FRAGRANCE | Against Nature EDP by Timothy Han Edition Perfumes: A unique study in fusing the natural and the artificial

For two years now, the fragrance counters at local department store Adora have been rather boring. However, just last weekend, I was delighted to find a new fragrance brand there in Timothy Han Edition Perfumes. It's a house that has never been on my radar although apparently it's been around since 2014, with five fragrances to date. His creations are inspired by literary works and as such are named after them. Against Nature was the first we tried and ended up in the bag we took home.

The presentation includes a pristine, white box and accompanying postcard-size print of that box's featured artwork. Fitted snugly inside is the minimalist 60ml bottle whose shape echoes Vilhelm Parfumerie's preference for the horizontal over the vertical, but to a slightly lesser degree. The sprayer's fairly good and the cap is magnetic.

I am not familiar with the novel after which Against Nature was named but what I can tell is that the fragrance is a fusion of the natural and the artificial. It's a highly conceptual fragrance that's deftly executed, resulting in a scent that's, well, unusual. Unusual of course can go both ways but for me, it's really good. It's a green fragrance that's uncanny in its greenness, as its accompanied by a strong metallic accord. I know it sounds weird because it is weird. Whereas most green frags are brightened by some citrus, in this case it's the metal that lifts the scent up. It's similar to how this note brightens the whole scent in Penhaligon's Sartorial but on steroids—large doses of it. 

The fragrance reminds me a lot of Amouage Opus X because both share that distinct metallic character, which some people associate with blood, and Timothy Han did mention blood in his description on the box. Both frags also list varnish as a note, which I suspect is a major factor as to why I find both of them so addictive. But that's just me. While Opus X paints a picture of a lacquered, post-apocalyptic rose, Against Nature conjures up an image of trippy and highly unnatural greens.

The fragrance also enjoys a strong floral support, which starts developing after a few minutes and somehow softens the harshness of the metal. The scent behaves in a mostly linear fashion. Only after several hours does everything relax, settling into a soft, warm, and ever so mildly sweet, woody base. Its metallic properties, however, stay much longer on your clothes. Projection is generally moderate for its first couple of hours and the scent itself is quite long-lasting.

Personally, Against Nature proved to be a fantastic introduction to the Timothy Han brand. Perfectly unisex, it makes for great daytime and warm weather wear. However, as much as I love it, I know it isn't for everybody, more so if you're averse to metallic scents. But if you're more of the adventurous type who craves for the unique, then this is something worth considering.