26.7.12

JAR Jarling: Heliotrope for your sore throat.


Those who are familiar with JAR know that this brand is to perfumery just like a  1936 Bugatti 57SC Atlantic is to cars. A completely out of the world experience that's far beyond pure luxury and pleasure as we know them. JAR fragrances have the ability to drive you, within a single wearing,  from heaven to hell and back. An experience that will redefine the sense of smell and the usual evaluating paramenters with no turning back.

Jarling makes no exception. What may sound as an average heliotrope soliflore, upon application delivers an extremely caleidoscopic blast of mimosa, almond, marzipan and star anise paired to challenging bitter undertones that bring to mind of cyanide and what I will call "vintage antibiotic syrup for children" (Baktrim anyone?). While all of the above sound disencouraging, Jarling is immediately ready to evolve into one of the most delicate almondy-mimosa-lilac centered fragrance ever created.Plush, sophisticated and, considering the price tag, extremely exclusive. By all means, a JAR.

Lovers of Apres L'Ondeè, take note. This is the final frontier.

Downside: Not as tenacious as one would expect from a JAR.

Rating: 8.5/10

7 comments:

  1. Hello, Alafrom!

    Jarling is the only fragrance from the JAR house I own (from Brian's split, of course). When I smelled them all at the JAR boutique, this one was the most shocking. There is a flightless roach here called the "Florida Woods Roach" or "Skunk Roach" that, despite the "skunk" denomination, shoots (literally) a defensive allomonal spray when disturbed that actually smells quite pleasant. Jarling is a dead ringer for the allomonal spray of the roach. I'm not kidding! Extensive online research informs me that the roach's spray is comprised primarily of cis-3-hexanol (or leaf alcohol) with many other organic and inorganic compounds and aldehydes. The little guys are quite the perfumers themselves! I've tried very hard to gather this spray and tincture it but I can't seem to find the buggers whenever I'm actually looking for them. Jarling is so close to this chemical that a person I know who actually breeds these roaches to sell as pets instantly recognized it as such. Though I doubt it was deliberately similar, it really speaks volumes about the creativity of JAR.

    Anyway, the only other place I've smelled something similar is in Lush's Fig and Leaf soap.

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  2. Hi!
    Do you know where i can get a sample of jar jarling?

    And can I just say that I really love your taste in perfumes and your brilliant reviews are just perfect : ) I went ahead and bought sycomore right after I read your review about it. I'm looking forward to reading your new reviews!
    Hamed Al-Mehairi

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  3. I find this the least weird JAR, I only wish it was either a bit more powerful or quite a bit cheaper so I could be lavish in its application. It's like Chinese five spice meets ( you hit the nail on the head ) L'Apres L'Ondee parfum.

    Though, it strikes me as somehow a bit more sinister than the Guerlain. It isn't as doe-eyed as most heliotrope frags.

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  4. @Gentleman's Handkerchief: that's an incredible story. Very interesting .The fact that a defensive allomonal may smells nice to humans doesn't really surprise me. Most of the animals are literally repelled by what we cathegorize as a nice smell. If you take cats in example, they're usually repulsed by fragrances. What actually suprises me is that perfumers haven't discovered it yet...(at least according to my knowledge) :)

    @Hamed: Thanks for your extremely kind words.

    @Suga: I agree, It's definitely more sinister than the Guerlain, expecially during the initial phases. The antibiotics accord is quite sinister indeed :)

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    1. @Hamed: I forgot to add that there are no chances to have samples of the JARs. Even if you visit one of their boutiques, they never offer samples. Put an eye on the Basenotes markeplace because, sometimes, someone is hosting a split...

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    2. My cat LOOOOOVVVVVEEEESSS Eau d'Hadrien EDT. She rolls in it and tries to lick it off whatever surface it touches.

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  5. That's actually a pretty schizofrenic behaviour in a cat. The fact she rolls in it, means she loves it but, as far as I know, the fact she licks it off, it usually means she hates what she's smelling and tries to "wash it off"....

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