Berceuse Perfum (Barrister & Mann)

[PeteVK]

I was just listening to the Lather Talk podcast, which if you haven't listened to it yet is pretty decent. They had Will Carius on of Barrister & Mann and he was talking about a new company he started, Berceuse Parfum. It was interesting to hear him describe his philosophy behind the company and the vision they have. I like the idea, but ultimately it's about how his fragrances smell. I ordered a sample, just because I am a fan of Will and his products. Price point on the 50ml bottle is up there with the some of the top niche brands, which is a bold move if you ask me.

I imagine it's not cheap to hire a renowned perfumer to create a fragrance with cost no object ingredient restrictions. I'll be sure to report back on the sample when I receive it.

Berceuse Parfum - https://berceuseparfum.com

Here's a link to the podcast via youtube.

 

[Drseid]

I had heard of the new brand and the nose behind at least its first offering, Antonio Gardoni, but did not know of the B&M tie-in until now.

The pricing is indeed high in relative terms for a new niche perfume brand, but Gardoni is far from a new nose, and has some good innovative pedigree behind him. I just ordered a 2ml sample of Allegretto 7.2 to see what it smells like, but for $225 per 50ml bottle it would have to really knock my socks off to buy a full bottle.

 

[never-stop-learning]

I had heard of the new brand and the nose behind at least its first offering, Antonio Gardoni, but did not know of the B&M tie-in until now.

The pricing is indeed high in relative terms for a new niche perfume brand, but Gardoni is far from a new nose, and has some good innovative pedigree behind him. I just ordered a 2ml sample of Allegretto 7.2 to see what it smells like, but for $225 per 50ml bottle it would have to really knock my socks off to buy a full bottle.

Just ordered the 2ml sample myself.

Should be interesting.

 

[guitarslinger]

I have a sample on the way as well. I see why he had to do this. Scent ingredients can be very expensive, and most b&m shaving customers don’t want to spend $225 for a bottle of fragrance.

 

[PeteVK]

Looks like we have a few samples headed our way, please be sure to post your impressions in this thread.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Looks like we have a few samples headed our way, please be sure to post your impressions in this thread.

Absolutely!

 

[PeteVK]

 

[PeteVK]

My initial thoughts are that this smells like nothing from the fragrance world that I have experienced before. It’s definitely not a “mainstream” scent.

The more I smell it, the more I want to smell it if that makes sense. It’s very intriguing, and just as Will states, the scent evolves over time. For example the opening had a definite smokiness that dissipated ever about 30 minutes and then returned about an hour after that.

I’m taking more time with this one, because it deserves it, not to mention I’m new to the world of fragrance.

 

[Drseid]

My sample arrived today. The packaging, as the pictures earlier in the thread show is exceptional.

As to the perfume, I have only been wearing it about 30 minutes on skin, but so far there is a prominent bay leaf note that comes off almost oregano-like. Added to it, an aromatic lavender and yellow floral yang-yang tandem adds a slightly camphor-like accord with a touch of vetiver for weight. More development info TBC...

First general impression is I don’t see much of a B&M tie in, but definitely *do* find the composition very much in-line with Gardoni’s previous work, as he uses a lot of culinary spices blended with aromatic lavender and other florals in his prior work. In short, things are off to a good start. Not good enough so far to entice me to spend $225, but for indie and niche perfume lovers seeking distinctive perfumes you won’t smell just about anywhere else, I can see the allure.

 

[never-stop-learning]

My sample arrived yesterday.

Will try it out over the weekend.

 

[PeteVK]

@Drseid incredibly well spoken, which is what I was waiting for as I'm afraid I'm a bit of a neanderthal when it comes to describing scents.

My initial impression was a simple spray on the wrist, I'm going to wear it out on Sunday and see what other people think.

 

[Drseid]

Now nearly 8 hours in...

The dry-down is primarily a soapy, woody vetiver driven affair, with the aromatic lavender remnants in support. Projection is excellent. Longevity is still to be determined, but is looking like it is going to be exceptional. I will update after the full development on skin has run its course...

As for my thoughts now several hours in, I'm afraid the dry-down really isn't my thing (though far from unpleasant). I am a sucker for woody vetiver focused compositions, but there is something about the soapy presentation here (maybe Gardoni added a hint of mint or some similar ingredient) that is making it smell a bit too off-kilter when coupled with the aromatic lavender; a departure from the classic, minimalist presentation one would see in my woody vetiver/aromatic lavender driven reference, Classical by Anat Fritz.

Again, nothing wrong with Allegretto 7.2, which I am sure will have plenty of fans, but I'll stick to the more minimalist Anat Fritz.

 

[Drseid]

Final update...

Over 13 hours in, and the perfume is still easily detectable on skin. While I tend to have “fragrance friendly” skin that can get at least 8-9 hours on almost any EdP or better, 12+ hours even on me is outstanding performance.

So while the perfume is not really my thing, those that find it up their alley fragrance profile-wise should have no problem with performance metrics, quite the opposite.

 

[PeteVK]

Well... wore it on Sunday and while I enjoy the smell, I just don't enjoy it enough to spend the money on a full bottle. Also, it really hung on as a skin scent, I used five sprays and there really was no projection. You can tell there are some high quality ingredients being used, it's just not 100% worth it for me. I will definitely be looking forward to their next release to try.

 

[guitarslinger]

Yeah, it’s good, but not interesting/unique enough for me to spend $225. The vanilla is really prominent to my nose.

 

[Doug57]

FYI: There is an article today on Fragrantica about this release. If you comment, you are entered to win a free bottle.

 

[PeteVK]

Thanks @Doug57 , I entered into the drawing!

 

[Doug57]

Thanks @Doug57 , I entered into the drawing!

You're welcome.