Monday 14 November 2016

Fidelis Histoires de Parfums

Desirability: Full bottle


Fidelis Histoires de Parfums for women and men
Source: Fragrantica.

Not a scent for the fainthearted.

Fidelis is a heavy hitter from the very first spray. I tend to overspray with hefty pumps thanks to my slight anosmia secondary to chronic allergic rhinitis, but with Fidelis I am cautious not to go above two gentle sprays or else I run the risk of engulfing everyone else around me with its monster projection.

Many if not all houses from niche to mainstream seem to have done a rose/oud/patchouli combination by now and we perfume lovers have one if not several favorites from the glut of choice available. Some of us may even be fatigued by it! Enter Fidelis and a break with tradition. 

Unabashedly loud, almost brash, Fidelis is nothing like the smooth, romantic rose/oud combinations I lean towards. THIS is oud. Upon application, this giant of a scent is almost unbearably bitter with a medicinal oud so thick you could imagine cutting the air in front of you with a knife. Saffron, cardamom and cumin are looted from the spice cupboard and applied with a liberal hand. Their spicy harmony provides a dry, crisp respite (a breath of spicily fresh air literally) from the majestic oud. Patchouli enfolds you in its warm familiar vegetal sweetness, somewhat akin to rolling around on damp forest ground. Rose neither delicate nor syrupy blends a floral theme into the bold and earthy mixture and I suspect allows for my more feminine tastes to better enjoy Fidelis. 

An Original in a sea of rose-ouds which takes you on an endless and passionate journey. Fidelis is not a scent I frequently reach for, as truthfully I find it a tad too demanding for my sensibilities for a regular fixture but on the days I want complexity as well as a major case of intensity with my roses, this is a good one. 

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