Ah, Amouage just makes me wanna work harder so I can afford their jasmine concoctions! Damn you, Amouage! I still prefer the jasmine in Ashore, which is a spectacular marine jasmine-ambergris combination. But the balsamic sweetness of the jasmine in Portrayal Woman also calls out to me. I tend to avoid sweet, heady scents in really warm weather, but there's something that feels "right" about wearing this one at the height of summer. It might be because I am in a place surrounded by lovely women from the Middle East who exude similar aromas while moving from left to right in their finery, but I've also worn this to grab a bite at the night markets, and it didn't feel out of place there, either.
The elemi just adds a hint of bubblegummy silliness to the proceedings, making the fragrance seem youthful and lighthearted. It actually does remind me of a bubblegum I used to love when I was a kid, something improbably pink made in Turkey. I don't get a strong sense for the tobacco more than as a touch of bitterness tempering the vanilla and the overall sweetness. A lovely scent with incredible projection and longevity. A round of applause for the brand for creating such lovely, mothball-free white florals!
