Recently, I've grown accustomed and familiar to Parfum d'Empire's scents. I've tried the entire line and now own 3 full bottles from them. (Cuir Ottoman, Ambre Russe, Eau de Gloire) What I have to say is that I've never seen a line where scents evolve noticeably this much. There is not a single one in the line that is what one would call as 'linear.' Marc Antoine Corticchiato has taken the idea of top, heart, and basenotes to new extremes.
It's very interesting to see scents like Eau de Gloire evolve from the Eau de Cologne-esque top with no signs of what's to come (seriously, no signs) and then suddenly turning into a blend of tobacco/anise/leather with tea the next time you sniff it 10 minutes later. Cuir Ottoman also has the ability to turn from balsamic fruity powder to animalic leather with a very iris-prominent stage somewhere in between. Ambre Russe only starts smelling like a proper 'amber' fragrance one hours in, then comes the candyfloss in 15 minutes. There are even some stages in Fougere Bengale early on that would make you go "Aha! Eau Noire!" then a little while later.. "Where'd the Eau Noire go? What's with all this sweetness going on here?"
However, I feel that the "split personalities" character of this house's scents may be a turn-off for some and instead of being a good thing, a flaw. (e.g. I wish the heart stage in Ambre Russe would last longer. The richness fades too quickly) Personally, I enjoy wearing them very and feel that they should be tried by people who like to watch scents change. One more thing, Corticchiato seems to like 'saltiness' as almost all of the scents have a salty element added in to the blend.
Overall, a very interesting house. Not the best and some even seem like a rehash of what's been done before, like Aziyade being an easier to wear fizzy Arabie, but considering the price and contrasting with the '$200+ for 100ml' houses like Profumum or Humiecki and Graef, this is a pretty good achievement. (although the marketing is kinda "eh?" and the bottle not really my cup of tea)
What are your thoughts on this house? Also, are there any frags you can think of that goes through extreme changes?
It's very interesting to see scents like Eau de Gloire evolve from the Eau de Cologne-esque top with no signs of what's to come (seriously, no signs) and then suddenly turning into a blend of tobacco/anise/leather with tea the next time you sniff it 10 minutes later. Cuir Ottoman also has the ability to turn from balsamic fruity powder to animalic leather with a very iris-prominent stage somewhere in between. Ambre Russe only starts smelling like a proper 'amber' fragrance one hours in, then comes the candyfloss in 15 minutes. There are even some stages in Fougere Bengale early on that would make you go "Aha! Eau Noire!" then a little while later.. "Where'd the Eau Noire go? What's with all this sweetness going on here?"
However, I feel that the "split personalities" character of this house's scents may be a turn-off for some and instead of being a good thing, a flaw. (e.g. I wish the heart stage in Ambre Russe would last longer. The richness fades too quickly) Personally, I enjoy wearing them very and feel that they should be tried by people who like to watch scents change. One more thing, Corticchiato seems to like 'saltiness' as almost all of the scents have a salty element added in to the blend.
Overall, a very interesting house. Not the best and some even seem like a rehash of what's been done before, like Aziyade being an easier to wear fizzy Arabie, but considering the price and contrasting with the '$200+ for 100ml' houses like Profumum or Humiecki and Graef, this is a pretty good achievement. (although the marketing is kinda "eh?" and the bottle not really my cup of tea)
What are your thoughts on this house? Also, are there any frags you can think of that goes through extreme changes?
