ANOMALIA
Entre-Acte

2022

incense
tuberose
immortelle

rose
patchouli

powdery notes
leather
orange blossom

‘The mood of being in the spotlight, all eyes on you, your heart full of combative hope. After all, a dream is nothing more than a goal. A magnificent ultra-contemporary chypre. We stand alone in an empty Opéra Garnier and the smells of the velvet of the heavy curtain and seats, of lacquer, of talc, but also of champagne come to our nose. On the program for Entre-Acte, this eau de parfum is full of harshness: incense and powdery-leather accords, embellished with a slash of rose and tuberose.’ – Anomalia

Entre-Acte is a trip down memory lane for me (despite being called ultra-contemporary in the brand’s description). The most classical type of scent (perhaps not structure) from the entire Anomalia line for me, with a strong powdery chypre.

This combines the sort of peppery, sharp, mossy vibe from masculine marketed chypres (it’s no Mitsouko, but maybe if Le Labo would’ve recreated it), with a hint of a powdery, acidic side that seems to borrow more from vintage women’s fragrances (it’s definitely no L’Heure Bleue though and not nearly as babypowdery).

The former, the mossy side, is clearly most prominent to me. I’d recommend this to the crowd that’s into the classic men’s chypres or even fougeres, from the MDCI Chypre Palatin that it’s been compared to, to something like Tom Ford’s Beau de Jour.

This isn’t necessarily my favorite style of fragrance, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless. Sharp, refreshing, nothing overly daring, yet it has an air of provocation to me. Perhaps that’s the most ‘contemporary’ part about this. It’s not quite as sophisticated as some of its predecessors, but it’s great for young adults (into their 20’s, 30’s) that want to smell mature. It has a bit more flair and personality than your average barbershop fragrance or ‘generic affordable chypre’.

Another solid release by this brand, albeit a tad too green for my personal taste.