Curionoir 415 AD Review (Tiffany Witehira) + Brilliant Hypatia Draw

April 28, 2021April 29, 2021

Curionoir 415 AD photo by Ann Bouterse of Indigo Perfumery

While queens, courtesans, and even murderesses figure prominently in history, few women have left a more profound mark on its intellectual and spiritual trajectory than Greek mathematician, philosopher and astronomer, Hypatia. Born around 335 A.D., the daughter of mathematician Theon of Alexandria, Hypatia’ brilliance was widely celebrated in her own time. Her public lectures are said to have drawn crowds. But wherever there is a supremely accomplished woman, resentment and anger follow.

Hypatia by Raphael Sanzio

Sometime around 415, a mob of Christian zealots led by Peter the Lector dragged Hypatia from her carriage in the streets of Alexandria and hauled her off to her death. In the centuries since, Hypatia has been viewed as a martyr of secularism, a symbol of Christian virtue, an emblem of opposition, and a prototypical feminist. And, in New Zealand brand Curionoir 415 AD, she is celebrated in a splendidly assertive green fragrance that is as non-conformist and bold as its inspiration.

Tiffany Witehira, images courtesy of Curionoir

Founded by Tiffany Witehira, Curionoir embraces a “fascination for the interesting and uncommon.” The plants and resins of Hypatia’s day are used to create a fragrance brimming with wild greenery and bright, tangy fruit that also whispers of older things.

Bold, dense, full of sharp, acidic notes that ricochet like squash balls off a wall of resins, led by tomato leaf and galbanum. I must admit that I love the bitter, peppery-dusty smell of tomato leaf. I’ve grown tomato plants nearly every summer in my apartment, knowing they stand no chance of bearing fruit, just to have the scent of their leaves nearby. It’s the smell of rural farms, of late summer afternoons, of Ray Bradbury childhood kitchens. So, I fell immediately for 415 AD’s opening; the vinegary vines seem to climb right out of the bottle on first spray. Their unmistakably spiky, vegetal odor is underscored by some well-placed grapefruit that makes it seem like underripe fruit hangs on the stalk. A blast of galbanum joins in, some chilly, aromatic rosemary pops up, and 415 AD is very quickly (to borrow from Simon & Garfunkel) one big bright green pleasure machine.

Image courtesy of Curionoir

You might well be thinking that all those fluorescently acidic notes might be as biting and as hard to receive as a Dorothy Parker zinger. But after the piccolo brilliance of the top, there’s a subtle shift. A hard-to-put-a-finger-on dustiness blows through the center and a melancholy waft of olibanum murmurs of older things. Myrrh, which often comes across to me as a warm and furry scent, is more medicinal here, especially when paired with the crackly dryness of agarwood. Adding the rich, vanillic sweetness of benzoin to the base helps to round out the fragrance. Moving away from 415 AD and then returning to it some minutes later as it heads towards dry-down, it seems less aggressive and more plaintive, with an ache of something past and elusive. I’ve come across a very few perfumes with this quality – Scents of Time Pyxis, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’s astonishing Onycha – fragrances which seem to carry the familiar-strange odors of antiquity.

Curionoir 415 AD is for wearers who prefer their fragrances, like their historical heroines, with a big dose of swag. If you thought Parfumerie Generale Papyrus de Ciane could do with just a smidge more galbanum or that Nikki de St Phalle could be a tad more idiosyncratic, Curionoir 415 AD is just your poison green. Shrinking violets, you’ve been warned.

Notes: Tomato leaf, grapefruit, rosemary, Iranian galbanum, Somalian olibanum, agarwood, myrrh and Siam benzoin.

Disclaimer: Sample of Curionoir 415 A.D. kindly provided by Indigo Perfumery. My opinions are my own.

Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor

Curionoir 415 AD courtesy of Cuirnoir

Thanks to the generosity of Indigo Perfumery, we have a draw for a 50 ml bottle of Curionoir 415 AD (50 ml extrait is $265) for one registered reader in the U.S. only. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what strikes you about Curionoir 415 AD based on Lauryn’s review and if you are familiar with Curionoir. Draw closes 5/1/2021.

Indigo Perfumery will be reopening May 1st, 2021… Great news so take a look at their website for store hours www.indigoperfumery.com

This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like ÇaFleureBon and use our blog feed … or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.