TEONE REINTHAL
Garden Of Pleasures
2019
PERFUMER
Teone Reinthal
Champaca
White Lotus
Frangipani
Mysore sandalwood
Vietnamese Oud
Indian Oud
‘GARDEN of PLEASURES is a floral amber mukhallat featuring a solid ground of Hindi and Vietnamese oud over which blooms a floating garden of highly fragrant flowers. My previously released vintage style fragrance, Jacques was inspired by the original Shalimar perfume created by Jacques Guerlain, as a fragrant musing on the legendary Shalimar Gardens where Mughal Emperor, Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram (Shah Jahan) and his Empress, Arjumand Banu Begum (Mumtaz Mahal) spent time basking in the radiance of their love for each other. Don’t expect a floral frenzy here. Garden of Pleasures is really more about the frantic collision of 2 bodies caught up in a passionate love affair. The flowers in this garden are all around, but the fragrance is about the human essences that belong in a private garden of pleasures. The intensely strong animalic scent of the Hindi oud represents the mighty Emperor Shah Jahan and the gentler, sweeter Vietnamese oud in this story is the Empress Mumtaz Mahal.’ – Teone Reinthal
Quite a surprise, trying Garden Of Pleasures, before seeing it’s description and notes. I was expecting a floral affair, but as indicated by the brand, this is a different kind of animal.
Strong, slightly pungent oud takes over the composition for me. I get slightly bitter and vegetal facets, a bit medicinal. From the limited proper ouds that I’ve smelled, I’d say this is a bit in the direction of Areej Le Dore Chinese Oud perhaps, but mixed with the much sweeter oud as well.
I get a patchouli-esque earthiness with the least fruity fruitiness. Like the air of where fruit used to be. It’s floral, but it’s hard to pin down. I don’t get the strong champaca that I’ve smelled in a few Areej Le Dore and an Azman here. It’s floral, but not in a vibrant, lush bouquet or soft petals way. It’s overall quite earthy, a bit bitter. I wouldn’t say gothic, because it has plenty of warmth and a hint of sweetness, but I definitely find it somewhat melancholic. It’s mature and subtle in it’s own way for a rather dark and heavy scent.
A nice experience to try, but not quite my taste.