DEV #1: Foreplay
Fragrance notes
Character
Foreplay opens with a slap of lemongrass so bright and almost jarring it feels like a dare, but that citrus is quickly swallowed by a thick, resinous cloud of olibanum and labdanum, the kind of incense that clings to your coat for days. The heart is where things get interesting: a dusty, almost medieval blend of tolu balsam and beeswax, with cinnamon flickering like a candle in a stone room. Then the animalics emerge, civet and hyrax and a restrained oud, not barnyard but warm and slightly feral, like the skin of someone who’s been dancing all night. The drydown settles into a plush, powdery amber laced with black vanilla husk, sweet but not cloying, with a ghost of thuja’s green bitterness. The overall effect is a velvet glove lined with claws, an intimate scent that stays close to the body rather than projecting across the room. That sillage rating of 3.19 is honest: this is for pressing your nose into a lover’s neck, not for announcing your arrival. It suits those who crave warmth with an edge, who want to smell like a vintage apothecary melted into a fur coat, and skips anyone looking for a clean, airy crowd-pleaser. Wear it on a cold November evening, preferably with a cashmere scarf and no plans to leave the house until morning. The only weakness? That lemongrass opening can feel a bit abrasive for the first ten minutes, but patience rewards the nose.
Smells similar
Built from the same materials — ranked by how unusual the shared notes are, not by how many.
