Istanbul

Istanbul by Gallivant, composed by Karine Chevallier in 2017 and worn by anyone, is a warm, herbal amber inspired by the city. People describe it as sweet, woody and amber-like in equal measure, and about half also find it spicy, floral and citrusy.

Bergamot opens it brightly, with red thyme and thyme adding a dry, savoury, Mediterranean herbal note that is unusual in an amber. Lavender and geranium bring a clean, aromatic, slightly rosy freshness, and cardamom a cool, aromatic spice. The base is where it warms: opoponax for a sweet, balsamic, faintly smoky resin, vanilla and tonka bean for a creamy sweetness, patchouli and sandalwood for an earthy, smooth wood, and amber and musk for a long, warm finish.

It reads as a fragrance for cooler weather and evenings, sweet and resinous but with enough thyme and lavender to feel fresh, suited to someone who likes ambers with herbal character rather than pure vanilla.

Istanbul — unisex fragrance by Gallivant (released 2017). Notes: Amber, Bergamot, Cardamom, Geranium, Lavender, Musk, Opoponax, Patchouli, Red Thyme, Sandalwood, Thyme, Tonka Bean, Vanilla. — Parfica open fragrance database