Laurel, follow-up to the ever popular Hinoki, in our humble opinion, deserves just as many rants and raves as it's older brother. It's different, that much is certain, but once again, Monocle's managed to envision and then embody with a scent their well-refined idea of "contemporary cool," and we're completely on board. The word cool here actually has a double meaning, not only implying Laurel's appeal to noses after a cutting-edge scent, but also in reference to the nature of the scent, which is much cooler than Hinoki. Much fresher as well, though what's great about Laurel is that with a lot of fresh scents, the character is lost, and Laurel manages to find this wonderful balance between freshness and striking personality. In fact, the whole fragrance is about balance. Thyme and lemon are quite apparent at the head of the fragrance, though after not long they fade into a fresh citrus accent that hardly smells citrusy at all, functioning primarily to add a bright feel to the other notes. Grey pepper, given more focus than the citrus, adds a cool spice to the mix without overpowering or overwhelming the fresh green of bay laurel, cinnamon leaves, and galbanum. Matching the green heart, patchouli acts as a subtle fixative to the fragrance. Woods meld with the green, citrus, and spice to form a crisp edge, and the most beautiful note of all, violet, offsets that edge with a floral sweetness that's definitely in the background but does a phenomenal job tying everything together. For us, Laurel is a truly exciting scent to smell, especially during the warmer months.
FRAGRANCE NOTES: thyme, lemon, grey pepper, cinnamon leaves, galbanum, bay laurel, violet, patchouli, oak, cedar
1.7 fluid oz. Made in France. |
