Passage d’Enfer

1 reseña

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• Maeva

  December 20, 2015

  

  I’m absolutely hooked. This is my first L’Artisan Parfumeur fragrance and I hope it won’t be my last. You have to rush to buy some of their scents as they seem to be discontinuing them soon. At first, I was looking for a connection with Passage d’Enfer and the infernal, but I didn’t quite get it. The adjective ‘celestial’ suits it much better. Its name refers to the Parisian street where the brand had its first headquarters many years ago, back when they couldn’t have imagined becoming part of the Puig family. Furthermore, on their website, they mention that ‘passage’ also symbolised the arrival of the new millennium. And indeed, this modern classic has been around for over 15 years. Like most fragrances I enjoy, it is quite contradictory. Its incense is neither warm nor burning, nor does it smell of church, smoke, or ash. It is white, clean, and translucent, with initial green and fresh notes. However, Passage d’Enfer remains mysterious and dark. Even though it is white and cool, it is also burning and sparkling, like a persistent candle illuminating a cold, gloomy room. In the dry down, the Somali incense is very noticeable; unlike other incenses, it smells green and fresh, like pine resin. Then an intense lily with white musk and cedar becomes increasingly present, blending with the incense and taking over the last two phases. Gradually, though less so than that combination, I begin to detect accords not listed officially, such as coconut, amber, white pepper, balsamic mint, and perhaps various resins. Indeed, one of the charms of Passage d’Enfer is that its apparent simplicity is relative. Being so arid, ‘pure’, and ‘fresh’, and in such an artificial, contrived way, I understand the criticism that it smells like funeral flowers, yet at the same time it strangely revitalises and euphorises me. It is more innocent than its name suggests, but it is best to try it before buying. For me, it could work very well as a daily fragrance, although there will be those who are surprised by such an ethereal scent (that is, if they don’t call it ‘funereal’). It has a fresh, sweet, and luminous side that is as intriguing as it is beautiful, but it is the beauty and freshness of white flowers cut several hours ago, yet emitting their most intense and profound aroma.