Lumière Blanche by Olfactive Studio

Lumiere Blanche is one of the most delicate, relaxing, and well-constructed scents I’ve ever encountered; Olfactive Studio deserves more recognition. Here, every note plays a starring role and is distinguishable: sometimes sweet almond, other times creamy iris, followed by a captivating spicy blend of cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom, all sitting on a creamy, almost milky base of sandalwood and musk that can be more woody at times and soapy at others, but always with a cleanliness, warmth, and restraint that leaves me captivated. It’s not linear due to the rotation of ingredients, and while the performance isn’t the best, it’s certainly not poor. I love it; it’s original and easy to enjoy, among the best from the house alongside Woody Mood, Close Up, Chambre Noir, and the Still Life series (the others not named are equally original and high quality). I must mention Sidonie Lancesseur separately: every time I find one of her creations, I fall head over heels; she’s from another planet, a privileged nose on par with Natalie Lorson. Unisex, perfect for relaxing, casual wear, semi-formal occasions, and dates, suitable for all weather though it shines best in spring and autumn. Acceptable performance; I recommend trying it. Rating: 9/10

A very peculiar fragrance; something sweet but not today’s generic sweet, nor the effeminate Le Male, nor the rough and noisy A*Mén. It’s an elegant sweet scent, woody with sandalwood and a slight mentholated freshness from star anise. I get the impression that the sweetness comes from coconut and vanilla notes, at least that’s how I perceive it. Unfortunately, it limps on both legs: it’s poor, mediocre, or short on sillage and longevity. The first hour had low to moderate projection; at times I couldn’t smell it, and at other times it would suddenly revive in the middle. Then it stayed low for another four hours before disappearing. In those last four hours, as the sillage dropped, the woody sweetness was lost, and the slightly powdery star anise became more noticeable due to the iris. In summary, very well crafted, sweet and woody, but leaves much to be desired regarding low sillage and longevity. Undoubtedly a good scent, so I’m looking for a clone with better performance and price, perhaps from Arabica; does anyone know one?