Suma Oriental – Eau de Parfum – 50ml

As the long day on Bali comes to an end, the fiery red sunset gives way to a full moon just as red. The nights here don't really get cooler, only darker. The reddish shimmer settles over the landscape and turns the island into a world in between. The wind turns seaward, and you can feel the warmth travelling up your back and out across the open ocean, carrying the scent of the woods with it. The campfire crackles and flickers in the wind, and every now and then an ember drifts up and seems to mix in with the stars against the pitch-black sky. The warm sand makes for a comfortable bed – morning is still a long way off.

Suma Oriental opens sweet and dark. Rum and cacao pod are there straight away, boozy and chocolatey, along with cypriol and its earthy, faintly smoky note that keeps the sweetness in check. Then the patchouli takes over, dry and spicy, and stays until the end. The base turns creamy, tonka bean and sandalwood bring a soft, vanilla-like sweetness, with guaiac and cashmere wood underneath. Warm and full, but never heavy. What lingers is the impression of dark wood, of cocoa on your fingers and of smoke still caught in your hair.