BOADICEA THE VICTORIOUS
INVIGORATING

2008

PERFUMER
John Stephen

chocolate
Yuzu
liquorice
Orange
Bergamot

Geranium
Rose
Jasmine

Resin
Ambergris
Labdanum

Invigorating opens as a strongly resinous citrus. There’s orange, bergamot and yuzy.

It creates a balsamic and rather dry scent, that to my nose smells very unnatural, but also really nice. There’s a solid touch of ambergris, so you can imagine sitting by the beach on a sunny day. There’s the slightest hint of a mint, perhaps from the liquorice note. Combined with some florals, there’s a green, camphor tinge, but it’s only a side note, although I feels it pulls the scent towards the masculine side of the spectrum. It reminds me a little bit of Floraiku’s Between Two Trees without the leathery smokiness, if I remember correctly. After a while, a sweetness is quite noticeable in Invigorating, but to my nose that’s in the fruitiness; chocolate is listed as a note, but I can’t detect it as such.

On my skin, this is a loud fragrance, with excellent performance. It can come across a bit harsh and it’s very sharp, which doesn’t make for the most comfortable wear and I definitely wouldn’t call this beautiful. I don’t get the refinement that Blue Sapphire had for example. In stead, it feels punchy and active, so the name Invigorating is a perfect fit. It feels like a fragrance to put some pep in your step, I think especially on a mild sunny day. In conclusion: I like it a lot, but it’s a bit of a weird one and I highly suggest sampling this first.