First Impressions – Miller et Bertaux – Aymara – There’s only a handful of brands I actively seek out for their new release perfumes. One of those brands is the French designers Miller et Bertaux. Their offerings are generally well-made, unpretentious, and relatively affordable. Here in Australia, for a 100ml bottle, I’m paying 199 Australian Dollars, which roughly translates to 125 US Dollars, 121 Euros, and 104 British Pounds. Undoubtedly, that’s still a lot of money, but In today’s perfume landscape, it’s reasonably priced. Notably, that price has remained static, with the brand eschewing the commonplace price increases for as long as I can recall.
The brand’s latest fragrance, Aymara, takes inspiration from the First Nations people of the Bolivian Highlands, the Aymara, and evokes the land they live on and their spiritual practices. Wikiparfum lists Bertrand Duchaufour as the perfumer behind the scent. Indeed, Aymara exhibits some of the characteristic smoky and woody nuances redolent of his style.
However, the opening is crisp, citric, and herbal. Though it’s not the usual lime, lemon, or bergamot. Instead, Duchaufour uses citron/cedrat, resulting in a drier, less juicy top. Soon, the balsamic, sweeter woody aspects of the Palo Santo and incense register. And even though it’s not listed, I detect something green and piney working away in the background. Perhaps it’s juniper or the note of corkwood listed by the brand.
But, the Palo Santo, woods, and incense play a supporting role on my skin. They recede into the background while the spicy facets come to the fore. Cumin and caraway lend a slight hint of funk. However, the cardamom becomes the leading player. So much so that if you’re not a cardamom lover, you may not enjoy Aymara. The cardamom (the green variety) forges an aromatic, earthy, peppery, refreshing, and somewhat cooling footprint on the composition.
Aymara closes on a base of amber and mosses. All the notes harmonise, generating a medicinal, balmy, soothing effect in line with the perfume’s inspiration. Excellent work, and Aymara bears the hallmarks of many of the Miller et Bertaux perfumes. They never scream or shout, but they always hold my attention. I own three:
- The fresh citric New Study Postcard.
- The fresh amber in,.
- The sandalwood heavy Indian Study.
It’s a brand worth trying.
Have you tried the house or this new release?
Note: All images are my own, other than the image of Aymara (Google). I purchased the sample of Aymara used for testing in this blog post.
