Tales for the Telling…. Malbrum Perfumes Kristian Hilberg and Delphine Thierry
Dream Traveller - Dark Ages, Best we are all Mad - Labyrinthine Heart, Draco - Danu Seith- Fyr
It has truly shaken me with a disbelief, events that take hold of the world right now, but I came to the understanding that to write is one of my swords, a weapon at my disposal to combat the darkness whatever happens that which is created cannot be taken away, in any sphere. We stand united, determined to create beauty where there is fear and to soothe the wounded soul wherever it is found. So, I here, exercise my right to use one of my best weapons.
Malbrum is a Norwegian house created by Kristian Hilberg in 2010, the first collection of 3 perfumes released in 2015, followed by the rest in 2016, in a fabulously connected partnership with perfumer Delphine Theirry. There is a connectivity palpable in these perfumes that exudes their symbiosis of courage, exploration and fearlessness. They are fiercely constructed compositions that speak volumes for the inquisitive and ever inquiring nature of their creators. Years spent in their respective fields, leaving no stone unturned, in a finely tuned finale that is the Malbrum collection. Now under the wing of Masque Artistic Fragrances.
There is something deeply entwined, a language written within these perfumes that cannot be ignored, call it what you will, a fire, an intensity….. they have been subjected to the waft and weft of a fate written between Kristian and Delphine, the Norse have a word for that - The Norns, and the sorcery is profound… it is a lethal combination.
Tales of wild imaginings, daring and eloquent, demanding our attention and flying in the face of convention, these are highly charged creations.
Usually, I do not commit to writing more than one perfume per piece but there are always exceptions, to covet and delight in an entire collection is rare indeed and so I have to make a hard decision and limit myself to 3, writ large here are their tales in the telling.
Hooded - Parsadanov 2. Delphine Theirry - Inspiration Libre 3. Kristian Hilberg.
Psychotrope - 2015
How easy it is to cross and slide effortlessly into this heightened estate……..A wild ride indeed, Pyschotrope is a brooding portent, curious and intoxicating, a trinity of excitation, a headlong rush, and the thrill of daring to cross-over boundaries. All we dreamed of in our imaginings wrought through with anticipation of the unknown and the comprehension that we will see with other eyes, a vision enhanced.
On my skin, it erupts with a delectable offering, undeniable, too tempting to resist, a Persephonic allurement in the Underworld, inhale and forever be bound to return. Incense riven, there is a labyrinthine dance afoot, the loosening of times bonds and a traversing to trespass upon immortal soil. A liquid created to mesmerise.
Drawn further and further inwards to go outwards, inside out upon myself, Psychotrope is the preparatory imbibing for an encounter unique, bidden on scented winds of saffron and richly woven woods, the silent, strong bidding of Cedarwood seduced with a milky sandalwood to a barefoot delirium, a murmered ecstasis, invitation in proximity of the God’s.
Forests and fires, flesh and hypercharged airs tingling with the presence, unamed yet known, ancientness once more welded to flesh.
Upon the returning, after the passage in and around, through and under there is a stilling in knowledge of what has passed, left with the sheen of an ambrosial finish, silken and softened, it is the traces of the God’s on human skin. Addiction is certain, attainment is sure. Cross the threshold if you dare!!
Synthetic Notes: Cashmeran, ambrinol, sandalmysore core, timbersilk.
Head Notes: Cypress, elemi, pimento berries.
Heart Notes: Incense, saffron, gurjum.
Base Notes: Sandalwood, cedarwood, styrax, ambergris.
Rachel Tine Photography 2. Stay - Christian Martin Weiss 3.Kavyar 4.Camilla Akrans 5.Absolution-Chelloveck 6. Fade - Kirsty Mitchell 7. Psychotrope - Malbrum
Tiger du Bengale -2015
Ah, such an indefatigable presence, undefinable yet contained within this composition is the essence of latent power, a latency that is just on the verge of release, a simmering sexuality that is just off the boiling point. It seems to take my breath away with its vow to overwhelm me and I, willingly partake.
Tiger du Bengale is at its composition level, utterly imbuded with all the natural materials I love, herbals and smouldering resins, labdanum and patchouli cocooned in burley tobacco. I am smitten and surrender to its encirclement. For true to its name it curls around me, all meandering smoke and billowing intention, a slowed motion in its gait, a prowling with alert observations that leaves my skin in heightened tension awaiting the first touch, that frisson of goose flesh in vivid anticipation.
Vigilant senses honed into a fine point of focus giving enhanced sensation as in my enticement I become only aware of you in the room, you enter every corner and crevice, subtle light throws off your every curve in my peripheral sight, all I know is the motionless movement of you, the minutiae magnified to the proportions of a colossus in the rise and fall of your chest. The omnipresence of you is all encompassing as in slow motion, all your nuances become palpable. The fingerlings of yearning trail off your skin, a dangerously erotic wake, all I can do is await the merging of fur and flesh…. claws retracted but one can never be certain.
Toscanol, Safranal, Nimberol, Ambrofix and Suederal
Head: Juniper, cardamom,
Heart: Myrrh, labdanum
Base: Castoreum, burley tobacco, patchouli
Brooke Shaden 2. Cecile Hummery 3. Kirsty Mitchell 4. Tiger du Bengale
Finally and in no particular order is Shameless Seducer - 2015
An outrageous distillation of the unspoken language of desire written upon the parchment of flesh, all pent up and laced tightly, like a bosom barely contained in corsetry. As in so many of Malbrum’s perfumes all is on the edge of things and the overspilling of boundaries,the hypersuggestion, lines become obscured and we venture into new territory. Shameless Seducer is no exception, with its innocent, bright, citrus led opening, instantaneously misleading us in its naive entrance, taken off-guard, with no room for misintepretation but wait a few moments, all is not as it seems, this is a story written on soft, downy skin that gives itself away in gestural postulation and supposition, however there are smouldering lines beneath the surface telling of torrid affairs, of silken undergarments cached away under refined elegance.
The heart yields all, no mystery here, just the unmistakeable scent of a carnal virginity, a dirty take on innocent frivolity overtaken by desire. A perfume of eyes that touch a thousand curves, of trysts fervent and urgent, the scent of skin besotted and tattooed with kisses. It unfolds all the intimacies in intricate detail, above all a perfume of skin flushed with heat and desire, in delicious anticipation and in the afterglow the delectable scent of expended passion, a finale of skin lit softly by pleasure inundated veins. Undeniably wanton and insatiable.
1, 2, 4 and 5 Christian Martin Weiss, 3. Pokra Lampas 6. Shameless Seducer - Malbrum
Synthetic Notes: Ambrettolide, boisambrene forte, hedione high-cis, exaltolide total.
Head Notes: Sicilian citrus, aldehydes.
Heart Notes: Mimosa, cumin, ambrette seed.
Base Notes: Natural iris, musk, civet.
I was generously gifted some Malbrum samples by Kristian at Pitti Fragranze 2021 and then purchased my own additional sample set from Masque Artistic Fragrances and Alessandro Brun.
All of the Malbrum perfumes can be found here, available in 30ml bottles from the Masque Artistic Fragrances website.
https://artisticfragrances.com/malbrum/
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