Christopher Brosius. The very mention of his name is synonymous with “thinking outside the box”. This is the man who dug up fresh soil from Pennsylvania farmland, put it in a bag and dumped it on a table at a Demeter Fragrance Library creative meeting and said “I want THAT, in a bottle!” Always ahead of his time and more than a few steps ahead of his contemporaries, Mr. Brosius created many unique and wonderful scents for Demeter before going his own way (as he always has) and starting CB I Hate Perfume.

I have two of his solo fragrances (Burning Leaves & Russian Caravan Tea) and find even the simplest ones tend to have amazing depth and character. Others I have smelled (such as Gathering Apples, Cedarwood Tea, In the Library and I Am a Dandelion) have all captivated me not only with their originality but through their unique approach to perfume as an art form. What this man does is simply amazing. His second newest scent, Where We Are There Is No Here (#405, his fifth from the Metamorphosis or “M” series) is no different.

 

A very ancient philosophy says “Anything taken to its extreme becomes its opposite”. Life (cellular mitosis) taken to its extreme (cancer) becomes death. Sweet taken to its extreme becomes sickening and nauseating. Soft silken powdery florals (like neroli) turned up too high can become overpowering and ultimately too musky for some. Don’t believe me? Put on ten sprays of Gaultier’s Fleur du Male. What Mr. Brosius has done here is take several strong “standard” perfume notes (jasmine, amber, musk and sandalwood) and turned them inside out. Had anyone else done this it would have, more than likely, been far too cloying and powerful.

 

Inspired by the last film of M. Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) who was one of the most avant-garde filmmakers of our era, the perfumer creates what he calls “a paradox, almost the antithesis of perfume”. This scent is shimmering and almost surreal. When I received my sample and dabbed some on, I was amazed by its ethereal nature. It was there, but just barely. It registered in my nose, but more so in my brain. Each and every successive sniff of my wrist yielded elusive wafts of alternating floral demureness coupled with soft woodiness and an elegant engaging muskiness. What was going on here??

I continued what I was doing and forgot about it (honestly). After doing some very vigorous yard work and getting soaked in a downpour of cool summer rain, I came inside and dried myself off and changed clothes. After I was warm and dry again, I kept catching whiffs of something that smelled absolutely delightful…but could not put my finger (or nostrils) on. I sniffed my wrist, after many hours, and there it was. It was WHERE WE ARE THERE IS NO HERE! It was still on me, and lasted through what would have washed many “lesser” scents away for good. The name itself is a contradiction of terms and makes little sense and the juice follows suit. I thought of philosophy. It exists, we can try to define it and talk about it for hours…but we cannot really see it or sense it. This perfume is like that.

Considering the first two listed “notes” are ISO E Super (super synthetic white musk with a woody aroma) and hedione (methyl dihydrojasmonate-a chemical with an aroma similar to jasmine) I was quite taken aback at its “lightness”. Also included in this mix are with three types of real jasmine (Moroccan, Egyptian and Indian), amber absolute and the two highest quality sandalwoods in the world (Mysore and Australian) along with a special “invisible musk” designed just for this fragrance. In this extremely ephemeral perfume one receives the best of both worlds. Natural oils and aromas are sustained (and significantly muted to soften and bring out their beauty) by synthetics, and the aromachemicals do not seem as flat and two dimensional as they usually do because the natural ingredients “fill them out”.

Jasmine lovers will most likely adore this, while big white floral fans may not. Sandalwood connoisseurs will appreciate this, but may not love it. Those who prefer their musk heavy and animalic may be disappointed, but those who like sexy and clean together will get a kick out of this. It is floral, woody and musky…but not in the conventional sense or the strictest definition of these terms.  Those who tend to like things that are just a bit “left of center” and “under the radar” (like myself) will rejoice. It is like a joke that is so subtle and witty that only very few ever “get” it. Of those few who do, even fewer will laugh and enjoy it.

It is like a song you can hear playing in the distance. You cannot make out all the words but the melody is wonderful, it makes you smile and puts a spring in your step (even if you are not aware of it) and though you are conscious of yourself and the world around you…something is just a tiny bit better. This is one of those fragrances that YOU wear, it doesn’t wear you! People will say you smell good, not your cologne or perfume; if they smell it at all. It is similar to a pheromone. Powerful and enticing, there yet barely detectable, it gets noticed but does not draw attention to itself. It just IS. Christopher Brosius strikes again…softly and subtly this time. Sillage: very close. Longevity: astounding!

Disclosure: Review based on a sample of perfume absolute sent to me from CB I Hate Perfume.

Courtesy of CB I Hate Perfume we have a 2mL sample of Where We Are There Is No Here to giveaway. To be eligible leave a comment on your favorite unusual note in perfumery. We will draw one winner via random .org on August 11, 2012.

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

-John Reasinger, Editor