Selected Scents Debrief

Locked. Please carry the current AIR (2X) build into the launch formulation as-is; no further reformulation required. We will confirm ordering quantities separately.

Read was an impressive sample to evaluate — a mature, beautifully balanced masculine harmony. The heart-to-base transition (orris, olibanum, sandalwood, ambroxan) feels remarkably stable and highly refined.

To give this solid structure more of Read’s poetic identity — personal contemplation, the tactile mood of paper and books — and to lift the somewhat conventional citrus opening into something younger and more contemporary, a few refined adjustments:

1. Soften the classic top notes and introduce sage. The current bergamot, curcumin and cardamom opening leans a little too traditional. In the spirit of D.S. & Durga’s Cowboy Grass, we would suggest replacing that spicy warmth with an aromatic herbal bouquet of sage and thyme. The dry, cool, powdery nuance of sage in particular is an excellent way to render the dry texture of paper — perfectly honouring the name ‘Read’.
2. Modernise the woody base (iris & coconut-musk nuance). The orris–olibanum–ambroxan base is beautifully solid but can read slightly authoritative. As in D.S. & Durga’s Radio Bombay, a subtle touch of iris and a sheer, plant-derived coconut musk (vegan musk) would bring a youthful, soft, organic texture between the rich sandalwood and the orris core.
3. Fresh top layering (Ink-inspired) & brand synergy with ‘Pour’. To sharpen the opening hook around the juniper berry and pepper, we were considering the clear, fresh facet of elemi, reminiscent of Perfumer H’s Ink. And weaving a very subtle rose accord into the vetiver/woody heart would establish a clear brand-DNA link with its sister fragrance ‘Pour’ — completing a deeper, more contemporary masculinity.

Thank you as always — we are truly looking forward to experiencing the next version.

• D.S. & Durga — Cowboy Grass · herbal top (sage / thyme) reference
• D.S. & Durga — Radio Bombay · woody base (iris / coconut musk) reference
• Perfumer H — Ink · elemi freshness reference

When we first imagined FOLD, we wanted a softer, more fluid counterpart to ‘Read’. In this sample the elemi and black pepper in the opening are remarkably chic and sophisticated — a genuinely captivating first impression. As it moves from heart to base, though, a heavy, slightly sticky sweetness (likely the guaiacwood and olibanum) tends to overpower the blend, muffling the delicate woody nuance and the soft suede texture we want to feature. To lift that sweetness and add a refined, airy freshness, two adjustments:

1. Add a basil & mint facet to the top. Drawing on the herbal vibrancy of Perfumer H’s Dandelion, a touch of basil and a subtle hint of mint in the top — paired with the black pepper and elemi — would cut through the sticky, resinous sweetness of the base and give a crisp, elevated green aromatic freshness right from the spray. The intent is a living vibrancy, like a gentle dimming of bright light, without disrupting the serene, quiet atmosphere that defines ‘Dim’.
2. Restore the heart-to-base texture (suede & sandalwood). With the basil–pepper dynamic tempering the heavy sweetness, we would love the skin-like texture of suede and the delicate grain of sandalwood to come through clearly. Please smooth and lighten the heart-to-base transition so the dry-down feels airy and tactile rather than dense.

Looking forward to how this becomes a softer yet strikingly modern aromatic-woody. Thank you as always for your wonderful work.

• Perfumer H — Dandelion · basil / mint herbal-freshness reference

From the very first spritz, DIM is remarkably stable, delicate and refined — the most ‘complete’-feeling fragrance of the set, with outstanding overall balance. Our one concern: the orange flower in the heart dominates and reads overly feminine, especially on warm skin. Keeping the current framework intact, a few adjustments toward a more genderless, distinctive character:

1. Tone down the orange flower; bring out wild honey and patchouli. Please ease the floral facets that make the structure feel overly feminine, and in their place emphasise the bittersweet edge of patchouli and the fragrant, raw, untamed texture of a wild-honey accord.
2. Add vivid energy to the top (bitter lemon). A crisp, slightly bitter lemon nuance would sharpen the opening citrus; meeting the cool greenness of the violet leaf, it should open the fragrance far more sensually.
3. Elevate the mimosa and hold the longevity. We would love to bring out the cozy, elegant grain of the mimosa that the orange flower had been masking — in the spirit of Diptyque’s L’Eau Papier. Even as the orange flower comes down, please keep the mimosa’s soft texture intact, woven firmly into the sandalwood, ambrette and cypriol base for a soft but enduring skin-scent.

Thank you as always — we truly look forward to the next version.

• Diptyque — L’Eau Papier · mimosa reference

Among the new samples, Pour was a genuinely delightful and intriguing one to evaluate.

It is a striking fragrance, built on a dramatic contrast between the top and the heart-to-base — a trendy yet witty feminine mood, beautifully realised. The opening carries a crisp, slightly bitter freshness reminiscent of Le Labo’s Thé Matcha 26, while the heart-to-base transition shares a mellow, captivating character with Frassai’s Blondie. Most memorable is the moment the initial powdery wheat lifts to reveal a vivid, dimensional ‘matcha-milk floral’ in the middle — that shift was exceptionally engaging to follow.

To push its completeness and storytelling further, a few small adjustments:

1. Extend the matcha and reinforce the vetiver. We would love the matcha texture that develops so beautifully in the heart to hold a little longer through the wear, and the vetiver in the base to sit slightly more present, giving the composition a firmer, more grounded backbone.
2. Reinterpret the floral toward a dimensional rose. The current jasmine–rose pairing reads a touch familiar — closer to a conventional young women’s floral. In the spirit of D.S. & Durga’s Rose Atlantic, we would suggest leaning harder on the rose itself, using fresh petal and a multifaceted rose accord to make it more dimensional, alive and realistic.
3. Add a salty-water note for a skin-scent finish — the identity of ‘Pour’. We would love to try a subtle salty-water note in the base. True to the name ‘Pour’ — water settling and soaking into warm skin — a close, intimate skin-scent dry-down would make the fragrance’s identity far clearer.

Overall, a brilliantly witty and captivating start. We are really looking forward to how this dynamic refines in the next iteration. Thank you, as always, for your artistry.

• Le Labo — Thé Matcha 26 · top-note freshness reference
• Frassai — Blondie · heart-to-base character reference
• D.S. & Durga — Rose Atlantic · dimensional-rose reference