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I'm sorry, dear Mrs. Carner...
Usually, I write comments (or rather, reviews lately) exclusively about fragrances that I find amazing. I gladly take the time to research the background and try to express my enthusiasm in words. However, fragrances that I find solid, boring, or even terrible, I simply dismiss with a statement. But just like in real life out there, there’s always a first time, and now the time has come. I am reviewing a fragrance that I honestly find difficult to describe, to put it mildly. But before I get to the fragrance itself, a few sentences about the brand and the name.
[...]
Carner is a perfume house from the Catalan capital, Barcelona. Anyone who has been to the city will know that it is truly wonderful. The Mediterranean soul is palpable at every corner, combined with ancient history, culture, and architecture from the metropolis, making it a really exciting, vibrant, and lively travel destination. I myself have been there twice and can only recommend a visit. Just one thing should be clear: The inhabitants there are proud Catalans, and accordingly, their customs and traditions must be respected...
Behind the perfume house is Sara Carner, a young entrepreneur from the region, whose family has a long tradition in the production of Spanish leather goods. Her passion for fragrances, discovered in childhood, was solidified during her studies at Columbus University in New York, which led her to an international career in the cosmetics industry, and thus her perfume house was established over time - in 2010.
[...]
Palo Santo is the first fragrance I had the chance to experience from Carner. When a fragrance is called "holy wood," I would say the expectations are not exactly low. However, I wanted to be surprised and consciously left the fragrance pyramid aside before testing. And what I immediately sensed was a smell that made me scrunch my face and caused me to swallow hard.
At first, I perceive a stuffy, slightly sour, and sweetly artificial note. Looking at the pyramid, I found that milk is one of the main ingredients. Yes, milk. I rubbed my eyes and read again. Right, milk! Very unusual and a bit of an acquired taste, in my opinion. And I feel the same way about the fragrance overall.
I did not notice any real progression or development in it. Rather, this initially artificial sweetness is quickly joined by a mixture of wood with that very milk. Imagine pouring milk over a piece of wood and leaving that wood to sit in the blazing sun for a while. This is my personal association.
It must be this mix of milk, artificial wood, and tonka bean that makes this fragrance seem so difficult for me. The rum note present in the top notes doesn’t make things any better; on the contrary, in my opinion. Normally, I quite like fragrances that contain this note, but in this entire composition, I find it inappropriate.
For the sake of fairness, I must mention that it becomes a bit "more bearable" towards the base, but the emphasis is really on a bit. There, I perceive a very delicate hint of cedar, and that unpleasant artificial sweetness slowly leaves the stage.
[...]
When and where to wear this fragrance should be decided by anyone who likes it (and according to the reviews here, there are quite a few) themselves. I can and will not make recommendations as I usually do. For my part, I would say that one should at least pay attention to the dosage, as it projects quite well even with 1-2 sprays.
Conclusion:
Sara Carner draws her inspiration for her fragrances from the moments of life, as it is said. They are meant to tell stories of true feelings and experiences, of encounters and activities.
Where and how she was influenced for Palo Santo, I do not need to know. It is certainly not my fragrance.
I thank Serres74 for the opportunity to test. But this wood was not holy for me.
I'm sorry, dear Mrs. Carner.
[...]
Thank you for reading!
Top Notes 
Davana
Rum
Heart Notes 
Milk
Paraguayan gaiac wood
Venezuelan tonka bean
Base Notes 
Atlas cedar
Dominican amyris
Haitian vetiver
Lmr4j3ire
Rosymel
Emorandeira
NicheOnly
IlonaLakritz
Pio
Ninamariah
Pyroo
Agegshdhd
Stella73
