Gris Charnel was signed by Mathilde Bijaoui and launched in 2019 by Paris-based independent niche line BDK Parfums. It garnered rave online reviews and quickly became a cult favourite and runaway best-seller for the brand. What's more, it has maintained its popularity over time. I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. Once I smelled it on my skin, I understood all the excitement. 

Like many BDK fragrances, Gris Charnel was inspired by a place in Paris: the Quai Saint–Bernard. The quay stretches along the left bank of the Seine River, from the Jardin des Plantes to the Institut du Monde Arabe. It’s the perfect place for strolling, cycling, picnicking, and people-watching. And on summer evenings, the quay turns into an open-air dance floor as visitors and locals gather to dance tango, salsa, and swing.

Marketing copy for Gris Charnel tells us this: ‘It is then that two glances cross paths. A discreet invitation brings them to the centre of the track. As if they were carried away, they dance in the heat of the night. From this hand-to-hand seduction punctuated by knowing smiles, they end up slipping away to give free flow to more carnal desires. In the early morning, the sheets give off a scent of sleepless nights, mischievous and lascivious embraces.’

On me, it opens with a note of sweet, ripe fig. It’s vibrant and fresh with a milky facet that links to notes of warm, earthy black tea and spicy, sweet cardamom. The result is a soft richness that’s comforting and cozy, evoking sun-warmed air, earth and skin. As it blooms, Iris absolute, earthy and powdery, comes forward. It balances the fig while the powdery aspect evokes the soft scent of makeup, making me think of a woman nuzzling up to a man. Woody Bourbon vetiver rounds out the heart with its rich, fresh, earthy, green aroma. At the base, warm Indian sandalwood is creamy, smooth and rich. It’s linked to a note of Tonka bean, warm and sweet from its vanilla aspect.

Gris Charnel dries down to a fresh yet warm, sensual stunner. It’s a skin that doesn’t sit on my skin but seems to come from within it, and it’s the dynamic between the freshness, the spicy warmth, and the woods that makes Gris Charnel so cravable. It’s official: I am a fan.

Notes: Fig, black tea, cardamom, iris absolute, Bourbon vetiver, Indian sandalwood and Tonka bean.