The British brand Electimuss has been at Aus Liebe zum Duft for a few months now, coming up with an extraordinarily large portfolio. In the shop we currently have twenty-three fragrances and a Discovery Set, which I – due to the mass – unfortunately can not present you all here. Therefore, we have picked out three creations of the London label, which I would like to present to you in today’s post: Aquila Absolute, Auster and Black Caviar.
Short and sweet: Electimuss
The brand Electimuss comes from London, even if the name suggests a different origin and era. For the Romans and antiquity are sources of inspiration for the fragrance house, founded in 2015 by Luke Granger and Jason Collison, joined a few years later by Claire Sokell Thompson. The trio not only has a soft spot for the Romans, their legends and sagas, but also for noble and extravagant fragrance compositions made from the highest quality raw materials. Thus, all creations are extraits de parfum with a concentration of 25% or 30%, which should have an intense presence and extraordinary durability. So far I have not been able to try any of the fragrances, so I am curious to what extent this concentration is reflected in the skin test.
For the creative realization, Electimuss engaged renowned perfumers such as Julien Rasquinet, Marco Genovese, Christian Provenzano, John Stephen and Sofia Bardelli, who breathed olfactory life into the visions of the brand founders. Electimuss, by the way, is said to be derived from Latin, and here in particular from electissimus, which means “chosen” in English.
The Electimuss range comprises five collections, which are called Eternal Collection, Nero Collection, Consort Collection, Lustrous Collection and Emperor Collection. Our three candidates today are from the Lustrous, Nero and Eternal lines.
Aquila Absolute – Lustrous Collection
Lustrous means “shiny” and “shimmering”. The line is dedicated to the stars and the Roman gods, because as the press text tells us, “for the Romans, the stars were the gateway to the gods. They named the planets and celestial bodies after their gods”. The Lustrous Collecton and thus also Aquila Absolute are said to be inspired by the sight of shiny, shimmering stars in the night sky. But fragrance connoisseurs, of course, know very well that not only the stars are likely to be at the centre of the creation.
For the word Aquila sends many olfactory connoisseurs into raptures, as it suggests a direct relationship to Aquilaria, which is nothing other than the generic name of the agarwood trees. The Latin word Aquila means eagle and there is also a constellation of the same name, which is said to have served as an additional source of inspiration. Considering this, it is little wonder that agarwood (oud) is a component of the fragrance composition, combined with cardamom, raspberry, Turkish rose, geranium, leather, patchouli, labdanum (cistus) and violet leaves.
Perfumer Julien Rasquinet created an extrait de parfum that opens with the lush notes of leathery smoky oud, underpinned by greenish aromatic cardamom and the minty cool freshness of geranium. The raspberry brings fruity-sour accents into play, while the rose provides subtle soapiness. Still rather gloomy at the start, Aquila Absolute gradually becomes brighter. Creamy-woody patchouli and spicy-herbaceous violet leaves lend the fragrance subtle-earthy and powdery aspects, which perfectly complement the fruity oud leather. Well-dosed, elegant and on point for every season and occasion.
Auster – Eternal Collection
My first thought upon reading the name Auster was “Ah, a sea scent that revolves around shells,” (because the German word Auster means oyster in English) which didn’t necessarily make me inwardly rejoice at first. However, Auster is in fact not about molluscs at all, but rather inspired by the Italian southerly wind of the same name, so named by the Romans.
The wind Auster – nowadays more commonly known as Scirocco – brings hot and humid air from North Africa across the Mediterranean to Italy, often carrying a good portion of Saharan dust with it. Perfumer John Stephen created the South Wind creation from the ingredients star anise, lemon, geranium, clove, cedarwood, musk, sandalwood, amber and patchouli.
Oyster starts the fragrance with citrus and spicy notes. Acidic fresh lemon initially meets cool star anise and aromatic clove. Soon, sandalwood, cedar and musk give the fragrance a sweet powdery warmth that flows through the citrusy-spicy nuances of the opening and unites with them to form a dense fragrance. Patchouli provides soft earthy accents in the finish. I also perceive medicinal notes, possibly due to the clove. An unusual and exciting composition with medium presence and good longevity that I would classify as an allrounder.
Black Caviar – Nero Collection
This time, however, “nomen est omen” applies, because Black Caviar is actually a fragrance with marine references. Belonging to the Nero Collection – Don’t worry! The scent does not burn anything down. I promise! -, the extrait de parfum is inspired by the lavish banquets of Emperor Nero, where he served his guests only the noblest and choicest delights. Caviar probably belonged to it, so the press text of Electimuss tells us.
Perfumer Marco Genovese used for the composition of the fragrance ingredients caviar, agarwood (oud), cedar, mint, lavender, sage, rosemary, vetiver, patchouli and oakmoss.
Salt, mint, lavender and rosemary I perceive first in the opening of Black Caviar. A maritime freshness, tart, herbaceous, but not exuberant, rather airy and cool. Not an approaching stormy front with sea spray, nor a turquoise-aquatic swimming pool blue, but a herbaceous and subtly algae-salty sea scent. Calm sea, cloudy sky, damp coolness. Vetiver and patchouli bring creamy, powdery, soft-earthy nuances to the fragrance, underscored by oakmoss. A great maritime scent with a medium presence and good longevity that I would wear for any occasion during the warmer months.
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