The Vagabond Prince - Enchanted Forest

Picture:The beautiful artwork bottle of Enchanted  Forest
Photo: PR The Vagabond Prince (c), all rights reserved 

Enchanted Forest is a 2012 Bertrand Duchaufour creation for the new perfumehouse The Vagabond Prince  founded by the very creative founders of Fragrantica , Elena and Zoran Knezhevich.

Enchanted Forest is an unsual fragrance, centered around the black currant accord. Even if black currant and its buds, are frequently used in different fruity and fruity green accords, that the blackcurrant rarely is the mainplayer. Another fragrance where this is the case is Lalique Amethyst which I havn't smelled. The initial accords of Enchanted Forest is like diving in a blackcurrant bush, the notes of the juicy    berries and the green tart leaves are very natural, luminous and vibrant. Probably the aldehydes helps to lift the black currant, with its intensity it could otherwise easily be cloying. When Enchanted Forest dries down in the middlenotes, the blackcurrant calms down but is still easily recognizable as the mainnote. Green light woody and fizzy notes as vetiver, pepper and especially coriander sparkels offsetted by some smooth flowery notes that just balances the blend and plays in the background. The base are slight musky dark but not heavy with distinct tart woody (fir,cedar) and resinnotes. There is also a transparant, fresh earthy, patchoulinote combined with a slight animalic vibe. The sweet notes are very subdued and not recognizable as separate notes, but they create a softness that balances the dark and  earthy woodiness.

Enhanced Forest is a fragrance that I think could be worn year around despite it evokes the image of a wild forest in early autumn to me, a cold, mossy dampness contrasted with the sunrays defying the high confiers and hitting the ground. Enhanced Forest as an idea and in its structure with green, aldehydic tartness, somehow reminds me of the earlier in 2012, Duchaufour creation for Aedes de Venustas with the same name, even if that one highlights the rhubarb.

Enhanched Forest is a strong fragrance that should be applied in moderation, if not, it could be overwhelming. The sillage is big to be a contemporary fragrance and longevity on skin is about 24h.

Rating: 3+

Notes: Pink pepper, aldehydes, sweet orange, flower cassis, blackcurrant leaf, hawthorn, rum, wine, rosemary, davana, blackcurrant buds absolute, blackcurrant, russian coriander seed, honeysuckle, rose, carnation, vetiver, opoponax, benzoin, amber, oakmoss, fir balsam absolute, patchouli, castoreum absolute, cedar, vanilla, musk.

Thanks to the Vagabond Prince for the sample to test.