Jus Interdit
Jovoy (2015)

Awful pot pourri scrubber.
For the braver female only and in small amounts.

Fragrance: 5/10
Projection: 7/10
Longevity: 7/10

The opening of Jus Interdit is a nice, kind of dark and vaguely animalic musky-balmy-patch combo that's handled with enough restraint to feel easy to wear and likable without crossing the border of challenging stuff. It's a familiar oriental accord one can find in several westerner ouds but it's very nicely executed while the smooth animalic facets add a certain je ne sais quoi that will appeal to fans of more *civilized* musky fragrances.

Unfortunately this phase doesn't last enough to preserve Jus Interdit from falling into dull territories. As a matter of fact, all you're left with after a couple hours is a generic (and very faint) woodyambery base that feels ordinary and uninspired.

This initially smells like a lit match with a tinge of sweetness in the background. It's a low wattage resin scent that reminds me of a PG-13 Montecristo crossed with Malbrum's Psychotrope over a base of Serge's L'Orpheline. There's a foody aspect to it–a slightly carmelized vanillic note (that I'm guessing is either benzoin or myrrh) that's met with a flinty, sulfurous resin accord. The musks are exceedingly tame–in fact, the whole scent is tame–but I think that works its favor as I don't find the composition itself to be very appealing. There's a subtle rooty accord lurking around that smells faintly coniferous, but I can't put my finger on what it's supposed to be. To be honest, I think its biggest crime is that it doesn't assert itself well enough; it could be interesting, but it's too timid. And that doesn't mean that I think it should just be louder; it's more that it's not speaking clearly or it doesn't have much to say. Overall, an odd combination of gourmand and rooty, vegetal items that are sort of swirled into a musky, vanillic dessert. After half an hour, I was bored with it.