Ayutthaya
Parfum Prissana (2022)

This fragrance opens with a plume of incense: both frankincense, and a heady nag champa stick accord. It's smoky, dense, and sweet.

After about an hour of this on my skin, the smoke recedes, and the notes become fatty and floral, a white floral accord (I get an unlisted tuberose) made woody and richly resinous (sandalwood, opopnax, styrax, benzoin and myrrh are prominent). It’s subtle, but there is a hint of clove-adjacent brown spices, salty herbs, savory spices like coriander and cumin, and a leathery quality styrax so often adds. This phase seems to last all day and into the next, only the very dregs of Ayutthaya becoming soft, powdery, and smooth.

It’s hard to find a direct sibling outside the Prissana line: there are phases that remind me of Serge Lutens’ Ambre Sultan's ambery herbs and Cuir Mauresque's sweet styrax, and the florals aren’t far removed from Cacharel’s Lulu or Comme des Garcons' Daphne. Within the line, it’s a fragrance in conversation with Karuna’s herbal myrrh and Ma Nishtana’s leathery incense, existing as the sweet sibling of the crew.

Ayutthaya is a complex fragrance that really rewards repeat visits. There are days it’s tooth-achingly sweet; days that it’s rasping and dry, and its maximalist note-list helps give it lasting interest and a shapeshifting personality. I had to wear this one a few times over a few different weeks to really get a firm grasp on its character.

Ayutthaya, named after an ancient city, long ago destroyed, that was a center of trade and commerce in Siam. This is probably the best temple incense I have smelled. The scent instantly brings memories and associations with buddhist temple celebrations where the abundant mix of exotic floral, incense resins, rich spices based in sandalwood spirals toward the heavens.

The scent of Ayutthaya expands a rainbow of rich dry wood scents, spices, and florals. This is a lively high contrast, brightly colored fragrance. Very noticeable are: black tea, ebony, papyrus, sandalwood and teakwood. Spices of cinnamon and cumin waft over the top of these clean deep woods. The density of the wood and spice notes is opened up with breeze of champaca, camphor and the sparkling aldehydes. Every now and then I find a bit of patchouli layered inside the wood elements. This is an exceptional fragrance and a fascinating combination of incense wood notes that will hold mindful insight upon the interplay of this meditative blend. Excellence from Parfum Prissana!