Heya all you Niche Nerds,

My mate Clayton from What Men Should Smell Like and I recently caught up for lunch and a sniff, he generously bought me some of the J.F. Schwarzlose Berlin manufacturers samples to try. Having scanned the notes lists of the four Trance particularly caught my eye, there are two fruity/floral and two oudh based fragrances in the line up but when I see particularly short note lists I am often intrigued.

Trance by  J.F. Schwarzlose Berlin 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Oudh, labdanum, rose, artemisia (wormwood)

This opens with a beautiful full bodied and sensual Middle East meets West with fireworks and a party. A nod to the history of fragrance from a very elegant and French style, classic perfume, but also so modern and new. It smells at once like everything, and nothing, I’ve ever smelled before. Broad, dazzling brush strokes of fragrance done in an old palette but so interesting and fresh.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Is this the new Chypre? Have they reinvented the wheel? It seems so effortless, graceful and chic. Artemisia as the crackling green in place of bergamot, rose as the heart and labdanum with oudh as the new oakmoss. Even more startling is that they don’t work to pyramid but are weaving from almost the first spritz through each other and having little star turns before sliding behind another player as that one takes the lead. What an absolute stunner of a fragrance this is on my skin, I can’t tell you because you have to grab a sample of Trance and try it for yourself. So beautifully blended that the notes rarely stand apart after the first hour, They become a beautiful linear melange and stay pretty much like that till tomorrow morning when I’ll still be smelling mighty fine, softer and less sparkly but warm and sensual.

Projection and sillage better than average, a bit strong for office wear unless you work somewhere relaxed about fragrance. Longevity is excellent on my usually scent hungry skin and what does Trance remind me of? A little, but not much, like Midnight Oud from Juliette Has A Gnu (which I adore) but even more ripe, lush and lavish. I could imagine Trance being very popular with the Goth scene.

Photo Stolen Wikimedia

Further reading:Both these reviews have the wonderful history of the house so I didn’t repeat it, What Men Should Smell Like and Ca Fleur Bon
Essenza Nobile has 125€/50ml and samples

Don’t you just LOVE finding new fragrances to lemming? This has skyrocketed to the top of my wish list.
See you tomorrow.
Portia xx