Study No. 23 / Newsletter
Fragrance notes
Character
Study No. 23 by Miller et Bertaux opens with a surprising fizz of aldehydes, like a glass of mineral water meeting incense smoke. The fennel adds a green, almost anise-like crispness that keeps the first minutes from feeling heavy, while immortelle brings its maple syrup sweetness veering close to burnt caramel. This is not a clean scent. It’s a messy, contemplative one, the kind of thing you’d smell in a dusty apothecary where jars of resins sit next to dried herbs. The myrrh and incense take over quickly, turning the composition warm, balsamic, and softly smoky, with Himalayan cedar adding a dry, pencil shaving woodiness. Oakmoss and patchouli ground the base in a mossy, slightly damp earthiness, and the sandalwood smooths the edges into a creamy, almost buttery finish.
The overall effect is a scent that feels at once ancient and modern, like a crisp white shirt that’s been stored in a cedar chest full of old prayer books. It’s sweet in that bitter, herbal way, not sugary. The performance is honest: sillage sits close to the skin, and longevity hovers around four to five hours before it becomes a faint whisper. That modesty suits its character. You wear this for yourself, not for the room. It shines in cooler weather, especially on drizzly autumn mornings or late winter afternoons when you want a scent that doesn’t shout but settles into your coat like a second layer.
Who should wear it? Anyone who appreciates resinous, incense-heavy fragrances with a touch of green bitterness. Those expecting loud projection or a sweet gourmand should skip. It feels niche in its refusal to please, but that’s its quiet strength. Where to wear it? A bookshop, a studio, a long train ride through gray farmland. It’s the scent of a mind at work, not at a party.
Smells similar
Built from the same materials — ranked by how unusual the shared notes are, not by how many.
