Bertrand Duchaufour, perfumer as well for Dzongkha, is the nose behind one of L'Artisan Parfumeur's most exotic fragrances: Timbuktu. Created to recall the mystery of the African continent, Timbuktu is an homage to Wusulan, the Malian art of perfume-making. In traditional Wusulan, flowers, wood, roots, balms, and spices are macerated and then boiled, producing a smoke which is used to bathe the body of the participant. This smoke is believed to endow the wearer with magical seductive properties. In Duchaufour's reference to Wusulan, none of that seductive quality is lost. Papyrus, vetiver, and pink pepper form a captivating earthy dry wood and spice foundation, onto which Karo-Karounde flower is imposed to add a light herby and slightly floral edge to the mixture. Unripe green mango adds tart while cardamom softens, with a touch of patchouli, and a warm balsamic base consisting of frankincense, benzoin, myrrh, and incense ties the composition together into the characteristically exotic, completely original West African fragrance praised by experts and amateurs alike. Two thumbs way up.
FRAGRANCE NOTES: Pink pepper, karo-karounde, vetiver, papyrus, patchouli, incense, green mango, cardamom, patchouli, myrrh, frankincense, benzoin, iris |
