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Post by Val the Cookie Queen

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Some perfume names give us a preconceived idea of the vibe of the fragrance in question. I was keen to get my nose on this from the minute I heard of it. I was born at the end of the fifties which threw me into the Punk Generation at exactly the right time. Had I been born earlier I like to think that I would have been part of the Beat Generation. This group consisted of a groups of American post World War II writers who came to the fore in the 1950s. The main elements of this “Beat” culture included experimentation with drugs, an interest in religion, alternative sexualities, a rejection of materialism and some unrestrained portrayals of the human condition. The best known writers and examples of the Beat Literature are probably William Burroughs (who wrote Junky), Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

It was Kerouac who coined the phrase “Beat Generation”. Thanks to the punk era into which I was thrown – I was turned onto the Beat Generation literature. Junky, Naked Lunch and On the Road being my top three reads.

Junky by Anais Biguine for Jardins D’Ecrivains 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords:
Top: Hemp, Palisander Rosewood, Galbanum
Heart: Iris, Violet, Gardenia
Base: Cashmeran, cedar, vetiver, incense, juniper, moss and myrtle (From Jardins D’Ecrivains box: Cashmeran, Cedar, Javanese vetiver, Sweet myrrhe, Frankincense, Cade, Moss)

So Jardins D’Ecrivains taking on Junky as a literary influence for a perfume was really quite formidable and perhaps a little abstract.

Green, green, green. Thick and ferocious. Straight to the amygdala, located deep within the brain. The hemp, combined with galbanum is legally intoxicating. Sticky and skunky and did I mention green?. I wish this moment would last forever but that might be too much to bear. It slides effortlessly into the beautifully smooth middle notes. This is very pleasurable and comfortable. Heady but controlled. Three beautiful floral notes intertwined one with another. And then the comedown. In this case, it is soft and sweet and lasts some hours. Quite dry, but a narcotic sweet feel nonetheless. It harks back to the opening green notes. A clever twist. It´s funny what a name can do. I was wondering if Jardins D’Ecrivains had called this Peter Pan, would it have made my experience any different? I think not. It would have just have been a wasted Peter Pan!

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Jardins D’Ecrivains succeeded with the Junky vibe. I was impressed with the journey that Junky takes you on. From the instant hit, to the agreeable middle, and a peaceful descent. Unlike the real thing.

Absolutely worth checking out. You could read the book too.

With thanks to First in Fragrance who rushed me a generous sample upon request.

First in Fragrance has €93/100ml and samples

“Silence is only frightening to people who are compulsively verbalizing.” William S. Burroughs

Bussis
CQ