Monday, January 07, 2013

Cocoa Tuberose

cacao by prima_stella
cacao, a photo by prima_stella on Flickr.
Not too many know it, but both tuberose and cacao originated in Mexico. Two raw materials that are of unparalleled, inimitable quality. Addictive and almost maddening substances. And Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co. have made the bold step of melding them to create something new and unique.

Cocoa Tuberose opens with tuberose as the main note, paired with juicy grapefruit for an uplifting effect of otherwise very dark, dense composition. If you're not familiar with pure, natural tuberose absolute, you might not find it to be as floral as expected. Tuberose absolute has an almost green, waxy feel to it underlined by a buttery sweetness. It's not as flowery as, say, jasmine or ylang ylang. And in this perfume in particular - tuberose is used in an original way, where its grassy and butter qualities balance the heavy, seductive gourmand notes of chocolate.

But the story does not end here: the chocolate is used very subtly as in the expert hand of a chef who just wants an accent of cacao in a savoury dish. Nutty vetiver comes forth, and plays a duet with powdery, caramel-like tonka bean. Despite the depth and complexity of these distinctive, opposing notes are seamlessly blended in such way that not only do they not overpower one another, but also create a new harmony that is unexpectedly savoury rather than decadent.

Cocoa Tuberose is one of the sexiest perfumes I've tried in a while, and although the name might imply a very girly scent - I know it would smell fantastic on both men and women. It appeals to a very grown-up, refined taste and is well-balanced and satisfying, like a square of smooth woody-floral dark chocolate.

Top notes: Grapefruit, Wormwood
Heart notes: Tuberose
Base notes: Cacao Absolute, Vetiver, Tobacco Absolute

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2 Comments:

At January 08, 2013 1:58 AM, Anonymous muza said...

Really enjoyed yout review, Ayala! I loved this fragrance, too. First I was a bit afraid to try it because I thought such duo as tuberose and cocoa would be too much for me. But it's a wonderfully balanced gourmand with a touch of chocolate-smoky notes at the drydown, mmm :)

 
At January 13, 2013 5:28 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm a man. I discovered Cocoa Tuberose about 6 months ago. I've been raving about since I first sampled. A real gem.

thebeck@basenotes

 

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