BOADICEA THE VICTORIOUS
ARDENT
2012
PERFUMER
Christian Provenzano
Turkish Rose
Saffron
Coriander
Carrot Seed
Rose
Beeswax
Jasmine
Hedione
Vanilla
Patchouli
Oud
Benzoin
Amber
Labdanum
Musk
I had the pleasure to attend a lovely event by Boadicea (with Silk Cosmetics). It seems the brand is expanding its distribution and availability in 2024, which is something I’d been waiting on. Ardent was one of the Boadicea fragrances that I’d sampled a couple of years ago and while not my favorite from the brand (Blue Sapphire still reigns supreme), it’s a nice one that I was happy to revisit.
Ardent is a beautiful rose-oud, and a very sweet one. Straight from the opening you get a mix of a vibrant, rich rose. More on the sweet side than the fresh side, but not just an overly sweet, jammy rose. The rose reminds me most of the one in Matiere Premiere Radical Rose, with its saffron support cast and the subtlest fruity facet.
Ardent doubles down on the sweetness quickly, with a honeyed and ambery side that is not secondary to the rose, but right there besides it from the first minute. After the opening, the rose folds into it; you still smell the rose for a while, but I can’t separate it anymore from that honeyed sweetness. In the drydown, the rose almost completely disappears into the sweetness.
I’d argue this is more of a honey and vanilla scent as it dries down. What I appreciate is that the beeswax/honey doesn’t have that mentholated edge as much as in many fragrances in this style. For a rose/floral fanatic like me, it can get a tad cloying, especially because the texture becomes quite powdery and there are no fresh or citrussy notes to offer contrast. Instead, Ardent feels most appropriate for an evening out or an Autumn day to me and it will appeal most to people who like sensual, warm scents.
Boadicea is often seen as super expensive, but in reality, their lower tier fragrances, like Ardent (€250/100ml) are in the same broad price range and offer arguably a better value than some peers that people liken it to the most (Matiere Premiere Radical Rose, Tom Ford Noir de Noir, Fragrance du Bois New York 5th Avenue etc.). Worth a try!
