Best Crystal Saffron Extrait by Matiere Premiere Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

Inspired by a dream of a romantic encounter in a Parisian bakery. The air is filled with the mouthwatering aroma of candied fruits, vanilla-laced pastries, a hint of sweet tobacco. You’re captivated by the sight of a beautiful stranger holding a bouquet of fresh freesias. This playfully flirty mix of cream-topped fruits and florals conjures the dream all over again.

Perfumer: Bertrand Duchaufour

This enigmatic essence opens with zesty mandarin, briefly evoking the metallic smell of blood, before plunging into the dark pleasures of incense and patchouli. Oud wood deepens the effect, while bittersweet myrrh adds to the mystery.

“On a track through an unforgiving desert, starting point and destination are indistinguishable from one another. Terra-cotta hued dunes twist and writhe, their shapes ever shifting. Only the merciless sun and aloof constellations can be trusted to point the way. Weighed down by treasures; some tempting the eyes with their glittering sheen, others enticing with exotic aromas, the camel plods towards a far off marketplace. Water is but a dream now, the taste of sweet dates a distant memory. There is nothing but an endless ocean of sand.” - Zoologist.

Perfumer: Christian Carbonnel.

Frankincense. Bet you’re thinking dark, churchy dusty incense and smells of a dodgy pipe smoking priest’s frayed robes.

Fact is, frankincense can be fresh and fruity. Seriously.

What we do with this arcane and noble fragrance is close to a miracle. A true celebration of fun, fresh and fruit. You ‘eard. And not any creepy old clergy or a spooky gothic church in sight. Thank god.

An ancient ritual. The wonder of green, perfumed resin flowing from the tree. It is reminiscent of journeys along the perfume routes, of the magic of nocturnal ceremonies. Fresh, intense notes of Incense, Opoponax, Storax and Tolu.

January 1618 A Japanese Galleon, the Pacific Ocean

Following a diplomatic mission to the West, a galleon carrying a delegation of samurai charges through dark ocean currents. Loaded with a rare and precious cargo, the ship’s hull is redolent of sweet-smelling tropical woods, heady Spanish leather, frankincense, fine black pepper and other exotic ground spices—the intoxicating spirit of a singular, extraordinary voyage of discovery.

A good perfume to visit if your are in a search for perfect true sandalwood,  smoky and a touch dirty. Arquiste carefully selected the companions for its sandal in this formula: tea and osmanthus, coffee, myrrh and stryrax and others to give it a dark, sensual depth.

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GQ US on Nanban:

"This is my signature scent. I wear it all the time. And let me tell you: I’ve never worn something that has gotten so many compliments—no sunglasses, no sneakers, no full-body rubber suit. People actually turn their heads and ask me what I'm wearing. And then they jot down the product name. Arquiste’s masterpiece introduces itself with Malabar black pepper and Persian saffron, gives way to coffee, sandalwood, myrrh, and Spanish leather, and embraces you all day with a blanket of frankincense, balsam, and cade juniper."

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Financial Times' resident perfume writer Victoria Frolova on Nanban:

"... approach coffee notes creatively. Instead of mimicking nature, a perfumer instead might fashion a blend that hints at coffee’s pleasing bitterness and heady richness. Such is Arquiste’s Nanban (£160 for 100ml EDP). The composition uses a plush backdrop of woods to frame the smoky, spicy notes of myrrh and incense, with an accent of coffee to lend the composition a dark, delicious twist. It teases with its smoky, nutty warmth, but keeps its presence mellow behind layers of sandalwood and leather."

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‘All the soarings of my mind begin in my blood’

Rainer Maria Rilke

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A perfumed celebration of saints and superstitions, centred around a fierce fenugreek absolute note lavished with singed pyrazines, sacrificial myrrh and mournful molten honey poured over everything like amber rain.  Meadow blooms, sticky dark resins, pungent balms and ashen clouds of iris swirl like dramatic weather.

An intense incense that shapeshifts between cold/smoky and warm/creamy. This dream belongs to the mythological Irish warrior poet Ossian, who inspired the Romantic literary movement across 18th century Europe. Rêve d'Ossian conjures misty midnight forests with smouldering notes of pine, frankincense and myrrh, before calling forth the benevolence of Celtic fairies with mellow tonka bean and vanillic benzoin.

Perfumer: Hugo Lambert

You’re being followed by a myrrh shadow. A shadow that traces your outline, then embellishes with enigmatic depth. This intriguing extrait de parfum flirts with myrrh’s dark charm, tickling its dusty delights with peppery cedarwood, spicy akigalawood and earthy patchouli. The zesty sparkle of bitter citrus succumbs to an enveloping cloud of benzoin and musk as the shadow lengthens, leaving behind an echo of the fascinating person everyone longs to meet again soon.

The finest gum extracts from Somaliland — frankincense, myrrh and opoponax — combine in this resinous and sophisticated scent. Berbera is a powerful woody amber suitable for layering, as is common in the Middle East, as well as a standalone manifesto. Opoponax brings nuances of leather and old wood, myrrh swirls in a cola note, and frankincense soars high and dry. A charred-around-the-edges fragrance to uplift your soul and deepen your mystique.