6
Helpful Review
Leaves me Wanting More!
I am on the hunt for my personal holy grail tobacco fragrance and while researching the note of tobacco I came across the tantalizingly unique note profile of Fan your Flames from the highly regarded house of Nishane.
This is my first Nishane and was a total blind buy and as many have already stated, FYF is definitely not a safe blind buy. But before I was even able to get my nose on the scent I was very impressed by the packaging and unboxing experience that Nishane puts together and after my tobacco hunt cools down I am looking forward to further exploring this gorgeous house.
FYF immediately stood out to me due to the unique note combination of coconut and tobacco, both of which sit atop my favourite notes in perfumery. This alone was enough for me to smash the Add to Cart button and before long I had the first sprays of this firey fragrance on my wrist.
The opening is by far my favourite part of this fragrance. You are blasted with a warm and boozy toasted coconut. This is not a typical sunscreeny coconut but rather one that has been kissed by open flames and left to smolder. It's not smokey but warm, resinous and although slightly sweet, that sweetness is overpowered by a peppery herbaceousness. This opening is intense and projects well but despite its warmth, I strongly believe that the opening suits every season well. There is enough beachy campfire and coconut to capture the allure of the summer while also being paired with a comforting and boozy warmth that easily cuts through the cold winter air. Though the notes of tobacco and coconut initially seem like they would clash fairly strongly, there is no cacophony of competing notes trying to out loud the other. The blend is at its best in the opening and every note is incredibly well balanced and this allows FYF to appear effortlessly classy in spite of a more casual scent profile.
Like many great things, this does not last. Before I speak about my personal issues with the drydown I want to say that FYF's drydown is fairly linear, the overall scent profile really doesn't change much between initial spray and 10 hours in. The coconut fades into the background and the tobacco in the base becomes more prominent but besides that, all the notes remain more or less the same. However... the way that these notes combine with each other and the way the blend develops does not do this fragrance any favors. The well balanced nature I spoke of earlier does not remain for the entire life of this fragrance and on my skin, every note degrades and falls out of harmony the farther I get from the initial spray. What starts out as a warm, toasted coconut becomes a dirty, fleshy, sticky mess on my skin. It's as though some really cheap sugary coconut liquer was spilled onto an expensive cigar and the resulting liquid was left to dry on my skin. I really can't bring myself to appreciate this drydown no matter how many times I've tested this fragrance. It genuinely makes my skin feel like it hasn't been washed in days. The tobacco is there but it's mutated by this stale and sweaty syrupiness from the degradation of the top notes.
At its best, FYF projects a carefree confidence and makes me feel like I'm simultaneously vacationing in the tropics while also being inside a fancy humidor as winter winds pelt the outside of the room. The opening is truly a work of art and every single time I experience this I tell myself that this fragrance is a masterpiece and THIS is the time that the drydown will be different. Unfortunately that time hasn't come.
Despite my distaste for the drydown, I can't bring myself to rate FYF any lower than a 7.5. The opening is absolutely incredible and impeccably unique and I hope one day that the rest of this fragrances life will grow on me because it's clear that Nishane put a lot of work into crafting this scent. It may very well be a skin chemistry issue but it's an issue that makes FYF very difficult to wear for more than a few hours without feeling dirty. I wish I could get more from this fragrance, I can't overstate how captivating its opening is and it leaves me wanting more every time I wear this.
This is my first Nishane and was a total blind buy and as many have already stated, FYF is definitely not a safe blind buy. But before I was even able to get my nose on the scent I was very impressed by the packaging and unboxing experience that Nishane puts together and after my tobacco hunt cools down I am looking forward to further exploring this gorgeous house.
FYF immediately stood out to me due to the unique note combination of coconut and tobacco, both of which sit atop my favourite notes in perfumery. This alone was enough for me to smash the Add to Cart button and before long I had the first sprays of this firey fragrance on my wrist.
The opening is by far my favourite part of this fragrance. You are blasted with a warm and boozy toasted coconut. This is not a typical sunscreeny coconut but rather one that has been kissed by open flames and left to smolder. It's not smokey but warm, resinous and although slightly sweet, that sweetness is overpowered by a peppery herbaceousness. This opening is intense and projects well but despite its warmth, I strongly believe that the opening suits every season well. There is enough beachy campfire and coconut to capture the allure of the summer while also being paired with a comforting and boozy warmth that easily cuts through the cold winter air. Though the notes of tobacco and coconut initially seem like they would clash fairly strongly, there is no cacophony of competing notes trying to out loud the other. The blend is at its best in the opening and every note is incredibly well balanced and this allows FYF to appear effortlessly classy in spite of a more casual scent profile.
Like many great things, this does not last. Before I speak about my personal issues with the drydown I want to say that FYF's drydown is fairly linear, the overall scent profile really doesn't change much between initial spray and 10 hours in. The coconut fades into the background and the tobacco in the base becomes more prominent but besides that, all the notes remain more or less the same. However... the way that these notes combine with each other and the way the blend develops does not do this fragrance any favors. The well balanced nature I spoke of earlier does not remain for the entire life of this fragrance and on my skin, every note degrades and falls out of harmony the farther I get from the initial spray. What starts out as a warm, toasted coconut becomes a dirty, fleshy, sticky mess on my skin. It's as though some really cheap sugary coconut liquer was spilled onto an expensive cigar and the resulting liquid was left to dry on my skin. I really can't bring myself to appreciate this drydown no matter how many times I've tested this fragrance. It genuinely makes my skin feel like it hasn't been washed in days. The tobacco is there but it's mutated by this stale and sweaty syrupiness from the degradation of the top notes.
At its best, FYF projects a carefree confidence and makes me feel like I'm simultaneously vacationing in the tropics while also being inside a fancy humidor as winter winds pelt the outside of the room. The opening is truly a work of art and every single time I experience this I tell myself that this fragrance is a masterpiece and THIS is the time that the drydown will be different. Unfortunately that time hasn't come.
Despite my distaste for the drydown, I can't bring myself to rate FYF any lower than a 7.5. The opening is absolutely incredible and impeccably unique and I hope one day that the rest of this fragrances life will grow on me because it's clear that Nishane put a lot of work into crafting this scent. It may very well be a skin chemistry issue but it's an issue that makes FYF very difficult to wear for more than a few hours without feeling dirty. I wish I could get more from this fragrance, I can't overstate how captivating its opening is and it leaves me wanting more every time I wear this.
1 Comment
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ScentToolbox 6 months ago
You were SO close!
Since becoming interested in perfumery there was one note that captured my attention the most... tobacco. While I can't pinpoint the exact reason that this is the the note that calls out to me the loudest, I am certain that it's in part to the versatility...
