Beautiful blazing saffron in the opening, but falls a little flat
Gorgeous opening. The two broad characters of this scent are a vivid, savoury, almost tobacco-touched saffron, and a dry, dusty western oud.
The saffron feels slightly salty, as if used in cooking; it’s a deep red, making me imagine a full basket of it in the light sun, powerful and blazing.
The oud facet is gentle, smooth, and reminds me of how ‘oud’ is used in Tom Ford’s Oud Wood—incredibly handsome, western, and subtle. The presence of saffron only adds to that similarity, only this one is redder, more bold, and more vibrant.
I also get an sweet old book effect, a dusty not of library deterioration, much like in Memoirs of a Trespasser (not as profound though).
An odd sweet note jumps out amidst all this, in a pleasant way. It’s a juicy, rindy, oily fruitiness, making me picture an orange peel saturated in rose water. It’s a gummy, smooth sweetness that adds a welcome freshness to the core.
The bergamot and pink pepper contribute to the gummy sweetness, adding a radiant tang to the saffron—that blazing characteristic I described.
As it dries, it becomes a little muddier and more confused. I would describe it as an oddly savoury amber in the uncanny valley of oriental ambers, trying to be like Ambre Sultan but failing.
It gets smooth, gummy, and slightly smoky in an unburned resin way.
The playdough description is valid too, albeit not too unpleasant. It just doesn’t follow up on that definitive profile it suggests from the start, and leaves us hanging. It’s a bit weird in the air, but in an intriguing way.
If anything, it even becomes a little chaotic/rugged, somewhat like the profile of Bentley for Men Intense. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it probably wasn’t on purpose.
Like Egyptian Smoke, it puts you in the scenery of ruins, tea ceremonies, and desert sunsets, so that wins it some bonus points for me (although Egyptian Smoke does a far better job).
Use cases:
Unisex, with masculine and feminine elements.
Interesting dance of freshness and depth, so while I lean to wearing this in the cooler weather for a bubble of warmth, I think it could do well even during the day, especially in transitional temps.
Comes off as handsome, yet rugged and rough around the edges. Playful and chaotic maybe.
