PRIMA MATERIA
9 (ALCHEMIST)

2019

PERFUMER
Gerard Anthony

Incense
Cherry
Mandarin

Leather
Rose
lily-of-the-valley

Tobacco
Sandalwood
Musk

This was certainly the most eccentric bottle to ever grace my shelves. Prima Materia releases fragrances, that come in 14ml vials, which can be inserted into their sculpture-like bottles (in various levels of elaboration). Pictured here is the most expensive bottle, which comes in at around €275 and comes with 5 vials for a total of 70ml of fragrance.

The bottle centers around the concept of alchemy and transformation. It’s handmade out of pewter and silver. The (separate) base is made of wood, but it has a magnet inside. The top part of the sculpture functions as a cap, under which the atomizer can be placed. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Fragrance 9 has 3 main elements to me. Tobacco, leather, incense, which is exactly how the brand described it. It opens with a strong, spicy kick of leather and tobacco.

The first time it reminded me of a combination of Tuscan Leather and Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford, but it’s more spicy and leans heavier to the leather element. It’s not necessarily spices like clove and cinnamon, but a sharp tinge that probably comes from whatever is being used to create the leather accord.

The more I wore it, the more it became a resinous incense scent as it dries down. It has that leathery vibe, but it’s mostly a fiery, smoldering woody incense. It smells like something is burning in the distance. The drydown reminds me of Chantecaille Oud Fumé, but sweeter. You still have that vanillic base, making it very wearable.

It’s a good scent, that smells a bit derivative, but not directly like any one fragrance. Obviously with the pictured presentation, you’re paying a lot for the art. You can buy the refill 14ml for around €27 (so the full presentation is 50% for the scent, 50% for the bottle upgrade). It’s unique and even though I usually appreciate minimalism more, an experience like this adds to the enjoyment of the fragrance overall.