This is my favorite MDCI fragrance and it really works well for me. As a lover of floral and woody, this gives me exactly what I want with a little extra nuance.
The first 15-20 min are a cold citrus before fading out. Then it moves into a floral bouquet- not one you give to your partner, but one you paint into a still life. Surprisingly, I get a very recognizable rosewood accord too- like a handmade dark wooded conference table with a quality lacquer. The rosewoods starts in the second stage, and persists until the end. Then in its final drydown it’s the same bouquet and rosewood but with some leather and amber.
Many people dislike this fragrance, and these are my personal responses:
1. It has a generic composition
That’s ok! Not every fragrance has to be unique, complex, and unfamiliar. It’s nice to just smell good, and your scent shouldn’t define your aura but rather compliment and accentuate it.
2. Longevity is poor
I’ve seen people say it only lasts 20 min to an hour. Anecdotally, on me it preforms strong, with a nice scent bubble and sillage, until the 4th hour when it seemingly disappears. It remains as a skin scent for another 2-4 hours after that. I’m okay with this. Ive learned it’s better to burn out than to fade away. Although I like when a spray in the morning takes me all the way to bed, it’s a lovely fragrance to have for the time it’s present. Given the lightness of its notes, it’s actually pretty good all things considered. But I’ve noticed MDCI varies greatly with skin chemistry so YMMV
3. It’s not an Amber
Who cares?! If you do any research, this is obvious. I do get a slight amber accord in its 3rd and final stage though. I read somewhere that it was named for how its color resembles the same shade of amber as a fine whiskey.
I really love this fragrance and I recommend trying it before writing it off because of bad reviews. Just remember, fragrance is a personal thing and it should speak to you. If this does, great! If not, that’s okay too
