LArtisan Parfumeur Patchouli (1979)
I bought this in Paris. The next afternoon my cousin and I were sitting at a sidewalk café and at the next table there was a guy working his cell phone hard to make real estate deals. Hand gestures all over the place as he kept his eyes vacantly on his small table and his phone pressed to an ear. God, that guys had a lot to drink, I told my cousin, he smells like lots of booze.
But it turned out I was only smelling myself.
You see, good patchouli always smells boozy to me. And thats what I absolutely love about this Patchouli by LArtisan. It rocks, and it has the central element of thick patchouli to it but it isnt thick in the viscous sense of too much goo. Patchouli is often compared to rotting wood, or damp earth, or damp damn wood, or something like that, but that doesnt end the qualities of patchouli smells for me. For me theyre really dreamy when theyre the focusboozy, earthly, and something sharp thats caustic in my nose. I really go for it. Patchouli is such a rich element that it is almost as if it has top, middle, and basenotes all of its own. So damned complex a single element!
So I go for patchoulis. I go for LArtisans Patchouli as the first of these equals. It is moister, boozier, and brandy-er than others I know and love, Villoresis for example, and Molinards brilliant antique and dirt offering.
LArtisan has discontinued this fragrance. When I got my bottle it wasnt in US distribution anymore and old stock in Paris was the only place to find it. (I combed Argentina and Uruguay before trying to find it in Valparaiso and Quito too, but confound it, no luck. Such pretty city names too. So scouring the earth led me to old supplies in Paris only. (Im joking, but not about the discontinuation).) When I asked for it at the LArtisan shop the SA urged me to pick the then new Patchouli Patch fragrance instead because it was beaucoup plus distingué. No thanks, cherie, I like my booze straight up.
There are patchoulis that smell old somehow, in the sense that Molinards smells antique, as I mention, but theres an ever-newness to LArtisansa bold in-your-face happy here-I-am, or in my case, Heres Chris! It is a perfect party scent.
I know all the drill about the beauty of lost discontinued scentstheyre the most beautiful, the longest lasting, the most evocative, and the most touching in all the right ways. In my nose and on my skin, however, LArtisans Patchouli doesnt stick around long enough. I dont know whats wrong because I can usually smell most of my scents all day, especially patchoulis, but somehow LArtisans escapes my nose after a few hours. Instead, I guess, it pops up on gesticulating real estate dealers who I think must be drunk, and, again when I was rushing out of my old apartment building too.
Are you wearing patchouli oil? asked Wayne, whos only love is his bulldog, as we passed each other at the door of our apartment building a couple summers ago. Far out, it must still be there, I thought. But how to explain? Why yes of course, sir! But not just any ordinary patchouli oil, mind you, wouldnt that be a bit too brut, shall we say? Why, of course, for me and you sir, only the very best Paris has to offer can suffice. Im sure youd agree.
Cant say that to Wayne. Hes a jerk anyway--his dog poops inside the apartment building while Wayne keeps walking three floors down the stairs and yells for his pooping dog to follow him. I used to wear patchouli oil, volunteers Wayne, getting a far away meditative look in his far away eyes before adding, I was at Woodstock!
Great, man, I think, pooping dog, patchouli oil, and free love memories. Life in the big city.
Its enough to tell Wayne, yes, its patchouli oil.
--Chris
I bought this in Paris. The next afternoon my cousin and I were sitting at a sidewalk café and at the next table there was a guy working his cell phone hard to make real estate deals. Hand gestures all over the place as he kept his eyes vacantly on his small table and his phone pressed to an ear. God, that guys had a lot to drink, I told my cousin, he smells like lots of booze.
But it turned out I was only smelling myself.
You see, good patchouli always smells boozy to me. And thats what I absolutely love about this Patchouli by LArtisan. It rocks, and it has the central element of thick patchouli to it but it isnt thick in the viscous sense of too much goo. Patchouli is often compared to rotting wood, or damp earth, or damp damn wood, or something like that, but that doesnt end the qualities of patchouli smells for me. For me theyre really dreamy when theyre the focusboozy, earthly, and something sharp thats caustic in my nose. I really go for it. Patchouli is such a rich element that it is almost as if it has top, middle, and basenotes all of its own. So damned complex a single element!
So I go for patchoulis. I go for LArtisans Patchouli as the first of these equals. It is moister, boozier, and brandy-er than others I know and love, Villoresis for example, and Molinards brilliant antique and dirt offering.
LArtisan has discontinued this fragrance. When I got my bottle it wasnt in US distribution anymore and old stock in Paris was the only place to find it. (I combed Argentina and Uruguay before trying to find it in Valparaiso and Quito too, but confound it, no luck. Such pretty city names too. So scouring the earth led me to old supplies in Paris only. (Im joking, but not about the discontinuation).) When I asked for it at the LArtisan shop the SA urged me to pick the then new Patchouli Patch fragrance instead because it was beaucoup plus distingué. No thanks, cherie, I like my booze straight up.
There are patchoulis that smell old somehow, in the sense that Molinards smells antique, as I mention, but theres an ever-newness to LArtisansa bold in-your-face happy here-I-am, or in my case, Heres Chris! It is a perfect party scent.
I know all the drill about the beauty of lost discontinued scentstheyre the most beautiful, the longest lasting, the most evocative, and the most touching in all the right ways. In my nose and on my skin, however, LArtisans Patchouli doesnt stick around long enough. I dont know whats wrong because I can usually smell most of my scents all day, especially patchoulis, but somehow LArtisans escapes my nose after a few hours. Instead, I guess, it pops up on gesticulating real estate dealers who I think must be drunk, and, again when I was rushing out of my old apartment building too.
Are you wearing patchouli oil? asked Wayne, whos only love is his bulldog, as we passed each other at the door of our apartment building a couple summers ago. Far out, it must still be there, I thought. But how to explain? Why yes of course, sir! But not just any ordinary patchouli oil, mind you, wouldnt that be a bit too brut, shall we say? Why, of course, for me and you sir, only the very best Paris has to offer can suffice. Im sure youd agree.
Cant say that to Wayne. Hes a jerk anyway--his dog poops inside the apartment building while Wayne keeps walking three floors down the stairs and yells for his pooping dog to follow him. I used to wear patchouli oil, volunteers Wayne, getting a far away meditative look in his far away eyes before adding, I was at Woodstock!
Great, man, I think, pooping dog, patchouli oil, and free love memories. Life in the big city.
Its enough to tell Wayne, yes, its patchouli oil.
--Chris
