Lúthien Escapes the Tree House –Ted Nasmith
"The walls of the world; and the song of Lúthien released the bonds of winter, and the frozen waters spoke, and flowers sprang from the cold earth where her feet had passed Lúthien" The Silmarillion.
The Silmarillion, published posthumously by J.R.R Tolkien’s son Christopher after the success of The Lord of The Rings, depicts Middle Earth in the first Era. So the prequel came after the six books, which may not seem like the natural order of thing as we learned about the beginningof the universe of Ea afterwards. Sometimes things work like that. First you fall in love with something, then your hunger of learning its history begins. Thus, Bogue’s O/E, released this year is the Silmarillion since to the sensational creation MAAI.
Antonio Gardoni and Berkan Basoglu wearing the Bogue Mask at Esxence 2015
Bogue Profumo is the artisanal brand created by the Italian genius Antonio Gardoni. Antonio is an architecht and is a self taught perfumer who creates fragrances that are unlike any others. He doesn’t care about marketing, sales or even the sustainability of the ingredients. I've been a huge fan of Bogue Profumo since day number one and my admiration increased after meeting Antonio personally.
Bogue Profumo Video
MAAI has been the most challenging and rewardinf for me since the perfume has many facets that shift and morph into other dimensions. So I was expecting the unexpected from Antonio before trying his new fragrance, O/E which is in the same vein of MAAI, but easier to understand; try to imagine a summer version of MAAI… for me that is O/E!
Silmarillion Movie Lord of the Rings
O/E opens with a wisely blended mixture of citruses, herbs and lavender. A shining lemon conquers the first act with the support of cloves as expected from the olfactive architect. If you ever tried MAAI, you’ll probably guess O/E is made by the same parfumeur. The new creation of Antonio Gardoni is a bitter smell of citrus enriched by subtle herbs and vetiver sharing the same base of MAAI.
Glarung Fighting with the Dwarves by Justin Gerard
Imagine a dwarf swinging his axe through the burning breath of a dragon as geranium shows himself. Wearing O/E is like reading a fantasy novel. It captures the smell of legend and lore. . Right after defeating the dragon (or just passing by without disturbing him) rosemary and herbs construct a garden with vetiver trees on it. By the way have you ever heard of vetiver trees before? Maybe you will be able to see them in the endless possibilities of Bogue Profumo.
Two Trees of Valinor by Patchak
I wouldn’t call O/E a fougere, as with all Antonio Gardoni’s fragrances they defy common classifications. It’s an uncommon take on citruses, herbs, lavender and vetiver. Do not be fooled by the complexity of notes, O/E is a study in simplexity. Silmarillion was too, wasn’t it? O/E’s longevity and sillage are moderate than the “stays on me for days” MAII… Nevertheless I like it as it is and re-applying the scent is like turning the pages of the novel. MAAI was like an angel and demon at the same time. O/E is just like a bright star … Lucifer before the fall. Bogue O/E is a perfume that you wear only for yourself, if you haven’t tried it, “Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
Notes: Bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, neroli, clove, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, camphor, Lebanon cedar, juniper, pine, cypress, rose, jasmine, vetiver, benzoin, tobacco, resins, sandalwood
Disclosure: I received my bottle from Antonio at Esxence
– Berkan Basoglu, Contributor and author of gurmekokular.com You can follow Berkan on instagram here
Editor's Note: MAAI was a CaFleureBon best of 2014 and it was Berkan’s favorite artisanal release of last year. Now if you are scratching your head as to what Silmarillion and all the reference to Lord of the Rings has to do with fragrance, here… "There are only two types of people in the world – those who have read The Lord of the Rings and those who should. If you haven't yet read it, just get it and do it” (didn't know we were fantasy geeks too?) Art direction, quotes and such-MC
Thanks to the generosity of Antonio Gardoni of Bogue Profumo we have 30ml of O/E for a ÇaFleureBon registered reader in the US, Canada or EU (be sure to register). To be eligible, please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about Berkan’s review of O/E, if you have tried a Bogue Perfume, read any of the Lord of the Rings books and where you live by 8/30/2015
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