Trudon – Carmen – Ernesto Candle In Perfume Form

September was a particularly busy month. Duty called – specifically, the dreaded jury duty. With my work commitments on top of that, the month flew by quickly. Although I never got selected to serve on an actual jury (unlike my last service), I was called in on several occasions only to sit around for hours at a time, waiting. Very frustrating. I’ve now been randomly chosen 3 times in the last 8 years for jury duty, so I practically know the court staff by name now! All jokes aside, it’s our civic duty, so we have to do it. I should see it as a privilege, but I’ll be happy not to receive another summons for a while.

Still, over the past month, I’ve had the opportunity to try a few new things. Most of them have been disappointing, but Carmen stands out. After reading Flacconeur’s https://perfumuschicago.wordpress.com/2026/09/10/carmen-by-trudon/ glowing review of Trudon’s latest creation, I ordered a sample as soon as I could. It arrived promptly, and I’ve almost finished my sample in record time. In contrast, it took the luxury homewares brand a long time to finally answer calls to turn their Ernesto candle into a perfume. The task fell to Émilie Bouge. I think she’s done a very good job. Carmen smells quite similar to the candle, with perhaps a touch more brightness at the top. Whenever I spray Carmen, I feel like I’ve been transported back to the 1980s.

It’s been a while since I smelled Ernesto, so I borrowed my sister-in-law’s candle for this review. As I burn that tobacco-and-leather blend, I envision a hirsute man from the 1980s, perhaps someone like Burt Reynolds. Indeed, Carmen conjures similar images. I also picture wood-panelled interiors, mahogany desks, and leather armchairs. Carmen feels like it borrows from the Aramis and Estée Lauder leather chypre playbook. The opening is soapy and aldehydic with a brighter grapefruit note than I detect from the candle. Certainly, it doesn’t feel as dense or rugged as those vintage profiles from the 70s and 80s. But Carmen is no shrinking violet.

Carmen’s heart notes of spicy leather and tobacco emerge quickly. Some have compared it to leather chypre scents like Bandit and Antaeus. While I can understand these comparisons, I find that the leather in Carmen feels smoother and much less animalic. It doesn’t have that robust quality of those fragrances, but that isn’t a drawback. Even as the smokier, spicier, and earthier notes develop, it never comes across as harsh. I think of it as a tobacco-inflected blend of Cuir de Russie and Geo F. Trumper’s Spanish Leather Cologne.

Émilie Bouge also makes clever concessions for modern audiences. Indeed, it dries down quite sweet. Yes, the cloves give it that vintage feel, but the balance feels well measured. The tobacco, rum, and ambery finish tie it back to the Cuban-themed candle and deliver the contemporary sweet sheen 2026 demands. Its boldness and longevity stand out in the Trudon line; thankfully, it’s not nearly as sweet as their red bottle range.

Ultimately, if you’re a fan of Ernesto, you’ll likely appreciate the perfume. While the candle seems to dive straight into the base notes, as candles tend to do, Carmen offers a more complex experience, taking you through its top, middle, and base notes. Not many brands produce fragrances like Carmen these days, so when one does, I find it worth celebrating—and spritzing.

Notes:

Top: bergamot, grapefruit, rum.

Heart: oak wood, clove, leather, tobacco.

Base: ambroxan, labdanum, moss, patchouli.

Notes: Sample purchased by me. Bottle image from Trudon. All other images are my own.