Aziyadé (2008)
by Parfum d'Empire

PdE: You see, most fragrances, you know, might have fruitcake at ten – you’re on ten here, all the way up ... and where can you go from there? Where?
Me: I don’t know.
PdE: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, for Aziyadé, we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Me: Put it up to eleven.
PdE: Eleven. Exactly.

Don't think I'd wear something this gourmand, but too much fun not to give thumbs up.

Corridor in the Asylum by Vincent van Gogh 1889

A gourmand oriental!

I did not get the fruits or spices - and then only marginally, until into the dry down. This began for me with a strong blast of cumin and frankincense. Five minutes later a very strong musk enveloped these two (the strength of Lutens' Koublai Khan).

I find so called "dirty" scents extremely sensual and sexual and love them when they are done well. This is one of the best. Cumin is used in Empire's Azemour along with orange, but does not come near the quality of other cumins out there - my favorite is J'Ose by Laroche - in Aziyade the cumin and musk combo is quite stunning. To be worn by young men and women for the purpose of pure seduction.

High marks for this one, both as a scent and as an aphrodisiac.

Parfum d'Empire Aziyade is a fantastic Corticchiato's spicy-oriental with a sort of aromatic-resinous (vaguely boozy-mentholated, coconutty and tobacco veined) initial plummines leaning over the side of the "Indie accords" a la Slumberhouse's (Jeke and Baque jump partially on mind for instance) or of several House of Matriarch's (vaguely also scents a la Idole de Lubin, Lutens Fille en Aiguille, Arabie or Histoires de parfums 1740 jump vaguely on mind for several of their characteristics). The opening is really spicy, almondy-gingery and intoxicating. I detect a central accord of yummy spices, almonds, plum/peaches, dry tobacco, aromatic herbs, orange blossoms and resins (fir resins and a touch of frankincense), may be exotic ylang-ylang too which represents the oriental backbone of this really aromatic concoction. The connection between almond and aromatic spices (cumin and ginger in particular) arouses a sort of minty piquant undertone in the air. I detect also a connection of mysterious floral notes (violet leaves, neroli?) and (apparently) red berries (probably the pomegranate's effect) in a sort of olfactory sodality which anyway is not enough to exhume the far superior (drier, more classically sophisticated, musky and subtle) Femite du Bois. This Parfum d'Empire's fragrance is indeed more properly "wild", "yippie" and crude imo to be compared to such a classic Shiseido's giant, the cumin "gassiness" is in here really powerful, the fruitiness central (and not accessorial for the floral-musky notes as in the even fruity Feminite du Bois) and the resins influence is impressive. Anyway, the final vanilla is well calibrated while musk and may be opoponax settle down the basic sticky texture of this "greedy" aroma (it seems finally to be dealing with a sort of really spicy caramellous accord of nutmeg, cinnamon, dark/red fruits jam and "candied glue"). I detect in the final phase the Coca Cola's vibe cause the connections of fruits, dark patchouli, resins and spices enhances effectively that sort of dark pungent/sweet plummines (which in this case is anyway denser and more rounded). Anyway I appreciate a sort of really carnal warmth exuding from this really sensual aroma and a final floral-woody spark (sandalwood ?) providing a touch of more traditional "european" subtle texture. The oriental dry down is more "tamed down" and light in a way it smells more balanced, confortable and wearable. In this final stage the resinous presence is less dense and a frankincense's vibe is more plain and notable. Another great job for Parfum d'Empire by the talented Corticchiato.

Genre: Oriental

Aziyadé’s spiced citrus opening is so very lovely that a lasting composition based solely upon it would be worth the price of a bottle. Alas, the initial gesture is short-lived, and a boozy, syrupy dried fruit accord is quick to join the citrus and spices. Its weight sends Aziyadé plummeting down to earth and aligns it closely with Feminité du Bois, Donna Karan’s Chaos, and several entries in the Serge Lutens line, though Aziyadé does remain a brighter and more transparent composition than any of these predecessors. The abundance of fruit and spices leaves Aziyadé smelling quite “foody” to me, despite a subtle frankincense note that flits in and out of the background.

Prominent vanilla base notes add to the comestible impression, and Aziyadé spends several hours in familiar oriental spiced Christmas pudding territory. The drydown is a vanillic sweet amber with a generous dose of animalic labdanum, which while pleasant and natural smelling, is also fairly flat and ordinary. I want to like Aziyadé better than I do, but ironically enough the beauty of its top notes works against it, making the remainder of the scent seem impoverished in its mere adequacy.