Year: 2013
Notes: black pepper, juniper berry, violet, orris, leather, patchouli, black amber, vanilla
Inspired by the photograph 'Kirsten 1996', by Dutch photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, according to Byredo, 1996 is "an olfactory snapshot, not only of the image but of our emotional response to it". While one questions if this Swedish niche house has blatantly 'borrowed' Olfactive Studio's unique concept, the end result is actually far better than anything that this French niche house has produced so far.
1996 is a sweet and warm oriental, with gentle dusty swirls of leather, orris, vanilla and black amber. Soon after the subtle peppery and gin-like juniper preface, there's a subdued raspiness throughout the composition, which one would attribute to both the leather and black amber. However, the vital presence of a creamy vanilla accord prevents the proceedings from becoming too withered.
Exuding powdery and rooty nuances, in pastel mauve hues, the violet and orris seamlessly converge to uphold the integral floral aspect. And as the black amber later becomes more pronounced, the patchouli surfaces from the shadows but continues to diffuse at a diplomatic rate – confirming an earthy darkness residing beneath the seductively creamy, floral and resinous haze.
Providing excellent persistence and moderate sillage, 1996 loosely bases itself on Profumum's Soavissima but adds further structural complexity, while replacing the heliotrope with some vanilla. Although its performance on the skin can be a little turbulent, it's still well-executed and puts most Byredo releases to shame.
With that said, it's an encouraging step in the right direction for this Swedish niche house.
1996 is a sweet and warm oriental, with gentle dusty swirls of leather, orris, vanilla and black amber. Soon after the subtle peppery and gin-like juniper preface, there's a subdued raspiness throughout the composition, which one would attribute to both the leather and black amber. However, the vital presence of a creamy vanilla accord prevents the proceedings from becoming too withered.
Exuding powdery and rooty nuances, in pastel mauve hues, the violet and orris seamlessly converge to uphold the integral floral aspect. And as the black amber later becomes more pronounced, the patchouli surfaces from the shadows but continues to diffuse at a diplomatic rate – confirming an earthy darkness residing beneath the seductively creamy, floral and resinous haze.
Providing excellent persistence and moderate sillage, 1996 loosely bases itself on Profumum's Soavissima but adds further structural complexity, while replacing the heliotrope with some vanilla. Although its performance on the skin can be a little turbulent, it's still well-executed and puts most Byredo releases to shame.
With that said, it's an encouraging step in the right direction for this Swedish niche house.
