In my opinion male fragrances have been going downhill for a while. Everything ends up being some sort of androgynous mix or just an experiment to use new perfumery notes with little thought about what we are trying to achieve. For this project I really wanted to explore some new territory but most important to me was that the end result had to have character. The fragrance should be instantly recognisable and perform superbly throughout use.

The top of the fragrance is strong and dynamic with a rich mixture of spices including pepper, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg that have been coupled with an incredibly distinctive Chinese tea oil. It’s a combination that sets the tone for the entire fragrance. That natural almost smoked note remains with the spices as the fragrance develops to add more herbal notes. Here the clary sage plays an important role along with the lavender that I used from Grasse. I’ve also added an extract of mate, a small Argentinian plant, which gives an earthiness to the body. After about an hour or so the moss, woods and patchouli begin to establish their presence and combine with the initial themes to build the platform for the later stages of the fragrance. One of the aspects of the creation that I am most pleased about is how it keeps its profile throughout. Each stage of its evolution leads to something special. Purely in terms of technical performance this fragrance ranks amongst my best creations. Combine that with the introduction of accords which are not commonly used in mainstream perfumery and you can perhaps understand why I will be fascinated to see how people respond to my work.

I have really enjoyed following my own intuition and I am very proud of the result.