Lady Vengeance 
Juliette Has a Gun (2006)

People forget that before ambroxide-based captives like Cetalox/Abroxan/Orcanox came to dominate mainstream masculine perfumes (alonside norlimbanol), they were used more judiciously as a replacement for natural ambergris in many traditional floral styles made by higher-end houses like Creed or niche perfumers such as Juliet Has a Gun. It wasn't until about 2010 when Bleu de Chanel (2010) first made prominent use of ambroxan alongside synthetic wood notes in perfume that was in reach of most buyers that the stuff became so ubiquitous in mall-grade designers, but for a number of years ambroxide made quiet waves in a niche revival of ambergris florals that hadn't made much of an appearance since the real deal was outlawed early on in the 20th century. Lady Vengeance (2006) is one such ambergris floral, and in fact a traditional ambergris rose perfume made by the lauded Francis Kurkdijan of MFK fame, adding a few minor embellishments to sweeten the deal for modern palettes. The rose perfume segment has and always will be a crowded one, but for people liking a rose less-naked than in an old oakmoss chypre, but isn't buried in 101 oriental notes, this lady has you covered.

There isn't a whole lot to really shout about with Lady Vengeance, as this is a perfume made for a very specific if well-loved theme. The distinction comes from Francis Kirkdijan's deft blending of natural and synthetic ingredients to blur any seams, but that's it. The opening is simple and fougère-like with sweet French lavender and bergamot which quickly moves into the starring Damask rose. There is vanilla and patchouli to keep that rose from doing its usual stark and dry thing, but this is definitely not jammy and has more of a hippie vibe like Elizabeth & James Nirvana Rose (2016), which may in fact be inspired by this. The base of cetalox/abroxan becomes apparent right away when it helps cook up the vanilla/rose/patchouli accord with an earthy warmth, but it retains a convincing ambergris vibe because it isn't overdosed like in something such as Yves Saint Laurent Y Eau de Parfum (2018). Hours of moderately potent soft rose over ambergris are the results of the effort, classic yet at once modern. Francis Kurkdijan is no stranger to synthetics, as he would prove when forming his own luxury house in 2009, but in Lady Vengeance you don't really think about their presence during the wear, since the focus is on the rose accord (as it should be) throughout the dry down.

Usage of Lady Vengeance is mostly devoid of gender because rose is rose is rose, but for sticklers, this isn't animalic or fresh enough for most dyed-in-the-wool "cologne bros" worried about heteronormative gender standards. Lady Vengeance could also be a lower-cost alternative to Portrait of a Lady by Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle (2010), or Amouage Lyric Woman (2008), since it has a similar dark tone but with a pinch more sweetness. Juliette Has a Gun would later release Not a Perfume (2010) consisting entirely of Cetalox, as some sort of self-effacing joke about their own ambroxide reliance, unwittingly creating a litmus for cynical niche colognoisseurs and perfumistas to test against the "mall dreck" they so love to bash, but their intentions here with Lady Vengeance were to deliver a modern interpretation of a Victorian staple using technology that allows such perfume to exist without breaking the bank or international law. I can't reiterate enough that there isn't anything particularly unique with Lady Vengeance, and like a 70's or 80's aromatic fougère, may feel like it contains dime-a-dozen accords, but it doesn't lack in quality and construction. Thumbs up!

Lady V. is a simple affair. The quality and depth of ingredients immediately brings to mind a couple of releases from the Histoires line, particularly the interplay between a very bright and dry rose and patchouli duo which together evince an orangey, potpourri sort of accord. I would rather do without the vanilla myself, but it does serve to temper the spikier aspects of the former parts. This is a cheery, well-lit mood enhancing frag with another silly name. Nothing worth shouting about, but not one to be written off without trying.

This is a nice rose floral scent. The rose is a little more delicate (not one of those big heady full bodied roses) than I was expecting but isn't powdery at all. Occasionally I'll get a hint of something darker that could be patchouli. Occasionally I get a hint of something green that could be lime or geranium. Occasionally I get a light floral that isn't rose and could easily be a hint of lavender.

It doesn't morph much. On me it's still somewhat present after 6 hours, but a little on the soapy side.