Timbuktu was released by L’Artisan in 2004; it was the second in a series of travel-inspired fragrances, the first being Jean Claude Ellena’s Bois Farine. Timbuktu was created by nose Bertrand Duchaufour, who was said to have been inspired by the West African practice of wusulan, a seduction ritual in which women “…concoct a magical salve, with scents of wood, spices, resins and roots. After first letting it macerate, they then let the potion boil away, while their skin absorbs the richly scented swirls of smoke.” (quote via osmoz). The fragrance notes are green mango, pink pepper berries, cardamom, karo karounde flower, incense, papyrus wood, balms and spices, patchouli, myrrh, benzoin and vetiver.

I tried Timbuktu shortly after it was released last year, and did not particularly care for it. My memory is that it smelled mostly of patchouli mixed with something sour and sweaty. Recently, a friend gave me a sample and suggested it might be worth another try. Lo and behold, this stuff isn’t half bad.

As befits a scent named for a city synonymous in the West with “the ends of the earth”, Timbuktu starts off exotic and spicy, with lots of peppery and resinous notes…

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