‘How did I miss this?’ Monday: Huitieme Art Sucre d’Ebene

sucre“Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,
The medicine go down, the medicine go down,
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,
In the most delightful way.”

Count your blessings that you’re not hearing me sing this “Mary Poppins” tune in person, folks, ha! Now many of you Posse readers may recall that I am frequently a fan of gourmand scents, and am fond of some sugar, some spice and some buttery caramel and vanilla. (Mmm … I could go for some deep, dark molasses ginger cookies right about now.) I realize that that genre is not everyone’s cup of tea though. Anyhoo, while poking through a batch of samples sent me by a lovely perfumista, I came across one that piqued my interest and wondered why it hadn’t crossed my sweet-tooth radar before now: Huitieme Art’s Sucre d’Ebene. Well, no time like the present, says I, so I spritzed some on immediately.

It’s sweet to be sure, but not in that often sickeningly overpowering way, thanks to the benzoin, giving it an almost burnt quality, not unlike the sucre 2crispy-crunchy top of a crème brulee. Shortly in, I detect a tang of something almost medicinal, likely the witch hazel, which gives the scent a bit of bite. Whatever it is, it bridges the sugary sweetness and the resiny benzoin ever so nicely.

Sucre d’Ebene doesn’t jump through dramatic developmental hoops as some scents do, but holds a fairly steady course that’s comforting, cozy, and yet with enough interest to keep it from being boring. It’s moderate in the sillage department, not loud or overpowering, but whoa — the longevity on this thing is amazing. I put it on one morning and could still detect nice echoes of it well into mid-evening.

I do believe I will happily use up my sample and consider putting this on the FB-worthy list (which never seems to see any action, but still … ).

The Huitieme Art site (or rather, the Parfumerie Generale one) lists these notes: brown sugar, witch hazel, orange blossom, vanilla and benzoin.

Notes per Fragrantica: woodsy notes, sugar, benzoin, hazelnut

Luckyscent lists brown sugar, witch hazel and benzoin.

And another site, Les Senteurs, presents these notes for Sucre d’Ebene: sugar cane, brown sugar, benzoin, amber, vanilla orchid, tonka and witch hazel.

So what about you — have you tried any scent lately that made you sit up and say, “Whoa – how did I miss this?” And do any of you have one of the Huitieme Art bottles? They look very interesting, but not sure what they are made of and what they feel like. Some sites show white bottles for the Sucre d’Ebene; the official fragrance site has black, so I’m not sure what to think. Thanks!

  • eldarwen22 says:

    Off the top of my head, my how did I miss this is what is in my collection already. Just like I have missed wearing Mitsouko. What put Mitsouko back on my radar was that I had spent $60 on a tear drop bottle that looks like it was made sometime in the 90’s. I’m hoping that it was made before oakmoss was pretty much banned. But I thought to myself that I already have 3 bottles of the new stuff and why am I hoarding this? Vintage, I can understand if hoarding it somewhat.

    • Ann says:

      Love it, eldarwen — finding surprises in your own collection is the best! Do let us know how the teardrop bottle turned out; I’m a fairly recent Mitsy convert so would love to know.

  • Portia says:

    Hey there Ann,
    I know I’m in the minority but I adore the Huitieme Art bottles. They have a fabulous retro clay-ishly porous feel about them, very 1960s to me. Mr PG mixes his stuff with me in mind I am sure because I’ve yet to meet one of his frags that I loathe. Although I do love some more than others.
    Portia xx

    • Ann says:

      Howdy, Portia, and thanks! I think the bottles look very cool, but never having seen (or held) one on the flesh, it was hard for me to imagine their true appearance. He does do a great job with his scents; there are several that I would be happy to have in FB.

  • poodle says:

    I’m having a how did I miss this feeling with a few scents I sampled at Sniffa. It’s hard to really smell much when there’s that much fragrance floating in the air so some of these are like smelling them for the first time really. I had dismissed all of the Diana Vreeland perfumes that day but I spritzed on one and while it isn’t anything earth shattering, I do like it a lot more than I thought I would.
    Tis the season for gourmand perfumes. All the yummy goodness and no calories. I don’t like the ones that completely smell like dessert though. Those notes need to be tempered with something. I don’t want to smell like a cupcake unless I’ve just been baking cupcakes.

    • Ann says:

      Hi, Poodle! LUcky you to have gone to a Sniffa! I know just what you mean — too much of a good thing can be overwhelming all at one time. BTW, I’ve been exploring the DV scents, so would love to know which one you enjoyed. I need to go back and see which one I rather liked.

      • Musette says:

        Portia and I are going to plow through a few of the DVs when she’s here IN TWO WEEKS (okay, almost three) xoxoxoA

        • Ann says:

          Oooh, you guys are so lucky — I am green with envy! But very happy for you as I know you’ll have a blast! PPS — are they are the Mich. Ave. Neiman’s? I know my NM does not carry them in store, just online.

      • poodle says:

        I haven’t gone through all of them but the one I like so far is Absolutely Vital. It’s sandalwood, rose, and jasmine and reminds me of 10 Corso Como. This has a bit more lasting power on me than that one does.

        • Ann says:

          Hey, Poodle! I think that’s the one that I like best, too — I knew it was sandalwood with a little something else. Now I need to try it compared with the Corso Como. Thanks!

          • Ann says:

            Ooops — just went back and checked my little sample and I think the one I liked is called Perfectly Marvelous, with sandalwood and pimento (I think). Who knows, though? I’m starting to confuse myself 🙂

  • thegoddessrena says:

    I have Manguier Metisse which is lovely. Switching the bottle color to black started this year (my bottle is white) and they feel nice in the hand and are painted glass with a clear glass window so you can see how much you have left. Haven’t tried Sucre d’Ebene yet so I can’t comment on that

    • Ann says:

      Oh, thanks so much for that, Rena! I had no idea, looking at the bottle — was it glass, resin, some kind of polymer (or even — shudder — plastic)? I’m not familiar with the Metisse which you mentioned; how would you describe it?