Fatih Sultan Mehmet. One of the sultans whose opinions about him could not be more different, both positively and negatively. He was known for significantly contributing to the expansion of the Ottoman Empire as a ruler, and many subsequent rulers gradually destroyed it (seems to be the fate of every great empire), until the empire was eventually referred to as the "Sick Man of Europe" and ultimately dissolved by Atatürk. So much for the short version of history :D
This fragrance is named after the aforementioned sultan, who was the seventh Ottoman ruler. What did he do? Well,… I would suggest: Check Wikipedia, or if you prefer, in antiquated collections of writings called history books (which you can actually touch and even flip through :D)
Yes, I can be lazy too and don’t feel like listing facts here at length, not to mention that this is about a fragrance. The question is, how can one imagine such a scent?
Very simple:
I would bet on something oriental :D
That means, "something" with roses, oud, maybe resinous incense and sweet-heavy notes. Well, we will find out shortly.
The Scent:
The fragrance starts off spicy, but at first is somewhat fresh due to fruity notes. You briefly smell the bergamot, but then mainly the apple.
As expected from an oriental, a rose quickly makes its appearance, but not so strongly that the scent would come across as feminine. A little later, it is refined with oud, which for me also belongs to an oriental.
Later on, the main scent notes are oud, roses, and generally floral-spicy notes. In the background, you can still smell something fruity. Along with that, there’s a bit of amber and musk, with these two sweet notes seeming to constantly alternate in intensity. Additionally, towards the end, a little earthy patchouli appears. At the very end, you can smell a gentle vanilla as the spicy notes gradually fade, making the scent slightly sweeter again, allowing you to smell the vanilla.
The Sillage and Longevity:
The sillage is good, but somehow still feels soft and doesn’t overwhelm you, even if there are many sweet notes or heavy oud in it. Of course, one should still not overdo it with the dosage :)
The longevity is six to seven hours, after which the scent is only very close to the skin.
The Bottle:
The high-quality looking bottle has a dark color and is rectangular with beveled side edges. On the front, there is a golden plaque featuring the portrait of Fatih Sultan Mehmet, depicted after the painting by Gentile Bellini. The cap is also black and represents a western crown (though the cap is the same for every fragrance from Fort & Manlé).
Ahh… I have often wondered what it would be like to be a sultan. You surely have a good life for a while, but you are probably hated and feared by most subjects alike, especially if you rule like a tyrant, which was not uncommon during medieval times.
Well, as for the fragrance, it’s not bad at all. It is a typical oriental and is basically wearable almost anytime except for really hot summer days. It also works as an evening scent.
What would I be like as a ruler? Hmm… I think I would be as crazy as the Roman Emperor Caligula and would appoint my cat as a senator, mu ha ha ha (for those who don’t know: Allegedly, Caligula appointed his horse Incitatus as a senator. According to some sources, this isn’t entirely true, but the ruler did indeed toy with the idea of making the horse a consul!).
Patchouli
Red apple
Benzoin
Bergamot
Cedarwood
Iris
Rose
Vanilla
Frankincense
Musk
Petitgrain
Ambergris
Tulip
Oud
Ovaissaleem
Rachelg
1Noah
Holscentbar
Emorandeira
Eggi37
Gandix
Yatagan
Verbeene
Lilienfeld
