Monsieur by Huitième Art Parfums

*****

Year: 2013

Notes: wood incense, papyrus, poplar, patchouli, cedar, vetiver, oakmoss, sandalwood

One had great expectations for Monsieur but, in hindsight, one should have known better...

Inspired by "the exploration of a forest" and presumably "dry and green, mixing elements of grass, earth, crisp air currents, and damp stones", one wonders if the wrong press release was issued.

With a very dry structure, it's a derivative woody-incense affair, with cedar, sandalwood and wood incense being the most identifiable notes. The anticipated multifaceted woody cocktail isn't anywhere to be found, any verdant aspects are virtually negligible, and its silky smooth development provides no surprises or quirks.

Put simply, it's a woefully restrained and paltry offering that adds nothing new to this genre.

Poudre de Riz by Huitième Art Parfums

*****

Year: 2012

Notes: Damascus rose, iris, tiaré, coconut, vanilla, rice powder accord, tonka bean, benzoin, cedar, Tolu balsam, sandalwood

Poudre de Riz is inspired by a quote, taken from Henri Barbusse's 'L'Enfer': "The air in the disordered shuttered room was heavy with a mixture of odours: soap, face powder, the sharp tang of cologne..."

It's a beautifully soft and restrained powdery gourmand, with romantically creamy floral subtleties. However, one is surprised to learn that, for all the Edwardian references, it actually doesn't smell like rice powder. Instead, it's closer in spirit to the dusty elegance of, say, Profumum's Soavissima but Poudre de Riz is quieter, woodier and more balsamic in its overall demeanour.

Among the notes listed is a rice powder accord, which is a composite of caramel, burnt toast and maple notes. This adds further depth to the vanillic coconut aspect, while never overshadowing the other components. With a balsamic woody base, the cedar is noticeably lean amongst a swirling featherweight floral sweetness.

While it doesn't smell particularly retro, it's both unassuming and comforting to wear. Staying close to the skin, with above average longevity, it's one of the better releases from this house, albeit not that groundbreaking.

Myrrhiad by Huitième Art Parfums

*****

Year: 2011

Notes: aniseed, liquorice, black tea, myrrh, almond, vanilla

Glancing at the listed notes, one wasn't really sure if Myrrhiad would appeal. But it does... just not in the way that one originally expected...

Regardless of the name, it's not a straightforward rendition of myrrh, but this note still plays an important role in the composition. As the vanilla and the milkiness of the almond intermingle with the other components, there's a dark and brooding balsamic undertone that simmers close to the skin. It's only by sniffing an application area that one is able to enjoy this sensual aspect of its development.

But from a distance, the unified accords are extremely similar to the aroma of benzoin or unlit strips of Papiers d'Arménie. Its creamy and resinous attributes are meditative, velvety and enchanting – as the liquorice, aniseed and myrrh continue to contribute towards an ambery aura of enigmatic serenity (that's nowhere near as smoky or leathery as one was initially led to believe).

In contrast to its siblings, its sillage is much better with ample longevity of about six hours. But while its overall quality is impressive, one wished that the sinister aroma closer to the skin was significantly perceptible from afar. Yet if one had to own just one offering by Huitième Art Parfums, it would most certainly be this.

Ciel d'Airain by Huitième Art Parfums

*****

Year: 2010

Notes: fruits, pear leaf, pear bark, olive branches, ambergris

Ciel d'Airain is a delicate, fresh and light woody-green, initially commencing within a fruity context.

Starting with a natural-smelling green fig accord, the citrus adds a luminosity to the top notes, while a soft pear note makes a brief appearance. As the fig intensifies, the woody aspect of the pear bark surfaces and, coupled with a woody olive aroma, provides a mild earthiness to the proceedings.

With a bright juicy verdancy, it's not too sweet at any given stage. But after the fig recedes, the olive increases its savoury presence with an ever-growing saltiness (heightened by the emerging ambergris). As the ambergris fully converges with the olive, the resulting smooth drydown is akin to the smell of warm moist skin, harbouring faint woody-herbaceous embellishments.

It's a wonderful effort that incorporates pear successfully, while finding a new way of innovatively showcasing fig as an accord. Unfortunately, regardless of the quality of the ingredients, one found it frustratingly sheer and not particularly satisfying to wear (lasting close to five hours but hardly perceptible after the first).

It's a real pity, as it's one of the more appealing (and better structured) offerings from this house.

Vohina by Huitième Art Parfums

*****

Year: 2010

Notes: peach blossom, lavender honey, hay

As a delicate fruity-floral, oozing with a honeyed sweetness, Vohina is one of the least interesting releases by Huitième Art Parfums so far.

The peach blossom and a true-to-life honey accord complement each other exceedingly well, with the lavender lurking in the background. Some hay is present but is at odds with the rest of the composition, until the moss- like drydown balances things out. Ultimately, it's a warm, tart and yet one-dimensional creation that leaves one completely unmoved.

It's also lighter than most of its siblings, with disappointing sillage and below average longevity.

Fareb by Huitième Art Parfums

*****

Year: 2010

Notes: mint, ginseng, cumin, warm sand accord, leather, immortelle

Inspired by the nomadic deserts, Fareb is the interplay of two main notes: immortelle and ginseng.

Utilising a new phyto-perfumery extraction technique, to capture a purified immortelle accord, it's a fruity, spicy and woody fragrance that's further enhanced by leather and cumin. The cumin is prominent yet well-behaved, as the overall impression is one of dry hay, pervading a ginseng-infused sweetness of stewed prunes. Nothing about it is either heavy or cloying, with the immortelle being more ethereal than dense.

Interestingly, the name Fareb is also an acronym that adequately summarises the essence of this composition – Frais (fresh), Aromatique (aromatic), Résineux (resinous), Épice (spicy) et Boisé (woody). However, as much as its intriguingly warm and savoury sweetness impresses, one can't help but feel that it's an unfinished project in need of some further development.

With very good longevity and moderate projection, Fareb is essentially a timid leathery version of Serge Lutens' Arabie, stripped-down to its very core, and then re-envisioned with more cumin and some genetically modified immortelle.

Aube Pashmina by Huitième Art Parfums

*****

Year: 2010

Notes: rosemary, basil, tomato leaf, blackcurrant leaf, geranium, satinwood

Wanting to create a fragrance that gives "the olfactory impression of a morning walk through a well-grown herb garden", Pierre Guillaume composed Aube Pashmina. However, where one of his previous Parfumerie Générale efforts, Papyrus de Ciane, focused more on galbanum and oakmoss, Aube Pashmina incorporates notes such as herbs, tomato leaf and geranium instead, with a softer and more floral vegetal core.

With a strong tomato leaf opening, one is instantly reminded of Jacomo's Silences (albeit less aggressive, dark and complex). As this accord settles, the herbs become more identifiable (including a gentle mentholated elan from the rosemary). The geranium also lends some support, while exuding its enchanting floral qualities.

During most of its lifespan, there's also a noticeable sweetness. Now, this could be due to the blackcurrant leaf but it actually originates from the satinwood – a manipulated accord, or 'vibration', of jasmine and orange. Once all these components are in complete unison, the olfactory vision of a flourishing, serene and dewy herb garden is impressively vivid.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and its faltering sillage and longevity (of roughly four hours) are both very unsatisfying. Without a woody foundation of, say, oakmoss or vetiver, it lacks sufficient stamina – resulting in a bland and soapy green drydown.

It's a great pity as one much prefers Aube Pashmina over Papyrus de Ciane. Furthermore, one considers Aube Pashmina to be one of the better releases from the Huitième Art Parfums stable.

Sucre d'Ébène by Huitième Art Parfums

*****

Year: 2010

Notes: witch-hazel, brown sugar, benzoin

Possessing a roasted sugary sweetness, Sucre d'Ébène is quite a dark gourmand that shares a vague parallel with Aomassaï by Parfumerie Générale. In other words, they are both variations of the crème brûlée theme. The witch-hazel provides a distinctive nuttiness, while ensuring that the sweetness doesn't become too cloying.

The overall aroma is both warm and soft, as the benzoin renders a resinous and vanillic backdrop. However, it's nothing groundbreaking and Pierre Guillaume has, more or less, explored this theme more than once. Still, it's a well-composed gourmand, with moderate sillage and very good longevity.

Manguier Métisse by Huitième Art Parfums

*****

Year: 2010

Notes: mango, tea, frangipani, vanilla, mango bark

Manguier Métisse is a conventionally sweet and exotic fruity-floral, featuring a reasonably vivid and juicy mango accord. The frangipani is noticeable from the opening and proves to have more endurance than the mango, with an unmistakeably creamy nuance intermingling throughout. With a subdued tea note, no woods are perceptible – instead, the drydown mainly consists of traces of frangipani and a touch of vanilla.

It's a well-composed creation that will probably appeal more to women than men. Both sillage and longevity are rather good.

Naïviris by Huitième Art Parfums

*****

Year: 2010

Notes: African red iris, leather, zebrawood

Naïviris is a soft, powdery, fruity and rather feminine iris offering, with a faint leather accord. One is also able to discern some saffron, which provides a spicy warmth to the proceedings. Alas, with a transparent woody-musk foundation, it's much too sheer for one's tastes.

Sillage is low and its staying power is nothing to write home about.

Ambre Céruléen by Huitième Art Parfums

*****

Year: 2010

Notes: Moroccan verbena, opopanax, tonka bean, sandalwood

Anyone expecting plenty of verbena, in Ambre Céruléen, will be quite disappointed since its presence is almost negligible. Instead, the composition opens with an overbearing suntan lotion accord (courtesy of the opopanax), before the cinnamon and tonka bean surface. By this stage, the opopanax is more comparable to bitter almond than a sunscreen protection cream.

The drydown is sweeter, slightly powdery and a little chocolatey, as the bitterness gradually yields to the tonka bean. With disappointing sillage and below average longevity (about four hours), it's best geared towards those who appreciate more the intricacies of opopanax.

An archetypal amber fragrance this most certainly is not.