Last week I had a few days off leading into the 4th of July and no plans. It was hot and then stormy. I hadn’t had a staycation in so long that I spent a good part of it on errands and a good other part in a constant mild panic… hard to explain, but I seem to feel the need to always be doing something, preferably not chores. Popular wisdom posits that people should do things they are bad at, and not worry about being bad at them, because it means they’re trying something new (and I’m paraphrasing wildly). The ego still panics, however, unless I keep it in a generous cadence of doing things I think I’m at least moderately good at…

Fragrance wise, though, I did step outside of familiar territory with two patchouli-centered perfumes: Impression Patchouli Heart No. I and Impression Patchouli Heart No. II by Ostens from the discovery set I bought in London last month. Patchouli has never been a note I gravitate toward, and I don’t always identify it right away in a composition. While my other half says his standard for patchouli is Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady, on the rare occasion I wear this masterpiece, I’ve lost myself in the red, red rose.

Impression Patchouli Heart No. I by perfumer Domitille Michalon-Bertier is described by the brand as such:

Swirls of aromatic incense and molasses-like labdanum effortlessly melt into warm, liquid treacle to create a truly unique and mouth-watering scent.

Listed top notes are pink pepper, incense accord, and liquorice. I am convinced by this as the opening offers a smoky sweetness illuminated by a glow of bright notes—we are light and airy, our feet slightly above the earth. In the heart (worn on the sleeve), rosemary upholds a dark green aura and lends a bitter, aromatic note, while immortelle absolute contrasts the lightness with a dense yet fluffy demeanor. Lavender absolute and lavandin soon emerge to impart gravitas and the comfort of many associations; at times, they escape in soapy wafts that diffuse into the sillage.

The composition is very well blended and remains mostly linear, with all players in harmony—a friendly fougère (classified as woody aromatic). Patchouli as a note conjures a greenish-brown color in my mind, and this fragrance is faithful to that impression. It hints at the chocolatey facet of this versatile botanical, which is my preferred direction for patchouli, and which I do not find when sniffing my vial of patchouli heart (which lacks sesquiterpenes and thus smells weaker and less earthy than patchouli essential oil, but cleaner and somehow more medicinal).

Base notes include patchouli heart, ciste labdanum absolute, and amber. I have some labdanum absolute and it smells golden, animalic, and “molasses-like” as described. This may also be contributing to the chocolatey effect. The amber aspect reminds me of another perfume that I consider a “gateway” amber, Ambre Nomade by Elisire (also patchouli forward). Persistent in its character yet gentle in its persuasion. Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens has been described as a gateway amber by others, and I can agree, but my memory of Ambre Nomade is that it’s brighter and far less dry in comparison.

Impression Patchouli Heart No. I can be a shapeshifter after all, in that the closer my nose gets to skin or clothing, the more grounded the scent—the deeper the digging into the earth, the more apparently the embers smolder.

Impression Patchouli Heart No. II by perfumer Sophie Labbé is, per the brand:

[…] patchouli like you’ve never smelt before – fresh, aromatic and elegant.

Delicate notes of Iris resin and Violet leaf add a soft, powdery, vintage-like quality that’s brightened with Ambroxan and Patchouli Heart to create a clean, aromatic fragrance with a distinctly timeless quality.

This is patchouli made modern.

It’s certainly patchouli like I’ve never smelt before… because what I smell is Cashmeran. (I had no trouble recognizing this note in Ostens Impression Cashmeran Velvet.) Top notes presented are cypress, ginger, and black pepper. Cypress usually has a positive effect on a blend for me, but I don’t really detect it here, although I can be convinced of the ginger and black pepper in the mildly spicy opening. What I do smell almost right away is the heart note of cypriol, which fortunately does not dominate. By contrast, the fleeting (to my nose) patchouli is almost boozy in its flight. Again, this perfume—also classified as woody aromatic—is well blended and not conducive to parsing individual notes, to its credit.

Other listed heart notes are violet leaf absolute, iris resinoid, and patchouli—my impression is of a delicious, creamy iris perfectly flanked by a subtle violet, which symphonize well with the Cashmeran. The overall effect is softly woody, smooth with no risk of splinters. Ciste absolute is mentioned in the base as well, but I can barely pick it out from the cloud of musks and cool, steely Ambroxan.

Both of these have grown on me over the last few days and could be an easy introduction to patchouli for those less accustomed or partial to the note.

How do you feel about patchouli? Do you like it front and center, or prefer it in the background?