Apart from an article from 2015, we have nothing to offer on the Norwegian brand Malbrum here in the Duft-Tagebuch. I was somewhat surprised by this, as the house has been with us at Aus Liebe zum Duft since exactly that time. Eight years later, we have already reached Volume III, three of whose creations I would like to present to you today.
The head of the line is Kristian Hilberg, who brings his personal fragrance visions to life in collaboration with various perfumers. Its aim is to achieve a state of bliss through fragrances, at the same time enveloped in an attractive aura. This is an idea that we are happy to support.
Volume III – Act of Faith
According to his own statement, Volume III has been in the works since 2018 and was created together with Cristiano Canali, whose great work for Rubini also promises only the best for Malbrum. Volume III is the first release since Malbrum joined the Masque Artistic Fragrances group of Alessandro Brun and Riccardo Tedesco, the latter of whom we already know from Masque Milano, among others.
The new trilogy is intended to express determination, self-confidence and the power of imagination. I’m not relying on an act of faith here and testing the three myself.
Godspeed – Malbrum’s Space Program
Godspeed is a greeting or wish formula in English; with Godspeed you wish the other person farewell, a good journey or simply good luck. The word comes from the Middle English phrase “God spede you” and is intended to invoke heavenly assistance. Who can’t use it? Especially when you are sitting in the rocket depicted on the bottle. This is probably why the title alludes to John Glenn, who was the second person after Yuri Gagarin to reach Earth orbit in 1962. As he took off on his journey, the NASA control center is said to have given him the words “Godspeed, John Glenn”. This sentence was repeated in NASA’s death announcement.
The rocket starts with a spicy pepper prelude, quite sharp, biting, but also aromatic. Clove picks up on these notes seamlessly and opens up the fragrance to rose and incense. Despite the religious-sounding title, this is not a typical church incense; balsamic and soft notes are added, fanning out the spiciness and resinousness. A charming combination of pepper and incense that starts furiously and becomes more and more grounded as it progresses.
Top notes: black pepper, Szechuan pepper, pink pepper
Heart notes: clove, Virginia cedarwood, Turkish rose, incense
Base notes: nagarmotha, oakmoss, cashmeran, ambroxan, musk, ambergris
Malbrum: Here Comes the Son
The title Here Comes the Son immediately brings to mind the Beatles’ hit “Here Comes the Sun”, which was released in 1969 on the legendary album Abbey Road. But we are still in the world of faith, as the folded hands on the bottle remind us. These, in turn, are very reminiscent of Albrecht Dürer’s praying hands (1508), a drawing by the great master that has degenerated into kitsch and can still be seen in the homes of older people, for example. So here comes the son, a fitting reference to Advent at the moment.
After the pepper hammer, this fragrance caresses the nostrils very softly. Soft and creamy with ambrette, fine sandalwood and fresh orange blossom, plus a hint of iris; always sweet, floral and finally rounded off with labdanum and a delicate hint of tobacco.
“Here Comes the Son evokes a sense of rebellion and fearless confidence.” I can’t follow the idea of rebellion here at all, but the fragrance radiates a calm and harmony that I can definitely associate with self-confidence. A harmonious floral fragrance with a subtle twist.
Top notes: ambrette, bergamot, benzoin resin
Heart notes: sandalwood, orange blossom, iris
Base notes: labdanum (cistus), tobacco, ambergris, musk
Paradiso Super – out of this world
Where is paradise? Among the stars, in the ring of Saturn, on fluffy peach skin? If you look at the bottle, you might think exactly that. Perfume lovers will certainly immediately think of Paradisone and Iso E Super, which may have provided inspiration in and around the fragrance.
Here I had to change floors and ask Julia, because I have problems perceiving some synthetic fragrances properly. Together we came to the conclusion that Paradiso Super is a synthetic, minimalist fragrance with powdery ambrette notes, solar milky nuances, velvety peach sweetness and dry woodiness. A fragrance that is not quite of this world, open to interpretation and yet enveloping and protective.
Top notes: fig, peach, freesia
Heart notes: cedarwood, jasmine
Base notes: tonka bean, musk, ambroxan, ambrette
All three extraits de parfum from Malbrum explore very different directions. From the peppery incense to the floral flatterer to the otherworldly Saturn synthetic. That is still real niche. Versatile, full of tension and harmonies. Folks, you have to test them. Would you like to read more about Malbrum here? Then write it in the comments.
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