Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Or des Indes

The note list of a perfume is not always an indication of what the juice within really smells like. It's more of a suggestion, a hint of what's inside and what it might be if no one has messed things up in the process. In the case of Or des Indes by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier, no one has messed up, and the fragrance lives up to its notes. I only wish it lived longer.

As far as I'm concerned, you can rarely go wrong with bergamot, oppoponax (that's a resinous gum from the bark of an African tree), sandalwood, amber, vanilla, geranium and lavender, even if I can't really tell the top notes apart and would have never guessed that the bergamot was in there. My nose detects a lovely, soft and thoroughly blended floralish opening which gives way to a sweet woody heart. The base started as an unoriginal if pleasant amber-vanilla mix, until something shifted towards a darker, woody place. That's probably the oppoponax, which has officially joined my list of good things. It's spicier than sandalwood, with a faint hint of cinnamon.

Or des Indes is a joy to wear. Not too powdery, the sweetness is refined and controlled. It has the coziness of a comfort scent while still being elegant enough to be worn with a little black dress and red lipstick. More feminine than its distant cousin, Bois de Copaiba (Parfumerie Generale), but sadly, not as strong. Or des Indes is an EdT, after all, so there's only so much you can expect in terms of lasting presence. Yet, I suspect that when sprayed (as opposed to dabbing on from a sample) it has a better sillage and more staying power.