Scent Stories Vol.1/Ch.04 - Shaman MiN New York 2014

There are some fragrances which are so powerfully meditative and achieve their beauty and grace not from the resolute complexity of their formula but rather the delicate touch and restraint exercised in their creation. One of these fragrances, for me, is Shaman. It opens on my skin with a cool violet leaf with a slight metallic edge that perfectly ricochets the light off of it's surface and adds a distinct luminosity to the already diaphanous incense that follows. The base is of a smoldering patchouli, tendrils of smoke rising from the cinders gathered at the edges of the leaves and coaxing their splendid essence into fiery vapor. The composition is positively symphonic in it's simplicity and is easily one of my favourites in the collection.

With its earthy notes and warm spices, it beautifully captures the essence of ancient rituals. Each spiritz feels like a spiritual journey, leaving you grounded yet uplifted. A truly captivating scent experience! This fragrance transports you to a mystical calm. The blend of cedarwood and incense evokes a sense of tranquility, making it perfect for both meditation and daily wear!! Love it love it love it!

A strange scent. Elusive, indefinable. Shimmering, just like the term "shaman" does not describe anything uniform, but rather attempts to compress individuals from completely different cultural backgrounds and roles into a single word with typical Western arrogance.

It is not productive to simply work through a progression for "Shaman." The changes are undoubtedly noteworthy, but equally important is to engage with the two faces of the fragrance. At times, I felt as if I were dealing with two perfumes, depending on the dosage.

On one hand, there is Dr. Jekyll: violet leaf and smoke. A striking contrast that is quickly softened by rough patchouli and a caramel sweetness; very elegant. After ten minutes, the violet heads towards a throat lozenge direction. A bit of licorice perhaps, in any case a hint of anise. I wouldn’t have identified mandarin without prompting, but something fruity can be recognized if desired. Cardamom is acceptable. Overall, the scent remains restrained, and the spark does not ignite.

During the morning, alongside the violet, a resinous-sour aura manifests. Additionally, there is an almost metallic twist, reminiscent of some variations of lavender or a floral honey. I thought shamans would be more intense in terms of smoke and resin. That is probably - see above - a misconception anyway. New idea: a priest on sabbatical for research purposes. I imagine Georges Lemaître, who is about to give a lecture on his Big Bang theory. From the chasm arises a distant memory of past masses, it’s been a long time. I find this image hilarious (https://youtu.be/RL6ndOAOEeE - at 0:21 min.). I suspect he is indeed standing there in some kind of priestly robe in front of the table with the crazy formulas.

Soon, a hint of fruit surprises me, in a style close to the violet leaf-fruit jelly combination from Lalique's Hommage à l'Homme, even though the latter is clearly more fruity. With Shaman, the question arises whether it is even still fruit (I think of the coy mandarin) or if it has transformed into something like a twist of honey - an approach supported by the further development and by the observation that the camouflaged fruit hardly plays a role on Mr. Hyde days, see below.

By noon, a leathery nuance emerges from the violet leaf, which is significantly more pronounced in projection than on the skin. In the room, it definitely smells like leather, as a return to the office after half an hour of absence shows. The as-if fruit contributes less and less; by now, I would rather sign off on rose. Only with considerable delay, in the afternoon, does the leather show up directly on the skin. Mind you: this is not "classic" leather, but rather an impression likely stemming from the violet corner. Non-musty patchouli may contribute its part, but it will not become an independent performer in this regard.

Hmm. The attempt to closely connect floral-fruity and resinous-smoky elements creates a diffuse feeling of discomfort for me; the two poles may be too different. Perhaps one should have either explored the oppositional nature or one side should have subordinated itself. In this case, the resin acts like brake linings on the rest of the fragrance. Nothing seems to unfold properly. It’s quite possible that others appreciate this connection. Let’s see what the gentleman thinks who gets the sample (diminutive form inappropriate - my thanks for that go to Gerdi!) next.

Aaaaaaaber: Then there are the Mr. Hyde days. With a stronger dosage, gasoline blows out of the opening. A bittersweet-strict rubber note, which is at best a vague hint in the description above, appears more quickly. By the second hour, an unclean note is undeniable. Gerdi described it as fecal, and I understand well what she means. I am reminded of the unclean note in Cuba by Czech & Speake, which has a latent smell of settled waste, like a sewage treatment plant. With Shaman, however, I do not want to go that far, but it is close. If I had to guess, I would say that a sugary amber with geranium stink is in charge here. The violet leaf-leather also shows a completely changed face. Suddenly, there is something tarry and darkly smoky in it. The honey develops a urinous note.

The other fragrance components mentioned above remain perceptible, of course; they simply undergo a more profound interpretation than before.

Again, "Hmm." I feel like I did in school during dictations, where the teacher was occasionally offered two solutions through deliberately ambiguous spellings; in the hope that it would be decided "in dubio pro discipulo." Most of the time, that did not work. And with Shaman, this idea - if it is indeed one - does not quite ignite for me. I find it all somewhat intriguing, but ultimately a bit confusing. The price of 240 euros for 75ml adds to my lack of wish list ambitions.

Phew. That was exhausting.

Ah, I was able to test this fragrance, as so often, thanks to a sample I received from a lovely (or rather devilish? Aahh she will surely kill me!!!) perfumer!

Anyway, the scent sounds incredibly exciting both from the fragrance notes and the name, which piques my curiosity. Shaman… shamans, spiritual figures who can communicate with the world of spirits and the dead. Somehow, it fits perfectly with the current spooky-beautiful Halloween mood, don’t you think?

I find it very interesting what all exists in the world, like different belief systems, fantastic spirituality, incredible myths, deadly perfumes (okay… I couldn’t hold back on the last one, really not, he he he!). Well, now we have arrived at shamans, and just from the term alone, one would expect a nature-connected scent (with herbs, earthy notes, and such) with incense… let’s see…

The beginning is a bit difficult to describe. While mandarin is listed, I perceive (probably due to the mix of all the fragrance notes) the start as more minty fresh than citrusy fresh. The combination of patchouli and the sweet notes even creates an almost chocolaty nuance for me, reminding me a bit of chocolate with mint, like After Eight. Of course, it only smells like that at the beginning, so it doesn’t last (since I LOVE After Eight), but even afterwards, the scent is nice and smells a bit unusual.
The citrusy aspect is now the mandarin, even if it doesn’t want to reveal itself as such. Cardamom adds the spicy-herbaceous note and is definitely more noticeable than the mandarin (and it doesn’t smell as bad here as it sometimes does).
The frankincense makes the scent airier, and it appears brighter and livelier than usual due to the citrus notes. The other notes are slightly sweet and spicy, but for now, they cannot be identified further.
The sweetness really starts to emerge after a few minutes. Although violets are listed in the top notes, the scent doesn’t smell that sweet, but it could also be that there are differences between violets and violet leaves; I’m not sure about that.
In any case, the fragrance continues to smell bright, smoky, and resinous later on, becoming a bit sweeter and earthier. The spices become less pronounced, and the scent begins to smell a bit more bitter, but in a nice, wonderful way.

The projection is quite good, not overwhelming, but still pleasantly radiant. It will be noticeable to someone nearby, and a scent cloud will be left behind.
The longevity is also pretty good, lasting from morning to evening, so I can definitely say it lasts about ten to twelve hours.

The bottle is rectangular and black (it bears a slight resemblance to Narciso bottles). The narrow label covers part of the front and extends a bit to the side of the bottle. The cap is also black and rectangular and seems to be made of wood. It looks quite okay.

Hmm… did you actually know that shamans are spiritual people from Siberian ethnic groups? Because usually, one first thinks of Indigenous ethnicities and inevitably also of medicine men (and of course women).

Be that as it may, Shaman has become an interesting scent that smells nice and intriguing, reflecting somehow the spirituality and the connection of humans with the earth, as the main fragrance notes are earthy and smoky.

Friends of resinous incense and earthy notes should definitely take a look here. In my opinion, the scent has become a fall/winter fragrance. Maybe not necessarily suitable for work (or is it? I’m never sure with smoky scents…), but very good for leisure time. Or perhaps now for Halloween, if one plans to summon spirits :))

Oh, and if you encounter a powerful demon tonight or tomorrow on Halloween who asks you if you are a god, don’t make the mistake like the Ghostbusters and rather respond with “yes!” :D

It’s worth testing, even if you have nothing to do with shamanism!

Has a bit of an eco-soap vibe, with violet clearly dominating, sour green, followed closely by mandarin and cardamom, overall in the style of the house rather muted, dry, elegant.

It flows seamlessly into a matte, delicate rose, very blended with just a hint of nutmeg and the finest, subtle, light incense, almost unnoticeable, for the name Shaman a bit too elegant and soft, when I think of Shaman I rather envision a wild brew.

After 60+ minutes, a certain resinous sweetness does emerge, the honey more in the background, styrax and amber present, but also not harsh, rather soft and calm.

So overall, it doesn't really do justice to the name for me, and this soapy opening isn't quite to my taste.

[tested on the skin]