Eritrea Héritage Berbère

Heritage Berberé is a Moroccan brand that is hardly ever available for testing in stores, at least that's the case in the small Alpine republic where I live. (For those who manage to visit Linz: The very impressive fragrance and trinket temple Aschauer on Spittelwiese carries the scents and offers charming advice). That's why Eritrea came to me once again as a blind buy, simply because I found the bottle, including its fluffy charm, stylish and wanted to inspect the brand a bit more closely.

Eritrea (by the way, the strangest name ever, I have no idea what this excessively powdery scent has to do with a northeastern African country wedged between Ethiopia and Sudan. The creators hopefully know) anyway opens with a dusty, very clean, almost iris-like impression. Teint de Neige Eau de Toilette waves over a bit sourly, because, spoiler alert and just between us, Eritrea is the better Snow White complexion. A noble rose is clearly recognizable in the opening, but only briefly, as it quickly moves aside and leaves the field to a cheeky yet discreet lily of the valley. After that, not much happens. Musk takes the lead, cedar joins in casually, and the powdery and minimalist dirty impression shapes itself into a linear scent profile that lasts a good 6-7 hours (at least on me). The rose from the opening keeps flashing fresh and zesty, but still doesn't give it a cloying twist. The powderiness clearly dominates.

For me, who always appreciates powdery scents, this is one of my favorites in this category and overall a lucky find in my collection.

Lastly, I should also mention the sprayer: It is quite unsuitable for decanting because it sprays very short and wide-angle, if that makes sense. But for our beloved fragrance ritual, I find it perfect. Subtle dosing is king here. Or better said: queen. Because that’s what she is for me, the lady with the strange name: Queen of Powder Scents.