Top Notes 
Black cherry
Pink pepper
Saffron
Heart Notes 
May rose
Peony
Cashmere wood
Violet
Base Notes 
Musk
Amber
Frankincense
Myrrh
10/06/2023
NicheOnly
85 Reviews
NicheOnly
3
Nothing went right here
For a brand as big as Creed, to get an original IP as wrong as this is quintessential corporate perfumery. Carmina opens with a rose that is quite watery/fresh, flanked by the same powdered cherry tonality recognizable in scents like Duchessa. There is no sweetness to help out and as such, the top accord is floral based on the opening. The saffron doesn't really pop at all for me throughout the wearing experience.
However, it is the drydown that I find SUPER BIZARRE and not in a good way - there is a very prominent synthetic feel to this scent. The blend quality is very lackluster and leaves the scent structured like it's from Mancera. I can't figure out what is messing so much with my nose here, but I am thinking it is the blend of amber & musk in the base that ends up very prominent when smelling the scent from up-close. The myrrh/frankincense slightly tickle my nose and add mild warmth to the scent.
I just can't get over the poor blend quality and as such, Carmina goes into the bottom 10 among my 2023 rankings. The performance on this scent was horrible - within 3.5-4 hours we are talking about trace amounts. There's so little left that the deep drydown smells a little bit powdery & minty, dare I say slightly berry-like (so completely different from the core scent). For the first 1-1.5 hours, sillage might be a 6/10 but I'll deduct a point since it's not expected to remain above intimate after hour 2-2.5.
However, it is the drydown that I find SUPER BIZARRE and not in a good way - there is a very prominent synthetic feel to this scent. The blend quality is very lackluster and leaves the scent structured like it's from Mancera. I can't figure out what is messing so much with my nose here, but I am thinking it is the blend of amber & musk in the base that ends up very prominent when smelling the scent from up-close. The myrrh/frankincense slightly tickle my nose and add mild warmth to the scent.
I just can't get over the poor blend quality and as such, Carmina goes into the bottom 10 among my 2023 rankings. The performance on this scent was horrible - within 3.5-4 hours we are talking about trace amounts. There's so little left that the deep drydown smells a little bit powdery & minty, dare I say slightly berry-like (so completely different from the core scent). For the first 1-1.5 hours, sillage might be a 6/10 but I'll deduct a point since it's not expected to remain above intimate after hour 2-2.5.
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