House Lubin
Released 2016
Perfumer Thomas Fontaine
Fragrance Family Resinous
Notes bergamot, lemon, petitgrain, rose, patchouli, cistus labdanum, opoponax, vanilla

Description Like many Lubin fragrances, Kismet has an old name. The house revels in its impressive legacy, recycling the names of long-forgotten fragrances from their back catalog. The original Kismet was released in 1921 and presented in an adorable elephant bottle and while the new Kismet loses the ornate flacon, the imagery lives on in the packaging and marketing material. The fragrance itself is a resinous woody fragrance with a classical style. Either intentionally or unintentionally, Kimset nods to no fewer than two classic Guerlain compositions. Upon applying the fragrance, I was met with the ghost of Vol de Nuit, which quickly disappeared and was replaced by a rich, bitter accord of bergamot, petitgrain and lemon. I was struck by the density and weight of the citrus—modern fragrances tend to favor less aggressive citrus and the audaciousness of accord was refreshing and surprising. As the resinous components of the fragrance continue to grow in intensity, the fragrance enters its third stage which is dominated by opoponax, smoky leather, cistus labdanum and vanilla. As these elements faded into focus, I was once again struck by a sense of familiarity. After a few minutes of pondering, it came to me: I was reminded of Shalimar! None of this is to say that Kismet is not original—quite the contrary. In fact, the twists and turns and subtle nods to classics make it one of the most engaging and interesting fragrances of the year.

100 ml eau de parfum spray
$196.00

1 ml eau de parfum sample
$5.00