Mini Reviews – L’Artisan Parfumeur, Mon Numéro 10, D Squared2, Potion

This winter has seen a mixed bag of weather in my neck of the woods. Conditions have run the gamut from warm sunny mid-20 degree Celsius days (usually the norm) to unseasonably cool and rainy weather that has sometimes lasted for days. To combat the cooler weather, I’ve turned to a couple of old spicy favourites, L’Artisan Mon Numéro 10 and D Squared2’s Potion. Both scents feature a prominent cinnamon note. Indeed both scents have served me well on the colder days. So let’s take a look at both in today’s mini-reviews.

L’Artisan Parfumeur – Mon Numéro 10 – Underrated Duchaufour 8/10.

Bertrand Duchaufour composed many scents for L’Artisan Parfumeur. Many have gone down as modern classics. Instantly springing to my mind are Timbuktu and Traversée du Bosphore. However, several others don’t get the plaudits but could easily appear on a greatest hits package of his work at the French house. Nuit De Tubéreuse, Séville À L’Aube undoubtedly would be in the mix. And, I have to throw in Mon Numéro 10 also. It surely makes the grade. Nobody talks about it. It flies under the radar as one of those deeper album cuts. With strong material such as the five scents mentioned above, The “Best of Bertrand” is an album I’d surely buy.

Mon Numéro 10 is a sweet, smoky leather that doesn’t fit the bill as a mass-appealing scent. The main notes to my nose are incense, aldehydes, cinnamon, leather, cardamom, benzoin, citrus, and vanilla. The opening of Mon Numéro 10 is highly reminiscent of cola or even Dr. Pepper. The cinnamon, citruses, aldehydes, and vanilla give the scent an energising spicy effervescence that undoubtedly brings to mind a fizzy soda.

After about 30 minutes, the fizz begins to dissipate. However, it doesn’t disappear completely. Indeed, the spicy cinnamon remains to the fore. Gradually though, a leather accord and incense begin to become more potent. The leather is quite dry, and the incense isn’t too churchy. It’s a bit of a shapeshifter on me. Some days I pick up more leather, and other days, it becomes smokier and more animalic. Hyrax is a listed note and though subtle, is a discernable part of the middle phases of the fragrance. The dry down is a slightly sweet ambery resinous blend of vanilla, benzoin, and tonka bean.

Mon Numéro 10 resembles scents such as 1899 Hemingway, Avignon from Comme des Garcons and Diptyque 34 Boulevard Saint Germain. It’s less churchy than Avignon and more animalic than the other two, but if you like those scents, you may enjoy the L’Artisan. This EDP lasts 8-10 hours with solid projection for the first 2 hours.

DSquared2 Potion – Menardo cooks up some more magic – 8.5/10.

I’ll be a little more succinct on my review for this EDP, as I believe the scent is discontinued. Such a shame as they don’t make designers like this anymore. I think it’s worth hunting down, but don’t spend a ludicrous amount on it. Nothing is worth the crazy prices some of these discontinued designer scents go for on eBay, etc.

Potion from Canadian fashion house Dsquared2 is a top-tier offering. Released in 2011, Potion opens up herbal and slightly boozy. Maybe a slight root beer vibe, but not fizzy like the L’Artisan. The fabulous interplay between the angelica’s herbal, earthy woodiness and the green aromatic mint and thyme makes for a striking opening.

The middle phases of Potion are characterised by a spicy, dusty, cinnamon, and amber accord with some well-worn woody touches. Antique shop vibes are strong with this one. The cinnamon note is the most noticeable aspect, and it’s one of the best renditions of the notes I’ve tried in a designer. The perfumer behind the fragrance is Annick Menardo, who authored a couple of my other favourite designer scents, Body Kouros and Lolita Lempicka au Masculin. If you like those scents, you’ll probably like this one. I’d like it to project a little more for an EDP, but so be it. I enjoy it for the 4-6 hours I can detect it. Potion also came in an EDT form, but I believe that one is no longer in production either.

Have you tried these scents? What’s your favourite Bertrand Duchaufour scent for L’Artisan? All pictures are my own.