Çafleurebon Fragrant Awakenings: L’Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu (2004) + Iconic Duchaufour Draw

 

L’Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu review original formula 2004

Pep Dalessandri aka The Scentinel with a bottle of L’Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu

This story does not begin with me recounting how my earliest memory was a fascination with all things scented. Fact is, I am regrettably late to the party when it comes to the art, science, and culture of perfume. But I am doing my best to make up for the ‘lost years’. Growing up as a first-generation Australian of Italian migrant parents, my smelly experiences weren’t eucalyptus trees and vegemite. I had lemon trees, tomato plants, and tiramisu growing up in my own Little Italy in suburban Australia.

 Best fragrances for men

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Embarrassing fact: I used a pacifier until well past my toddler years and the reason I choose to humiliate myself like this is because my grandfather, lovingly ignorant as he was, used to let me dip my pacifier into his espresso coffee all while he was also enjoying his beloved Peter Stuyvesant cigarettes. So my first two major scent loves were coffee and cigarettes (surprisingly also a film I have yet to watch). But my “nonno” was also the source for my first encounter with actual scented grooming products. From the Brylcreem, to the shave foam that I am reminded of every time I spray Rive Gauche Pour homme, and finally to the Old Spice that he used to brace himself for before a hearty splash on the cheeks and neck. Later on I would identify that my dad was a Brut 33 man, as opposed to my Old Spice-y nonno. But for the rest of my childhood the only distinct memories of perfume were the television ads for Cacharel’s Lou Lou, and subsequent bottles my mother over-sprayed. One day I discovered a bottle of Chanel No.5 on her bedside table, and somehow I instinctively knew that this was one of the “special ones”. Maybe I just knew of the Chanel prestige by osmosis but as soon as I sprayed some in the air, it only confirmed that magic can exist suspended in alcohol (way before I was legal drinking age).

Fast-forward to adulthood. Preparing for a rare social function I decided new “cologne” would be more appropriate than the body-spray deodorant I had been using for years. I would get the best thing money could buy from the local pharmacy and smell like a million dollars. I eventually decided on Paco Rabanne’s Invictus, even though I could have opted to literally smell like One Million. By this time in my life I had already become dependent on the internet for all my research purposes, and naturally my first search were the words that now languish in infamy within the most ancient part of the brain – “best cologne for men”.

Suddenly I was like a dry sponge soaking up a flood of fragrant information that was always a click or a swipe away. Fragrance forums? Dedicated YouTube channels? Communities? I found out George Clooney liked Green Irish Tweed, which then led to finding out about Creed, which in turn led to Aventus (a whole sub-culture of its own. I found out you could buy splits, samples, decants, and then I found out about niche.

L'Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu was awarded 5 stars by Perfumes The A-Z Guide

Photo courtesy of Perfumes The Guide Amazon 

Through all this it came to my attention that a “Guide” for perfumes existed, which I promptly downloaded to my Kindle and began my reading marathon. By now, I had amassed several decants of various things that were being hyped on social media channels, but I now became interested in Luca Turin’s 5 star perfumes (by now I had realized that men actually wore “perfume” too).  Unlike the present, I would blind-buy bottles with abandon at this early stage in my collecting, so why not with the 5 star Timbuktu. The consensus on forums was that it was a highly rated, but not entirely safe blind-buy. Needless to say then, I was beside myself when the parcel arrived. Not exaggerating.

Now at this juncture, I want to point out that I had no idea what incense, papyrus, benzoin, vetiver, and myrrh were supposed to smell like, let alone karo karounde. But a few seconds after I sprayed this on, that was all purely academic. I was now seized by the actual magic of a perfume. The ability to transport your soul to a place you have never been, and may not even exist. Smelling L’Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu on my skin was the first time I was able to imagine in 3D, to an extent that none of my other senses have ever been seduced to do. The way my mouth begins to water from the mango, the way I can hear the breeze rustling through papyrus reeds, feeling the warmth of the sun as I am lying on the earth. All while watching a cloud movie.

Bertrand Duchaufour created L'Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu in 2004

Bertrand Duchaufour courtesy of Bertrand Duchaufour

I think it was after this pivotal moment that I began to want more from a perfume than was being offered at the local department store. I lost my footing on the edge of the rabbit hole, but I am climbing steadily down instead of free-falling. It was overwhelming at first with the range and choice of things to try, but Timbuktu also became my tour guide. I explored more of the work of its creator Bertrand Duchaufour, I have since purchased several of his creations for both L’Artisan Parfumeur and other houses. It refined my tastes and also became a reference for a perfume’s artistry.

I’d like to end this tale paraphrasing a caption I wrote for an Instagram post of this perfume: Like the place itself, L’Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu is both real and mythical at the same time. It transports me far away when the mood strikes, and keeps me grounded when I need serenity. Love is in a faraway place.

Pep Dalessandri, CaFleureBon reader, YouTube Fragrance reviewer   @scented_souls

Disclosure: Pep’s bottle is his own, as are his opinions.

Editor’s Note:  In my 2010 interview, I asked Bertrand Duchaufour what makes a great perfume…his answer,  “I am sure of one thing; time is the best judge of a fragrance”. And Timbuktu is, still, after 15 yrs, one of his finest fragrances for the House. It is also classic Duchaufour.-Michelyn

L'Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu

Thanks to the generosity of L’ArtisanParfumeur we have a 100ml bottle of Timbuktu for registered reader in the EU, USA or Canada (you must do this and use your user name or your comment is invalid). To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoyed specifically about Pep Dalessandri’s Fragrant Awakening and where you live.  Have you liked this series on Facebook? Or follow it on the sidebar of our site. Draw closes 5/30/2019

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our  blog feed…or  your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

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62 comments

  • Pep, my dear Pep, thank you for sharing your fragrant journey with us… I lived every step of it, word by word.

  • wildevoodoo says:

    Not only is the account of Pep’s developing love for the scent of coffee and cigarettes so sweet and endearing, I can completely relate to being enthralled with the scent of my father’s aftershave, as well as his deodorant and shaving cream and my mother’s perfumed soaps and body lotions (as neither of them wears perfume, otherwise I’m sure I would have been more entranced with those). Even his choice of Invictus evokes pleasant memories for me, as I was living in Argentina at the time (big Paco Rabanne fans there as I was to discover) and huge ad billboards for Invictus went up around the city seemingly overnight. I’m particularly excited for this giveaway as Timbuktu is one of my favorite L’Artisan Parfumeur scents, if not my favorite outright, but I have never owned a bottle or even a decant before, so I have high hopes! I am in the US 🙂

  • Crisstyyn says:

    Wow, Pep, thank you for sharing your step by step journey into embracing frangrances. I trully enjoyed it as i do enjoy a lot of L’Artisan Parfumeur’s fragrances. I would be more than happy to be the lucky winner of this amaizing fragrance that Timbuktu is. Regards from uk

  • carlos_lager says:

    I can totaly relate to your journey. I also found the love of perfumes pretty late. Thank you for sharing your story.
    Greetings from Austria (EU)

  • Ohhh, memories. …I am descovering the new fragrances. Thank you from Romania, EU.

  • Thank you, Pep, for sharing your story with us. I love the scented memory of your grandfather’s coffee and cigarettes (and yes, you should see the film!) and completely relate to that moment when a perfume engages every sense and you imagine in 3D. Hope you read more of your writing on CaFleureBon. – Marianne

  • fazalcheema says:

    Pep Dalessandri’s journey is quite similar to how people become interested in fragrances. They have very limited exposure to scents and when they realize how wide the world of scents and perfumes is, they are suddenly infected with a desire to learn as much about perfumes as possible. I am in US.

  • Beautifuuuuul ! Thank you dear Pep for sharing your life & love for fragrances with us! I had so much fun reading this, couldn’t help but smile- especially when you saw your mother’s perfume and said “this is one of the special ones”. Brought me back to the good ol’ days- when we all played with our parents stuff!
    I hope to read more of your fragrance tales! ❤️

    Love, Your sis V

  • Great review and what I specifically enjoyed was wanting more from a department store and being at the edge of a rabbit hole. Fragrance is an art form in my opinion and should arouse and awaken our senses in ways only a master perfumer can do. I live in CA, USA.

  • Thank you, Pep, for sharing your earliest scent memories. Loved learning more about what has shaped your experiences. I don’t have a lot of early perfume memories, but my dad did use Old Spice. You have led a lot of people down the rabbithole yourself!

  • And this is why i don’t write about perfume. I leave it to the deft, capable, and talented souls like dearest Pep.❤❤❤ Beautiful reflection of an important journey in your fragrantly touched life. I’m so happy for you, and proud of you!! I’m blessed to know you good sir. Thank you for sharing your story with us!!

    Definitely check out Coffee& Cigarettes (the movie).

    Not entering the giveaway, just want to support a dear friend.

  • RobertNicolasB says:

    I love that L’Artisan was able to take you on a three dimensional journey. I have sampled Timbuktu and was blown away. Very unique fragrance and I would love to win a FB. Thanks for the opportunity. -USA

  • Doni Light says:

    Definitely can attest to wreckless blind-buying at the early stage of my fragrance journey too. :S Pep isn’t alone. Although I can’t say I had the same opinion of Paco Rabanne’s latest offerings [shudder], I cordially applaud Pep’s heedless immersion into the fragrance world and bravery for starting an online channel! IMO, he has a patient eye for mature scents and perhaps some of the most interesting tastes in the YT community. Loved the story about the coffee flavoured pacifier. I suppose I wasn’t so lucky. I simply swapped a soother for perfume to pacify my emotional disquietude. Turned out to be an expensive decision. 😛 Canada.

  • What a lovely, lovely read. So extremely relatable to. Replace the pacifier with biscuits, but keep the coffee, and you have my infancy (god I loved coffee, as I do now!) Replace Chanel no.5 with L’air du temps and you have my mom and my childhood. Replace “best cologne for men” with “best perfume for women” and you have my teenage years. Replace “Invictus” with “Dahlia noir” and you have my passage to adulthood. It’s awesome to see how we are essentially the same, with the same journey, the same path to discovery and the same evolution (with small variables). The perfume which “opened my nostrils” to the complexity of the fragrance world, way past the “I wanna smell good” phase, was “L’heure bleue”. So many feelings, so much confusion, I wanted to cry and smile at the same time, I felt like a character out of a classical novel. Unfortunately I have never gotten to smell Timbuktu (I know, it’s outrageous! But we don’t have easy access to L’artisan parfumeur where i live and i’m not too much of a hunter to find samples or testers either). I didn’t know about the Fragrant Awakening series till now, but i’ve just clicked the like button. Thanks for the lovely review, for sharing your story and the draw! I’m from EU.

  • Harbinger says:

    I love that one of Pep’s earliest memories involves Old Spice. I think for many of us this holds true.I live in the US

  • Timbuktu is my favourite Artisan as well. As Pep, Timbuktu opened for me the road to the discovery of more Duchaufour creations.
    Thank you for the review and the draw! I live in EU.

  • Great anecdote about the pacifier and early memory smells. Timbuktu is indeed a lasting classic, be nice to snag this one. I’ll be right back after I pencil and paper 14 x 21. US

  • doveskylark says:

    It’s fun to explore perfume with references like Luca Turin’s Guide. We can get pointed in good directions and then learn to appreciate notes and what works with our own body chemistry. Timbuktu is a wonderfully rich fragrance to transport the wearer to far away lands and dreams.
    I love this series on FB.
    I live in the USA.

  • fragrancelover says:

    That was so much fun to read, Pep is such a great story teller. I was a late fragrance bloomer too, and I find that we share many of the same perfume loves, so Timbuktu is a must try for me now. This is a great series, thank you for sharing! Live in the US.

  • Great to see Pep here – I have been watching his youtube videos for some time. I trust his nose. I live in Canada.

  • DulciusExAsperis says:

    I love this: ““I am sure of one thing; time is the best judge of a fragrance”.” I couldn’t agree more!
    Plus I laughed at the idea of someone dipping a pacifier in espresso… I’m sure I would have hung on to mine well past its due date as well if someone had done that for me.
    I live in the USA.

  • I’m an Instagram follower of Pep’s, and it’s delightful to read a full review from him and to learn more about him. I’m not disappointed at all, this is such an evocative and beautifully written review of a truly magically fragrance. Pep’s words have done justice to this fragrance! I’m in the U.S.

  • Thanks for Sharing your journey Pep my friend. As a subscriber I enjoy his videos on his YouTube channel. Not much experience with the House of L’Artisan. Timbuktu is likes by many. Thanks, US

  • gunmetal24 says:

    I love reading your story Pep. Its an endearing, down to earth and realistic story of how most perfume enthusiast fall into the rabbit hole (you’ve wisely recovered). Thanks for sharing this fragrant awakening stories with us Cafleurebon, I hope to see more of this in the future.

    Please count me out of the giveaway. I already have a big bottle of Timbuktu which will outlast my time on earth (i used perfume slowly…very slowly)

  • Congratulations Pep, great review, i enjoyed a lot reading your article. Timbuktu is a very particular fragrance, in a good way of course. My favourite from their house is Tea for Two but Timbuktu is also a “signature” in the line. Greetings from Romania.

  • I have never owned any vetiver dominant fragrance. And this one sounds very interesting from the base of the review. Thank you for the chance. I live in the EU.

  • redwheelbarrow says:

    I loved reading about your journey. It is very similar to the one I am on. The awakening of realizing there is more out there than designer offerings is so eye opening. Like you at the beginning of your journey, I feel a bit overwhelmed at the moment. Thank you for the reminder that I can slow down and take it all in at an easy pace. Thank you for the draw. I am in the US.

  • lightgray says:

    oh, this is a wonderful story – i love hearing other people’s journeys into perfume, and how it reflects my own. it’s so easy to get obsessed and fall down the rabbit hole! i’ve never tried timbuktu, but it’s going even higher on my list – this was a lovely, evocative description!

  • citizenkage says:

    I loved your story in general but I really loved your story of discovering the house of Creed. I’ve discovered some fragrance houses in a similar way. Or decided to try some fragrances I would have otherwise never tried like Bulgari Aqua Marine because supposedly Will Smith wears it and I love Will Smith. Great story and review. I’ve heard alot about Timbuktu but haven’t had the pleasure of trying it. Thanks for the opportunity. USA, Florida.

  • Thanks for sharing the story of your journey into the rabbit hole of fragrances. I enjoyed the antidote regarding the pacifier. Cheers from the USA.

  • Well, I wonder how deep the rabbit hole could be… 🙂
    Let’s see! I’m from EU

  • I have wanted to try this for some time. My father was an Old Spice wearer also, and Grey Flannel on special occasions. Which inevitably lead me to love fragrance. I love reading stories of how fragrance touched early lives and lead some of these people into doing it for a living. Thank you for the draw! US.

  • strangedim says:

    It is impossible to say what I enjoyed about Pep’s awakening, the whole story has such warmth and it feels so familiar, to read it it was pure joy! Thank you, Pep, for sharing your story with us! I felt alive and safe! Hugs from Romania!

  • Very exotic name and notes but I really want to feel the mythical in it. This article made me so curious! Papyrus, anyone?

  • NiceVULady says:

    I enjoyed the fragrant journey of Pep’s. Interesting to have focused on Duchaufour as he is one of my favorite “noses” as well. These travels to fragrant awakenings are always welcome. Thanks for showing us your perfumed road and thanks for the draw. I’m in the USA

  • I’ve not seen this series on Facebook. But I am a big fan of L’Artisan Esquis Noir. It is one of my all time favorite scents from their line. It’s so sexy. Timbuktu sounds incredible. I love vetiver and myrrh.
    I live in the US.

  • drewactor says:

    I follow Pep on IG. Love what he posts there and this review is no different. I enjoyed him telling us about reading Luca Turin and getting Timbuktu. I also recently read Luca’s new guide and was impressed with all the new fragrances I had to try. Much like Pep I too have enjoyed trying houses and fragrances recommended in the guide. Thanks for a great review and personal information into your life and background. in the USA and thanks for the giveaway.

  • As a long time reader I am not familiar with Pep but am glad to meet you sir. My first was Lartisan Parfumeur Sartorial and I love it still
    In the USA
    Great writing

  • scentinel says:

    Needless to say that i am quite blown away by the beautiful and generous responses here. It was a pleasure to write, and in some ways cathartic.
    You have all made me feel really welcome in the Cafleurebon community. Much love.

  • Really interesting reading about Pep’s fragrant awakening especially the part where it says his grandpa let him dip his pacifier into his espresso coffee while he smoked. It’s amazing how little things shape our futures.
    I live in the USA and liked the series.

  • Oooh, makes me want to try this one! I love Seville a l’aube, and would love to see how Timbuktu compares. I, too, feel like I have fallen down the rabbit hole of scent, tho I can’t purchase a much as I can read about. I have read the first book from Turin and Sanchez, and am plowing thru the second. Thank you for a lovely review on a lovely perfume, and nose! In the us.

  • Wendy Caudle says:

    Ah Timbuktu! It was a blind buy for me, and immediately stolen by my avaricious Mother, who was transported by it. I had to buy another bottle for myself. I love the dry wordiness of it, there nothing quite like it. Great story, thank you for sharing your journey!

  • Yay Pep! I’ve enjoyed watching your videos and was delighted to read your story. There are many elements in it that resonate with me, though not the pacifier part! My favorite was that you research first before buying. I live in the USA!

  • IvanVelikov says:

    “The way my mouth begins to water from the mango, the way I can hear the breeze rustling through papyrus reeds, feeling the warmth of the sun as I am lying on the earth. All while watching a cloud movie.”

    You convinced me – i need to sample Timbuktu.

    I’ve allwas been into fragrances, but I too remember well my first clash with niche perfumerie – Enigma Pour Homme Roja Dove , also known as Creation E in the States.I was shocked….. literally how different and unique the smell is, and how vastly superior it is compaired to designer fragrances i knew.Boy i’m so awake after this.Still Enigma is one of my favorite fragrances of all time.
    L’Artisan Parfumeur i know because of Noir Exquis – cuddling type of gourmands i really like.
    Thank you Pep for sharing your Awakening story with us.
    USA

  • fleurdetilleul says:

    I love the honesty of Pep! I’ve discovered my love for perfume pretty late too. My mother once pointed out how I always sniff everything I put my hands on, I was never aware of that. I always thought I was not a very sensorial type of person, so I’ve discovered part of myself during the past years. I live in EU and, yes, I did follow the Fragrant Awakening series on facebook! Thank you! <3

  • Oh! I most enjoyed his pacifier story, of course! I love to read about someone’s fragrance journey. Those memories are magical. Thanks for sharing…USA

  • Michael Prince says:

    I enjoyed Pep Dalessandri’s Fragrant Awakening. A wonderful childhood living in Austrailia and being of Italian descent. Growing up with parents using old spice, brut-33, and chanel no. 5 sounds pretty typical. You started your awakening later in life initially using body sprays then evolving into Invictus and eventually Niche. I haven’t heard about this series on Facebook, but I will have to check it out. I am from the USA.

  • samppahoo says:

    Very nice review, I liked Pep’s story about his experience with perfume as a child. From the espresso dip to Chanel 5. I would love to win a full bottle of Timbuktu. I’m from EU.

  • WaltherP99 says:

    Pep is such a nice guy.I do follow him on Youtube from the very strart of his Youtube channel called The Scentinel.Already knew all of the info here , because he shared it on Youtube.Of course i follow him on IG too.
    L’Artisan Parfumeur is a house i really like . During the years i went through 4 bottles of Premier Figuier ( 3 EDT , and 1 EDP) .Atm i do own 3 bottles – Traversee du Bosphore , Amour Nocturne and Skin on Skin.Last 2 are part of a different line called Explosions.Also the bottles are different.
    Thanks for the draw.
    Virginia USA , or London UK … at least 97/100 times.

  • Bubeto_GG says:

    Wonderful article, nice personal memories with just a small note – i like Creed , but Green Tweed i do not Lol
    My niche awakening was 2008 , or it was 2009 when i was introduced to Amouage and Serge Lutens in 24 hours.
    Thank you L’Artisan Parfumeur , and Cafleurebon.
    Back and forth between USA and Scotland – 1 week in US -> 1 week in Scotland , and so on.Basically both USA and EU/UK at the same time.

  • Beautiful story. I like the way Pep describes his growing interest in perfumery. The first magical time when he was transported into another world in 3D thanks to a perfume. Timbuktu was also for me one of the first gateways to the world of niche. One of my first and most wanted to know perfumes. The very name – Timbuktu, the capitol and cultural centre of ancient african empire, instantly got my interest. Can it be expressed in a scent? Will I feel like being in Africa? Indeed, Timbuktu is a proof that perfume can be a mean to transport your soul to a place you have never been. To a place that is „both real and mythical at the same time”. It is magic and Bertrand Duchaufour is probably the greatest sorcerer. When I wear Timbuktu I like to hear “Ali & Toumani” – a beautiful record of Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate and the time begins to flow slowly. Like a calming river.
    I live in the EU.

  • Uncle1979 says:

    We all went through so called “awakening” in our fragrance journey, including both Pep and me. I mean all fragrance enthusiasts.
    Timbuktu I don’t know , but as a Pastry Chef I have to say I adore Noir Exquis . The only L’Artisan in my collection.
    My fragrance awakening when i smelled for the first time Tom Ford Tuscan Leather back in 08′ . Some will argue ” Tom Ford Prive’s are not exactly niche” … to me they are. Almost 12 years after I still adore it , and I’ll never get rid of it.
    Thank you Pep for sharing your awakening story with us.
    USA

  • Cafleurebon please continue Awakening series. What a great idea.
    I enjoyed Mr Dalessandry story a lot. My fragrance awakening was at a party where I thought I was the best smelling guy out there for wearing Allure Homme Extreme Chanel , until a guy showed up bathed in Milleslime Imperial Creed . Back then I thought it’s the best smelling fragrance ever. The rest is history.
    Thank you Mr Dallesandry for bringing back memories of my fragrance awakening , and of course sharing yours with us.
    Also thanks to L’artisan for the draw.
    USA

  • Jeremy Francis says:

    I loved hearing how he came about raising the question that I myself have raised numerous times online: “Best cologne for men?” And similarly, our curious question spawned life-long fragrance enthusiasm.

  • Unlike Pep I became addicted to fragrances in my mid 20’s.
    Personally I found Cafleurebon because of Sebastian, after watching one of his videos on YouTube.
    L’Artisan Parfumeur I know because of Premier Figuier – one of the best fig fragrances, and a staple in my life.
    Thanks Pep for the article, and your fragrance story , and also L’Artisan for the giveaway.
    USA most of the year, and Germany from time to time