Mana Nishane 2022

After the initial spicy opening, Mana has a sweet blast of oud and jammy rose. Smells quite girlie. After a short while, the sweetness pulls back but the rose has a very jammy or fruity smell. Overall, I'd say it's a unisex fragrance. Oud and rose last for a considerable time. Towards the end, all that remains is a sorta creamy/woody scent. Performance is very good. Long lasting with good sillage and projection for a few hours at least.

Overall, Mana is not my style.

Mana from Istanbul's Haute Luxury Niche Perfumery Nishane House in Turkey is a Extrait De Parfum Oriental Smoky Woody Spicy Musky Unisex with a masculine inclination. It was released in 2022; and the nose behind this fragrance is the controversial Christian Provenzano. Mana is the culmination of a journey to create the perfect fragrance of resinous leather 'oud. This dark and warm perfume strikes the perfect balance between power and elegance.

Mana is a somewhat daring and very potent creation: leathery, resinous, woody, musky and smoky that catches the eye from the start. It opens with a warm spicy blend dominated by a strong and wonderful leathery sweet saffron with no rubbery profile, and tempered by the fresh greenish of cardamom, and with even more spicy bright heat of ginger with pepper, establishing an arabesque, intense and aromatic tone on the opening.

Already at the heart, this composition reveals the opulence and luxury of the 'oud ... a 'oud striking, woody, dark, resinous, smoky, earthy, but without nuances of corral/stable. The softness of the suede softens the initial intense leather vibe of the saffron, a dark rose that here is quite muffled by the smokes and the animalistic touch of castoreum, this smoked rose mixed with castoreum form a duet that adds sophistication and depth, an elegance and an almost romantic sensuality.

Towards the base, the fragrance reveals itself even more sublime, composed of warm woods, earthy moss, dark resins and more intense steaming facets of benzoin with incense simmering in an incensed and sweet woody. A musk, on the other hand, reinforces the animalic character of the composition. All of this results in a smoky, musky and ambery base that persists with the strength of an extract. The quality of the chords created by the raw materials used are exceptional!

I can't frame Mana as an 'oud & rose, the rose here is very discreet compared to other creations inspired by this famous duet. Nor to classify it as another fruity leather either; in Mana the much-mentioned similarity with Ombre Nomade for me is more in the opening. Unlike Mana, raspberries were not used and the rose does not have a leading role as in the LV classic; Mana is also more polished. Excellent perfume! Maybe that's why I can like Mana more, it's still too early to say.

Ich muss ehrlicherweise sagen, dass ich mich nicht in der Lage fühle diesen Duft ausführlich zu beschreiben. Ich war nur flüchtig im Laden und habe mal alle Nishane Düfte ausprobiert und fand den mit am interessantesten und habe ihn mir deshalb mal am den Arm gesprüht. Und man muss ich sagen, das mir dieser Duft gut gefällt und er eine unglaublich gute sillage hat.

Fangen wir auch gleich mit der Sillage an. Eine Sprüher auf die Hand und ich rieche den Duft die ganze Zeit immer mal wieder. Vor allem in Räumen wird er sehr präsent. Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, das 3-5 Sprüher am Körper schon sehr stark wären.

Wegen der Haltbarkeit kann ich nicht viel sagen. Bis jetzt riecht er immernoch top und glaube auch, das er noch eine Weile hält. Stand jetzt sind es ca 4h aber er kommt anderen ähnlichen Oud Düften sehr nah; deswegen geh ich auch von einer langen Haltbarkeit aus. Die anderen Reviews bestätigen das ja auch :)

Soo jetzt zum Duft selbst. Er erinnert mich stark an Ombre Nomade und einen Touch Ombré Leather (2018) Eau de Parfum. Immer wieder hab ich das Gefühl bekommen, das ich beide Düfte drauf hab bzw. ein Mix aus beiden wobei der Ombre Nomade stark dominiert. Da ich zuhause noch eine Probe von ihm habe, hab ich den mal verglichen und ja stimmt. Die riechen in der Basis sehr sehr ähnlich. Nur fehlt bei diesem Duft hier das fruchtige der Himbeere. Was lustig ist, weil ich die Himbeere im Ombre Nomade nie so stark wahrgenommen habe, bis heute. Also ja. Für mich ist das fast der selbe Duft nur ohne Himbeere. Aber genau deswegen eigen. Dadurch würde ich sagen; dass dieser Duft sogar etwas stärker und weniger weich ist. Was aber nein animalisches Oud ist. Die türkische Rose rieche ich jetzt nicht anders als eine normale Rose. Die Mischung mit dem Oud und Leder macht’s aber perfekt. Sehr toller Duft für mich. Hat mich sehr überrascht

I think the only reason Mana is being compared to Ombre Nomade more often than Nouveau Monde is simply because more people have smelled Ombre Nomade. I would say Mana is a cross between Perfect Oud Eau de Parfum and Nouveau Monde, bearing passing resemblance to Ombre Nomade, only insofar as Nouveau Monde resembles its cousin.

Rose, agarwood, and leather dominate, but it's not nearly as dark as the LVs. It's a dewy, fresh rose rather than a dense powdery one. There are also some fruity and spicy notes, but I don't think there's enough distinction from existing fragrances to make this worth the money. Although Mana can be found a bit cheaper than Nouveau Monde on discounters, I'd still go with the LV.

I was surprised not to see civet or some other strongly animalic note in this perfume. There is something about it that reminds me of animal urine. Perhaps it's the musk?

The leather and suede are also very strong. Cardamom and tobacco give it an overwhelming pungent spiciness. The dry-down does improve slightly, as the rose note appears and brings about a pleasant, albeit "vintage," soapiness.

This is a primal and very manly "stink" to me. I'm sure this is for someone, but it's definitely not for me. I truly cannot stand this fragrance.