Perris Montecarlo new Extraits: Patchouli Nosy Be, Ylang Nosy Be, Oud Imperial e Rose de Taif

During Pitti Immagine Fragranze exhibition, Perris Monte Carlo (website here) presented its new line of Extraits (Imperial Oud, Rose de Taif, Patchouli Nosy Be and Ylang Ylang Nosy Be). I swooned over the beauty of these raw material, highlighted by a simple, linear structure, aiming only at exposing them at their best. These four fragrances, in fact, don't focus on stylistic exercises or compositional refinement, but on Gian Luca Perris' love for exceptionally “speaking” raw materials. In his worldwide research he has found some really beautiful, complex, multifaceted ones, and made them shine in these extraits.

The Rose de Taif, compared to the edp version in the line has lost its “typically Taif” citrus freshness and gained strength and body, with a surprising liqueur-y side.

Ylang Ylang Nosy Be is the fragrance that made me understand the true nature of Ylang Ylang. Because YY is not an expensive, rare or unusual note; rather it is widely used, and is considered a bit like the "sweeper" role in a football team: the sweeper must be able to coordinate well with all the others, both offensively (the top) and defense (the base); moreover must make up for his companions failings. So it's easy to pass almost unnoticed, for granted. Instead in this fragrance Ylang shines like a blinding sun, golden, round, exuberant, even carnal. The green and rough aspect, which in normal concentration comes first, here is almost absent. Instead you get a tenderness, a deep, comfortable and almost maternal affection, which also dominates the whole creamy drydown. For me, a discovery and I cannot but thank Gian Luca for deciding to bet on this note.

Imperial Oud starts dry, warm and vigorous; the oud note (dirty and not too domesticated, hooray!) is sided by notes of sandalwood, vetiver Java and birch tar (ie different degrees of "smokey": lighter in the vetiver and more dominant in the beautiful birch tar, the use of which can no longer exceed the thresholds set by IFRA, unfortunately) plus with modernity's mesmerizing Cipriol. Within minutes the scents warms further and becomes a purr on skin. Just perfect.

Patchouli Nosy Be loses, in the extrait version, the "mold-y", wet facet, typical of real patchouli, extracted in its entirety, and earns a warmth and dryness linking it to dark chocolate which I found very fascinating. The extract is also more open, immediate, exuberant and cheerful, like patchouli needed to be at the center of the stage, to express its full potential.

In my ideal world all fragrances are extraits, all raw materials are used for what they are, and their voice is allowed to express all its facets. But I do not live in my ideal world, and seldom have the opportunity to smell raw materials treated like this, so when it happens I will dive in, letting their beauty saturate my soul.