MANOR FIRE (General Catalog Premium 5ml and EDP)

MANOR FIRE
Manor, Smoke, Charred Wood, Melted Beeswax, Wood Resin, Dry Wood, Burning Leaves, Worn Leather

NOT TO BE USED BY WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR NURSING.


Manor, Smoke, Charred Wood, Melted Beeswax, Wood Resin, Dry Wood, Burning Leaves and a hint of worn leather. Opens with a blast of strong burning woods and leaves, soot and smoke with pools of melted beeswax candles. The smoke notes settle down after the initial burst (10 minutes or so) and lots of golden melted beeswax emerges, along with a bit of Manor. The smouldering resins locked in the wood of the manor melt, sizzle and diffuse on bits of charcoal embers. Labdanum, fossilized amber, frankincense (a variety of types) and copal bark form a part of the wood resin accord. There is a slight hint of warmed worn brown leather in the blend to represent the dusty volumes left behind in the derelict manor house. The dry down is Manor, which forms the base of this blend, steeped with the most golden hot bubbly beeswax and bits of resins with a little smoke.

The strong opening of smoke, fire, charred wood and soot is for dramatic effect (this is a house on fire, after all) but this accord does recede and allows for the other notes to emerge. It turns into a sweet, woody, resinous, slightly smoky, slightly leather, Manor blend. You'll be able to smell the Manor you know and love in there. I feel the smoke notes/burning leaves are a little more jolting in the oil version of Manor Fire on initial application - slightly more acrid and bitter, though after that settles, the next stage and the dry down is very close to the EDP version. The EDP format smooths the smoke accord a bit so that it is still powerful but not quite as sharp on initial application. The oil is thick and needs a gentle shake before use as some of the resins sink to the bottom. The smoke/fire accord is about as strong/powerful as Smoky Mountain Mallow's and shares some of the notes but it is not the same accord and unlike SMM, the smoke/fire isn't as prominent through the life of the wear as the other notes of Manor Fire begin to dominate. You will continue to experience smoke notes through most of the journey but the Manor and beeswax portion is very prominent followed by a thick labdanum resin and the wood smoke becomes sweet tendrils swirling around the other notes. If you like Manor and you like dark, brooding, mysterious and haunting smoky scents, this is for you..

Mmmm, Manor Fire… I get the impression of the aftermath of a disaster rather than actual fire: smoke still rising here and there, burnt wood and leather, melted candles and resins – all perfectly blended together as I imagine the real burnt mansion would smell. There is certainly beauty in this destruction. The blend is very resinous, smoky and slightly bitter. I can almost picture leather bound volumes destroyed in this fire in manor’s huge library – this is my favorite part. The smell of the original Manor is also present and very recognizable but Manor Fire is certainly different enough to justify owning both. Beautiful!

Manor Fire EDP - I did a full day test on this yesterday. Eventually it grew on me and I liked it, but something in the initial phase and as it dries just doesn't sit well with me. I think it might be the burning leaves or scorched wood. Something ashy/fire/soot related gives it a very bitter scent on me. But the full dry down is beautiful and haunting!

I was surprised because on my skin it worked in reverse - the initial effect of the oil was very reminiscent of the original Manor, with very little smoke. As it wore on, the fire grew brighter and brighter, and the charred smokey notes began to emerge. This is a nice addition for those who love Manor or Smoky Mountain Mallow. I find it much less smoky than SMM, and a different kind of smoke effect, so don't be afraid if smoke notes scare you. It really works - it does smell like the aftermath of Manor on fire!

Manor is in my top ten of favorite perfumes of all time, so I should have known that I wouldn't like Manor Fire (as in, it would be impossible to improve upon the original Manor for me, lol). I can pick out the dark musk, dark wood and vanilla sweetness from the original Manor, but this has a sour woodsmoke and charred wood in it, and also goes powdery on me in the drydown. The original Manor is so smooth, dark, and rich.. and I find the addition of the acrid, burning notes and baby powdery finish to just muddle it for me.

Variations on a theme.

Manor Fire surprised me. I had been expecting a visceral almost acrid smoke note to this fragrance matching the violence and energy of Greg's painting. In my imagination I was blown away by the smoke and burnt wood of the remnants. Instead I found a much more abstract scent which I found opened on an unexpected sweet note. After a few minutes the smoke note emerges and as it develops there is a slight acridity that provides more depth. Most of the notes that were in the original Manor are there, but are defined in a different framework and approached in a very different way by Angela. While I found the original Manor to be a very beguiling scent, I find Manor Fire to be interesting and satisfying on a very different level. For me, the bees wax scent remains strong throughout with an underpinning of smoke. It is not the same as Smokewood Apiary at all however, as it is more serious and less gourmand. All in all, a very interesting variation.

I really like Manor but on my skin there's a savoury note that reminds me of fenugreek seeds so I like this variation more. If you love the smell of bonfires and wearing warming perfumes in the winter cold do yourself a favour and get this, it's such a beatiful evocation of a midwinter bonfire, warm and sunny and golden. On me the smoke note doesn't turn into sour soot, and it doesn't have that liquid smoke (that stuff Americans inexplicably use in cooking), that I so dislike in some other indie perfume houses. The smoke is strong but tempered by the sweet vanilla and woods and disappears finally in the last 2 hours of this longlived scent. And the drydown is so very beautiful, like the still warm crimson embers of a dying fire just as you take yourself off to bed to get into goose down blankets at the end of a winter's night. I really couldn't imagine wearing this in summer but in winter, oh lord, this is heavenly.

I prefer this over the original Manor. I ordered this first, and Manor afterwards.

Bonfire in the beginning, along with what I later learned was Manor. I'm not a fan of oud, so Manor is challenging to me and seems too feminine. It is nice, but not my style.

Both Manor and Manor Fire feel dark in different ways. Manor feels gloomy, haughty Miss Havisham's house dark, while Manor Fire feels rugged, smokey, brooding dark. The smoke and perhaps the resins makes it feel more masculine. Of course, I think of Rochester and Jane Eyre.

This has some overlap with Smokewood Apiary, namely some smoke and the beeswax. I prefer this over Smokewood Apiary as well.

I've gone back and forth with this one, enjoying it at first, then putting it into the "one last chance" pile. I'm glad I waited a couple years and tried with cold weather. I tried this at the same time as Foxcroft Intense, and it is elevated when mingling with the outdoorsy vibes.

To see if your nose overlaps with my tastes, my favorites are: Old Havana, Vanilla Pipe Tobacco, High Noon, Covered Bridge, and White Fox. My least favorites are: Devil's Tongue, Pinyon Truffle, Sacred Vow, Estate Rosewood, and Scrying Smoke.