The opening is quite peculiar. The mint is oddly sweet-sour and it smells - as KingLui has aptly noted - indeed like cucumber salad with dill. Quickly, a scratchy rose geranium pushes in and with that… well, maybe not exactly "vinegar" with the cucumber salad, but it's certainly gone. Instead, a kind of anise note appears, which lingers quite distinctly for about an hour before ending in a strangely metallic nuance.
And then suddenly ‘Amulet’ reminds me of… ‘Touaregh’? No. Yes. From a distance. This is due to the sweet-spicy-rough nature. ‘Touaregh’ from Il Profvmo was my first comment here, my first "real" fragrance test ever, nearly five years ago. Was what I smelled back then possibly rose geranium and not primarily laurel/nutmeg? That would be a late insight. It can be checked, as I have ‘Touaregh’ here. The parallel test reveals, however, a much greater distance than initially suspected. Ms. Casoli's work is warmer, spicier(!), rounder and sharper at the same time - and has significantly more class, there are worlds in between!
In contrast, today's candidate unfortunately meanders a bit in its quirky composition. For example, the anise theme is still in the running. My favorite colleague spontaneously diagnosed pastis after two hours (oh dear, that in the office…).
Later in the morning, I briefly ponder a contribution from verbena. Until the olive-like appearance of (once again Il Profvmo's) ‘Imprinting’ comes to mind. Also one of my first fragrance tests. In retrospect, I wonder if the "olive" mentioned there was perhaps crafted from verbena and vetiver. Late insight No. 2, which a follow-up test cannot at least disprove. For the present fragrance, I quickly dismiss the verbena idea, as Casoli's creation is in every respect a completely different caliber.
Lastly, ‘Amulet’ seems to develop hints of a wormwood herb. Similar to ‘Assenzio’ by L'Erbolario? However, the sample of that has long since disappeared, so the impression must remain unverified. Well, after about five hours, our Martini by now is gone.
Conclusion: It feels a bit haphazard. For me, the test of ‘Amulet’ was mainly an occasion to finally wear ‘Touaregh’ again. That speaks for itself.
I thank KingLui for the sample.
P.S.: ‘Touaregh’ - how could I ever want to sell you?!?
So for lunch, we had cucumber salad with dill and then a Pastis - and then a Martini. I really wouldn't want to get pulled over by the police after that...
Well, I won't let anything come between me and Touaregh.... I can't think of any similarities with the content here for now, except maybe for the manufacturer of the cardboard box on the outside.....
I can't think of any similarities with the content here for now, except maybe for the manufacturer of the cardboard box on the outside.....