Omnipotato

L'Instant de Guerlain EDP is a strange mishmash of styles/genres that somehow comes together and works as a cohesive unit. My first instinct upon smelling it was that it was a classic citrus/patchouli chypre with some added anise similar to "Eau Sauvage Parfum (2017) | Dior". Then I got a sense of powdery florals which reminded me of the iris accord in "Dior Homme Intense (2011) | Dior". And finally the base is a smooth creamy cocoa/sandalwood/tea accord that takes it in a more gourmand direction. The result of these three seemingly disparate accords being combined is a unique signature that is at once fresh and dark, traditional/gentlemanly and modern.

Café Mystique lives up to its name. The sulfuric coffee note establishes itself at the outset as a top note. It is listed as "kopi luwak" coffee, which is the infamous coffee that is partially digested by the civet and harvested from its waste. It is joined by its common companion in perfumery, cardamom. But the real star and the note responsible for Café Mystique's mysterious and enigmatic nature is the floral accord, made up of ylang-ylang and frangipani, two gorgeous tropical flowers that are an unexpected surprise in the spicy coffee-dominated fragrance. I think the idea here was to recreate the tropical setting of the Indonesian coffee, and it is done beautifully.

The labdanum, incense, myrrh, beeswax and vanilla create a sweet, resinous bed for the coffee, spices and florals to further interact. The drydown is a woody vetiver/oud that softens and rounds out the fragrance. Very unique, masterfully crafted and blended. The best out of Maksim's first three releases for me.

Musk Couture is definitely a Bortnikoff fragrance. The next generation Maksim has inherited his father's penchant for fruity top notes drying down into boozy sweet tobacco. This is very similar to "Tabac Doré (Extrait de Parfum) | Bortnikoff" and probably redundant if you own that one. However, Musk Couture opens with a rather different raspberry note and the drydown also has some of "Musk Khabib (Extrait de Parfum) | Bortnikoff". A great scent, but not new territory if you are familiar with the Bortnikoff lineup. Also, the performance, again like Tabac Doré, is lacking. Disappears into a skin scent after an hour or so.

Amber Balsam opens with a spicy almost herbaceous clove, cardamom, and cinnamon blast, quickly joined by some light yellow florals. Then the real star of the show emerges: balsam. Sticky sweet and aromatic, these resins dominate the fragrance. The vetiver, ambergris, and oud create a kind of dirty, earthy dampness that the balsams commingle with. It is a very unique and special effect, but unfortunately is a little off-putting for me. I could definitely see it being a 10/10 for the right person, though.

I love Earl Grey tea. The aromatic component of the bergamot oil added to the calming fragrant black tea makes for an amazing taste. It's tough to translate that feeling into a fragrance, but Earl Grey and Cucumber has done quite a good job with it.

The majority of the composition is this honey-sweetened tea accord, with the cucumber note added for freshness. The result is an aromatic, light, slightly floral scent that works really well on warm spring days. It is perfectly unisex and very mass-appealing. Underrated by the fragrance community.