Ruade by Parfum d'Empire

A fascinating study of tension and texture. The leather here is dry, precise, and possesses a silent persistence. It is interwoven with hay, resins, and something reminiscent of the warmth of skin under a saddle blanket worn by a horse. At times it evokes Montecristo and Rauque (two of my favourites), yet it undoubtedly has its own identity. There is a clarity in its structure that rewards patient wear: what begins with a certain austerity opens up into something richer and more enveloping. The hay and narcissus work wonderfully together: honeyed and ambered, yet with a fresh dryness. And I cannot recall smelling such a beautiful oud… For those who enjoy leather viewed through a woody-animal filter, with a touch of peat, this is a gem. A quiet triumph from Corticchiato, who has gradually become my favourite nose of the present. It is the fourth perfume from PdE to join my shelf (alongside Azemour, Vétiver and Musc Tonkin). Simply beautiful.

Marc-Antoine Corticchiato is a horse lover, even to the point of competing professionally. It shows because he reproduces the entire equestrian universe in a very faithful, natural and unambiguous way: the animal’s body, the leather of the saddle, the stable, the feed… In this regard, he is far superior to Corpus Equus. As the fragrance’s name suggests, we are initially struck by an unexpected and virulent kick from a horse, pure animal oud in large quantities. Yes, it smells of stable and a bit of dung. After twenty minutes, however, we are mounted on the horse and the composition begins to tame itself; the oud remains very present but is no longer so dirty, and we perceive the rest of the notes: jasmine, leather, hay, tar and cumin. In the third phase, the most enduring, Ruade becomes an intimate perfume of leather, jasmine and oud. Before leaving the stable, we bid farewell to the horse, approaching and making contact with it. Both calm and at peace. It is a masterpiece, but after the first hour do not expect beastly performance like The Night or The Moon, as it will disappoint you. Nevertheless, in terms of ingredient quality and artistry, it has nothing to envy them.