49 community ratings

Bittersweet Symphony

2015UnisexClassic

Votes lean masculine

7.7/ 10

Community score
49 ratings

House of Matriarch Bittersweet Symphony is a unisex scent that leans towards autumn and winter evenings, its sweet, spicy side balanced by smoky woods.

Compare

Skunky's take: Shows up when the lights come on, born for the evening.

How does it perform?

From 42 community ratings, all out of 10.

Longevity

7.7 /10

Holds up through the day and fades gently toward evening.

Sillage

7.0 /10

People close to you notice, nobody gets overwhelmed.

Bottle

7.5 /10

Sits nicely on a shelf.

Value for money

5.8 /10

The price makes you think, so a small size is a smart start.

Blind buy risk

Low risk

86% of votes are positive and opinions barely differ.

Notes

They open one after another, from the first spray into the evening.

Top notesfirst 15 minutes

Dong quai

Henna

Gentian

Vervain

Heart notesfirst few hours

Cistus Black tea Cocoa

Bulgarian geranium

Saffron Spikenard Green tea White tea

Base noteswhat stays into the evening

Oud Hyraceum

Charred oak

New Zealand ambergris

Dragon's blood

Mysore sandalwood

Accords

From most dominant to most subtle.

Sweet
Gourmand
Spicy
Woody
Oriental
Animal
Resinous
Earthy

What does Bittersweet Symphony smell like?

It opens with dong quai, henna and vervain. The heart of cistus, cocoa, saffron and black tea builds a sweet, spiced core. The base of oud, charred oak, dragon's blood and ambergris adds a resinous, animalic, smoky depth.

Longevity and sillage are both rated good, and most voters pick autumn and winter, for evenings and nights out. Slightly more voters call it masculine, but a sizeable share find it feminine, so it works either way. Close in profile are The Dua Brand Wood and Cognac and Montale Aoud Musk.