Scoville goes against the trends. It’s not sweet but savoury. But I wonder if it’s spicy and savoury enough with sufficient throw to make an impact. There’s no doubt it goes on smelling of chilli. The opening bars smell vegetal, green, and spicy. There are hints of earthiness and smokiness to mimic the taste sensation of biting into a chilli, albeit without the eye-watering consequences. Indeed, it’s not a note/reaction highlighted/elicited too often in perfumery, so I was hopeful the vibrant, piquant opening might endure.
It does to a certain extent. However, after about 30 minutes, the effect of the chilli spice dissipates markedly. There could be two reasons for this: the Obvious perfume samples are all dab on and generally lack presence, or I become anosmic to certain aspects of the scent. I hazard to guess it’s a bit of both. And, it may be just my skin, as most other reviews I’ve read of Scoville allude to a persistent chilli note.
Instead, Scoville becomes peppery and cedary. Fresh pine, woody nuances (pencil shavings) and dry elements begin to surge. It’s straightforward, linear and transparent. I was reminded of Elena’s work for Hermès. Scoville seems a hybrid of Paprika Brasil and Poivre Samarcande. I’ll try it with a spray sample, but for now, Scoville still deserves some praise for going against the grain.
Certainly, it’s one of the brand’s better offerings. I was scathing of the quality of their initial seven scents from their discovery set, which I reviewed a couple of years ago First Impressions – Obvious. So, it’s been a while since I tried something new from the brand. But until this one, it looked like they were simply following current crazes (the previous scent was a pistachio). Scoville lasts for about six hours. Up-and-coming young perfumer Patrice Revillard composed the fragrance.
Have you tried Scoville? Do you enjoy scents containing spicy or chilli notes? Coincidently, I’d begun drafting this post just as Nose Prose published her post on pepper. It’s a fascinating read and ties in somewhat with this post. Here’s a link: https://noseprose.com/2024/11/09/a-gustatory-encounter-with-linalool-in-sichuan-pepper/
All Photos are my own. Sample Purchased by me.
Great read, Daniel! I have not tried Scoville, but from the sounds of it, I just might have to. Two of my favorite chili perfumes are 11 Semma by Odin New York and Anima Dulcis by Arquiste. Both are very different types of chili but lovely nonetheless.
Thank you, Flaconneur. I’ve only tried the citrusy one from Odin. 02 Owari I think it was called. I need to sample Semma. As for Anima Dulcis I found it to be an unusual gourmand. One I need to be in the right mood to wear. Let me know what you make of Scoville.
Great review and images! I am curious to try it!
Thank you, Tetê. Yes, it’s worth a try. Let me know if you get the chance to sample it.
I’m still interested to sample Scoville. It’s next on my sample hit list
Yes, you may have more luck with it than I did.
Thanks for the link! I don’t think I’ve ever tried a fragrance with a chili pepper note, so am curious about Scoville, but can imagine I wouldn’t want to wear it often. Maybe it could be layered with something else, say with chocolate or coffee notes, to enhance the effect?
No problem. Thanks for the interesting post! Yes, it’s not something I would wear day in day out. Mugler’s A*Men series had a scent called Taste of Fragrance (discontinued) that paired chili with coffee. Arquiste has a scent called Anima Dulcis that matches chilli with chocolate.