I tried another fragrance (in addition to Tom Ford—Bois Pacifique—Sharp, Woody And Hostile) at the store last week: BDK’s Impadia. I’d heard good things, but Impadia falls flat in the originality stakes.
The Parisian outfit’s best work came early in its existence, with its first release in 2016, and over the years, it’s produced hits like Gris Charnel and Rouge Smoking. My favourites are Wood Jasmin and Crème de Cuir. I own Wood Jasmin. Unfortunately, the brand saw the dollar signs and became a Social Media darling, hobnobbing with birdbrains and airheads. And of course, you’ll need to dig deeper than the YouTube algorithm will allow to find their finest fragrances. Indeed, with the odd exception, there’s been a marked drop in originality, which has seen the introduction of a line of extraits riffing on existing scents, and a move towards heavy sweet profiles to appease the masses. Impadia does little to arrest the downward trend.
I don’t need to say much, except that Impadia smells very similar to Amouage’s Guidance (albeit less nuanced) and, to a lesser extent, Parfum de Marly’s Delina. The fruity pear note at the top smells like it’s been dipped in sugary water, creating a diluted aquatic effect. It’s a thin and unconvincing fruit accord. The rose note smells sweet, somewhat artificial. Then, to ram home the point, vanilla adds further sweetness, making me think of a cheap body lotion. And, in a final act of indignity, we endure the boundless humdrum of a synthetic woody base.
It’s sweet, sweet, sweet! And, better fruity/rose fragrances exist for far less. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Indeed, imitation might have been the better name for this fragrance. Ironically, Amouage already took that name, though. If you like Guidance or Delina, you’ll probably enjoy Impadia. Then again, if you like either, you probably already own one or both. So what’s Impadia got to offer? The only thought that comes to mind is that it’s significantly cheaper than Delina and Guidance. Guidance smells like it has more layers, though. As for the perfumer, without looking, I’d have guessed Quentin Bisch. It’s actually Jordi Fernández. He would have been my second guess. Something I won’t be second-guessing, however, is wearing Impadia again. One and done!
Have you tried Impadia? Any favourites from BDK?
Note: Bottle image from BDK. All other photos are my own. Below are some more roses I had growing in my garden.
Oh, those clones should at least be cheap. And BDK isn’t cheap at all. I guess that after so many clones of Baccarat Rouge, we’re now watching an avalanche of Guidance/ Delina’s copies.
You’re right, Tetê. Impadia shouldn’t be so expensive. And yes, there seems to be a distinct lack of originality in modern perfumery. It shows no sign of letting up, unfortunately.
Pretty rose pix.
BDK fragrances haven’t tickled my fancy. Along with other SM darlings, they went on my “ignore” list.
I was sent a sample of 312 Saint-Honore which was pretty but didn’t have much to say
Thanks very much, Alityke. That’s probably the best way to treat these brands. Yes, 312 Saint-Honore was a pretty forgettable musk fragrance.
I’ve been waiting for you to post about this one, Daniel and agree on all points. Impadia has receiving a lukewarm reception. You’re not the first to mention it’s simularity to Guidance by Amouage and Delina by Parfums de Marly. Sometime you have to wonder whether these simularities are purly accidental, since Delina was released eight years ago, and Guidance two years ago. I found Impadia sweet and rather boring.
Yes, it doesn’t have anything new to say. Perhaps accidental, but I’m more inclined to think they used those scents as some sort of inspiration. It’s a shame because they have some interesting releases. Unfortunately, they get lost in all the mediocrity.
You a birdbrain?! Perish the thought, dear Daniel. Ha! Ha! Seeing this one a lot on IG. I haven’t tried it yet, but will do so when I see it. Keen to try the Wood Jasmin you mention. Super shots, as always.
Haha. Thank you, Rich. Yes, see if you can seek out some of the older ones. Though, I suspect some might have undergone a reform.
When in doubt, guess Bisch! 😆 Excellent, pithy, write-up as always Daniel! 👏🏻
Haha. Yes, absolutely. There’s a fair chance it’s going to be him. He’s everywhere! Thanks very much, Marcus.