Black Lacquer

What makes Black Lacquer unusual is the combination of two exclusive materials: a black lacquer accord and a Makassar ebony wood note. The lacquer accord captures something smoky and dimensional, incense smoke suspended in a dark, glossy medium. The ebony brings a dry, almost leather-like woodiness that recalls birch and old wood furniture. Together, they create a tension between the synthetic and the natural, the modern and the ancient. The apricot and peony in the heart don't sweeten the composition, they complicate it, adding a soft, slightly mysterious floral layer that keeps the fragrance from becoming purely masculine.

The evolution

The opening hits immediately: ink and vinyl give Black Lacquer its sharp, immediate character. Black pepper adds brightness. The vinyl note is distinctive here, not rubber, not plastic, but the smell of lacquer drying on a cold surface. Rum sits beneath it all, giving the top a dark sweetness that stops it from being purely clinical. Within twenty minutes, the heart begins to assert itself. Ebony wood takes over, dense and dark, while elemi adds a warm, balsamic resinous quality. The apricot introduces a soft fruitiness that catches you off guard, it doesn't sweeten the fragrance so much as humanize it. Peony lingers in the background, its darker, more mysterious character giving the heart a floral depth that you don't often find in woody fragrances. By the drydown, the frankincense has taken command. The smoke rises. The ebony wood remains, but it's quieter now, more of a grounding presence than a dominant one. The peony lingers longest of all, almost as a memory. This is a fragrance that stays close to the skin but never disappears.