NuiWhakakore

The Lincoln Continental rolls slowly along the road. The whitewall tires take no notice of the cracked asphalt. The houses are as shabby as everything else in this neighborhood. A car like this is out of place here. A chauffeur with a cap is recognizable, the passenger behind the tinted windows is not. The kids at the side of the road ignore the intruder and turn up the absurdly large cassette player a little louder. The dealers on the corner look on suspiciously. Their crack rules here, it's like an epidemic, not the first and certainly not the last.

The window opens a crack. You can see leather upholstery, wood paneling, maybe a minibar. Definitely tailor-made suits, $300 haircuts and even a shave costs more than the kids here have to live on per month. You can smell the latter too, a spicy, fresh herbal scent hangs in the air for a moment before the window closes again and the car slowly drives on. The kids look behind, knowing that another world is rolling away, a world to which they will never belong

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Even though New York is a quintessentially French fragrance, you can definitely imagine it in New York, but in my opinion more at the beginning of the 80s than at the end, I would see its roots even earlier. But it is definitely a fragrance of the upper class, of a Gordon Gecko or a protagonist from a Don DeLillo novel, which is not to say that you couldn't wear it as an ordinary mortal, then as now.

In my opinion, New York does not start out particularly fresh (citrus notes are more in the background), but very spicy and warm (cinnamon, clove, some pepper) and green (herbs, which are also rather supportive). Lavender is added very quickly and is slightly floral, powdery, relatively sweet and is later supported by equally powdery musk. So I shouldn't really like it, but it is very well integrated by the spicy notes. In this phase, the fragrance hovers between chypre (for which the floral notes are not enough) and fougère (for which the caraway is missing), with a slight tendency towards fougère.

The base is defined by cool, slightly soapy moss and increasingly resinous notes (sweet tonka, styrax, incense without smoke). The resins become more dominant, are sweet but also spicy, and a slightly fruity note also plays a role. Such sweet resins can also become too much for me, but here they are very well integrated by the spicy aspects and especially the moss.

New York manages to skilfully avoid several pitfalls, which is due to the fine balance of the individual notes. Nothing is too much or too little here, everything is where it needs to be. And this has been the case since 1989, or 1982, or whenever - timeless.

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Thanks to Grandmaster Floyd!
Soundtrak: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PobrSpMwKk4

It was the most successful haul of the past year, in a way. A freighter full of rum from Barbados, the hold of the Miss Fortune overflowing. The crew's mood was correspondingly good, the performance rather poorer, they had to be held back a little, otherwise there wouldn't be much left to sell later. A problem, but solvable.

The desk was a bigger problem. The captain of the freighter had literally forced it on him, so our captain couldn't say no. But it was also an exquisite piece. Almost black wood with lighter inlays and a work surface made of the finest brown leather. It even had a secret compartment, which unfortunately didn't contain any gold, just spices, but still. And the smell: sweet rum, dark wood, leather, spices and the captain of the freighter had probably not been averse to tobacco either. Perfect, except for the size.

The desk just about fitted into the captain's cabin. As a result, you bumped into something every time you moved. The freighter's cabin was much larger than that of the Miss Fortune, but it had considerably more cannons. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. In any case, a solution had to be found, all the bruises and bumps were too unpleasant in the long run. He could ask Angel to shorten the table. Angel was a virtuoso with the axe, but he wasn't really good at delicate work. No, he couldn't do that to the beautiful piece.

It would probably be a long night with a lot of brooding. Fortunately, there was enough rum...

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Rum, like other spirits such as whiskey or cognac (brandy), as the main ingredient in fragrances seems to tempt perfumers to enhance the respective characteristics of the spirit with corresponding notes. Sweet rum is then made even sweeter by adding sugar, molasses or honey; the vanilla, toffee or caramel notes inherent to whiskey (bourbon) are enhanced; the fruity or even floral notes inherent to cognac or brandy are additionally emphasized. There is a risk of it becoming too much, too sweet, too rich. Then add a little wood and resin and we find ourselves with the extremely popular fragrances from Kilian & Co. Personally, I don't like this direction, I can no longer recognize any details under all the sweet stuff and ultimately all these fragrances seem too similar, smooth and characterless to me.

Fortunately, Olivia Giacobetti is a perfumer who understands her craft and has a sense of restraint, so she doesn't fall into this genre trap. The rum in Idole de Lubin is not even that different from other boozy creations from the competition. Aromatic, sweet, with hints of sugar cane and molasses. There is also a slight vanilla note for me, but perhaps that is just the expectation I have of such a rum. However, it is not placed in the center of attention and exaggerated, but is counterbalanced by very spicy notes and dark woods, which dampen the sweetness. The spices are relatively impenetrable, a little peppery, some cinnamon perhaps, but I don't recognize saffron. The wood or woods are dark, dry and somewhat smoky, with incense also playing a role here. The bitter orange doesn't play a role for me, you don't necessarily need it with good rum, it's just decoration. In any case, the interplay of the components is finely composed, or, to stay with the image, the desk is very delicately crafted. No comparison to the heavy-duty fragrances in the first paragraph.

Towards the base, the rum recedes and is replaced by amber, here with a slight aroma of dried fruit. The sweetness is similar to that of the rum, pleasant, not exaggerated. Cistus plays no role for me, or only as a resin. What does play a role is the leather. It is warm, soft, smooth and dark brown (noble and dignified). Like other previous speakers, I also have the feeling that it contains some tobacco. With the fruity notes of amber, it has the effect of pipe tobacco.

What sets Idole de Lubin pleasantly apart from its competitors is not only its delicate design, but above all its subdued volume and a longevity that is not measured in days. I can therefore imagine the fragrance not only in winter, but also on a mild spring evening. Here's to an unsweetened rum without any decorations, thanks to Floyd!

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very brief digression on rum:
The rum in this fragrance is a very high quality, modern, i.e. sweet rum. I'm thinking of a medium-priced Zacapa rum (they are around 50-60 euros and are overpriced in my opinion, you can get it cheaper from Plantation). This type of rum, like the vast majority of rums nowadays (even the high-priced ones), is colored with sugar couleur (it's cheaper than long storage in barrels) and sugar is added before bottling (sometimes up to 50 g/l, which is actually already a liqueur). This makes the rum softer and smoother, deprives it of any characteristics and thus unfortunately also a good deal of its individuality. However, it corresponds to the taste of the masses. Of course, there is also rum without sugar, but you have to look for it.
More information for those interested: https://www.rumundco.de/magazin/die-zuckerung-von-rum-ein-blick-hinter-die-kulissen/

I want to tell you something now and I hope you are tough, or stop reading right now, because some truths hurt: the Easter bunny doesn't exist!

It makes sense, how is one little bunny supposed to hide all those Easter eggs? Of course, there is much more than just one Easter bunny. I'm not allowed to say exactly how many, because the ZOK is strict about that, but you can take a look at the mountains of Easter eggs yourself and then do the math - more than one, I'm just saying.

But there is a special Easter bunny. His name is Löffler and he's good, always has been, the best. He's also severely depressed because he hasn't had a job for years. His hiding places are just too good, no one has ever found them and let's be honest, that's not the point.

This year, however, the ZOK has a special idea, something progressive for the people, not always just chocolate eggs, because let's be honest, it would be healthier without. After much deliberation and after the problem has been gnawed on from all sides, the solution is clear: a fragrance. It has to be sweet, of course, to show its proximity to the chocolate eggs, but also much healthier. The goods come cheaply from a combine of the friendly BSM and all is well until the AQöP vetoes them. The members sniffed it out. Their report reads like this:

'...there is a suspicion that the necessary care in the area of personal hygiene is not being taken in BSM's production facilities. Witness statements prove that some comrades defecated directly into the product. The fruit extracts used are most probably from Symrise. This is forgivable as they are only slightly sour and not individually recognizable. What cannot be forgiven, however, is the complete absence of carrots, a clear violation of the product specifications. The caramel is about to be burnt. The BSM statement mentions roasted aromas, which implies an intention that is doubtful. Unfortunately, the addition of sun cream is not mentioned. In conclusion, it should be noted that only the requirement of excessive sweetness was met, if not exceeded.'

Now that's a problem, you can't give it to anyone, not even the class enemy. But luckily there's Löffler. He now has a job again and he still knows the best hiding places and no one will find the scents and everyone will be happy, really everyone...

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So far I know three fragrances from YS Uzac, all of which were more or less funny. This one is also more or less fun, if you find animalic, fruity, creamy and really exuberant sweetness fun. The animalic is the first problem: it is too soft, reminiscent of a pet shop with small rodents. Guinea pigs, hamsters and rabbits come to mind; not rabbits, they are already too big and wild. Just cute little animals and the sweet fruits, which also have a slightly sour note but are not individually recognizable, fit in well with this. A multivitamin effervescent tablet comes to mind (second problem). Initially weak, they become stronger and sweeter over time.

When the caramel is used, it starts to get disgusting. It has been in the pot for too long, is already very dark around the edges and about to smoke (first disaster). It gets a little sweeter, which, as we all know, never hurts. It is rounded off with creamy notes, although I'm not thinking of sun cream here, but of those fruit dessert powders that are mixed with water or milk (second disaster). I think they were around in the 90s and were disgusting. The gentle petting zoo animality remains throughout. At least it doesn't last super long and isn't quite as loud.

As I said, the whole thing is half funny. Half because everything is gruesome, but not gruesome enough. I just assume that this wasn't supposed to be a perfume, but a provocative concept and it's just too gentle and not provocative enough for that. It wouldn't necessarily be any better with animalism from a large animal enclosure, half-fermented fruit and burning caramel, but it would be a lot more fun.

I hope an Easter bunny brings you chocolate Easter eggs, it's clearly the better choice.

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ZOK: Central Easter Bunny Committee. Yes, Easter bunnies are communists and yet they distribute Kraft and Mondelez eggs. Easter bunnies also need foreign currency, carrots are expensive. The world is complex and contradictory, deal with it.

BSM: Federation of Socialist Guinea Pigs. Yes, them too.

AQöP: Committee for Quality Assurance of Austrian Products

I admit, I'm not that familiar with it, you don't buy something like that every day, and it's far too expensive. I've always had second-hand ones, that was enough for me. But now, with electrics and all that, Kölbl Chris made me a great offer and I've been friends with him since kindergarten, although he wasn't selling cars back then of course.

When the car arrived, I thought it was really nice. Sure, the cheapest plastic deserts, some with a wooden look, something from Zwickau back then, but now it comes from China, but apart from that it had everything you need. Forwards, backwards, left, right, everything was there. And leather seats. Although the leather wasn't quite genuine, it was a bit sticky. But it's good, increases lateral support, Chris said.

I thought the smell was still okay, like a new car, freshly peeled out of the plastic wrap, or maybe still under it. But I thought it would fade quickly. And that's the problem, because it doesn't. Chris said that this is a feature of the manufacturer's, that every half hour a little new car fragrance is blown in via the ventilation system. To emphasize the quality and high-quality appearance of the materials in the long term, says Chris. You can't turn it off. It's in the leasing contract, of course, on page 23 under XXVI.24-3-c. Pretty small print. No one reads that!

I can't get out of the leasing contract, says my lawyer. But the contract includes fully comprehensive insurance. I'm going to Berlin now, to a bad neighborhood. The barbecue lighter is already in the trunk. Maybe a leasing contract isn't so bad after all.

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It was Christian Kölbl's declared aim to capture the smell of new cars, presumably those of higher quality, with leather seats and such. He succeeded to a certain extent, in that the knots of plastic (along with some paint and ozone) that permeate the fragrance are reminiscent of the interior of a new car that has been left in the sun for a little too long. The fragrance also fills the room for the first half hour.

What doesn't make me think so much of new cars is the violet, which is floral here, but unfortunately doesn't want to evoke any association with gasoline. The leather is a post-modern faux leather, as we know it from Ombre Leather or Tuscan Leather and hate it, or like it, it should be. Towards the base, it becomes a little woody and there is also a slight gum note, as if it contained galbanum. The whole thing is consistently 100% synthetic, which I really like here. The initially expansive silage quickly recedes to a pleasant level and the fragrance stays there for a long time.

I don't think Neuwagen is as bad as it is sometimes rated here, but it's nowhere near as good either. Mr. Kölbl is actually an artist and so I would have liked the fragrance to be more artistic and less wearable: more lacquer and solvents, pungent plastic with plasticizers, violets with petrol in their blood and a little bit of cable fire to go with the rubber. I wouldn't prefer to wear it for that reason, but it would be more fun. As it is, it's just a subtly spicy, post-modern faux leather loaded with flowers.

You can take a look at the maker's thoughts on the fragrance on the website, it's quite interesting.

Thanks to Floyd, I'll stick with my Skoda!

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Further information about car leasing here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgUolOiIiko

'...Vi veri vniversvm vivvs vici.'
With these words, he threw the last ingredient into the vat. A hiss and a flash were the result. Light green smoke billowed, taking away the sight, biting and pungent but also fresh and clearing the nose. Of course, this was again due to the lavender and the precious resins, very expensive but indispensable, as Castiglio had already described, and he was beyond reproach. But of course that was not the desired effect, which would only become apparent once the green smoke had dissipated. It just didn't go away.
'Te exue sue!'
And indeed, the smoke slowly cleared and a brown, viscous bubbling mass could be seen in the vat underneath. Nothing else. The umpteenth attempt and again only a fragrant brew, which was the least we could do with all the expensive spices. Perhaps the broth was even healthy. Of course, that would make things even worse. As an alchemist and sorcerer, it should at least smell like sulphur.
'Abyssus abyssum invocat.'
Yes, he had left out the birch tar, it always gave him a headache. But that wasn't the reason for the renewed failure, there had been too many failed attempts before, even with tar and headaches. Maybe he should just bottle the stuff and sell it as a cure? For a long life, for example? That way he could at least reduce the costs.
'Contra vim mortis non est medicamen in hortis.'
No, that was still beneath him, but sooner or later he would have to show some success, otherwise he would lose his position and with it his home and his peaceful life. He might be able to muddle through for a few more months. For the monthly report to the Camerarius, he would just have to embellish the results a little.
'Difficile est satiram non scribere.'
But not impossible.
He poured the contents of the vat into the garden. There, the cherry tree was in full bloom. Unusual in the middle of winter, but so be it, he had more important things to do.

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La Fumée Intense actually gets off to quite an intense start. The incense is rather dirty, the lavender dark and very intense and a clear smoky note. The whole thing has something harshly medicinal about it, only elemi resin provides a few fresh, limey notes that brighten everything up a little. Spices also resonate, but are rather gentle and do not come directly from the kitchen; coriander is recognizable. It all has something of an alchemical ritual or even witches' cuisine about it.

The fragrance calms down considerably after 10 minutes, becoming softer and also warmer, which could be due to the cumin, although you can't smell it explicitly. Chamomile provides additional herbaceous freshness. As the fragrance progresses, the basic orientation of the scent does not change much, only the weighting or perception of it shifts several times. Sometimes (slightly smoky) incense is in the foreground, then again the fresh, herbaceous aspects, before the spices flash out again. Only towards the base does the fragrance become resinous and sweeter, the camomile almost a little spicy, which offers a great contrast to the resinous-sweet. A little, very slightly earthy patchouli is still recognizable, but it is almost negligible.

The differences to the normal La Fumée are not very great. La Fumée Intense is by no means more intense, but a little softer, which is probably due to the lack of birch tar, which ultimately spoiled La Fumée for me. So it pains me personally that the Intense has been discontinued and not the normal one, but thank Souk it still found its way to me, thank you dear A.

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'...Vi veri vniversvm vivvs vici.' - By the power of truth I, the living, have conquered the universe; motto of Aleister Crowley
Castiglio is borrowed from melodies by Helmut Krausser, skepticism towards his works is appropriate
'Te exue sue!' - Get naked, you sow!
'Abyssus abyssum invocat - One mistake leads to another
'Contra vim mortis non est medicamen in hortis - There is no medicine against death.
Camerarius = medieval chamberlain
'Difficile est satiram non scribere - It is difficult not to write satire about it.

I got my Latin from Asterix books, so please Google directly for any errors.