El Born Carner 2014

Also, a heartfelt thanks to Mezza for the sample. Carner Barcelona hasn't made it very easy for me to find enjoyment in their fragrances so far. Only Tardes made it into my collection at the time, but it has since left again. Used too rarely... somehow I never found a "suitable" occasion... even though it was always well received. Over time (after 1 year), the marzipan note started to annoy me. So I was curious to see how the new gourmand fragrance El Born would perform.

Right off the bat, I like El Born... it has something... without fully captivating me. This is partly because it reminds me of a fragrance I really liked... Dries Van Noten... the fragrance pyramid overlaps by more than 80%, even though the final result is somewhat distinct from each other. El Born is, for me, a vanilla-benzoin-sandalwood-peru balsam blend that is very well done. The top note is a bit more citrusy in Dries, although it lasts only a very short time. Here, I hardly notice it at all... the dirty vanilla is so dominant at first... which has a slightly synthetic touch... like almost all Carner fragrances. The peru balsam also stands out... I love this note (the benchmark for me is still Dezember by Erik Kormann)... this note gives the fragrances such a peculiar (beautiful) nuance that I find very hard to describe. But once recognized, you can smell it everywhere. I find El Born even more wearable than Dries Van Noten... also because it doesn't smell as much like "food"... even though I really liked the waffle scent from Dries. El Born also has the Tardes melt that I can't describe more closely. El Born doesn't offer much new... but it is more than solidly made, and I can imagine wearing it from time to time. For me, it's an autumn and winter fragrance... or generally good to wear on cold days. El Born is not a gourmand bomb like Rima, but you should like sweeter fragrances... I do... but it hasn't triggered a buying impulse so far. Maybe next winter. Its longevity of about 7 hours is perfectly fine. The sillage is not overpowering, but it is more than sufficient... I would say medium strong here.

Conclusion: The most beautiful Carner fragrance so far, sweet, slightly artificial; those who are not looking for an overly sweet cuddle scent should feel very well catered for here, unisex 55:45 women.