Huitième Art Sucre d’Ebène is inspired by tropical tradewinds. I think that Sucre d’Ebène achieves that. It’s sweet brown sugar and benzoin with a sheer, breezy, “tiki” feel.
Sucre d’Ebène surprises me with an opening of sweet brown sugar and benzoin. It’s so sweet but so wearable. Why? There is this brilliant addition of astringent witch hazel. I’ve always loved the scent of witch hazel and often wondered why it wasn’t used in fragrance. I guess it is seen as mundane and almost one of those “so wrong” scents to like (like gasoline). The witch hazel is what makes Sucre d’Ebène different. There’s almost a fruity-benzoin in this. It doesn’t seem so dry/resinous, it seem “juicy” and resinous. It really is a tropical benzoin. It reminds me of tiki cocktails.
I really appreciate the different components in this fragrance but the bottom line is that those components are subtle. This is a simple fragrance and it wears very linear. I wish something else “happened” in this. I feel like I’m wearing an idea and not a finished product. But, what I have on is very well done. Personally, I want a little more “umph” like you see in the Anita Ekberg pic above 🙂
Notes listed include brown sugar, witch hazel, and benzoin. PERFUMER – Pierre Guillaume
Give Sucre d’Ebene a try if you like benzoin, sweet perfumes, or if you like perfumes like Prada Candy, Parfumerie Generale Indochine, Annick Goutal Vanille Exquise, By Kilian Love, B&BW Warm Vanilla Sugar, and/or Atelier Vanille Insensee. Sucre d’Ebene, even with the witch hazel, is a very sweet fragrance. Try if you want to smell like tropical brown sugar. Not a thick, baked brown sugar, but a “sheer” sugar. I find that this scent is unisex and good for anyone that likes “sweet”.
I find that projection of this perfume is average and longevity is average to above average depending on how much you apply.
The 1.7 oz bottle retails for $125 at The Perfume Shoppe.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – A “juicy” benzoin with brown sugar with a subtle but weird witch hazel. The scent is linear and sweet. I like it but I don’t find it that special for the price point. When I want “sheer” sweet, I’ll stick to Prada Candy. But, maybe if I didn’t own benzoin heavy Prada Candy, I would want Sucre d’Ebène.
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