Isfarkand Ormonde Jayne 2005 Eau de Parfum

I am writing this review based on the parfum because when you go to the parfum on this platform it has a very dated bottle which may be slightly confusing to some... This review is Isfarkand PARFUM, yes PARFUM Not Eau De Parfum.

This is my first Ormonde Jayne, and I have to say this is a stellar fragrance and what has already been said is true that this fragrance is adequate to take you from the office to your best friend's wedding. Very balanced, relatively linear, perfect amounts of silage. If you're a man, I think you really can't go wrong with this type of composition on your skin.

Off the rip when I first sprayed it, I was met with a very realistic lime and a bit of orange as well. Rather bitter but I can't say I don't like it... I do think the opening is slightly synthetic but that's not a bad thing at all! Into the mid you will find the citrus blending with the pink pepper and iris; I find this part of the dry down to be very harmonious and mass appealing as you will also find the base notes to be.

Wait about 3ish hours to get to the base and I think you will agree with me that this is the best part of the composition. A woody vetiver with iris and citrus dancing in the background I think this parfum screams elegance and completeness. It smells does indeed smell like everything is under control. This is most definitely a parfum concentration as you will see and feel the heavier oil concentration on your skin which means (personal opinion) you can go very heavy on spray amount because this is such a dense mixture that it's not really going to radiate off the skin like an EDP will but... This will last you 8-10 hours of solid silage which for me is better than massive projection for 3 hours and then dying down to a skin scent but of course that is subjective.

Overall, I think this is a great fragrance and whether you believe Jayne that she really made this composition for her husband I think every man is well equipped with this, summer or winter, day or night, office or date nights. If you like the ingredients listed, you will like this fragrance. A complete and elegant classic men's fragrance that nobody else is wearing. Doesn't get much better!!

Although it's said to be for men, Ormonde Jayne ISFARKAND cologne is absolutely unisex: a scrumptious lime-vetiver composition with some other woods and moss thrown in for good measure. The opening has serious addiction potential for me, but as the pink pepper expands toward the drydown, I become less enamored, although it never reaches the point of making me feel overwhelmed.

I recommend this creation to anyone looking for a high-quality, slightly spicy, citrus and woody low sillage fragrance. ISFARKAND would be especially nice in hot weather, but it has enough woodiness and spiciness to make it wearable year-round. If you abhor pink pepper or lime, you won't like this one, but everyone else should be pleased.

...that corresponds to my preferences. I received this sample of Unfassbare and initially suspected something oriental from the name, but my glance at the pyramid already sparked my curiosity. It tells us something quite different and delivers on its promise:

Isfarkand is a highlight for all ladies who, like me, enjoy it herbaceous, mossy, and soft, for whom Cabochard is considered the crown of the fragrance world, and who also like to venture into masculine territories.

After a herb-fruity top note, a wonderful dark chypre heart develops. Even though only pink pepper is mentioned as the heart note, which ensures that Isfarkand does not become too calm and sluggish, the true heart of the fragrance, the theme to be precise, lies in the base, which does not take long to reveal itself and truly captivates me. Dark green, incredibly soft, and yet powerful, Isfarkand radiates; and I find it completely off-base to classify the scent as purely masculine. Of course, it suits men, but I find the perfume much more interesting on female skin. A fragrance without flowers, without amber, tonka, or vanilla notes, yet still full of volume and depth. Anyone who is not deterred by this and loves this scent direction could acquire a real gem with Isfarkand.

The company was completely unknown to me, and it was only Louce's report that brought the label closer to me. Unfortunately, the fragrances seem to only be available online in England. Therefore, Isfarkand probably won't be joining my collection, as that is too cumbersome for me, but I find it very nice that even today, such interesting and extraordinary fragrances are being launched on the market.

Addendum in November 2013: In the meantime, Ludwig Beck in Munich also carries the fragrance.

"Isfarkand" had been on my testing list for what felt like an eternity - so I was all the more delighted when it was included in a colorful sample mix from a dear perfume. This community is and remains top-notch! And it might only be topped by this mossy-masculine pepper scent from the good Geza Schön - what a fantastic men's fragrance!

Of course, this fine gentleman's perfume bears similarities to "Terre d'Hermes" or other, mostly peppery-woody, (positively) synthetic beautiful works - but that's more of a compliment than a downside. Especially when you implement its theme so nobly and almost perfectly, competently, and massively wearable as here. "Isfarkand" is a perfect blend, from citrusy-green splashes (Liiiiimeeee!) to blunt-woody pepper combos to a mossy-green vetiver base - it really doesn't get any better than this. From the boardroom to the barbecue and back to the best friend's wedding, you're actually perfectly equipped with this. Always and everywhere. Stylish and enticing. Like pencils in a modern cocktail, like a doctor's office that has fallen into the pepper pot. Unstoppably good. Simple yet spectacularly rounded. Serious but not stuffy. Warm but not at all cloying or overwhelming. Bitter but never angry. Reliable but by no means boring. I am in love. More than just a little.

Bottle: simple & elegant
Sillage: creamy assertive
Longevity: solid quality work - 6-8 hours. And that in quite some heat.

Conclusion: a typical Geza Schön, a beautiful cedar-pepper near-masterpiece. Absolutely fantastic and one for the elegantly curated men's collection! Or indeed the surely rounder, thicker, more expensive "upgrades" perfume and elixir. The desert ground shakes!

In times when loudly proclaiming one's rights and needs is in vogue, the quieter souls often remain unheard or are labeled as inactive murmurers, even though they certainly have something to say. Clearly taking a stand is undoubtedly a legitimate societal demand, but too often this happens without a solid position.
Isfarkand Eau de Parfum likely operates far below the radar of our community here due to a lack of courage for polarization, at least when considering the resonance that the other, more prominent fragrances from the Ormonde Jayne house receive here. Perhaps that is why I find its scent aura surprisingly apt and equally pleasant as an olfactory statement amidst the excitement of the current zeitgeist.
On one hand, we have a subtle citrus note - entirely unfloral, without Neroli or any 4711 pretensions from elsewhere. The counterpoint is a bed of pepper, not sharp or scratchy as one finds with many fresh fragrances these days, no, rather warm and enveloping, almost creamy, carried by the third, invisible main actor, namely Giza Schön's trademark ISO-E-Super. The composition is deliberately kept simple, without significant development, but creates a harmonious, velvety-woody scent impression that the ISO-E molecule beautifully merges with one's skin chemistry: individual and niche does not necessarily have to be complex or extravagant. It is not truly fresh as a whole, but certainly wearable in warmer temperatures, especially because ISO-E-Super, in conjunction with body heat, emphasizes the individual scent components and one's own skin odor more intensely, thereby creating seasonally different, more intense scent impressions in summer. Very nice - and at least as exciting as a complex scent progression. It never becomes chaotic - rather the opposite is the case. Isfarkand feels very organized but never too formal - a true second-skin scent that accompanies calmly, radiating security and continuity, providing comfort and a sense of home. The synthetic-woody base projects quietly but with the nearly eternal endurance of Giza Schön's super molecule. After four hours, a peppery-creamy, only very peripherally citrus skin scent remains, which can easily be assigned to either gender. Only in the first, fresher hour of the scent progression, where piperine and hesperidins play sharper notes, do I see the fragrance leaning more towards men.
For those who appreciate molecular fragrances for their play with their own skin chemistry but find them difficult to perceive in their pure form, who are additionally looking for a dreamy-warm, approachable summer scent where citrus facets only play a secondary role, and who can tolerate pepper - albeit muted - I wholeheartedly recommend Isfarkand.