Here are my initial impressions of yet another line of extraits—this time from Atelier Materi. The line contains three fragrances, all composed by Céline Perdriel. I tried Ambre Papier last year after receiving a free sample with an order from Indigo Perfumery. So, I thought I’d purchase samples of the other two, Burgundy Oud and Néroli Hasbaya, for completion purposes.
Ambre Papier
“Reimagining the scent of ‘Papier d’Arménie’, inspired by an Armenian tradition where benzoin resin is burned to fragrance interiors”. Véronique Le Bihan.
I knew immediately I wouldn’t like Ambre Papier. There’s too much saffron. It quickly turns rubbery and smoky, and the other elements play second fiddle to the rubber-like facet. It’s reminiscent of burnt tyre but lacks the balance of something like Bvlgari Black or even Patchouli 24 from Le Labo. Following the saffron onslaught (which never really recedes), myrrh and benzoin take us in a balsamic direction, and the fragrance turns quite ashy towards the end. Guerlain’s Bois d’Arménie executes this sort of balsamic ambery concept better.
Burgundy Oud
“A new interpretation of Oud wood with a contemporary, Parisian twist, pairing it with a red fruit.” Véronique Le Bihan.
In Burgundy Oud, oud pairs up with tangy blackcurrant in a marriage that yields similar results to Crivelli’s Oud Maracujá. However, the Crivelli feels harsher, and rather than blackcurrant, it contains passionfruit. In its initial phases, there’s a pleasant balance to the notes in Burgundy Oud. The oud and blackcurrant never become too animalic and syrupy. I find it very wearable. They sit atop a fresh, pleasant leather accord. However, the woody oud accord (surely not much real oud here) seems to fall apart and become thin after about 3-4 hours. I find Burgundy Oud safe and forgettable.
Néroli Hasbaya
“A rich and comforting take on orange blossom, inspired by the traditional pastries of the Levant. In Néroli Hasbaya, the luminous flower is delicately infused with a subtle, regressive sweetness.” Véronique Le Bihan.
Néroli Hasbaya piles on the sweetness. Indeed, I don’t find it as subtle as the brand describes. I’m okay with that, though. Given that the Lebanese dessert mouhalabieh (milk pudding infused with orange blossom water) inspires the fragrance, its apparent stickiness is no surprise.
The opening burst of honeyed, sugary orange blossom, accompanied by almonds and pistachios, gets those blood sugars rising quickly. Perhaps to counteract the sweetness, Céline Perdriel shoehorns in a clean, soapy neroli element. I’m thankful for that, because after about an hour of wearing this, I was so hyper I nearly jumped the fence and started doing front flips on the neighbour’s trampoline. However, my gratitude is short-lived as the neroli combines with the orange blossom, and Néroli Hasbaya becomes irritatingly crystalline/metallic on my skin.
With its saccharine traits, I’d liken it to honeycomb or the candied crunch of the top layer of a crème brûlée. I don’t find it milky or creamy. It might have smelled more balanced if it had been diluted in milk or cream. Eventually, the scent dries down balsamic and woody. Ultimately, it reminds me of many other sweet gourmand fragrances, headed by Love Don’t Be Shy from Kilian.
Summary
This costly line offers nothing new. I can’t imagine spending over 200 euros for 50ml of these fragrances. Stick with their less expensive, more bang for your buck regular collection. From that set, there are several I recommend, including the spicy Rose Ardoise and the Ombré Leather-esque Cuir Nilam. And finally, gracing the podium, I’d have Cacao Porcelana, a dry gourmand, the silky smooth Iris Ebène, and, comfortably on top, the brilliant peppery grapefruit Poivre Pomelo.
What are your Atelier Materi picks?
Note: First image from Atelier Materi. All other photos are my own.
Thanks for sniffing these. Now I can avoid doing so.
I struggle with these what I call “two word” houses. There seems to be a few that give their scents these simple cod French/Latin descriptor names & none have wowed me.
I love that: “two word” houses. There’s quite a lot of them around these days. And yes, most are disappointing. The regular line from this brand is superior to these extraits. But, they are rather pricey.
I like Poivre Pomelo and Cacao Porcelana, but not enough to pay for them. Atelier Materi is nice but overpriced for what it is, as so many perfume brands nowadays. I haven’t tried those you reviewed though.
Yes, certainly expensive, Tetê! You’d have to really love them to want to buy a full bottle. It’s a pity they don’t offer smaller sizes, I don’t think. That said, I think their regular line comes out stronger than most.
I wonder if these would work better as EdPs rather than extraits, less dense, more balanced and airy. I quite like their original line.
Potentially, yes. I think I may have enjoyed them more if the notes had extra room to breathe.
My top picks from Atelier Materi are Burgundy Oud and Cèdre Figalia. While it wasn’t to your liking, Daniel, Ambre Papier sounds intriguing. I’m a huge fan of saffron, and burnt rubber, not necessarliy in that order. I’ll definitely check it out so we can compare our thoughts.
Interesting, Flaconneur. I think you might enjoy Ambre Papier. I’m intrigued to know your thoughts.