Impression Patchouli Heart No. II

Patchouli Heart No. II is the lighter, rounder partner to No. I in the Ostens Impression range, composed by Sophie Labbé. Where the first leans on herbs and resin, this one is powdery and airy, with iris doing much of the work and the patchouli kept soft. The opening is cool and dry: cypress, ginger and black pepper. The heart is iris and violet leaf with patchouli and cypriol, which give it an earthy, slightly smoky edge, like soil and suede gardening gloves. The base is cashmeran, ambroxan and musk with a little labdanum, and wearers report a clean, skin-like finish where the iris and violet leaf come forward. Performance is moderate. Votes are mixed on longevity, from weak to eternal, and sillage runs from intimate to strong, so how it wears depends on skin. Spring leads the season votes, autumn and winter follow, and summer is weakest. Leisure, business and daily wear all score well, which makes it an easy scent for a working day. Opinion is warm but quiet. Some call it an elegant, fresh patchouli that lasts, and others find it simply a dry woody scent or a bit dull, and a few cannot find the patchouli at all. It suits wearers who want patchouli without the earthiness turned up, and it sits close to other iris and woods scents on the shelf.