Brutal is the name of the new fragrance by the Czech niche fragrance brand Pigmentarium, which I was able to sniff for the first time at the Esxence. During our visit there, we met the brand founder Tomáš Ric briefly and spontaneously, who presented his latest creation to us and also gave us a sample of it, which I have here.
When Tomáš told us the name of his creation, we all had a certain image in our heads. Brutal … that seems a little intimidating when you hear it. A powerful fragrance that plays with raw, edgy and ruthless ingredients. A leathery, smoky, oudy, animalic, indolic composition that may push us to our olfactory limits, without regard. I was prepared for all of this, but not for what actually awaited me when I tested it …
Pigmentarium on our fragrance blog
I have been following the Pigmentarium brand here on this blog from the very beginning, or rather since we added the Czech label to our range at Aus Liebe zum Duft in fall 2023. In recent years, the brand has launched several new products, and I was also able to conduct an interview with founder Tomáš Ric, which I really enjoyed – and hopefully he did too, of course. Here are all my articles about the
- Interview with Pigmentarium’s founder Tomáš Ric – niche fragrances from Prague
- Ad Libitum, Erotikon and Genesis by Pigmentarium – Fragrant Greetings from Prague
- Paradiso, Murmur and Oratorio by Pigmentarium – moments of uniqueness
- Azabache Chapter 2 by Pigmentarium x Arturo Obegero
Brutally different
Let’s move on to the latest creation from the Pigmentarium brand. Brutal is a fragrance that is “inspired by the bold, daring and creative style of the perfumers of the 1970s and 1980s”. A time when powerful, unconventional and eye-catching compositions were in vogue. At the same time, the fragrance also refers to an architectural style of the time: brutalism. The name says it all. The buildings are huge, raw, lots of exposed concrete.
“Monumental and massive forms, minimalism and functionality. Exposed, raw materials, geometric patterns and the deliberate contrast between the austere exterior and the warm sheen of glass, metal and wood.” The buildings are characteristic of the 1970s and 1980s and were already controversial at the time. While some liked the modern style, others found the chunky shapes, roughness and coarseness ugly.
French perfumer Théo Belmas was responsible for the creative realization of this exciting theme. For the composition, he used ingredients that can also be found in the Negroni cocktail: Campari, gin, vermouth and orange blossom (instead of the zest used in the cocktail). There is also coffee (which is also used in a variant of the Negroni), tuberose, ylang-ylang, May rose, tobacco, ambergris and sandalwood. A few days ago, I asked our followers in the Instagram story what fragrance notes they would expect in a creation called Brutal. The answers were pretty clear: dark, earthy, resinous, woody, boozy, oud and leather. That’s how I felt, too. And yet the ingredients of the creation promise something completely different.
White flowers open Brutal in a completely non-brutal way. The sometimes moody and capricious flowers with a penchant for self-expression are certainly present, but they are very atmospheric and skillfully implemented. There is really no need to be afraid of this tuberose – in fact, the night hyacinth is in charge of the composition. It is airy, transparent, never oppressive or heavy. The Campari brings subtly bitter fruit nuances to the creation, which are underlined by aromatic vermouth and junipery-woody gin. This fits perfectly and gives the fragrance very exciting accents. Dark, roasted coffee beans provide subtly gourmand moments. At the heart of Brutal, however, is tuberose, radiant and beautiful, graceful and elegant. Its powdery floral facets are accompanied by milky ylang-ylang and fresh rose and caressed by honeyed tobacco before settling down on a cozy, warm and comfortable bed of velvety sandalwood and creamy ambergris.
Brutal by Pigmentarium is a floral, powdery and creamy tuberose fragrance with subtle coffee accents, delicious Campari notes and a cotton-soft, gently ambery finish. This eau de parfum makes you want to let yourself go – even I, a self-confessed tuberose skeptic, am thrilled. Beautifully composed, very balanced and harmonious, modern and elegant, even glamorous. A fragrance that fans of floral scents and tuberose should absolutely love. Suitable for every day and office use – not a matter of course for a tuberose creation – and also a seasonal all-rounder in my eyes, although I would probably prefer spring and summer. Of course, Brutal is a unisex creation, although I would tend to classify it as more feminine. Another great fragrance from this exciting Czech label that I can only recommend to you.
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