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Coffee perfected!
Anyone who knows me knows that I survive on caffeine. Energy drinks, caffeine pills, I'll take anything and everything to keep myself running.
However, my favorite way to get my buzz has always been coffee. From pour overs, to moka pots, from espresso to the "all frills included" milk based drinks, I really can't get enough. And it's not just the taste either. I can't get enough of the smell of coffee.
I find the wafting aroma of a freshly pulled shot equal parts intoxicating and comforting! It takes me back to my childhood where getting coffee was a treat to be savored, and where the scent of freshly brewed coffee was almost always inextricably linked to that of books (but I digress).
It makes sense, then, that I've been on the hunt for a perfume that is able to elicit the emotions I feel when I enjoy a "cup of joe." My craving led me far and wide and I tried many different fragrances from many different brands, but nothing quite scratched that itch. Some were too sweet, some had no coffee to speak of, and some came very close, but just fell just short. Very picky, I know, but I wanted nothing less than the one to rule them all.
And after ages of fruitless searchu, I'd nearly given up on my quest. That is, until I got my nose on the marvel that is Akro's Awake. It is, in my humble opinion, the best coffee fragrance available, bar none. (And quite by chance, it mimics my own daily coffee routine, which I found to be quite a lovely happy accident!)
Awake opens with a blast of thick, deep, rich, dark roasted espresso, with the lightest spritz of lemon adding some lift to the brew! The coffee is photorealistic, smelling exactly like a perfectly timed shot of espresso would. The dark caramelized nature of the beans, the froth of the crema, the sweet bitterness of the drink itself, all come alive! This beautiful aroma persists to the very end of the olfactory journey, and make no mistake, it IS a journey.
A little later, a nice dose of sweetness begins creeping in as the lemon fades. It also starts gaining an earthy character from this phase on, which I will assume is the Vetiver, because I get none of it otherwise. The coffee in this phase most closely resembles a Cafe Cubano (which for those who don't know, is a drink made with stove top espresso sweetened with demerara sugar), and is utterly delicious!
Towards the middle of the wearing, the earlier sweetness is in full swing, taking on a vanillic character as well. Here, the earlier, robust coffee aroma has mellowed losing some of it's intensity, and none of it's character. In fact, in this phase, I find that the nuttier, chocolatier facets of the coffee reveal themselves, with the slightest hint of spice creeping through as the cardamom makes it's entrance. Here, I find it most similar to a cortado (which is a drink with equal parts espresso and steamed milk, and quite a nice mid afternoon drink to have on any given day!)
And as we approach the drydown, the cardamom and coffee have mixed perfectly with the vanillic sweetness, and mellowed into what I find to be closest to a spiced latte. Which in my opinion is one of the best ways to close out the day. It is warm, with the aroma of coffee taking a milky character now, dancing with the sweetness of the cardamom in a lovely waltz, as the curtains drop and the scent fades to black.
Awake is a beautifully cozy fragrance, easy to wear and enjoy, yet lacking none of the nuance that makes coffee and perfumery such an interesting indulgence. It is likeable enough for everyone to pick up and spray, and has enough for the fragrance junkie to keep coming back for more. And it's something that I'm happy to have on my shelf.
Bravo Olivier Cresp. What an absolute masterpiece!
However, my favorite way to get my buzz has always been coffee. From pour overs, to moka pots, from espresso to the "all frills included" milk based drinks, I really can't get enough. And it's not just the taste either. I can't get enough of the smell of coffee.
I find the wafting aroma of a freshly pulled shot equal parts intoxicating and comforting! It takes me back to my childhood where getting coffee was a treat to be savored, and where the scent of freshly brewed coffee was almost always inextricably linked to that of books (but I digress).
It makes sense, then, that I've been on the hunt for a perfume that is able to elicit the emotions I feel when I enjoy a "cup of joe." My craving led me far and wide and I tried many different fragrances from many different brands, but nothing quite scratched that itch. Some were too sweet, some had no coffee to speak of, and some came very close, but just fell just short. Very picky, I know, but I wanted nothing less than the one to rule them all.
And after ages of fruitless searchu, I'd nearly given up on my quest. That is, until I got my nose on the marvel that is Akro's Awake. It is, in my humble opinion, the best coffee fragrance available, bar none. (And quite by chance, it mimics my own daily coffee routine, which I found to be quite a lovely happy accident!)
Awake opens with a blast of thick, deep, rich, dark roasted espresso, with the lightest spritz of lemon adding some lift to the brew! The coffee is photorealistic, smelling exactly like a perfectly timed shot of espresso would. The dark caramelized nature of the beans, the froth of the crema, the sweet bitterness of the drink itself, all come alive! This beautiful aroma persists to the very end of the olfactory journey, and make no mistake, it IS a journey.
A little later, a nice dose of sweetness begins creeping in as the lemon fades. It also starts gaining an earthy character from this phase on, which I will assume is the Vetiver, because I get none of it otherwise. The coffee in this phase most closely resembles a Cafe Cubano (which for those who don't know, is a drink made with stove top espresso sweetened with demerara sugar), and is utterly delicious!
Towards the middle of the wearing, the earlier sweetness is in full swing, taking on a vanillic character as well. Here, the earlier, robust coffee aroma has mellowed losing some of it's intensity, and none of it's character. In fact, in this phase, I find that the nuttier, chocolatier facets of the coffee reveal themselves, with the slightest hint of spice creeping through as the cardamom makes it's entrance. Here, I find it most similar to a cortado (which is a drink with equal parts espresso and steamed milk, and quite a nice mid afternoon drink to have on any given day!)
And as we approach the drydown, the cardamom and coffee have mixed perfectly with the vanillic sweetness, and mellowed into what I find to be closest to a spiced latte. Which in my opinion is one of the best ways to close out the day. It is warm, with the aroma of coffee taking a milky character now, dancing with the sweetness of the cardamom in a lovely waltz, as the curtains drop and the scent fades to black.
Awake is a beautifully cozy fragrance, easy to wear and enjoy, yet lacking none of the nuance that makes coffee and perfumery such an interesting indulgence. It is likeable enough for everyone to pick up and spray, and has enough for the fragrance junkie to keep coming back for more. And it's something that I'm happy to have on my shelf.
Bravo Olivier Cresp. What an absolute masterpiece!
Grizzlyscent
