FRAGRANCE | Eau Triple Makassar Parfum de Peau À L'Eau by Officine Universelle Buly: A well-executed concept that radiates class and quality

A couple of months since they opened their first store here in the Philippines, I was finally able to visit the swanky Officine Universelle Buly and check out what else but their fragrances. The French heritage brand offers water-based skin perfumes (parfum de peau a l'eau), a concept I have never tried before. The fraghead in me of course tested everything available. After a lot of sniffing and shortlisting, we went home with a few bottles, one of which is Eau Triple Makassar. 

Let me start with the presentation. The bottle simply exudes classic elegance with its white ceramic make, exquisite stopper, and old-fashioned labeling. The box, while basic, is just as beautifully designed and is made special by complimentary calligraphy personalization. Apart from the fragrance's name, the box also bears your name, both in ink lettering. That's definitely a big plus for me. On the flip side, I'm not a fan of the sticker seal that runs on both sides of the bottle from the cap all the way down the base because cleaning up the sticky residue can be a hassle.

Scent-wise, Makassar is woody, flavored with a resinous sweetness and heaps of tobacco. The woodiness immediately jumps at you. Any inherent sharpness, however, has been sanded off completely by the resins, lending it a beautiful warmth. It's almost like patchouli to my nose although in hindsight, it could be the result of the tobacco blending in. Speaking of tobacco, it's bitter but not the uber bitter kind you find in the likes of Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, nor is it tobacco leaves just starting to turn yellow like what I get from the elegantly crafted Issara by Parfums Dusita. It's blond tobacco, according to the brand, which explains why it's bright with sweet floral nuances. 

Makassar is a very linear scent but I don't mind because it's beautifully executed and the ingredients radiate quality, with the sweetness balancing off the bitterness just fine. It just appealed to my olfactory senses right away. Its scent profile may be a little masculine-leaning to some people because of the wood and tobacco but it's still largely unisex for me. I think it can be worn any time of year as long as it's not scorching hot. 

Although far from beastly, I was pleasantly surprised with how it projects, affording me a pretty decent scent cloud around me for a couple of hours before softening further. I didn't know how a water-based perfume would perform but I surmise that its thin, emulsion-like consistency allows the scent to last a little longer on your skin than if it were literally just water. All things said, I'm very happy with this purchase. Eau Triple Makassar is something you might want to try.