Fallen leaves review at scentient-beings blog)
Thank you, dear Mo!
«Fallen Leaves smells like . . .
Like writers, perfumers also tell stories. In the case of a Russian perfumer, the story can be poetic and a little melancholy.
Cistus is the first character to appear in the story that is Fallen Leaves. It whispers of the leaves, scattered at the edge of a forest, as they start to decay. I have a tiny vial of cistus extract. It smells of a musky, lemon-tinged balsamic vinegar, and the scent is comforting and ever so slightly primal.
Joining the cistus, which becomes muskier and less astringent, are a slightly sharp, bitter hops and a spicy-sweet cardamom. The trio leads me into a darker part of the forest where the story becomes solemn like a broken heart. At first, I thought I smelled oakmoss here, as well, but I believe this effect is created by the addition of the bitter myrrh and peppery frankincense. Still, I get that same oakmoss-y sense of dank, dark earth. In the best possible way.
Never fear, the heartbreak doesn’t last. Cinnamony-sweet tonka bean shines like sunlight through the tree canopy above, while powdery iris and dry, woody Himalayan cedar scatter the light through the olfactory equivalent of the Tyndall-effect. The sweetness that comes through is delicate and balanced by an earthy patchouli that never lets you forget about the ground beneath the treetops.
At the end of this story of heartbreak and hope, the vanilla and everlasting (immortelle) beckon me toward a warm breakfast of maple syrup pancakes in the cabin beyond the woods. Yummy!
After breakfast, I think I’ll be ready to start writing again.
Sillage and longevity
Fallen Leaves has a moderate projection, but you can still smell the maple syrup a good 10 hours later.
Reasons to love
This perfume describes an autumnal journey through a forest, which is dark in places, sunny in others, and which ends at the foot of a cabin just in time for breakfast. If you like forests (and stories), this perfume will set your associative memory and your olfactory bulbs a-dancing.»
