ISABELLE LARIGNON
Bangla Yasaman

2023

PERFUMER
Isabelle Larignon

lemon
bergamot
BUCHU
bitter orange PETITGRAIN
TURMERIC
CARDAMOM

CELERY SEED
CLARY SAGE
OSMANTHUS
SAFFRON
JASMINE

balsam fir
vanilla
PERU BALSAM
TOBACCO

‘Bangla Yāsaman is an opulent jasmine whose sun-drenched white flower returns all the powerful warmth of the day to the night with fragrance. Dark and luminous, green and spicy, animal and balsam, this deep jasmine is addictive.’ – Isabelle Larignon

Bangla Yasaman is arguably the star of the (excellent) Isabelle Larignon line-up for me, albeit one that may be most of an acquired taste among the 4 releases at the time of writing.

It’s an usual mix: Sweet, green, stark in a daring manner. Some note breakdowns online listed indole as an individual note, which should give an indication and it’s not without reason. I’d argue that Bangla Yasaman is one of the more indolic fragrances that I’ve come across.

Now, that may sound a bit scary to some readers; but the indole at no point smells fecal for example. The way I can best describe the sensation is that it seems to create a vaccuum, a void. It sucks in the other ingredients, leaving a bitter, palpable sensation, more so than a ‘stench’. At least, that’s how it comes across to me in Bangla Yasaman and it reflects smelling pure/diluted indole or scattol, more so than smelling a vintage perfume with jasmine, which has a different sensation to me.

What makes Bangla Yasaman interesting and different from most other indolic jasmine/osmanthus fragrances, is how sweet it is. While the indolic nature is present at all times; one moment it feels like a dry, greenish, hay-tobacco scent with a hint of leathery osmanthus. The other moment, it feels like… anise, sweet water, a white sugar cube desolving in water (while always with a hit of green).

In a sense, Bangla Yasaman is subtle. While it has cues from heavier fragrances and vintage-inspired ones (like an Eris Ma Bete), it wears a lot more transparant and airy. The drydown feels like a leftover smokiness, but more like a Masqua Milano Russian Tea, than your average sweet tobacco scent.

For me, it’s a stand out and so far, my personal favorite from Isabelle Larignon.