VERONIQUE GABAI
SEXY GARRIGUE
2019
Wood Resin
Amber
Labdanum
Pine
Patchouli
Herbal Notes
‘Night falls; with it, rises the yearning for an embrace, for whispers and caresses… Skin against skin. The desire is fueled by the sensual heat wave coming from the Mediterranean forest we call Garrigue, sprawling outside the house, charged with the noble and hypnotic scents of the cyst labdanum, Alep trees, patchouli, aromatic plants, golden resins and deep amber.’ – Veronique Gabai
Hinting at Mediterranean forests (garrigues) and sensual allure at nighttime, this is the most full-bodied Gabai that I’ve tried so far. While still keeping the brands signature (from my testing so far) airy and easy to wear DNA, Sexy Garrigue has something warmer and denser hidden behind it’s golden armor.
The opening is spicy and sweet and it instantly took me back to my childhood. No, I didn’t grow up in a Mediterranean forest; Sexy Garrigue reminds me a lot of a stewed pears dish that’s common here. Sexy Garrigue doesn’t list cinnamon or pepper, but that’s definitely the vibe I get from it, mixed with a fruitiness and sweetness (honeycomb and vanilla). A Christmas-style fruitcake also came to mind, though not nearly as pronounced as something like The Different Company Majaina Sin.
Moving from that connection, I do also see the nod to the trees, with a (fossilized) amber in it’s most golden, conceptual form; the only thing missing is the insect captured inside it. It’s a beautiful warm and comforting scent, with a woody backbone that comes through alongside the vanilla. For a resinous, labdanum heavy scent, it’s rather tame in my opinion, there are no rough edges here.
I’m surprized there isn’t a boozy note, as this has a hint of that quality. I can’t compare this directly to another fragrance, but the broad strokes remind me of a Moresque Contessa or Casamorati 1888 in a smoother, fruitier, softer and more comforting way. It’s perfectly unisex and definitely something that I think any person of any age could pull off in a romantic setting.
