Perfume Review: Binturong by Auphorie

Making a serious effort to shop cruelty-free with vegan Sauconys, Faux-fir trimmed sweater and Binturong by Auphorie

So here's the thing. Malaysian perfume house Auphorie is blowing my mind with their vegan, cruelty-free perfumes. I think this is the third review I have written. I'm addicted to sampling their stuff! I am always wondering what they are going to come up with next. Well, fellow worshippers of scent, they have truly out-done themselves with Binturong. 

This is my first (and certainly not my last!) full bottle purchase from Auphorie. I love the packaging! Simple, clean and elegant. Distinct Asian touches as well. They also use packaging that is cruelty-free (no leather, and no real silk). I love how they are re-defining "luxury".

Notes:
Incense, Cannonball Flower, Iris, Mixed Spices, Amber, Labdanum, Laoatian Oud, White Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Caramel, Black Coffee, Civet, Castoreum, Musk, Ambergris

I was about to pull the trigger on a bottle of Eternal Voyage when Auphorie announced their new trio of Extraits. When I saw Binturong, a vegan animalic perfume, I simply had to make it mine. Bought it instead, blindly, and I adore it!

Binturong is indeed very animalic. What I get upfront reminds me of ambergris, a bit of barnyard stank going on with a beautiful dark smokiness. I thought of castoreum as it smells faintly leathery. I get a touch of incense with woody notes and a subtle, nearly imperceptible note of bitter coffee. 

As it develops, Binturong takes on more iris and caramel as well as a mysterious floral note. I have to assume it's cannonball flower, but I have never smelled the real thing. This floral note smells a bit like an exotic white flower, but it is not intense or heady in comparison to, say, jasmine or gardenia. Might be more along the lines of champaca or even plumeria (frangipani), which are also exotic but not screechy.  

The drydown, after several hours, takes on an animalic muskiness that reminds me most of civet. At this point there is a lot of amber too. A nice, silky powderiness develops as well. It's not powdery like aldehydes or baby powder but more like the feel of suede. I think I get a lot of iris because this is how perfumes that are heavy on iris always behave with my chemistry. It's fantastic. 

When I wake up the next morning (longevity is forever on me), it smells like it could be a Chanel perfume, something similar to 28 La Pausa. I still get tons of iris, all the way into the drydown, when all traces of caramel and animalic notes have dissipated. 

It is hard to truly characterize Binturong. It's like a floral-woody-musk that is heavy on amber and animalics and has gourmand accents. At times it seems like an oriental. 

The animalic notes work great on my skin, never overbearing or gross or even teribly funky. I can see it being too much for some people, but if you are like me, with a "bring it on!" attitude, then you should seek out Binturong. I am so glad I own this one! 

It's truly a testament to the saying "where there's a will, there's a way." These guys are totally against animal cruelty, and I am astounded at the animalic accords they have been able to create and showcase in such a magnificent, complex perfume such as Binturong. It's like a classic iris perfume kicked up a few notches. Super avante-garde and exceptionally clever.

Please don't forget that each time you make a purchase, you are helping those in need. Auphorie donates part of their earnings to carefully selected charities every single month.

You can purchase Auphorie products by clicking here.

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