The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Catoblepas entered the world in 2025 as part of Grimoire Parfums' Ex Fabularum collection, a name that places it within a world of folklore, mythology, and narrative. The composition turns away from spectacle and toward atmosphere: a green, spicy opening built around cardamom, carrot seed, cherimoya, fenugreek, lovage, and turmeric. The architecture moves from aromatic freshness into rose, coffee, frankincense, and a dense resinous base. Cardamom gives the opening a cool, aromatic lift, while carrot seed and lovage add a green, savory quality. Fenugreek brings a warmer herbal accent, and turmeric contributes a dusty richness beneath the brighter notes. Cherimoya adds a soft, creamy texture that keeps the spice from feeling sharp.
Fenugreek, carrot seed, and lovage bring a green, almost savory opening, while turmeric and cardamom add dusty heat and a cool aromatic lift. Bulgarian rose and coffee then pull the composition toward something more tactile, with rose petals appearing darker and warmer beside the dry bitterness of coffee. The heart feels dense without becoming heavy, balancing floral richness with the dry, mineral character of frankincense. Orris root gives the rose a powdery softness, while calamus introduces a slightly earthy, aromatic edge.
The evolution
The opening arrives with a distinctly vegetal snap. Cardamom and turmeric bring heat, while carrot seed, fenugreek, lovage, and cherimoya create the impression of crushed herbs, spice, and damp soil. That brightness does not vanish; it changes shape as the fragrance settles into a greener, more tactile middle. Cardamom lends an aromatic coolness to the opening, while turmeric adds a soft, dusty warmth beneath it. Carrot seed and lovage keep the composition earthy and savory, and cherimoya smooths the sharper spice notes with a creamy fruitiness. The heart introduces Bulgarian rose and coffee, softening the green sharpness with a dark floral warmth and a roasted, slightly bitter depth. Rose provides a rounded bloom, while coffee makes it feel less polished and more textured. Frankincense, orris root, and calamus then add incense, powdery depth, and a cool aromatic edge.
Cultural impact
Catoblepas brings a distinctive cultural register to the Ex Fabularum collection through a composition that pairs spice, incense, rose, and resin. Its cultural character comes through in the contrasts between its materials rather than in a single dominant motif. Cardamom, carrot seed, fenugreek, lovage, cherimoya, and turmeric establish a green and savory opening, drawing attention to the fragrance's connections with aromatic plants and familiar kitchen ingredients. Bulgarian rose and coffee shift the mood into a darker register, where floral richness meets roasted depth.
The House
Grimoire ParfumsGrimoire Parfums is an independent Australian fragrance house founded by self-taught perfumer Trung Vu, who also goes by the name Troy. The brand takes its name from the French word for a spell book, reflecting its dedication to crafting scents inspired by folklore, mythology, and cultural narratives from around the world. Vu operates the house as both perfumer and creative director, bringing a collector's sensibility to fragrance creation. Each release draws from literary sources, historical figures, and mythological traditions, resulting in perfumes that function as olfactory storytelling. The house launched its initial collection in 2025, introducing five distinct fragrances named after creatures and figures from global folklore. All formulations maintain IFRA compliance, with materials sourced from the French supplier Robertet.
The Creator
Trung VuTrung Vu gravitates toward atmospheric compositions that pull the wearer somewhere unexpected. His work favors depth over accessibility, building scents that reveal themselves slowly and reward attention.
