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My sample set of Apoteker Tepe arrived! I've been wanting to try this house for awhile. I've only ever tested Holy Mountain which was great, but also sounded the most conventional of the house.
I tested both perfumes side by side, the original, purchased from Luckyscent in 2018 and the 2022 re-release from Pineward Perfumes who purchased the formulas from the original nose, Holladay Saltz. While they're in the same territory, they are different enough that I would not have pegged them for the same scent. The original is brighter and more ambery sweet while the re-release is peatier and smokier and just stronger in general. They start to converge in the dry down and interestingly, quite late into the 2022 dry down, it started to remind me of the opening of the 2018.
I'm not suggesting the formulas are different. AT uses a lot of natural ingredients and where ingredients are being source may have had change over the years. I seem to recall Saltz explaining how she could not replicate the exact same scent from batch to batch. So this is not a disappointment.
As for the 2022 scent itself. The opening is realistic and I'd class it with niche perfumes that evoke a sense of landscape like Slumberhouse's Norne. You feel very close to the earth with this one whereas the 2018 starts off more abstract. For this reason though, the 2018 also smells more balanced. The peat and smoky woods could have used a bit more luminosity to counter the richness. The smoke gets toned down as the scent develops but remains assertive with a strong sour peat accord. It's not that unique now in that there are so many smoky ambery niche scents but back in 2015, this would have been much closer to the forefront of the trend as it was starting to crest. Nevertheless, it's a beautiful wear, especially after it's calmed down and projection is fantastic without being overbearing.
Looking forward to trying the rest of this set!
Testing Nishane's Unutamam today. It's fairly unique, masculine leaning and on the stronger side. Opens with a cooling note of mint and herbs. There's a slightly medicinal edge but the scent quickly grows warmer with oregano and shaded in with a bittersweet base that purrs gently with animalistic notes. It's better than I was expecting, which is to say my expectations were very low. Interesting, assertive without being overbearing, and not at all commercial. I'm vaguely reminded of Amouage's Interlude Man although Interlude is a smoky scent that's even more intense whereas this remains fresh and aromatic into the dry down.
Had better luck today with Chypre Shot by Olfactive Studio, I house I believe Sephora used to carry.
It's an easy going spicy chypre with a touch of warmth that gives it an almost gourmand vibe. Very contemporary in sensibility and doesn't really make me think of a chypre. The top is not strong on citrus and the bottom is not very bitter, I think that's why. Despite the bitter notes listed like coffee and oakmoss, it's more dark and overall, it definitely comes off as more ambery sweet. Actually more than coffee and tea, I'm getting a dark and earthy chocolate, I'm guessing from the patchouli. The dry down has a nice, dusted-with-spices kind of texture that's typical of the nose, Duchaufour. There's also a load of cardamom in the opening which I really like.
I like it but I'm not sure I'd pay €220 for a full bottle of 100ml. I'd prefer something with a stronger character and that's not been so done before. Of course, something like Kilian's Intoxicated which is brighter and greener but in the same territory, is around the same price for half as much.
