Potion edp opens with just the faintest hint of mint over light spiced amber, before developing into a combination of cinnamon, black pepper and a deeper more vociferous amber heart. The base adds a nice woody accord that differs from the usual cedar, combining it with musk and more of the amber in the heart notes with subtle touches of patchouli. Potion edp is definitely on the sweet side of the spectrum, but it never veers into the dangerous territory of being overly sweet or cloying with the amber beautiful in its balance. Potion is pretty linear in its development, but it smells extremely refined and well-blended. Longevity is average to above average (I am getting a minimum of 9 hours out of it) and projection is minimal (just a hair more than a skin scent, but not weak at all).
This was an overseas blind buy, and in my case it paid off big time. I find Potion edp to not be earth shatteringly different that many others on the market (although different from most designer releases of the past 5 years), but rather polished, well-made and extremely satisfying and wearable. It gives me an almost Ambre Sultan vibe after the initial notes with its spiced amber heart, but it is not a clone at all. One of the best designer releases in years and easily full bottle worthy, IMO. Why DSquared2 is keeping this one from the US (and many other outlets) is perplexing beyond belief, as it is definitely a winner. 4 to 4.5 stars out of 5.
