Hi there Perfume Posse, Today we look at one of Mark Buxton’s creations; Wood & Absinth. You will know his name from creating some of the most popular Comme des Garcons, Le Labo, House of Sillage and many others including the Salvadore Dali BWF Laguna that I adore. Not always instantly accessible his work is known as boundary pushing and edgy. Cool kids know his name and bandy it about.
Wood & Absinth by Mark Buxton Perfumes 2008
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Wormwood-artemisia absinthum, citruses, orange, clary sage, anise
Heart: Jasmine, rosewood
Base: Vetiver, Cedar
Wood & Absinth starts glittering and sweet, lightly metallic and aquatic. The water burns off early and a spicy, dry, woodsy sweetness flows through, warming and waxing the green out of existence. A pithy breathiness comes in and the cleanest sheer jasmine adds a silken patina. It smells like some fragrances whose names I can’t quite pinpoint, know what I mean? Similar but different. Interesting that spices aren’t mentioned, or milk. I’m definitely getting milky sap and curry in behind the main notes. Cardamom.
What does surprise me is how warm Wood & Absinth is, almost glowing on my skin and up my nose. Like sitting in a dry sauna as my nostrils begin to singe and I have to remember to breathe in through my mouth. So it’s not till the heart that I get the green booziness I associate with Absinth, suddenly the whole concept comes together for me. Woods, check, absinth, check. Sadly the fragrance is now sitting as a close, under the radar scent that gives a soft sillage and very limited projection. Maybe the initial fun is meant for the world but the payoff is introverted.
Perfect choice as the Northern Hemisphere heads towards summer.
From Mark Buxton Perfumes site: In the summer twilight
The magic moment between the heat of the day and the night fall.
A contrast of sensual vetiver and vibrating fresh absinth.
Further reading: Now Smell This
Mark Buxton Perfumes has €140/100ml
Scent Trunk has CAN$195/100ml
Libertine Parfumerie has AUD$199/100ml with FREE Shipping in Australia
Which Mark Buxton Perfumes have you tried? From his line or others? Do you like his style?
Portia xxx
Absinthe is drink made with wormwood and other herbs (usually anise is dominant, but not always). I think the reason you smell the woodsiness is that wormwood’s species is Artemisia absinthia — it’s a very bitter, metallic, woodsy smelling herb. Maybe that’s the disconnect, if you’re expecting milky anise and smelling bitter wood.
I haven’t smelled this one yet, though did Buxton do Avignon? Or was that Duchaufour? Also, have you seen the Renegade scents each of them did? I just saw those described over at LuckyScent, and they seemed intriguing.
Hey Heidi,
Thanks for that. The whole of fragrance is filled with such exciting conundrums, part of why I love it so much.
Avignon is Buchaufour, there also one by Guillaume called Rouge Avignon that I like too.
Those Renegade scents, I haven’t smelled them yet but the packaging scares the living daylights out of me.
Portia xxx
Absinthe is one of those notes that I keep meaning to explore but keep forgetting to. I probably have smelled some of Mark Buxton’so work but can’t remember if I actually did or not.
Hi there Eldarwen,
I think they use wormwood as the green in absinth. Now i may be completely wrong but isn’t that artemisia, angelica or davana?
Then its anise and something else.
Though you’ve not explored Absinth I bet you know all the parts.
Portia xx
I don’t know any of the perfumes from Mark Buxton’s line but I wish I would. This one sounds beautiful. I love his mb 02 for Biehl Parfumkunstwerke because of the warm woody notes. He obviously knows how to handle them.
Hi there Neva,
He does some really interesting, unusual compositions that are often challenging initially then become dear and lovely fragrant friends.
You may like his work.
Portia xx