Fan Your Flames Nishane 2016

I grew up detesting coconut. I don't know if it was either too exotic for me or if my taste buds weren't fully developed yet, but I remember as a small kid trying coconut for the first time, and I was repulsed. Frankly, there was nothing worse for me than a Bounty chocolate bar. But as I grew up, my taste buds began appreciating anything that contained coconut, and now I'd nearly prefer a Bounty over a Snickers bar. Regarding rum, I grew up in Romania where we've got rum chocolate bars (Rom), and there was no need for maturing in order to enjoy these; I loved them from the very first bite.

Given that, I should find Fan Your Flames an easy like, which I do. But I'm still undecided on whether I'd actually want to smell like this.

The opening here is quite sweet. You immediately meet that warm and caramel-sweet facets of rum, with a clear alcohol undertone and subtle spiciness. This boozy aroma pairs beautifully with the creamy, nutty, even slightly milky coconut, and needless to say that the only thing that comes to mind is a tropical coconut cocktail.

After ordering the drink, you light up a cigar, which feels right at home in this composition. It brings a dry and spiced hay-like edge, all whilst enveloping the room with some tame smokiness. The tonka bean doesn't go unnoticed; frankly, it's fairly prominent with an almondy-vanilla scent, which yet again, doesn't feel out of place.

The base, while hardly as interesting or unique as the rest of the blend, still fits in the picture like a glove on a hand. The Chinese cedarwood adds this warm, dry, but also slightly airy/fresh woodiness with earthy and musky undertones. It reminds a little of freshly cut wood... until you add the oakmoss with its damp earthy facets that brings that forest floor vibe. The way the notes come together here is extremely interesting, for it's not your usual blend of ingredients, yet they all come together like pieces in a puzzle. The blending and raw material quality is pretty good too, though I will say that it feels slightly unbalanced.

The longevity on my skin was just about what I expected: 6-7 hours. And no, I'm not saying that just to make a '67' joke. The projection was pretty strong for the first 30-60 minutes, ranging between 2-3 feet with proper sillage. But once the the alcohol settled into the system, it went down more around a constant 1-2 feet of projection, up until hour 4-5 where it turned into a skin scent.

It's hardly the most versatile scent there is. It shouldn't surprise you if someone asks you if you've been drinking after smelling Fan Your Flames on you. Then again, on a tropical evening beach party, this is the scent to go for, as long as you don't overspray since it's quite sweet at the beginning and it could knock someone out in the high heat right into the hangover without even needing to drink. It could also work for weddings/formal events. But for daily wear to work or school, this is not really a great fit.

It's got coconut, which I love, rum, which I love even if I don't drink; tobacco, which I love even if I don't smoke, and oakmoss, which I love as it reminds me of the years I lived in a mountain village in the forest. And yet, I'm not sure I'd want to smell like this. It just doesn't feel like something that aligns with me and my current lifestyle, not to forget that it's still pretty sweet and I'm not the biggest fan of sweet-first fragrances. So while I can definitely recommend trying it out, I don't think I'll see myself ever considering even a 10ml vial, let alone a full bottle. And also, DO NOT commit to a blind buy with Fan Your Flames. This is something you have to try first.

Overall Rating: 6.6/10