Don't be fooled: this is a very incense / smoky / woody fragrance
This is another decant I got at the beginning of my journey where I focused on some of the notes, thinking I'd love them, instead of looking at them all and asking myself how they'd interact on my skin. Going through Ormonde Jayne, I realize how much I've learned since then.
Somewhere around Tauer's fragrances and Abu Dhabi from Memo Paris lies this one: another desert inspired fragrance. It sounds negative by the way I've written my sentence, but nah. It's definitely one of the more palatable ones I've smelled (I'm not the greatest fan of desert inspired fragrances), but still not something I'd wear for myself. Beginning is lovely, with the sweet, paste-like dates, the slightly metallic and creamy saffron and the refinied spiciness from the cinnamon. Things soon start to take a turn when the incense barrels through, uncompromising. Not heavy, but it does suddenly take up all the place on my skin. It's airy, but also very incense-like, smoky with a touch of woodiness in the background. I'm starting to get some cardamom at the base with a subtle sweetness... It definitely veers into the masculine territory for a good while. The far drydown becomes more my thing: a lovely, sweet and creamy vanilla tempered by the earthiness of the oakmoss and a touch of spicy woodiness in the background.
Like I've mentioned, I'm not a fan of desert inspired fragrance (at least none have made it into my collection yet) and I'm also not a fan of incense scents which is the main reason why it won't be making it into my collection. I was hoping dates and saffron would've stuck out stronger and longer, but the incense is definitely the star here (at least for my skin chemistry...).
