01/07/2023
Elysium
815 Reviews
Elysium
Helpful Review
7
The Troll’s Hyper-nature Smell
Troll is a term used to describe various supernatural beings in Norse folklore and storytelling traditions and has roots in Norse mythology. Both appearance and characteristics can vary, but the creatures are often dangerous and stupid. They live in wild areas inaccessible to humans, such as mountain caves, dense forests, and the ocean, and often blend in with nature, taking on its forms. Troll legends are many and ancient and describe trolls as robust, evil, and dangerous giants, ugly, with enormous noses and eyes “the size of a plate.” Most lived in distant mountains or a cold country in the North, but some trolls lived in the ocean or the forest. It is said that if you are near a troll, you can smell the scent of hyper-nature.
And it is precisely that hypernatural smell, which might seem insane, that I felt at first glance when I sprayed Anfas on my skin. Anfas Oud is a strong and direct perfume, in no uncertain terms, and with an enigmatic character. Allegedly unisex, Anfas Al Oud leans more towards a masculine taste, with notes of oud bursts, dry amber, smokey vanilla, and musky and smoldering wood. It doesn’t pretend to please everyone; it is a niche fragrance designed as a signature. I suspect they discontinued it, as there is no trace of it on Lattafa’s official website. Searching around, I found the following information: they should have released it in 2017, and it should contain a composition of notes of oud, incense, amber, saffron, nutmeg, and leather. However, there must be more to it as I have smelled nothing like this before. I can’t place it among the canonical olfactory families, as its accords are out of the ordinary. If you are curious, read on, and I will reveal my impressions as the perfume grows on me.
Anfas opens with a brutal fresh, alcoholic, and citric kick, composed of semi-bitter citrus notes mixed with cold spices. There’s a tiny bergamot and maybe more tart citrus zest, lemon I might dare, and if I put my nose close to it, I feel a balsamic and mentholated glow in the background, almost as if there’s cardamom in it. But all this is nothing significant compared to the darkness that awaits me just around the corner. As the alcoholic component evaporates, I perceive an ultra-earthy smell. There are moist liquorice roots, that aroma of chewing liquorice sticks, and crushed anise seeds. Among these black notes, I receive the most hidden ones of wet cement dust. If you’ve ever smelled freshly mixed cement, you know what I’m talking about. A smell of smoke slowly rises and mixes with that of overripe banana peel. It’s like a bewitched syrup, overwhelmingly ashy.
The sensation of smoked dust expands, a powdery and incense tinge as if the tubers of the iris had been dried, roasted, and then grated. The incensed note is more assertive, dominant, and smoky than clerical. The pungent smell of smoke, which has medicinal overtones of syrup, gives me the idea of a coal mine with that smell that belongs to mother earth. This hodgepodge has a spicy note of vanilla, also scorched. It reminds me of vanilla pudding that comes out of the pot because the flame is too high and burns in contact with the fire below. What I’m writing might seem like an evil concoction, a bottomless pit of darkness, but in reality, it’s an apotropaic potion with a magical charge capable of driving away evil influences.
As soon as the smoke clears a little, the dry and animalic note of the leather can be glimpsed. Smoky leather and spicy vanilla, dry without the gourmand facet. I suspect the sense of smoke is from the oud, which lingers throughout. This is the aroma of burning coals, the smell of sweet sacred land in the East, the almost mystical sound of smoky and aromatic incense, the cascade of fragrant, bright, and fabulous oriental spices, as well as the smell of softwood and warm, underlined with subtle, barely marked leather accents.
I advise you to avoid this perfume unless you are a risk taker, like me. If you are a fruity lover, only an overripe banana peel makes for sweet fruity aromas. And if you like fresh flowery perfumes, only the powder of dried petals is flowery. Likewise, if you like woody perfumes, there is only woody ash from burning coals. Finally, if you like clean musk odour, you will only find dirty and mouldy moss here. Anfas was a revelation. I bought it in the dark, based on the sensations described in the few videos available. A tremendous discovery that left me thrilled, pleasantly thrilled. Among the thousands of perfumes in my collection, none are like it. I can venture to say that I feel similar facets with Frames - Oud, both black, with a scary oud, synthetic but penetrating and powerful. Arabi Cana is freshwater in comparison! Anfas is suitable for evening or night during cold fall and dark winter, but it is only partially versatile. It demands special moments in an outdoor setting. Avoid wearing it during the day or to work unless you’re doing it to attract attention, which could play to your advantage or disadvantage, depending upon who is near you. Its performance is above average; the smokiness surrounds me for a long time and stays stuck to my clothes for days. Do you accept the challenge? Are you daredevil enough to wear this force of nature and let me have your impressions?
I’m basing my feeling and review on a bottle I’ve owned since January 2023 (PD 10-2019).
-Elysium
P.S. After wearing it a couple of times, I can see a similarity with Shuhrah pour Homme. I don't think they are clones of each other, but apart from the floral part of Shuhrah, the smoky, resinous, and tarry characteristics are the same, and the vibe is the same.
And it is precisely that hypernatural smell, which might seem insane, that I felt at first glance when I sprayed Anfas on my skin. Anfas Oud is a strong and direct perfume, in no uncertain terms, and with an enigmatic character. Allegedly unisex, Anfas Al Oud leans more towards a masculine taste, with notes of oud bursts, dry amber, smokey vanilla, and musky and smoldering wood. It doesn’t pretend to please everyone; it is a niche fragrance designed as a signature. I suspect they discontinued it, as there is no trace of it on Lattafa’s official website. Searching around, I found the following information: they should have released it in 2017, and it should contain a composition of notes of oud, incense, amber, saffron, nutmeg, and leather. However, there must be more to it as I have smelled nothing like this before. I can’t place it among the canonical olfactory families, as its accords are out of the ordinary. If you are curious, read on, and I will reveal my impressions as the perfume grows on me.
Anfas opens with a brutal fresh, alcoholic, and citric kick, composed of semi-bitter citrus notes mixed with cold spices. There’s a tiny bergamot and maybe more tart citrus zest, lemon I might dare, and if I put my nose close to it, I feel a balsamic and mentholated glow in the background, almost as if there’s cardamom in it. But all this is nothing significant compared to the darkness that awaits me just around the corner. As the alcoholic component evaporates, I perceive an ultra-earthy smell. There are moist liquorice roots, that aroma of chewing liquorice sticks, and crushed anise seeds. Among these black notes, I receive the most hidden ones of wet cement dust. If you’ve ever smelled freshly mixed cement, you know what I’m talking about. A smell of smoke slowly rises and mixes with that of overripe banana peel. It’s like a bewitched syrup, overwhelmingly ashy.
The sensation of smoked dust expands, a powdery and incense tinge as if the tubers of the iris had been dried, roasted, and then grated. The incensed note is more assertive, dominant, and smoky than clerical. The pungent smell of smoke, which has medicinal overtones of syrup, gives me the idea of a coal mine with that smell that belongs to mother earth. This hodgepodge has a spicy note of vanilla, also scorched. It reminds me of vanilla pudding that comes out of the pot because the flame is too high and burns in contact with the fire below. What I’m writing might seem like an evil concoction, a bottomless pit of darkness, but in reality, it’s an apotropaic potion with a magical charge capable of driving away evil influences.
As soon as the smoke clears a little, the dry and animalic note of the leather can be glimpsed. Smoky leather and spicy vanilla, dry without the gourmand facet. I suspect the sense of smoke is from the oud, which lingers throughout. This is the aroma of burning coals, the smell of sweet sacred land in the East, the almost mystical sound of smoky and aromatic incense, the cascade of fragrant, bright, and fabulous oriental spices, as well as the smell of softwood and warm, underlined with subtle, barely marked leather accents.
I advise you to avoid this perfume unless you are a risk taker, like me. If you are a fruity lover, only an overripe banana peel makes for sweet fruity aromas. And if you like fresh flowery perfumes, only the powder of dried petals is flowery. Likewise, if you like woody perfumes, there is only woody ash from burning coals. Finally, if you like clean musk odour, you will only find dirty and mouldy moss here. Anfas was a revelation. I bought it in the dark, based on the sensations described in the few videos available. A tremendous discovery that left me thrilled, pleasantly thrilled. Among the thousands of perfumes in my collection, none are like it. I can venture to say that I feel similar facets with Frames - Oud, both black, with a scary oud, synthetic but penetrating and powerful. Arabi Cana is freshwater in comparison! Anfas is suitable for evening or night during cold fall and dark winter, but it is only partially versatile. It demands special moments in an outdoor setting. Avoid wearing it during the day or to work unless you’re doing it to attract attention, which could play to your advantage or disadvantage, depending upon who is near you. Its performance is above average; the smokiness surrounds me for a long time and stays stuck to my clothes for days. Do you accept the challenge? Are you daredevil enough to wear this force of nature and let me have your impressions?
I’m basing my feeling and review on a bottle I’ve owned since January 2023 (PD 10-2019).
-Elysium
P.S. After wearing it a couple of times, I can see a similarity with Shuhrah pour Homme. I don't think they are clones of each other, but apart from the floral part of Shuhrah, the smoky, resinous, and tarry characteristics are the same, and the vibe is the same.
4 Comments
