Olivier Durbano: Promethee on the rocks

by: Serguey Borisov

Parisian bijoux poet and perfume-gemology artist Olivier Durbano participates in every Pitti Fragranze exhibition of niche perfume brands. He has a clear and understandable concept – to create perfumes that by their colors, moods and internal energy are similar to semi-precious minerals: Turquoise, Jade, Citrine, Black Tourmaline, Amethyst and even the legendary Philosopher's Stone are amongst his perfumes.

Prometheus Brings Fire by Heinrich Friedrich Füger

The tenth fragrance, Promethee, could mark the transition from jewelry and “stone poetry” to a completely new idea: away from dead things in nature and closer to people; our thoughts and  desires. The stone that is linked with Prometheus in this creation is Caucasian Rock, an idea that is totally unremarkable in the perfume composition, it is merely an excuse for the perfume to be included into Olivier Durbano's "stones collection".

Prometheus with the firebrand, by Pieter Paul Rubens

If a mythological theme will be the main idea behind the next 10 Olivier perfumes I`d be very happy, as it may render interesting and educational perfume projects (even the previous one, the ninth fragrance, Lapis Philosophorum – Philosopher's Stone – seemed transitional, because the main content of the perfume was not the color of the stone, but its legendary status).

What is the perfume form of Prometheus, Promethee by Olivier Durbano?

This is a scent of resin, smoke and burnt tree bark framed by dried herbs, spices and wood; a cistus and storax combo, simply put  – smoke of woods and amber.
So, the fire has been stolen from the Olympian gods in a giant fennel-stalk, and handed out to all people to keep their houses warm and to prepare food for the glory of Prometheus, but there`s no Zeus' lightning strikes, no blood, no tradegy.

Do not believe those who effortlessly decribe the perfume in notes – they have read the notes in the press release and repeat them to you - because there is more to it. This well-built piece of amber is fused by several different aromatic resins (cistus, styrax, olibanum, and less myrrh), as if taken out of a brazier of fire coals, and the piece is pretty charred. The floral notes of Promethee, which are listed in the press release, are not pronounced, as they exist mainly to lift all the tar notes into the air, and the freshness of lavender is the only flower note to be distinguished from the background of smoke and intense spices. A light herbal, bitter aroma is easiest to discern in cold weather, it is clearly there the first few minutes. Olivier made an effort to put a lot of symbolism in this perfume: a fennel note, for the dry tubular stem that Prometheus used to steal the fire from the gods; cistus, sage, myrtle and lavender – the flavors of the Mediterranean and characteristic smells of Greece; frankincense and myrrh, that were often used as offerings to the Olympians ... Although I have to add that I doubt Mr. Durbano could make a perfume without frankincense. Olibanum and Ambroxan (often supplemented with Myrrh) - together forming frankincense - are responsible for a particular mineral smell in all Olivier Durbano perfumes (which some people call the smell of dust) – I like its thin mineralic accent that layers with the main composition.

So Prometheus brought the fire, but the perfume is not burning. It is smoky, warm and even hot – but not scalding or fire-starting, it`s friendly and sprinkled with ashes. The perfume keeps the fire inside.

Resinous-woody and smoky ambery Promethee does fit the oriental trend of the last years. New flavors within the oriental vector are patchouli and leather, as we noticed at Pitti Fragranze-2014 (amongst omnipresent oud perfumes). Many perfume journalists and bloggers have noted the further development of oriental themes into leather and patchouli-woody areas as one of the trends. It seems that Promethee by Olivier Durbano, as befits the real mythical Prometheus, really can foresee the future.

Promethee Olivier Durbano

Head: Fennel, Pink pepper, Nutmeg, Myrtle, Olibanum, Cistus
Heart: Narcissus, Caucasian lily, Lavender absolute, Fenugreek, Russian sage, Storax
Base: Cedarwood, Vetiver, Myrrh, Labdanum, Ambergris, Musk