Lumière Blanche by Olfactive Studio

Lumiere Blanche is one of the most delicate, relaxing, and well-constructed scents I’ve ever encountered; Olfactive Studio deserves more recognition. Here, every note plays a starring role and is distinguishable: sometimes sweet almond, other times creamy iris, followed by a captivating spicy blend of cinnamon, anise, and cardamom, all sitting on a creamy, almost milky base of sandalwood and musk that is sometimes more woody and other times soapy, but always with a cleanliness, warmth, and restraint that leaves me captivated. It’s not linear due to the rotation of ingredients, and while the performance isn’t the best, it’s not terrible either. I love it; it’s original and easy to like, among the best from the house alongside Woody Mood, Close Up, Chambre Noir, and the Still Life series (the others not named are equally original and high quality). I’ll set Sidonie Lancesseur aside: every time I find one of her creations, I’m blown away; she’s from another planet, a nose as privileged as Natalie Lorson’s. Unisex, perfect for relaxing, casual wear, semi-formal occasions, and dates, suitable for all weather though it shines best in spring and autumn. Acceptable performance, I recommend trying it. Rating: 9/10

A very peculiar fragrance, something sweet but not today’s generic sweet, nor the effeminate vibe of Le Male, nor the rough and noisy character of A*Mén. It’s an elegant sweet scent, woody thanks to the sandalwood with a slight mentholated freshness from the star anise. I get the impression that the sweetness comes from coconut and vanilla notes, at least that’s how I perceive it. Unfortunately, it stumbles on both legs: it’s poor, mediocre, or short on sillage and longevity. The first hour had low to moderate projection; sometimes I couldn’t smell it, and other times it would suddenly reappear in the middle. After that, it stayed low for another 4 hours before disappearing. In those last 4 hours, as the sillage dropped, the woody sweetness faded, and the slightly powdery star anise became more noticeable due to the iris. In summary, it’s very well made, sweet, and woody, but it leaves much to be desired regarding low sillage and longevity. Definitely a good scent, so I’m looking for a clone with better performance and price, perhaps from Arabica; does anyone know one?