Olivier Durbano - Pink Quartz

Picture: An elephant carved in rose quartz
Wikimedia commons

Pink Quartz from Olivier Durbano Parfums de Pierre Poemes dedicated to semiprecious stones starts pink/grey velvety rosy paired with a sort of dry, opaque stoney note. In the topnotes, Pink Quartz is uplifting and a bit sparkling and the rose is very natural smelling and true to the real rose scent. When the fragrance dries down, a small trace of incense, spice, balsamic and musky notes deepens and darkens the unconventional rose/stone combo. This combo is the core of the fragrance and apperant in all stages of the dry down. In the basenotes there is also a tangy, slight fizzy note which I so appreciate in rosefragrances and which gives them a touch of chypre. There is also a subtle smoky nuance in the base and a very light sweetness from the resins. If Pink Quartz had a color it's definitly the almost opaque, pale pink/grey of the pink quartz mineral. If it was a fabric, it would be a pale, powdery, pink quartz colored velvet.

Pink Quartz is very intriguing, probably (as the notelist indicate) all the wellbalanced ingredients creates this impression. Pink Quartz is a true unisexfragrance and IMO it lending to the masculine side, here is a rose (without oud) for men. Despite this, it's pleasant also for a woman to wear, an  exception when it comes to pink roses as it is not as sweet as most pink fragrances.. Sillage is close and longevity for 12h+, an exellent choice for the early spring.

Picture: The tempting Pink Quartz
Photo: PR Olivier Durbano (c)

Pink Quartz could be appreciated by those who likes pink roses with some deept and without the conventional sweetness fragrances such as Parfum d'Empire Eau Suave even if that one is a tad fruity. To me pink Quartz is sort of the masculine counterpart of Eau Suave. Just as the latter (on of my alltime favorite pink roses) Pink Quartz is a little gem.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, pink grapefruit, olibanum, saffron, ginger; palmarosa, damask rose, palisander rosewood, rose, amber, patchouli, myrrh, benzoin, white musk

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample