Fallen leaves

Like Apple Orchard, this perfume is very much a continuation of exploring the olfactory themes of fall, fermentation and fertility. At first, there is the musty smell of camphoreous cardamom and musty patchouli, suggesting petrichor and transitioning into the resinous bitterness of myrrh. Sweet vanilla mingled with immortelle absolute gives a more perfumey undertone, reminiscent of wet fallen leaves fermenting on the ground. Immortelle's close resemblance to maple syrup brings to mind maple leaves by way of association. Dark yet voluptuous, the Earth Goddess will turn the golden leaves into dirt, and fermentation yields the most surprising aromatics out of ordinary botanicals, as in what happens upon fermenting hay, tea and tobacco - vanillin, coumarin and many other surprising molecules appear and add richness and layers to the leaf.
Ayala Moriel


Fallen Leaves smells like . . .
Like writers, perfumers also tell stories. In the case of a Russian perfumer, the story can be poetic and a little melancholy.
Cistus is the first character to appear in the story that is Fallen Leaves. It whispers of the leaves, scattered at the edge of a forest, as they start to decay. I have a tiny vial of cistus extract. It smells of a musky, lemon-tinged balsamic vinegar, and the scent is comforting and ever so slightly primal.
Joining the cistus, which becomes muskier and less astringent, are a slightly sharp, bitter hops and a spicy-sweet cardamom. The trio leads me into a darker part of the forest where the story becomes solemn like a broken heart. At first, I thought I smelled oakmoss here, as well, but I believe this effect is created by the addition of the bitter myrrh and peppery frankincense. Still, I get that same oakmoss-y sense of dank, dark earth. In the best possible way.
Never fear, the heartbreak doesn’t last. Cinnamony-sweet tonka bean shines like sunlight through the tree canopy above, while powdery iris and dry, woody Himalayan cedar scatter the light through the olfactory equivalent of the Tyndall-effect. The sweetness that comes through is delicate and balanced by an earthy patchouli that never lets you forget about the ground beneath the treetops.
At the end of this story of heartbreak and hope, the vanilla and everlasting (immortelle) beckon me toward a warm breakfast of maple syrup pancakes in the cabin beyond the woods. Yummy!
After breakfast, I think I’ll be ready to start writing again.
Sillage and longevity
Fallen Leaves has a moderate projection, but you can still smell the maple syrup a good 10 hours later.
Reasons to love
This perfume describes an autumnal journey through a forest, which is dark in places, sunny in others, and which ends at the foot of a cabin just in time for breakfast. If you like forests (and stories), this perfume will set your associative memory and your olfactory bulbs a-dancing.
Mo (scentient-beings???????????)


Oh wow! This smells like entering an autumnal forest - adorned with all the rich, deep, glowing fall colours - and experiencing that the forest envelops you with a warm, gentle hug.
It's a soft, creamy, cozy fragrance with the same texture as cashmir or fine alpacca wool. It's like a scarf you bring out from your closet when the first really cool days of fall appear. Warm, comforting and really soft against the skin.
Tonka and vanilla is most prominent, but I can also detect the cedar. It gives the creaminess a lovely woodsy feeling, like taking a stroll through the forest. The air is crisp, there's a cool breeze, and the leaves are falling from the trees in waves of gold and copper. There is a faint bitterness from the myrrh, almost like a reminder that this rich, vibrant beauty is a sign of death and decay. Nature is dying, only to be reborn again in spring. It's a gorgeous goodbye, but a goodbye nontheless. And still it is a goodbye filled with hope.
The longer the fragrance sits on the skin the more smokey it gets. It's a creamy, caramelized myrrh smoke, and it reminds me a lot of the beautiful Myrrh Assoluto by Valentino. It's like there is a bonfire lit somewhere in this stunning fall forest, and someone are burning myrrh incense and roasting marshmallows by this fire. It's such a warm and inviting kind of smell, comforting yet slightly melancholic.
Longevity is very good. I can smell this scent for about 9 hours on my skin. Sillage is a solid medium right away, but calms down to a detectable skin scent after about an hour or an hour and a half.
Tiwalii