Bittersweet Symphony
7.7House of Matriarch · 2015
Sweet · Gourmand · Spicy
House of Matriarch Bittersweet Symphony is a unisex scent that leans towards autumn and winter evenings, its sweet, spicy side balanced by smoky woods.
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.