One of my earliest scent memories is of attending Midnight Mass at Christmas as a very young boy. It was my first time to be awake that late. My jaw was hanging open from all the sensory stimuli. My mother wearing her customary Mitsouko was behind me as I peered down the center aisle. The attendants preceded the priest each swinging some silver sphere with smoke coming out. This was transfixing to me. I followed each swing of the censer until they came even, and I smelled the smoke of the incense inside. I almost leaned out to get another sniff of that wonderful smell. Incense is one of my favorite perfume styles and I have always believed it imprinted on my mind that Christmas night past. It is why I enjoy finding new incense focused perfumes like Pierre Guillaume PG 28 Peau D’Ambre.
Pierre Guillaume
Peau D’Ambre is the first new PG releases without a decimal attached to the number in three years. Independent perfumer Pierre Guillaume has been more interested in re-interpreting his earlier perfumes. Peau D’Ambre is inspired by the early perfumers of Corinth in the 6th century BC. M. Guillaume imagines what a boat of Corinthians headed out to deliver their goods might smell like.
It starts with a gorgeously full fir balsam overlaid upon a still water accord. As if the boat is docked waiting to be offloaded. As they hand up the leather gourds of precious materials they mix with the scent of the conifers. A worn leather accord contains frankincense. This is that silvery redolent frankincense I remember from that Midnight Mass. Two more containers of resins join in as opoponax and benzoin complete the delivery. On my skin it forms a resin super accord which seems appropriate for the Holidays as fir and incense meld into one another.
Peau D’Ambre has 10-12 hour longevity and moderate sillage.
M. Guillaume constructs a compelling resin accord with his four materials. It is just like that first Midnight Mass all I want to do is lean forward to stay within its scent. Now with Peau D’Ambre I can.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample I purchased.
–Mark Behnke
