Fragrance Reviews

Soivohle Oudh Lacquer

12/02/09 09:38:37

By: Mark Behnke

For too many years natural perfumery languished in the backwater eddies known as aromatherapy. These compositions were wan, uninspiring and often single-note monstrosities when viewed from a fragrance lover’s aspect. They were more prized for their medicinal aspects than their artistic merit.

Over the past ten years there has been a renaissance in natural perfumery, with many real artists choosing to work with all-natural ingredients. This community has created fragrances as different from those early aromatherapy blends as a “paint-by-numbers” is from a Matisse.

One of the leading lights among the many talented natural perfumers is Liz Zorn and her fragrance House, Soivohle (pronounced see-vo). According to the Soivohle website Ms. Zorn came to perfumery in 2003 after a successful career as a painter. Since 2003 Ms. Zorn has been making some wonderful fragrances many of which I am very fond of. Underworld and its mix of vetiver, balsam wood and leather is one of her best creations.

I found Vanillaville’s mix of tobacco and vanilla to be better than the similarly themed Tom Ford Private Blend Tobacco Vanille. My favorite of her creations, until now, has been Blood Orange & Vetiver; the rich mix of citrus with the sharpness of vetiver over a vanilla base is exquisite on my skin. Because of these previous successes I look forward to every new release from Soivohle and I was particularly looking forward to the Fall 2009 release Oudh Lacquer.

2009 has been a year of one spectacular oudh based release after another and all of them have been markedly different from each other. Oudh Lacquer is no different in that regard as once again a talented perfumer has taken oudh and imprinted their own sensibility on it and somehow made it their own.

Ms. Zorn describes Oudh Lacquer on her website as: “…..an experiment in indulgence, beginning to end. From the rare and costly sink woods used to create the carrier tincture (a year in the making) to the choice of materials for the composition. It was the perfumers intent to gild the lily, dip it in chocolate, and then dip it again.”

The description of the making of that sink wood tincture was described over the last year in Ms. Zorn’s blog and it is this level of dedication that really allows artisanal perfumers, like Ms. Zorn, the opportunity to make soaring creations with the most time-consuming of ingredients. I can’t imagine any of the big boys waiting a year to make a critical component of any of their fragrances.

Ms. Zorn aptly describes Oudh Lacquer as a fragrant indulgence and this is as rich and complex a perfume as I have come across, recently. It is full of rich gourmand notes over the oudh along with surprising moments of floral beauty thrown in.

The top of Oudh Lacquer seems to ooze out of the bottle in a sinuous cloud of deep dark chocolate paired with orange and a delicate linden note which adds a floral counterpoint that give the opening phases of Oudh Lacquer just a hint of what is to come. Very slowly over thirty minutes or so the oudh begins to make itself known as the medicinal qualities of oudh begin to rise through the chocolate. As the oudh rises it brings with it a couple of spicy companions in clove and cinnamon.

About an hour into wearing Oudh Lacquer the mix of chocolate, oudh, clove and cinnamon is balanced like a fine holiday tableau on the olfactory palate. This is the phase of development that Oudh Lacquer lingers in for a very long time on my skin. During this phase floral notes of rose and orris seem to glide in and out adding the same kind of contrast that the linden did in the top. Very gradually more lightly sweeter notes take over from the chocolate as a delicate honey accord along with a light vanilla add a more traditional sweet component, as the chocolate recedes.

Oudh Lacquer has incredible longevity on me but it is a very close wearing fragrance. For all of the subtle beauty on display you will have to invite someone to get close to share that beauty with them. As I said above I have found many of Ms. Zorn’s creations to be outstanding fragrances but, I believe, in Oudh Lacquer she has created a Matisse in fragrant form.

Full Disclosure: This review is based on a sample purchased from Soivohle for the purposes of this review.

Images: Soivohle, wikipedia,

Author: Mark Behnke (Somervill Metro Man)
Fragrantica Writer

Mark Behnke is based in Somerville, MA, a suburb of Boston, and is the writer for Fragrantica. By day, he works as a research chemist in a pharmaceutical company. By night, he has been a consistent poster on the forums at Basenotes.net under his nom de blog, Somerville Metro Man. You can also follow Mark on Twitter @SomMetroMan if you're curious to find out what he wears on a day-to-day basis.

naheed

I really like this review. Your description is great Mark!

Jul
30
2010

Kamicha

I have loved everything I've sampled from Soivohle line so far - which is not much: Oudh Laqueur, Tobacco & Tulle, Underworld.

I have slight problems with longevity of OL - which probably prevents me to splurge to the whole bottle. But both Tobacco & Tulle and Underworld are exquisite on me - and they do last.

On me Tobacco & Tulle is very, very animalic and so sensual - if I had to pick one perfume to represent sex it would definitely be this. The musk and ambergris dominate on my skin, but the smoothly smoky tobacco and some very restrained spice somehow frame and restrict the skankiness. Tuberose... ...not too familiar note for me but I guess that it contributes to the silky smooth side of this scent. There is certain dryness in this, it's not sweet at all, some bitterness (coffee?). Still easy to wear, stays relatively close to the skin. Sillage is awesomely different from different distances from the skin. I think this is a masterpiece. Definitely my pick for the special occasions.

Underworld is such a difficult scent to describe - I just cant compare it to anything I know. But I think that it somehow reveals the beauty of natural perfumery. It is not very green - but the olfactory experience is just so... ...natural. An autumnal symphony of balsamic woods, moist and earthy vetiver enclosing one of the most beautiful rose notes I have experienced. For some reason the rose pops out on my skin, but the jasmine stays in the background. There is definitely some spiciness, too, very mellow, comforting. I want to wear this (almost) every day!

Jul
30
2010

rebella

You really make me curious about this perfume. It sounds wonderful.

Dec
03
2009

memechose

I am obvioously delighted that we are featuring one of my favorite perfumers on fragrantica. Mark, kudos, as this is the most original take on oud laquert I have read.

we all know you have skin to die 4. On me its so dark and earthy and deep - pure oud... I envison a sultan's ransom to buy it. Liz uses such a high concentration of natural ingredients that as Danna said this is the 'oudiest oud' of the years crop of ouds.

Dec
02
2009

danna

I have tried this and it the oudiest oud I have ever smelled. it is very dark and deep... I love her tobacco and tulle. it is nice to see independant perfumers showcased here, and natural perfumers as well

Dec
02
2009

chayaruchama

This is a terrific review, Mark !

Liz is a true original, and she is also a multi-media artist in several venues.

So many of her works are fascinating, and have certainly earned all the accolades she's received.

I find your Matisse reference of great interest, regarding this scent.

[ I adore those visuals- but I perceive
her work in a different artistic light; this feels darker to me than Matisse.

Nothing like differences of opinion to stimulate us !]

Dec
02
2009

felineluvr

Oh wow...I am absolutely swooning! The whole presentation: the name, the notes, the description, the bottle, the dedication of the perfumer...I will dream of owning this one day!

Dec
02
2009

vertigo

the bottle!
looks like a REAL perfume.

Dec
02
2009

jeca

Mark, you are an enthusiastic explorer! You always find something very intriguing, like fragrances by Liz Zorn. The bottle, your description and association with Matisse sound appealing ;o)

Dec
02
2009