Balafre

By the editors · 2 min readLavender dominates the opening, cool and sharply camphoraceous, doubled by a bitter lime-citrus flash that strips away any sweetness. Cedar and clary sage arrive early, their dry, hay-like facets extending the herbal spine while tamping down the citrus oils within minutes. The base is a dense leatherish chord: twin strips of smoky leather pressed against vetiver root and a mossy, green-tinged ambergris that reads almost like damp soil. Over two hours the leather loosens, letting the vetiver’s smoky root rise through the moss, turning the scent darker, drier, more outdoors than office. Projection sits at arm’s length for the first three hours, then settles to a quiet skin-whisper that still releases leather-moss puffs when warmed. Cool autumn days and post-work errands fit its calm, utilitarian swagger.