Poudrextase by Marlou

The notes don’t match the website: a powdery musk with dried rose, easy to wear. Like all of Marlou’s, none are dirty or offensive. I suppose it’s perception, but so far I haven’t found anything challenging other than heavily marked dirty leather (Lover’s Tale, Amber Kiso, Cuoium, etc).

Better not, it smells like sweat and goat’s arse. I can’t stand it.

Perhaps the most animalic fragrance I’ve ever tried. Castoreum dominates from the start, with subtle touches of civet and dusty dried petals. It begins with maximum animal intensity, which then calms down. The first 45 minutes are castoreum and dried petals; afterwards, the civet enters, perceptible but nothing unpleasant, until it moderates and fuses into a powdery castoreum that sometimes reminds of leather. It’s difficult, tough, not for novices, nor for gourmand tastes or angelic-looking guys. You must try it before buying blindly. I like it, but it’s very personal. It’s for days (better nights) that are cold, as if you were wearing freshly cured leathers right on your skin. I see it as unisex, leaning towards masculine, because it evokes determination, going after what you want, a socially and culturally masculine image, although there are determined women, perhaps more than men. In men, it makes them more masculine, giving the impression of a primitive movie male: nothing sophisticated, direct, marking territory and getting what they want, a nocturnal hunter. In women, it’s the same, the determined female, confident, who knows what she wants and gets it: a nocturnal hunter. It reaffirms an authentic and magnetic personality, enhancing natural sensuality. It’s very balanced, without sharp edges or stinging moments, though penetrating by nature. Lasts about 10 hours with a strong trail for the first two hours, then fades, so you need to measure sprays to find a comfortable dose.

Perhaps the most animalic perfume I’ve tried. The castoreum dominates from the start, with touches of civet and dusty dried petals. It begins with maximum animal intensity, then calms down. The castoreum and dried petals take the lead for the first 45 minutes, then the civet enters, perceptible but not unpleasant as in others, until it moderates into a powdery castoreum that sometimes sounds like leather. It’s tough, difficult, not for novices or gourmand or youthful tastes. You must try it before buying blindly. I like it, but it’s very personal. It’s for days (better nights) that are cold; with it, you ‘dress’ in cured leather over your skin. I see it as unisex with a masculine tendency: it incites decision, to go for what you want, a socially masculine image. It doesn’t exclude determined women; there are surely more of them. In men, it makes them more macho, primitive, unsophisticated, direct, marking territory: a nocturnal hunter. In women, the determined female, confident, going for it without waiting: a female hunter. It reaffirms authentic and magnetic personality, boosting natural sensuality. Balanced, without sharp edges or stinging moments, although the scents are penetrating by nature. Longevity of about 10 hours with a strong sillage for the first two hours, then it fades, so you must dose it to find a comfortable level.

I’ve tested all three of Marlou’s latest and this is the best, though it feels a bit excessive to me. The opening is a bomb, yes, slightly aggressive, but what really stands out are the dried flowers over a very animalic base, with a potent musk that smells of castoreum or civet. Ultimately, like the other two fragrances from the brand, that animal note is the most prominent, but here it’s better balanced with rice and woody notes than in Ambilux or Carnicure, where for me they become unpleasant (in the case of Ambilux, it smells exactly as if someone had licked my hand). Performance is very good, for better or worse: if you like it, it lasts all day, but if not, it keeps lingering even after washing. For me, it’s totally unisex and more of a daily wear. Scent: 5.5, Longevity: 9, Projection: 7.5, Value: 5, Versatility: 7, Originality: 8.5, Overall: 6.