It Was A Time That Was A Time

“ICONOFLY It Was A Time That Was A Time Perfume Review”

The first spray hits with an astringent rush of alcohol and brisk sea air. Give it two minutes. Once the solvent burns away, genuine ambergris unfurls alongside cold ocean brine. It smells like standing on desolate coastal rocks after a ferocious midnight storm. You catch wet minerals, salty driftwood, and a sharp marine chill that cuts clean through the air. There are no synthetic calone watermelons or coconut cocktails here. This is raw coastal salt paired with an ancient, shadowy warmth. It instantly demands your attention.

Ten minutes in, the scent makes a radical pivot inward. Soft, velvety suede steps forward to buffer the briny blast. Violet leaf introduces a dewy, melancholic floral shade that prevents the leather from turning harsh or greasy. Alongside it, tonka bean adds a faint, almond-tinged sweetness that works in quiet counterpoint to dark patchouli. The combination feels like pulling on a vintage suede jacket that spent years absorbing seaside fog. As the heart deepens over the third hour, a cool swirl of unburned church incense begins to rise.

Skin chemistry plays a massive role in how these accords unravel. On dry skin, the saline sea notes cling stubbornly for hours, maintaining a sharp mineral edge. Warm skin, on the other hand, pulls out the balsamics and earthy patchouli far more rapidly. The suede softens into something powdery, almost intimate. Some testers detect a slightly medicinal, ink-like twang during this mid-drydown phase. That slight acrid friction is completely intentional. It keeps the fragrance from degenerating into a predictable sweet amber, maintaining its gritty, post-apocalyptic narrative.

Longevity is exceptional. You easily get nine to eleven hours on bare skin, while a single mist on a wool scarf lasts several days. Projection is polite but persistent. During the first two hours, it pushes outward roughly arms-length before contracting into a dense, intimate personal aura. Crisp autumn weather and chilly, overcast spring days suit it best. Ambient temperatures between 10 and 16 degrees Celsius keep the incense crisp and the marine salt refreshing. Do not wear this in muggy 30-degree summer humidity, as the tonka and animalic ambergris will turn sticky.

This is not a crowd-pleasing department store scent. If you want easy compliments at Sunday brunch, look elsewhere. It Was A Time That Was A Time is crafted for daring niche enthusiasts, visual artists, and lovers of atmospheric perfumery. Fans of dark maritime scents will feel right at home with its balance of brine and smoke. It possesses a genderless, contemplative energy. Wear it to late evening drinks at an underground speakeasy, outdoor cinema screenings, or quiet reflective walks along the waterfront.

Three sprays are all you need. Nicolas Bonneville delivered a truly singular creation that manages to combine decay, coastal brine, and velvety comfort without collapsing under its own artistic ambition. The balance between salty ocean air and sacred incense is nothing short of fascinating. It may alienate casual shoppers who expect sweet aquatic blue scents, but adventurous noses will find endless beauty in its strange, brooding depth.