maai

It greets me with a fresh labdanum, which is underscored by a peachy fruitiness and a smooth and bright incense, that is neither haughty nor ceremonious - reminding me of the sun-filled moments in the majestic brightness of Uppsala'a Cathedral.  An ylang-ylang develops into another main player; it is trim and neither rich nor creamy.  A lot of the brightness is due to backbone of sparkling aldehydes that permeate the whole.

A more floral phase is develops a bit later, with a strong green and light-filled tuberose very notable; this is not very waxy, only has a slightly resinous touch, and presents ass less creamy again that other versions of it in other olfactory products.   A green jasmine as well as a rose note are joining in, with the rose a bit nonspecific on me; the jasmine grows into a more significant contributor to the mix.  

Spicier components of this creation include a mildly crisp castoreum, which pairs with a nice and gently edgy high-quality oakmoss, which starts out timidly, but then develops to full glory only many hours later, and then with a slightly civety undercurrent.  Hints of a slightly leathery undertone transiently appear, but is is a sandalwood that gradually makes itself known in the mix and that adds a woody feeling to the whole.  By now the resinous aroma expresses nigh-campherous characteristics at times, and it becomes stronger towards the end instilling a bit more sweetness in the final stages.  These stages are not neatly separated, but they merge into one another over time.
 
I get moderate sillage, excellent projection, and eight hours of longevity on my skin.

This is an unusual scent for warm autumn days in its unconventional combination of various disparate aspects of the perfumer's tool kit.  It is spicy and has lots of incense, but it is bright too; it uses florals but also animalic touches - and it is quite original in blending and structuring.  On the downside some of its components  are a tad  generic, and in the wave of numerous ingredients cannot full develop their characteristics or are overwhelmed by others - the rose especially on me - but some of very good quality.  Released 2014.  Overall 3.75/5