FRAGRANCE | War and Peace II Extrait de Parfum by Areej le Dore: A rewarding journey from war time to peace time

I've long been intrigued with Areej le Dore, the indie fragrance house by perfumer Russian Adam. However, the prices he commands for his creations can be quite prohibitive for most people that I just can't get myself to blind-buy. Because he works mostly with natural ingredients like legally sourced deer musk from Russia, agarwood oil he distills himself, real ambergris, and the like, he says it's almost impossible to get a consistent output across different batches. So whenever he creates something, he releases it as part of a collection with a limited bottle count. And when that sells out, it's gone forever.

There were a few exceptions, however, when he released Siberian Musk Part II and Ottoman Empire Part II in 2019. It was supposedly something to do with Adam being able to source materials that would allow him to recreate two of his previous releases. Both have since sold out.

By the time his 5th Collection came out, Areej le Dore already had a solid following eagerly anticipating each new release. Two of the collection's four fragrances sold out almost immediately. Given this, getting a sample set first to help you decide on which one is worthy of a full bottle is practically useless because you run the risk of losing your chance at getting that bottle. But mere weeks later, he was able to produce another batch of the sold out War and Peace, although with the formula tweaked a bit. I jumped the gun this time and got War and Peace II.

It's a tiny 30ml bottle housed in a compact box covered in brocade. The bottle itself is a handsome one, and I'm digging the embossed metal plate label and stylized typeface. Elegant presentation, I must say.

War and Peace II is an intoxicating blend right upon first spray, greeting me with impressive complexity sadly missing in a lot of fragrances today, designer and niche alike. I got lost there for a minute. The opening is sweet, powdery, and animalic but not overly so. It's bold, powerful, and dark. There's a weird smokiness to it, with dark incense swirling around a massive wall of leather.

A certain softness emerges after several minutes. The animalic and powdery accords are still there but it's as if Hermione hit them with "Immobulus!" They're just there, floating around and motionless. For all I know, it could be the ruh gulab, a certain kind of rose oil, that's causing all this. Several more minutes and it's not as dark and smoky anymore. After the war, we're now entering peace time.

War and Peace II dries down to a nice and rather polite musk, layered with rose, powdery orris, a mild earthiness, and a host of other nuances—and it projects well! I have not tried any of Adam's previous and supposedly more potent musk-based creations but the musky drydown here remains pleasant despite the still-present and randomly reappearing non-musk animalic notes (presumably castoreum and civet). It's way more reserved compared to Cupid MVI and Diptyque's Oud Palao.

A little goes a long way with War and Peace II even though it isn't exactly a monster. It is strong initially but overall projection is generally moderate--unless you overspray, I guess. Longevity-wise, it is very long-lasting. Its extrait concentration clearly is no fluke, and the scent easily goes from morning till night. Beautiful and complex as it is, it isn't the most versatile of fragrances, though, as it may be a little too edgy for some people around you. But then a little restraint with the sprayer might do the trick. I think it suits colder temperatures best, more so evenings. I don't know if it's still available but I'm really happy I got a bottle.