20 MARS 2022
Fragrance notes
Character
Imagine a spice rack left out in a cold greenhouse after a summer storm, with a bowl of bruised strawberries nearby and the faint ghost of a leathery fur coat hanging on the door. That is 20 MARS 2022 by Rundholz. It opens with a slap of cinnamon and black pepper, then throws in parsley’s green crunch and a strangely tart strawberry that never goes full jam. Saffron adds a metallic shimmer, and the pink pepper fizzes like static. The heart’s lily-of-the-valley and jasmine try to pull things floral, but the base swallows them whole: cypriol and castoreum bring a smoky, barnyard animalic, while labdanum, hay, and incense turn the whole thing into a dark, dusty attic of a scent. Tonka and vanilla offer only a grudging sweetness, like honey left too long in an old jar.
This is heavy, earthbound, and unapologetically niche. The longevity is excellent, easily pushing eight hours, but the sillage stays close to the skin after the first hour, which is a relief because the opening can feel overcranked and discordant. Its main weakness is that rough, chaotic start, where strawberry and parsley collide like two strangers at a crowded party. You have to trust the dry down, which reveals a beautiful, resinous, musky woody core flecked with hay and vetiver.
Wear this only in deep winter, at night, when you want to smell like a forgotten wardrobe full of old pelts and dried herbs. It suits the patient collector who enjoys textures over easy compliments. Skip it if you crave freshness, lightness, or a crowd pleaser, because 20 MARS 2022 asks you to sit in its dust and listen.
Smells similar
Built from the same materials — ranked by how unusual the shared notes are, not by how many.
