Scentologia Over.dose. official brand photo, via Instagram page
“Crafted by scientists, perfected by artists” is the credo of Scentologia, a luxury fragrance brand founded in 2021 in Paris. The philosophy of the brand is focused on the idea that perfumery is an art form that requires both technical proficiency and creative vision, merging art and science in a place where the laboratory meets the canvas.
I was immediately attracted to the concept and the visual presentation of the brand. The packaging is in line with the brand’s creative vision, with an eco friendly cloth pouch that holds the bottle against the white backdrop with handwritten notes and if you care – like I do – about small details – a deliciously tactile and heavy cap, and one of the best fine mist sprayers that I’ve encountered lately. Another element I loved from the presentation is the fact that on the bottle, besides the short copy that provides you – in true minimalist form, the effect you’re gonna get from the scent, you also have the recommended usage, counted in number of splashes.
Mood photo, image via Scentologia Instagram page
The perfume that stood-out to me, from the lineup of eight perfumes, is Over.dose: ’’an excessive dose of curiosity that makes impossible to resist, and always coming back for more.’’ Desired effect: a fragrance that makes you feel good about yourself. Usage: 2 splashes. The notes that made me smile and nod: vetiver & cannabis. At Scentologia, they rely not only on their noses to craft their fragrances, but also on cutting edge scientific techniques to properly analyze, perfect and refine their scents. So, I was more than giddy to see that they worked with is Symrise, a company whose exploration into AI technologies I’ve been following for a while, beginning with their Philyra project, one of the first AI fragrance tools in the industry, developed in collaboration with IBM.
Margherita Carini of Symrise, photo via her Instagram page
Perfumer Margherita Carini of Symrise is a cosmopolitan spirit with a multidisciplinary background that made her the perfect fit to this Scentologia project. I must admit I have stalked her Instagram profile for quite some time, as she is also an amazing photographer with an incredible eye for detail and a gift for capturing the essence of a moment. A captivating fusion of art, science, and artistic sensibility makes Over.dose. a fragrance that is the right amount of audacious, balanced with just the right ratio of abstract depth and a pinch of giddy fun.
Often comparing the ethereal art of perfumery to that of architecture, for me Scentologia Over.dose. is a modern glass structure built on the foundation of a classical timeless vestige – a green herbal top mixed with an awesome balmy base.
Scentologia Over.dose. is a playful take on the olfactory idea of cannabis, a journey that explores, in quite a scientific way, all the its various facets. Cannabis is a plant that has long been used for its hemp fibre, hemp seeds and their oils, the leaves that are used for their medical purposes, and last but not least, as a recreational drug . In Overdose we have the dried flowers – marijuana, the balmy resinous hashish facets and, of course – the burned, smoky take. Each step of the journey flows seamlessly into a unitary experience that is complex and is never literal, in the first way you might have in mind – it’s more the experience of how cannabis makes you feel, rather that what it actually smells like. So if the note of cannabis troubles you, thinking you might just spray yourself into a hippie drum circle or a sharp-pitched camphorated Amsterdam café – rest assured, this is the furthest thing from that experience a perfume can get.
photo by Nicoleta
We have fresh notes of grapefruit and bergamot mixed in with the soft floral curves of geranium and gardenia and the spicy bite of cardamom and saffron for a first hour of wear that feels comfortable, detached and oh-so cool. In the drydown we have amber and the bad boys trio – vetiver, patchouli and musk, that make for a familiar yet addictive combo. Equally effervescent and green, warm and resinous, the overall experience is that of aromatic heart with an amber soul, and the illicit accord (to quote a classic) is composed by mixing the astringency of grapefruit with the dry powderiness of flowers, on the backdrop of a balmy resinous notes. An overdose that is both abstract contemplation and an emotional ride that makes it quite addictive.
Heart notes: Grapefruit, Bergamot, Cannabis.
Middle notes: Geranium, Gardenia, Thyme.
Base Notes: Vetiver, Patchouli, Musk, Amber.
Also check out the review of Syn.ergy which was featured in Karl’s Best of 2023 summary and Steven’s video of Tra.ce.
Nicoleta Tomsa, Senior Editor
Disclosure: A bottle was kindly offered by the brand, opinions are my own.
Scentologia Over.dose, official brand photo, via Instagram page
Thanks to the generosity of Scentologia we have a 100 ml bottle of Over.dose. for one registered reader in the EU, US, or UK. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Nicoleta’s review of Over.dose. and where you live. Draw closes January 8, 2024
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