Perhaps one of my favorite songs of all time is Ascension by Maxwell. It's the way that the opening bass line grooves around a foundational upbeat tempo created by tried and true percussion rhythms. Layers of sound broaden the scope of the song with the addition of bongos, a guitar, keyboards, and synthesizers until finally, Maxwell's voice ties it all together with a falsetto note delivered from the heavens. Ascension is one of those songs that is guaranteed to get me on the dance floor hitting a two-step and flowing like tides pulled by the moon. While I'm not completely certain that Ascension, a fragrance by the Black-owned company Savoir Faire, took its name from the classic tune, I would be shocked if that wasn't the case at all.
Ascension embodies the notion of "soul" similar to Savoir Faire's other popular offering Soul Cafe (future review), but takes a significantly lighter and more ethereal approach. Featuring notes of bergamot, black pepper, Haitian vetiver, sandalwood, and soil, one would expect a bolder, more traditionally masculine scent. The spirit of old-school masculinity is present here but is significantly altered with a trait of malleability that renders it accessible for all genders and expressions. This trait is found in another particular fragrance that almost makes no sense as a point of comparison: Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Baccarat Rouge 540. Wild, I know, but hear me out in a moment.
The keyword to use when describing this fragrance is nostalgia. Not the adjective, nostalgic, but the noun. Ascension does not go out of its way to bring a fragrance of the past into the present. Instead, it conjures the memory and keeps it immaterial. A simple reminder or idea to dance in the back of your mind as you wear it. When I smell it, I think about my family, my childhood in Detroit, and playing outside in the summertime with my friends. I feel the echoes of a paternal figure who was well-groomed and delighted himself in the vices of whiskey and tobacco. I think of the earthy powerhouses of the 70s and 80s like Polo (Green) and Azzaro Pour Homme but as a distant memory clouded by a sweet mist. Ascension is nostalgia not because it re-creates our past experiences, but ponders them and delivers something from a new angle.
Earlier, I compared it to Baccarat Rouge 540. These fragrances do not smell similar, but I think they embody similar ideas from different vantage points. BR540 is a unisex-marketed scent that leans feminine in execution and audience, whereas Ascension is a unisex-marketed scent that leans masculine. Both fragrances also have a shared quality of "airy sweetness," but while that sweetness is the star of the show in BR540, it plays a supporting role to a more spicy and earthy player in Ascension.
So its overall smell is this: Light and airy but earthy and spicy with a bit of sweetness. Imagine a breezy day in a big city after a day of rain. Someone is lighting a cigar a few feet in front of you. To avoid the smoke, you cross the street. Just a bit further behind you, aromas from a cotton candy machine are being carried by the wind. That's Ascension. It's a beautiful fragrance that is highly versatile, and easily worn in most seasons and occasions as a signature. In terms of longevity, I experience an average of 6-8 hours on my skin, sometimes less, sometimes more. It depends on the day with this one.
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| Photo by Caleb George |
It's the last day of Black History Month (wild for me to wait this long, I know), so I wanted to highlight a Black-owned brand like Savoir Faire. But also, their fragrances are genuinely quite good. So if you're in the market of expanding your scent wardrobe and you have an interest in supporting Black establishments, check out their offerings. Soul Cafe is another favorite of mine that deserves its own review. Just don't blindly buy anything, always sample first.
Be easy.
-The Fragrance Maven
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