By Sandra
I have already introduced you to a new great perfume love of mine – Tihota by Indult. In all honesty, I was weary about trying the other perfumes simply because I was not sure if they could live up to the hype around Indult.
The next two perfumes are quite different from Tihota and can stand on their own in a perfume collection. Francis Kurkdjian is a master perfumer in my book and as I am slowly going through his perfumes I am finding more gems to include in my collection. Without further delay, here are Isvaraya and Rêve en Cuir.
Isvaraya
The Indult website introduces us to Isvaraya as follows:
« Divine » in Hindi.
In India, the patchouli is traditionally the preferred scent of Vishnu, god savior of man and life, guardian of universal harmony.
From this secular legend, an olfactive allegory is born that associates the sensual intensity of the patchouli to the fruity and suave scent of the Indian plum trees and the flowers of Jasmine Sambac.
Isvaraya is the fantasy of a diverse India, culturally and ethnically, between the spiritual legend of Vishnu and the fairytales of Bollywood.
Fragrantica lists the notes as plum, patchouli and jasmine.
Isvaraya opens with a lot of plum – sweet plum and boy is it delicious! In fact I keep wanting to take a nibble out of my own arm as the fruit is so incredibly juicy and fragrant. This is certainly divine.
Slowly the patchouli and the jasmine move in and the sweetness starts to subside ever so slightly. I can completely understand that Kurkdjian created Isvaraya as an homage to “the fantasy of a diverse India”.
I, on the other hand, associate this perfume with carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Watching the samba schools parade down the Sambodrome with all of their beautiful costumes and lively music rings in the Lenten season year in and year out. To be in Brazil at this time is a feast for all the senses and this is Isvaraya for me. Love at first sniff! The drydown is a more than slightly sweetened patchouli with plum and jasmine swirling in giving me glimpses of gold, mauve and white.
Isvaraya lasts all day and keeps me smiling and dancing. Now that is something that I definitely need in my arsenal.
Rêve en Cuir
The Indult website quotes Chandler Burr’s glowing review of Rêve en Cuir.
“Leather — old, dark, smoky, heavy — is diabolically difficult to adapt to an accessible 21st-century format. Under the creative direction of Maselli, Wright and Eastwood, Kurkdjian has succeeded masterfully. Rêve is a delectable, edible, light-infused leather that is instantly legible, deliciously impossible, as if an Hermès belt had been candied and baked by a patissier. Technically perfect (it lasts and diffuses like clockwork), it is also an aesthetic triumph. Hermès’s own Kelly Calèche wonderfully modernized leather; Rêve en Cuir is even better, stronger and more daring. It is not just the leather you never imagined — it is also the gourmand you never imagined.”
Chandler Burr for NYTimes.com
Fragrantica lists the notes as cardamom, bergamot, amalfi lemon, oregano, clove, virginia cedar, patchouli, oakmoss, vetiver and vanilla.
Rêve de Cuir opens with a wonderful blast of spices, mainly cloves and cardamom, with an ever so slight hint of lemon in the background. I love the lemons from the Amalfi coast and have been known to go to great lengths to find fresh ones in Vienna! The amalfi lemon is definitely there teasing me with what is about to come. The clove is quite apparent throughout the development of the perfume and keeps me curious. The patchouli is subtle and if I may say – rounded. Then the whole concoction melds together in the most incredible way and the only time I can tell the vanilla is there is that it is indeed a gourmand leather like Mr Burr states. Its longevity is wonderful, Rêve de Cuir lasts all day on me.
This is one of the most luscious leather perfumes that I have tried to date. I am the first to admit that I am new to the leather genre – but, perhaps all I need is Rêve en Cuir.
Olfactoria's Travels 
Sandra,
You make me hungry to try them. I forgot to get some from Val but will order samples of the set now.
Thanks,
Portia xx
NO …… I will send you some.
Val, you are a GEM.
Portia xxx
Portia, I think Reve en Cuir would smell wonderful on you. Can’t wait to hear what you think of them. Xo
I am sitting here in Sydney VERY excited.
I haven’t sent your samples yet Sandra, I will get to the Post Office next week, promise.
Portia xx
You are far too kind Portia! enjoy your weekend! xoxo
Sandra ….. great reviews. If I had enough words in my brain I would have written the same. Hugs. xxx
Thanks Val! Do you have a favorite? Xo
Now, Mr.Kurkdjian is another nose that just doesn’t work for me. I’ll have to revisit Isvaraya – where was that luscious plum, when I tried it !? Or I just couldn’t ignore my antipathy to Mr.K. as a person and simply didn’t want to like his scents ?…
If you have a chance to try Isvaraya again I would love to hear what you think. Did you try Tihota?
Yes, I did. It was advertized as the nicest ever Vanilla scent – so I had to order a sample. But then it didn’t even end up among my best 3 vanilla scents. I know, I’m nasty to F.K….
Sorry to hear! May I ask what your top 3 vanillas are?
Nabucco Amytis, Guerlain’s Double Vanille, Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille (and then comes Dulcis in Fundo by Profumum)
Had a big reorg of my perfume collection yesterday, which uncovered a decant of Isvaraya. Time to dust it down and give it another whirl, inspired by your delicious review!
let me know what you think after you have tried it again. Good luck!
Sandra, I’m so grateful Val gave me a decant of Isvaraya because after reading your review I am DYING to try it.
I hope you like it Tara. It is such a gorgeous happy perfume.
Sandra you now make very curious after Reve en Cuir, I love both Isvaraya and Tihota! Have you also tried Manakara also a great fragrance
Reve en Cuir is stunning and even though it is marketed as a more masculine perfume, I think women can wear it well. I will be spending time with Manakara soon. So glad you love Tihota and Isvaraya too Isabeau.
I have tried Manakara and Tihota, both of which are amazing! Manakara reminded me of
Guerlain Angelique Noire on the drydown. Tihota is just simply THE yummiest of vanillas. I will order samples of Reve en Cuir and Isvaraya now! I think this whole line is incredible…wish they did a small set!
Now I am curious about Manakara in the dry down. Will be paying attention. I could not agree with you more Darilyn – I would buy all of them if they had smaller bottles. That being said i would buy a vat of Tihota. xo