Au Delà Narcisse
Fzotic (Bruno Fazzolari) (2014)

Au Dela Narcisse deserves the kind of “classic green floral” status as Chanel No. 19 or Guerlain's Chamade. Revolving around a honeyed, animalic narcissus and a dulcet jasmine, Au Dela has a brisk modern feel, but none of the clipped formality of either the Chanel or the Guerlain. The opening moments – a clustering of green notes that manage to be simultaneously crisp and nectarous – are truly riveting, and though the jasmine that follows is a hair too honeyed for my taste, the overall impression is of a green floral chypre, a feat that's none too easy to accomplish in an oakmoss-limited era.

What I appreciate most about Au Dela Narcisse is that it is the rare green floral that doesn't feel ramrod stiff. It has a sexy, tousled feel to it, as if Chamade had rolled around with a lover on a bed of wild, honeyed narcissi for hours and is now pleasantly drowsy.

Bruno Fazzolari Au Delà Narcisse (2014) was originally released as a seasonal flanker to Au Delà (2013) under the name "Au Delà Narcisse des Montagnes" for the first two years, then subsequently became the only version of Au Delà available on a yearly basis in a limited run, and as an artisanal fragrance is made batch-by-batch with flucuations between them. Because of the aforementioned fact, it is important to note that for this review, an original 2014 "Au Delà Narcisse des Montagnes" cellophane-wrapped carded sample was used, and may not 100% reflect the state of the last-known batch nor the state of the original 2014 batch when new, since all these types of fragrances tend to macerate or evolve as they age much more-quickly than industrially-made fragrances. The original scent profile of Au Delà sought to replicate the feel of a classic green chypre the likes of which hit their peak in the 1970's, and this flanker adds narcissus to the mix and focuses on it as a starring note. Labelled as unisex, the scent profile of Au Delà Narcisse Narcisse nonetheless is one borrowed from fragrances that once upon a time were pitched to women, so there may be some reservations there for men who like "strictly masculine" profiles as dertermined by conventional wisdom. I think Au Delà Narcisse does the task at hand fairly well, is a faithful classic green chypre homage, but isn't strictly a "dated" experience by the standards of societal norms either. Later chypre exercises like Bruno Fazzolari Seyrig (2015) stretch the modernity just a bit too far into the classic chypre style, making a weird and obtuse "artistic statement" sort of thing that almost precludes wearability. Au Delà Narcisse however, stays in its lane.

People obsessed with oakmoss in vintage enthusiast circles forget that labdanum plays just as important of a role in the original "chypre" accord structure of bergamot, oakmoss, and labdanum, but because oakmoss eventually became so cheap and plentiful during the heyday of its use and cultivation, large-scale perfumers went nuts with the stuff as a cure-all for depth and sillage the same way aromachemicals such as ambroxan fit that bill today. What Bruno does with the core structure of Au Delà Narcisse is effectively "taking back" labdanum's role in the chypre accord, bringing it in balance with the oakmoss and adding a fat semi-rotted note of resinous narcissus in the heart. The opening is classic chypre brightness featuring bergamot and aldehydes, but these are sharper metallic aldehydes that Mr. Fazzolari prefers over the pillowy ones found in the 60's or 70's. The choice of aldehyde used modernizes the perfume somewhat, but once the indolic jasmine and soapy neroli come into the picture, the classic "femme chypre" form many vintage fans love comes to the fore. Narcissus does its "thing" in the heart, then oakmoss and labdanum both in a slow dance appear, feeling very much like Guerlain Mitsouko (1919) does in its final stages, only to be smoothed over by a bit of soft amber. Wear time is outstanding as a parfum, although sillage is not of the "compliment getting" variety. Wear where you dare but remember that during their prime, chypres like this were seen as austere business-like day scents for the "boss lady". Best time of year for a chypre like this to me is spring and summer, but there is enough bottom end here for Au Delà Narcisse to make a comfortable aura of scent in fall or early winter too, especially thanks to the very namesake ingredient focus and the hefty natural oakmoss/labdanum two-step going on down at skin-level.

I think the best part of Au Delà Narcisse is the "less is more" structure, as it really just has one note in the heart that does the trick of being floral, musky, resinous, and deep all at once. Since labdanum itself is musky and real oakmoss at high enough doses also gains some virility, there is no need for a bunch of civet, muscone, or any number of synthetic musk molecules to pad this out past the aldehydes in the opening. Granted, the downside is having a simple structure with mostly natural materials means there is an unspoken "best by" date and a bit of schizophrenia in how this could wear occasion to occasion, since a certain level of consistency people may be accustomed to with synthetic use is absent here, but perhaps that's the fun of it too. Perfumes like Au Delà Narcisse tackle the French style without all the fussiness or decorum of a full chemical lab and "proper" French perfumery education, taking the DIY kitsch of stuff like the brand Lush to entirely new levels of prodigal genius, validating artisanal perfumes as the ultimate alternative to those actually tired of the droning "consistency" and "flatness" of fragrances over-produced to meet mass appeal. I still like a teeny bit more dependability in knowing something is manufactured in volumes that allow greater longevity and chance of replacement down the road, but I totally love passion projects like this too. Besides, you're never going to see YSL or Armani ever tackle a structure like this again, because IFRA won't allow it, so there's that too. Catch this one when you can if you're a fan of chypres or green florals, even if just in sample form. I think Au Delà Narcisse is worth the trouble for the experience of a what a formerly mass-produced style can smell like when made by hand and free from regulation. Thumbs up.

First try of Bruno Fazzolari / Fzotic – Au Dela Narcisse, an elegant chypre that dates back to 2014 but that I've not yet tried yet until today, so I ordered a sample of it along with the new Corpse Reviver and Zdravetz. Once again, I love the custom sample pack directly from Fzotic–great presentation.

Au Dela Narcisse is a delight, an elegant chypre that is well-crafted, using high-quality florals (narcissus, jasmine, orange flower) and a healthy helping of oakmoss, along with bergamot and amber, to yield a really beautiful creation. It's fresh, floral, woody, and slightly herbal in a very interesting way. It's dense and rich but not overpowering.

As with many fragrances, it's abundantly more elegant and balanced on skin than on paper, so I recommend trying this one out if you haven't yet.

Au Dela Narcisse is priced on the higher side, at $145 for 30ml, no doubt due to the floral absolutes that dominate it.

I've a little less to say about this than usual but it's a very nice fragrance that I'd highly recommend trying out. Zdravetz is a little lighter, so it's a slightly easier-wear-floral than Au Dela Narcisse, but ADN is richer and I believe its payoff is greater.

8 out of 10

This is a well executed fragrance that's an interpretation of the retro floral chypre genre. The bergamot is soft, leading to notes of narcissus and jasmine. The oakmoss is there in the dry down, though not a lot of it, unlike some vintages. I do not get orange blossom or amber at any stage of development. Sad, as I think they would've added another dimension. Somewhat unisex, could be a bit femme for some; sillage and projection are soft, though duration is moderate.

My tastes are shifting away from this style of perfumes. While it's nice, you might want to shop around for Givenchy III or other vintages. It is dry, and has some green elements, but is not a 'green chypre' like Dryad. Among modern stuff that revisit the chypre style, I prefer the richer and more nuanced Chypre Palatin, or the rugged MAAI.

3/5

A crisp & bittersweet blend of crushed green leaves, earthy oakmoss & animalic florals make this a rich, full-bodied & retro-style chypre. An hour in, I smell iris & mimosa rather than narcissus. After around three hours it fades closer to the skin, & six hours in there's a soft base of oakmoss & amber. Eight hours in it's a skin scent.
I'm not usually a huge fan of oakmoss, but the skillful blending with the rich florals here won me over. It's really quite stunning, & if you love vintage chypres, you have to try this.

Wonderfully blended! Narcissus is the definite star here. The oakmoss and orange flower have a sweet, hazy marriage. The jasmine is earthy-spicy but, not "dirty". The bergamot and amber are almost incense-like on my skin, at the base. Very impressive.