No. 25 Indochine Parfumerie Generale for women and men

"It is called 'tanakha' and it has a rich history in Burma being in use for over 2,000 years. It is made out of tree pulp from a perennial tree grown in central Burma and it is sold in powdered form at local markets. The powder is obtained from the bark and roots of the tree and it is said that a tree must be at least 35 years old to bear premium 'tanakha' powder.

The powder is placed onto a flat stone and a small amount of water is added. A mortar is used to blend the powder into a paste that is then applied to the face (usually after a bath). Women (and children) use it in daily life to cool and refresh the skin and it also a natural way to protect skin from the sun. The word tanakha actually means 'cleansing agent' and 'cosmetic for beautifying the face'. It is used also in ceremonies as face painting is a sign of cultural significance, nobility and purity." (c) ChildTRAC on youtube

My goodness! I am very taken by this offering from Parfumerie Generale.

Indochine opens with a resinous benzoin drenched in honey that is so sumptuous it will make your eyes roll back in your head. Lurking just beneath this partnership a peppery accord is detected, but is by no means aggressive or overpowering. Soon after, the wood comes through, but not a wood I'm familiar with. I have no idea what Burmese thanaka wood is, but I believe it the the secret ingredient here that transports you to somewhere warm and exotic.
I agree with others who find this to be unisex. The opening few minutes tends to veer toward the masculine side, but only just, and the honey keeps it soft and sexy.

This is very easy to love, and definitely my latest 'crush'.

Mysterious, unique and beautiful. Melting benzoin and animalic honey coated with smoking dark spices. At the end, I smell a kind of peacefull sandalwood.
It is for ''high temper'' kind of peoples...

This is not a girly perfume! It is smoky, and resinous. I don't get sweet here; for me the honey rounds things out, but is not obvious. This is deep and dark, but a fun woman with confidence can pull this off and make it rock! Definitely smack in the middle of unisex. I love it.

A mother in my son's kindergarten class wears this as her signature scent. It so fits her. She's bold, beautiful, full of energy, and her aura just exudes confidence. I thought I couldn't possibly buy this. It's so different, she would definitely hate me for wearing her only scent. But I have to have at least a large decant. I promise I won't wear it to school. :)

I was so excited to try this but sadly the honey note immediately turns urinious on my skin. Now I know what Tania Sanchez meant when she said "the rest of us are howling' when she referred to Serge Lutens Miel de Bois.
Nobody wants to smell like pee!
I generally love all the fragrances in this line. Too bad!!

Indochine is a more alluring name than Gingerbread, but Gingerbread is what I get. The name for gingerbread in Swedish is "Pepper-cookie" - suits well here. Pepper for sure, but how come ginger is not a note mentioned here? Honey makes it sweet, and sweeter yet in the dry down. Its all more cool than warm, like having your pepper-cake in the middle of Swedish winter. Can't make this to work with me. (I already have both the cookies and the chill.) All this to be seen in contrast with my too romantic & exotic expectations from Indochines lovely name. Adding: some silage, and pretty good lasting-power.

licorice!...black, sweet, dry, peppery

This is an interesting one. Well, everything by Guillaume is.. However. It starts off very manly. The black pepper is very intense and it's mixed up with something cold and aftershave-y that I actually find quite pleasant. The deepest part of the black pepper stays close to the skin, so putting my nose against my wrist almost blows my mind. 100% nose tickling black pepper.

When it dries down the powdery, ladylike animalistic sweetness (probably the honey) comes out and creates some kind of Jekyll/Hyde complexity. The sharp, cold, manly aftershave-y pepper is still there but mixed up with this lovely romantic sweetness. It gets very airy in a way, even though it's a big scent. Strange, but very very beautiful.