Shaal Nur Etro 1997

I got to know it only recently and immediately fell in love. Here, an extraordinarily interesting fragrance concept has put everything on one card and won across the board. At first, there was concern that I would have to dissect another cumbersome concept from Shaal Nur, but as the fragrance developed, I was pleasantly surprised and my doubts were literally scattered to the winds.

The opening seems almost designed solely to separate the wheat from the chaff. Those who give up too soon will unfortunately deprive themselves of later rewards and all the subsequent Aha moments. Notable is certainly an initially impetuous, albeit charming, bone-dry bitterness. Accompanying it is something that reminds me of hay, straw flowers, or thistles. And the smell of the road: somewhere under the blazing Arizona sun, rubber tires on an asphalt road, the edges of which are no longer clearly defined. Where once the shoulder was found, the barren wasteland slowly reclaims areas that seemed momentarily snatched from civilization...

All of this is inhospitable, and yet I find it hard to resist the fascination of what is offered. Gradually, Shaal Nur reveals itself to be somewhat more receptive; incense and a sweetness perceived as harmonious in this context give the fragrance a bit more volume and expand the spectrum of identified shades. Over time, Shaal Nur retreats to the skin, and the initially interpreted as brittle companion noticeably transforms. The dry dustiness gives way to a subtle, smoky-floral note. It almost seems as if the dry grass has finally been watered; the bitterness is only playfully perceptible, and the fragrance takes on something spherical, graceful.

The transition into the dry-down can be considered a stroke of genius, as it prevents drifting into the realm of olfactory sublimity. The delicate floral notes are further enhanced by refreshing, citrusy touches. At the same time, musk provides a wonderfully mild creaminess. It is to Shaal Nur's great credit that the fragrance never threatens to slip into the kitschy. Despite all the final softness, the fragrance maintains its character, introducing well-measured dusty-salty counterpoints with vetiver. Very harmonious, very successful.