The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Palindrome I takes its name from words that read the same forward and backward, a structure that the scent mirrors in its own way: a fragrance that offers different impressions depending on which direction you approach it from. Santi Burgas launched the composition in 2017, the first piece in a conceptual series that treats olfactory structure as something worth considering from both ends. Rodrigo Flores-Roux is credited as the perfumer. The composition uses resinous materials alongside Sicilian citrus at the top, layering brightness against density so that the same accord reads differently at different points in the wear.
The composition hangs on the interplay between opoponax, frankincense, and tolu balsam in the base, materials with weight and density. Sharing that space are cacao bean, vanilla, and tonka, which lend the composition a creamy undertone. What keeps the whole thing legible is the citrus opening, Sicilian mandarin and lemon, which slices through at the top and holds the structure transparent rather than letting the resins swallow everything beneath. The ambrette seed contributes a skin-like musk in the middle, a warmth that grounds the heavier notes and keeps the scent close to the body.
The evolution
The opening belongs to citrus. Sicilian mandarin arrives first, bright and slightly green, with lemon sitting just behind it, adding a sharper, almost metallic edge. The brightness reads as clean, almost mineral, the kind of clarity that makes you register the air around the scent before the scent itself. Then the resins begin to surface. Opoponax appears first, slightly leathery and warm, followed by frankincense, which cools the composition with its familiar smoke. The transition is gradual rather than abrupt; you sense the warmth building before you notice the citrus receding. Cacao and vanilla join the picture soon after, softening the resin without tipping it into sweetness. The cacao darkens the base, the vanilla rounds it, and together they keep the incense from feeling austere.
Cultural impact
Palindrome I has carved out a distinct identity through the way it positions its citrus. The Sicilian mandarin and lemon at the top carry significant weight in how the fragrance reads, with the mandarin offering a slightly green, almost floral warmth and the lemon contributing a sharp, metallic lift that cuts through the heavier base. What sets the composition apart in conversation is the contrast between the bright opening and the darker, slightly resinous backbone that arrives behind it. The orange and lemon do real structural work; they are not simply there to catch attention before fading.
