Ravageur, YSL Nu EDP, Black Cashmere, A Taste of Heaven, Santa Maria Novella, Villoresi, Ambre Sultan, Ambre Precieux... Mandatory for anyone into outstanding drydowns.