Cure
Hendley Perfumes (2020)

First wearing of Hendley Perfumes Cure, which I believe was released as part of the 2020 Laboratory Series but never received a wider release. Upon initial spray, it has sharp-but-fresh, resinous, floral, varnish-like, semi-animalic qualities, something not giving in to any of its potential extremes but rather elegantly blended, a mix rich with frankincense, aldheydes, florals (rose, jasmine, heliotrope), castoreum, oakmoss, musk, patchouli, vetiver, and sandalwood (that’s the full list in order of prominence to my nose). It’s clearly a gem of the line along the lines of other robust entries of varying woody, animalic, spicy, resinosus, and rosy qualities, seemingly having bits and pieces in common with Rosenthal and Fume, and also reminding me of a couple D.S. & Durga entries (again, in small parts) like Bowmakers (the varnish) and Burning Barbershop (sharp, fresh, spicy). I’m instantly a huge fan, and unsurprisingly, like most of Hans’ offerings, it performs very well.

Hopefully Cure gets a wider release since I could see it being a fan favorite, something that is sort of for everyone but not pandering to anyone in particular, as it defies genre.

8 out of 10