Christopher Street by Charenton Macerations (2013)

Nose: Ralf Schwieger

My day with Christopher Street: tested, loved, wishlisted, bought. What a great scent! The opening is totally intriguing from the very first sniff: smoky, “campfire” woody-leathery notes cleverly juxtaposed to a slap of juicy, aromatic, fizzy and mellow bergamot-citrus notes. A bold contrast, which works just perfectly here, mostly because of the really clever and creative “gradient” between the two opposites: a blend of earthy-mossy-spicy-floral notes comprising green stuff, carnation and crisp, rich tobacco (a duo – carnation and tobacco - that strongly links Christopher Street to vintage Equipage by Hermès in my opinion), then patchouli, cloves, other woods... “synesthetically”, I’d define this a vibrant “black-brownish-orange” gem. Or in other words, a spicy-woody fresh-aromatic Oriental leather scent with a bold zesty-aromatic side, sweet nuances from tobacco to cinnamon. All so bloody well blended. A sharp, rich, unisex, totally creative modern scent that for me quite clearly takes inspiration from some vintage green fougères, without smelling like a ripoff of them (see? Sometimes...). The creative and modern side of Christopher Street mostly lies in something just... “playful” going on here, a touch of fresh colour, something crisp and vibrating that makes Christoper just totally, well, “contemporary” - I don’t really know how to put it. Another “avantgarde” touch here is a sort of ammonia-metallic vein which isn’t the usual “aromachemical-driven” metallic aftertaste, rather an actual smell of aseptic metal; it’s there, but tamed down enough to blend just perfectly with the rest, so don’t think of any unpleasant “clash” of notes. Overall I find this a terribly refined scent exuding talent, class, fun, creativity. History rewritten. Incredibly versatile too, as it’s really not that challenging; it’s fresh yet dark, formal yet impudent. Just a precious balance of inventiveness, quality and good taste - plus it lasts for hours and projects loud and sharp. So great. Try it!

9/10