Top Notes 
Turkish rose
Cardamom
Geranium
Heart Notes 
Osmanthus
Amber
Cypriol
Base Notes 
Leather
Elemi resin
Vetiver
StinkSultan
54 Reviews
StinkSultan
Helpful Review
6
Underrated Nishane
I feel like Shem has been flying under the radar for most people. Either because of the ridiculous high price tag or the dominating rose note, I rarely to never see it mentioned. It is definitely not a fragrance for everyone; quite the contrary, the rose + cypriol combo can seem unusual and overpowering to inexperienced noses, especially the way it is done here. But to me, this whole blend is both addictive and prestigious.
I like the way @Static titled his review just below - "Business class". I feel like that's a very fitting evocative label for Shem, for this does smell high-quality. However, I certainly did not expect it to be as sweet as it is, almost candy-like. The Turkish rose unapologetically dominates the scent right from the start, with a very rich, sweet, velvety aroma, with hints of spice, smokiness, and even a honeyed edge. It is warmed up by the cardamom accompanying it, which is also responsible for the lemony/minty undertone. It could just as well be the geranium, though, as its complex herbaceous rose-like attributes include a slightly citrusy twist. Nonetheless, the opening is intense, yet beautiful in every way. Dark, sweet, complex rose, blended with warm spices and aromatic touches.
Soon, the cypriol takes on the scene, which adds this slightly smoky, spicy odor, with nuances of woodiness and earthiness. It also seems to be the one responsible for the alleged "faint cigarette smoke scent" that my dad picked upon. However, for me the osmanthus steals the show at the heart due to its impressive complexity of fruitiness and florals. It basically reminds me of peaches, but with a stronger sort of floral creaminess on top, like a mix of jasmines and orange blossom. As for the amber, it's not very pronounced, mostly warming things up while taking a step back, leaving the rest of the notes shine through.
At the base, this very prominent lemony scent with balsamic and fresh, spicy qualities of the elemi resin completely overshadow the rest of the base notes. The rose, cypriol, and osmanthus, which persist for most of the wearing, aid it further in diminishing the smell of vetiver, of which I can barely pick up any, and leather, which takes it a while to properly show. And even after it shows, it is still quite mild (to me), struggling to properly identify it. I mostly get some warmth which I can associate with leather. Overall, great blending and quality - richness and depth throughout the whole wearing. But I will say it strikes as a little linear; that strong rose/osmanthus/cypriol overpower mostly everything else right from the start and through most of the wearing, so there isn't a lot of development at first glance.
In terms of performance, I was expecting this to follow the lead of most other Nishanes on my skin and fade away by the 5 hour mark. But to my surprise, Shem stuck to my skin for somewhere around 9-9.5 hours. And I was also pleased to see it deliver pretty good projection and sillage, with 2+ feet for the first two hours, after which it would take a step back and form a one foot bubble around me for like 1-2 more hours. Somewhere around the 5-6 hour mark, it would turn into a skin scent. Overall, quite solid.
It should be clear by now that this isn't a fragrance to be worn daily, nor to your usual getaways or at places where you have to keep it lighter (e.g. gym). This feels like it was made for special occasions, like weddings or similar dressed-up situations. And for men worrying that the rose in here might give the fragrance a more feminine lean, rest easy - this is rose done in a more masculine way. Not overly so, however; it is still definitely unisex.
So in the end, you won't see why I like Shem until you try it, or maybe you won't see why it isn't talked about more until you give it a sniff. It's really a love it or hate it affair, but if you enjoy fragrances with a dark, sweet rose being the main protagonist, then it's well-worth sampling Shem. But is it worth getting a full bottle of? No, I don't think so. Its retail price of around €450-€550/50ml is simply exaggerated. And while I believe the end product is definitely high-class and rather underrated in Nishane's catalog, it's not really worth what they ask for it. But hey, if you can afford business class, I guess that this should be pocket money for you.
Overall Rating: 7/10
I like the way @Static titled his review just below - "Business class". I feel like that's a very fitting evocative label for Shem, for this does smell high-quality. However, I certainly did not expect it to be as sweet as it is, almost candy-like. The Turkish rose unapologetically dominates the scent right from the start, with a very rich, sweet, velvety aroma, with hints of spice, smokiness, and even a honeyed edge. It is warmed up by the cardamom accompanying it, which is also responsible for the lemony/minty undertone. It could just as well be the geranium, though, as its complex herbaceous rose-like attributes include a slightly citrusy twist. Nonetheless, the opening is intense, yet beautiful in every way. Dark, sweet, complex rose, blended with warm spices and aromatic touches.
Soon, the cypriol takes on the scene, which adds this slightly smoky, spicy odor, with nuances of woodiness and earthiness. It also seems to be the one responsible for the alleged "faint cigarette smoke scent" that my dad picked upon. However, for me the osmanthus steals the show at the heart due to its impressive complexity of fruitiness and florals. It basically reminds me of peaches, but with a stronger sort of floral creaminess on top, like a mix of jasmines and orange blossom. As for the amber, it's not very pronounced, mostly warming things up while taking a step back, leaving the rest of the notes shine through.
At the base, this very prominent lemony scent with balsamic and fresh, spicy qualities of the elemi resin completely overshadow the rest of the base notes. The rose, cypriol, and osmanthus, which persist for most of the wearing, aid it further in diminishing the smell of vetiver, of which I can barely pick up any, and leather, which takes it a while to properly show. And even after it shows, it is still quite mild (to me), struggling to properly identify it. I mostly get some warmth which I can associate with leather. Overall, great blending and quality - richness and depth throughout the whole wearing. But I will say it strikes as a little linear; that strong rose/osmanthus/cypriol overpower mostly everything else right from the start and through most of the wearing, so there isn't a lot of development at first glance.
In terms of performance, I was expecting this to follow the lead of most other Nishanes on my skin and fade away by the 5 hour mark. But to my surprise, Shem stuck to my skin for somewhere around 9-9.5 hours. And I was also pleased to see it deliver pretty good projection and sillage, with 2+ feet for the first two hours, after which it would take a step back and form a one foot bubble around me for like 1-2 more hours. Somewhere around the 5-6 hour mark, it would turn into a skin scent. Overall, quite solid.
It should be clear by now that this isn't a fragrance to be worn daily, nor to your usual getaways or at places where you have to keep it lighter (e.g. gym). This feels like it was made for special occasions, like weddings or similar dressed-up situations. And for men worrying that the rose in here might give the fragrance a more feminine lean, rest easy - this is rose done in a more masculine way. Not overly so, however; it is still definitely unisex.
So in the end, you won't see why I like Shem until you try it, or maybe you won't see why it isn't talked about more until you give it a sniff. It's really a love it or hate it affair, but if you enjoy fragrances with a dark, sweet rose being the main protagonist, then it's well-worth sampling Shem. But is it worth getting a full bottle of? No, I don't think so. Its retail price of around €450-€550/50ml is simply exaggerated. And while I believe the end product is definitely high-class and rather underrated in Nishane's catalog, it's not really worth what they ask for it. But hey, if you can afford business class, I guess that this should be pocket money for you.
Overall Rating: 7/10
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