ARQUISTE Indigo Smoke Review (Calice Becker) 2022+ Lapsang Souchong Giveaway

Perfumer Calice Becker in collaboration with Carlos Huber composed Arquiste Indigo Smoke

Perfumer Calice Becker in collaboration with Carlos Huber composed ARQUISTE Indigo Smoke photo© Carlos Huber

 I have known ARQUISTE founder Architect and designer, Mexican born Carlos Huber for over a decade and the team at ÇaFleureBon has reviewed every fragrance since the collection of “Olfactive Architecture” debuted in 2011. Each ARQUISTE perfume begins with a brief that describes a place and a date. “May 1646, Wuyi Mountains, Fujian” is the coordinates Carlos gave SUPERSTAR Calice Becker, master perfumer and director of Givaudan Perfumery School for ARQUISTE Indigo Smoke. Before we watch Steven’s video, thanks to Carlos Huber, we have an insider’s look into the creation of ARQUISTE Indigo Smoke –Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

Michelyn Camen: Why did you choose Calice Becker for ARQUISTE Indigo Smoke?

Carlos Huber: I have known Calice for years. She and I were introduced by Rodrigo Flores-Roux and we became friends. I loved the sheer beauty in her work and I felt she understood my interest in history and olfactive recreation. She’s an incredible perfumer that creates bold, modern work that retains a certain sensibility, a charm that is her own. Being a close friend of Rodrigo’s and Yann Vasnier’s made it all stay within the family. That’s sense of closeness very important to me. Rodrigo was my teacher. That relationship as mentor and mentee is never going away. Calice is a new member in the ARQUISTE family.

What raw materials inspired you, any of them somewhat unique and why China?

Carlos Huber: Calice was super interested in Lapsang Souchong and showed me a preliminary accord that was captivating. I decided to do a deeper dive and find out more about the smoking of tea leaves in China and that led to the discovery of the Indigo Smoke story.

 Is there a connection to Mexico the way Nanban had, or is it an era that fascinated you? 

Carlos Huber: Not to Mexico precisely, but there is a connection to the history of trade and how cultures and people meet through it. Lapsang souchong was created by the Chinese and sold to the Dutch, which then made it popular all-around Europe. It’s this movement of raw materials- be they spices, flowers or tea that fascinates me. How things made it from one part of the world the other. It lets us know no culture can self-isolate. We must build bridges, because we all need each other.

Indigo Smoke Notes: lapsang souchong tea, maté tea, mandarin orange, bergamot, apricot, cassia, carrot seed, cedar leaf, vetiver, guaiacwood, incense and pine tar.

ARQUISTE Parfumeur won The Fragrance Foundation Indie Perfume of 2021 with Misfiit.

You can read Michelyn’s Interview with Calice Becker here and please read more about Carlos Huber here

Disclosure: Steven received a bottle for this review, Michelyn a travel atomizer; opinions are their own

 

Video Editor Steven Gavrielatos reviews Indigo Smoke

Thanks to Carlos Huber we have a 7.5 ml travel spray of ARQUISTE Indigo Smoke for a registered ÇaFleureBon reader and Redolessence subscriber. YOU MUST REGISTER and leave a comment on this site with what you thought of BOTH MICHELYN’S WRITTEN INTERVIEW AND STEVEN’S VIDEO REVIEW of ARQUISTE Indigo Smoke USA ONLY. If you want your comment to count twice, please follow us on our Instagram page @cafleurebonoffical. Draw closes 10/24/2022 but will be announced within 2 weeks after.

Follow us on Instagram @ @cafleurebonoffical @Redolessence @Arquiste @ArquisteCarlos @CaliceBecker

This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy

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

 

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33 comments

  • Emily L says:

    I had the chance to sample Indigo smoke a few weeks ago and loved it! I’m a huge fan of tea notes and that smokiness made me smile. It’s perfect for the cool autumn weather. I agree with Steven, it’s one of the most realistic tea perfumes I’ve smelled. I would love a travel spray of this fragrance. ~Indiana

  • sbinkowitz says:

    Michelyn did a fantastic job with the interview. It is interesting to hear what inspired Carlos Huber to produce such a lovely creation.

    What can I say about Steven? He is my favorite fragrance reviewer on YouTube. He always has the right words to describe a fragrance so accurately. You can tell that he is truly passionate about fragrances.

    I live in Houston Texas and would like to enter the giveaway. Thanks

  • Jeremi says:

    I thought that Michelyn’s written interview was very helpful and intriguing. I also thought that Steven’s video reviews was really detailed and professionally made. I live in Poland, EU. I am follower. My Insta name: insztagramekphoto

  • Aes.she says:

    Well, now!! Sounds like another earthly delight, otherworldly Arquiste. I don’t know another house where I find each offering to be as uniquely transportive. Always a delight to get an informed fragrance breakdown of a new fragrance from a valued enthusiast *and* a bit of editorial background on the inspiration and experience of the house and perfumer. ;} Ta!!!

  • BoogieDaddy says:

    I am a huge fan of tea. I love to drink it. I love to smell it. I love using tea infused skin care. I am a tea fanatic. I also love everything I have tried from Arquiste so far, with Nanban being my favorite. Hearing that they were doing a tea fragrance nearly made my head explode. I am incredibly excited to try this, even more so now that I have read the interview and watched the video. I loved that Michelyn asked him if there was a connection to Mexico and his reply about the word being sewn together by trade and the influence cultures hav on one another through their product. In Steven’s video, I really enjoyed his comprehensive breakdown of the notes. Steven is a master at really getting in there and telling you what facets you can expect to explore as you wear a fragrance. The fact he mentioned this being a dry take on tea has me excited as most tea scents are sweet or rely on vanilla/ambers – this sounds pleasantly unique!

  • ahodge1993 says:

    I love how Steven’s review was so in depth about this fragrance! I love how Huber dove deeper into the history and practice of smoking tea leaves in China. This fragrance sounds captivating!

  • drjedi says:

    From Michelyn’s interview I learned about how the Lapsang Souchong tea was created by the Chinese and then sold to the Dutch and then it spread all over the world – another great example of Columbian Exchange. I like the flavor and smell of Lapsang Souchong tea, along with other teas and incense, so I am sure I will find ARQUISTE Indigo Smoke lovely. Steven’s video review added more to Michelyn’s introduction by taking about how the fleeing monks used the smoke of pine for preserving their teas. The bottle for ARQUISTE Indigo Smoke is lovely too. Always enjoy Steven’s detailed descriptions and comparisons with other similar products in the market. I am a Redolessence subscriber and am from the USA.

  • lillian33 says:

    I’ve yet to find a tea fragrance that I love but this one sounds intriguing. The notes in this are something I have yet to smell. The chance to try this would be absolutely amazing. From Connecticut USA

  • flugsang says:

    I recently had Lapsang Souchong at a tea pairing event, and that cemented my interest in this perfume! The tea itself had a lot of depth, and goes a different direction from black & green tea, towards a richer, meatier kind of flavor. Not meaty like meat but more bodied if that makes sense! I’d love to smell it for myself someday, and experience firsthand how the story Arquiste crafted into it will play out

  • Justin Benyola says:

    First of all, I love both reviews and I appreciate the time an effort that was put in. Some of my favorite fragrances in my collection have a prominent note of black tea. When I saw that this fragrance has one of the best black tea notes that Stephen has ever smelled, I gotta tell you, I became very intrigued. And I know that this perfume house his top notch quality. Would love to get my nose on this fragrance! Thanks.

  • opalbear says:

    I appreciate Michelyn asking the back story to how and why certain notes were crafted. I like how Steven is detailed and straight forward.
    I’m super interested in trying this creation as I love this tea, and tea in fragrances. I think adding in apricot is brilliant, and gaiac wood for some smoke (not just relying on frankincense). It sounds like the citrus notes balance the powder of carrot seed and smoke to make a beautiful blend.
    Opalbear, California

  • Lauren says:

    I have a collection of tea fragrances and am always on the hunt for more. This interview and description really pushed it over the line to male me want to try it. Steven always has a way with words in describing scents in detail. I would love to try this and am in MA, USA.

  • Jacob D Savitt says:

    Just like Steven, I’m a HUGE tea fan, and with what Michelyn wrote about inspiration drawing from a Chinese variety, this is sooooooo exciting! This will be a mysterious blend that is super unique and one that I hope to add to the collection!

  • mdellaroc says:

    I always love a smoke note and I’m really interested in apricot right now. Tea is an interesting note too. It has its place in certain scents. I always loved tea for two. In maryland.

  • kelvinz6820 says:

    From Michelyn’s interview, I find pride in this fragrance because of its inspiration from my Chinese roots. Lapsang souchong tea and mandarin orange create an Asian identity, which I find to be lacking within the fragrance community. From Steven’s video, I enjoy learning how the he describes the combination of Smokey calmness and harmony, which is a representation of Chinese culture. I live in New York, USA.

  • skye says:

    Lapsang Souchong is such a great note to anchor a fragrance, The smokey tea is so complex and interesting to drink. The aroma is memorable. Indigo Smoke seems to reference the tea trade with Europe in its blend of tea, citrus, spice and incense. I love Steve’s detailed reviews. MD, USA.

  • John McDonald says:

    Love the Arquiste scents.
    Have several.
    This one sounds like another winner.
    Perfect for fall and winter
    Oklahoma USA

  • Cuttyj77 says:

    I have never had a chance to try anything from this house, but is on my list to sample. I know some really great creations have come out of this house. I like how he states we need to build bridges to one another because we all need each other. I do enjoy a good tea fragrance. I like the history Steven gave about the locals who had to flee the mountains and smoked tea leaves to preserve the product. Thanks for the draw! I am following on Instagram. US.

  • roxhas1cat says:

    Reading about the trade routes always has me wondering, how did these distant countries do their trade without computers and package tracking. I wonder what the docks were like when these precious commodities arrived. I saw this fragrance at my local shop and ignored it because of the word smoke. I guess that was a mistake. I love that it is artistic, yet not pushing the envelope which to me means “challenging”. Love the longevity and projection. I agree the Arquiste atomizers are very nice. I own Anima Dulcis from the line and Misfit is on my wishlist. My instagram is roadrunner_girl100. Thanks for the chance. Great review as always. USA.

  • rmsssss says:

    I would really love the opportunity to try Indigo Smoke! I appreciated the description of the lapsang souchong tea note in Michelyn’s description as that is one of my favorite teas to drink and it’s unusual to find in a fragrance. I also liked how Steven described it as being dark but calming, as that is how the tea makes me feel as well. I’m in MN, USA and follow you on instagram @ra7chel

  • wallygator88 says:

    Thanks for the fantastic review Steven and Michelyn.

    Exciting to see Calice Becker working with this brand. TI like the philosophy of Arquiste, both in the brief and the perfume – I love fragrances that are based on history.

    I’m appreciative that Steven mentions that this is not a smoky fragrance, but rather a dark unsweeted tea with an artistic nuance/

    Michelyn;s interview was quite informative.

    Cheers from WI, USA

  • mmerline says:

    I love Lapsang Souchong as a fragrance note (Imaginary Authors O, Unknown! comes to mind) and I was intrigued to read tea smoking inspired this fragrance. In Michelyn’s interview, I appreciated Carlos Huber’s comments about cultural collaboration in the perfume industry. In Stephen’s review, he helpfully compared Indigo Smoke to other tea fragrances; I’d love a tea fragrance that is very realistic, unsweetened rendering of the earthy, malty leaves. “It’s artistic without pushing any envelopes.” The complex balance of incense and tea here sounds very well executed.

    I’m in the midwest, USA. I follow @cafleurebonoffical on Instagram.

  • Bryant Worley says:

    Ithought Michelyn’s interview was very good, giving us a bsckground of the people involved, as well as a good overview of the fragrance’s inspiration. Steven did a very good job of exlaining the fragrance, with nice fitting details.

    I follow you on IG: @Brygantor_1.

    I live in Waldorf, Maryland, USA.

  • Regis Monkton says:

    I appreciated Michelyn’s interview with Carlos Huber. It caused me to be somewhat familiar with that company and with the ingredients used in this new fragrance. According to its list of notes, this fragrance seems appealing to me. Steven’s review caused me to think that this fragrance is one of the best tea-centric fragrances on the market. I live in the U.S.A. I follow Cafleurebon on Instagram from @regismonkton

  • lkschnit says:

    As an archaeologist and tea drinker I really appreciated how both Michelyn and Steven delved into the history of lapsang souchong and how it influenced the creation of Indigo Smoke. Also mentioned in Steven’s video, I thought it was interesting that the smokiness is not as prominent as one might think, based on the name of the fragrance. Very excited to try this one soon, thanks for the great reviews Michelyn and Steven!