Infleurno is the latest fragrance from Eau de Boujee (formerly ‘Boujee Bougies’), a British fragrance house that creates bold, high-quality perfumes with exciting and unique concepts. It is loosely based on their Hellflower candle, which was inspired by a terrible sci-fi novel with a fantastic name. They call Infleurno a “pyrotechnic burst of citrus and florals” with a description that channels Persephone, Hades, fruits, embers and demons. If that doesn’t have you intrigued, then I can’t help you, my friend.
I cannot be unbiased about anything created by Nick and Pia of Eau de Boujee because they have been my friends for a long time and I spent a few years working with them at their fragrance house Olfiction, where I specifically worked on one of the Boujee Bougies (Thorny). So I’m not going to try and hide my bias here, but I will say that if I didn’t like this fragrance (or any scent from their brand for that matter), I simply wouldn’t write about it. Make of that what you will. Anyway, disclaimers are boring so let’s move on to the fun stuff, i.e. the review.
Let’s Sniff!
The Notes
Top: Grapefruit, Yuzu, Lemon, Bergamot
Heart: Jasmine Absolute, Magnolia, Osmanthus Absolute, Passionfruit, Blackcurrant Absolute
Base: Pyrogenated Incense, Cedarwood Virginia, Vetiver, Labdanum, Oakmoss, Leather
The Perfumer
Pia Long (Olfiction)
How Does it Smell?
I knew to expect something bold when I pulled off Infleurno’s cap and pressed the sprayer, but I’m not sure I was quite prepared for just how much of a punch it packs. Infleurno’s initial burst is a symphonic explosion of citrus – a supernova of hot, sweet, tangy, zesty, acidic, sparkling, juicy citrus that is deserving of every single one of those adjectives. It is fizzy, refreshing and incredibly multi-faceted – she’s serving depth, breadth and beauty. Underneath what is an essay on how to do citrus in perfumery, lies the fire and brimstone, which manifests as a gentle hum of something fascinatingly off-kilter. It’s a dark inkiness, or perhaps a sulphuric heat. Something unsettling but equally compelling.
The ‘fleur’ in Infleurno is a powerful triumvirate of exotic blooms: jasmine, osmanthus and magnolia. Much like the citrus aria up top, the floral heart is complex, with hot fleshy (the jasmine), juicy sweet and apricot-jammy (the osmanthus) and fresh lemony (the magnolia) facets, each of which intertwines with the narcotic citrus notes and the darkness that lies beneath. The flowers in Infleurno are a bridge into the deep abyss that is the hellishly-inspired (but not hellish-smelling) base. Walk along the bridge if you dare, just don’t forget a coin for the ferryman…
It’s worth noting that Infleurno never feels heavy or oppressive. Yes it feels like it has some weighty dark, smoky and hot-breathy elements in its foundations, but these are servants of contrast and at no point do they drag the levity, diffusiveness or feeling of space down. Pyrogenated incense brings a grey smoke effect that feels like it might be wafting up from a bubbling pool of lava, whilst vetiver evokes a barren wasteland of dry brush. Leather brings a touch of warmth but also that inkiness that runs throughout. All of this serves that sweet, sour, sparkling citrus accord up top and the juicy, fleshy warmth of the flowers in the heart. It all comes together beautifully.
Infleurno treads a delicate path, navigating the beautiful and the unpleasant, contrasting hot smoke and acerbic, acidic sulphur against vibrant juicy citrus notes and delicate sweet florals. The tension between these seemingly discordant things is palpable, not to mention exciting, but somehow harmony and balance is achieved. Each facet plays off another, sparking and fizzing with kinetic energy. It’s an absolutely fascinating fragrance that shows how harmony can come from discord, where elements that clash can be brought together in an exciting way that not only smells nice, but keeps you asking “how the hell did they do that?!”.
Availability
Infleurno is available in 100ml Eau de Parfum for £160.
Disclaimer
Sample (full bottle) via Eau de Boujee. Images are my own.
The Candy Perfume Boy 