Like Perfume Nostradamus, Chris Rusak has once again delivered the timeliest of remedies. At the end of April, we got After Every Ounce of Joy (Leaves My Body), a reflection on trauma that was deeply introspective and affecting.

Our collective trauma has only intensified in the six months since. Now, when everything else in the world feels so complex and heavy, Rusak gives us Relief, his new studio limited release. A perfume for pure enjoyment, for conjuring moments of beauty and ease.

Relief starts out as a fizzy black tea and Prosecco cocktail with a dash of cocoa nib bitters, served in a glass rimmed with bee pollen. In my other hand, a canapé of rye & sesame crisp, smeared with smoked apple butter, thinly sliced strawberry macerated in balsamic vinegar, a few fennel fronds, a glistening drop of truffle oil.

The perfume stays somewhat columnar and tight like this for the first hour or so, sparkling at the surface as a warm bitterness swells beneath.

(I use this time to tamp down self-doubt. Typically, when I first encounter one of Chris’s perfumes, I am flooded with emotions, sensations, visions of scenes and landscapes. Words always fail me. Here, I have a stream of concrete descriptors. Either I’m in the midst of some sort of lycanthropy that has heightened my ability to hone in on the scent, or Chris Rusak is giving us some familiarity, as a treat.)

Relief unfurls like a long, slow exhale to reveal its treasures, undulating strata of rich, sultry natural absolutes and oils. This is an experience designed for prolonged gratification. Everything about it says, “linger.”

(I order a backup bottle).

The myrrh is just stunning. Pleasantly bitter and dazzlingly clear and bright, it reminds me of the chapel at Sainte-Chapelle near sunset when the light pierces the windows. Rusak tinctured the raw myrrh in his studio and it is exceptional. Fabulously bitter and fruity, slightly astringent, with very little smokiness or “powderiness,” and just a kiss of latex.

Also generously featured are a rich tobacco absolute that smells like the green leaves of the live plant, and a radiant, waxy, green-gray orris. Everything is lacquered over with a coat of soothing, meditative Santalum album oil. At the base is a purring ambrette seed, employed to perfection; it makes my heart flutter.

Some of the nuances that I perceive are cognac, chocolate cake, cola syrup, wet Keemun tea leaves, moist prunes, clumps of violets with their leaves, mushrooms, cream soda bubbles, and fennel caramel being painted on warm skin with a pastry brush.

There is a sort of heat lamp effect, a glowing, non-resinous warmth that reflects off the other elements as they come into focus. I puzzled over it for a while. After looking at the listed notes, I believe that this comes from a subtle glaze of pepper and cedar.

Oakmoss is carefully tucked in, just enough to lend some softness. Like a shoulder to rest your head on during a long embrace.

(I relax and exhale).

Relief is forehead kisses. Puppy breath. A park bench in the shade. The steam coming off your coffee cup. Princess Di in the navy Galliano for Dior slip dress (sans bustier!) at the Met Gala in 1996. It’s like listening to Etta James singing “Sunday Kind of Love” on vinyl.

It’s honest pleasure that needs no occasion or explanation. Ageless and timeless. Relief is a reliable kind of beauty, like the sunrise or the ocean — you can either take comfort in its background presence as you go about your life, or you can examine and ponder it with awe and wonder. Either way, it won’t disappoint.

Final Thoughts

One spray of Relief on my wrist is detectable at arm’s length. Three sprays under clothing (because I was feeling greedy) created a luxurious scent aura that projected about 2 feet. It was obviously present on my skin after 12 hours, still holding my interest. Eight hours after applying, when I pulled off the sweater I’d been wearing, it was a legitimate eyes-roll-back moment.

I love myrrh, and Relief is exactly what I’ve always wanted other myrrh perfumes to be: A high quality tincture, exalted by a consummate artist who held nothing back. A true showpiece. It’s spellbinding.

Since receiving Relief, I’ve revisited other myrrh-centric perfumes I once loved, like La Myrrhe, Myrrhe Ardente, and Myrrhe & Délires. I find them all lacking in some way by comparison. This is “the one.” Wearing it gives me such pleasure, which sometimes spills over into pangs of heartache due to its sheer loveliness.

Chris Rusak has said (in Studio Series 10) that Relief began as a project because of the limitations and uncertainties brought about by COVID. Although I won’t declare a “bright side” to something that has caused so much suffering and death, I am very grateful for his impulse to do this in response. In times of suffering, people still need joy and pleasure. Especially in times of suffering. There is still beauty in the world. We still have hope.

Relief is a perfume that I will always cherish. I already considered Chris Rusak an exceptional perfumer, and he just keeps raising the bar for artistry and execution. This is his best work yet, and my favorite thing I’ve smelled all year.

Relief Information

Relief is a limited edition release of 50 bottles, presented as an EdP. According to the perfumer, several of the absolutes are now irreplaceable and the perfume will not be remade. A note from the brand:

A mellow, but rich perfume, it performs with the chromaticity of an all-natural perfume (Relief is 61% natural absolutes and oils), but with a more generous tenacity. Due to the high content of these natural materials, it is my belief this perfume will mature gracefully over time for collectors who prefer vintage styles.

For more information, or to purchase, visit chrisrusak.com.

Disclosures

I have no affiliations with Chris Rusak Perfume. I purchased the bottles of Relief shown and reviewed for my personal collection at full retail price. This review was unsolicited and I did not receive any form of compensation (financial or material) in exchange. I do not receive any compensation or incentives for displaying brand or product links.