Okto

The choice of galbanum as the leading note is deliberate, it's sharp, almost aggressive in its greenness, the kind of material that announces itself before you've applied it. But Rasquinet immediately pulls it sideways with pear, a translucent sweetness that softens the blow without diluting it. Star anise arrives next, adding a quiet spice that most wearers don't consciously register but feel as an undercurrent of complexity. The heart, ambrette seed, angelica root, iris, is where the fragrance earns its character.

The evolution

The opening hits in layers. Galbanum arrives first, that unmistakable green cut, sharp as cut grass on a cold morning. Pear follows within minutes, bringing translucence rather than sweetness. Star anise sits quietly beneath, lending a faint aniseed warmth that some wearers read as liquorice, others as spice. The transition to the heart begins gradually. The iris arrives like a slow exhale, powdery, cool, edged with something mineral. Angelica keeps it from floating away into abstraction. It anchors. Then the base begins to emerge: humus, that earthy dark note, surfaces gradually and brings the composition down toward something more grounded. Sandalwood follows, creamy and warm, taking over as the galbanum finally softens. Cashmeran extends everything, adding a soft synthetic warmth that smooths the edges.