I ordered the small 10ml travel spray of this fragrance directly from Rania J., and it arrived at my home just in time for New Year's Eve.
The first spray immediately reminds me of a Louis Vuitton. If I didn't know better, I would have guessed it was Matière Noire or Ombre Nomade.
The fragrance opens with a good blast of oud. However, it doesn't overwhelm you like some other strong oud fragrances, such as Oud Alezan. Here, you can smell a combination of oud and soft, light beige nappa leather, beautifully blended with amber, caramel, and tonka.
With this opening, which should not be underestimated and can be quite strong for some, a wonderful journey begins.
Slowly, as the fragrance warms on the skin, it transforms from the bottom up along the fragrance pyramid.
With the onset of the aforementioned components, the scent gradually becomes softer, smoothly transitioning from the base note to the heart note. The leather note becomes gently floral, with ylang-ylang and rose geranium contributing to this. The blackcurrant fits in wonderfully and provides the necessary balance between fruit and flower.
Towards the end, I finally recognize the orange and bergamot notes, which remain wonderfully creamy thanks to the osmanthus and ylang-ylang. After about 2 hours, I was able to smell the entire palette, but to my surprise, it was from the bottom up.
The dry down, on my skin, is like the top note, and it's breathtaking. Soft, creamy, and a successful blend of all notes. I haven't experienced such a beautiful fragrance journey in a long time.
Samar Kand is definitely unisex wearable, if not slightly more masculine due to the strong opening. The dry down, on the other hand, feels more feminine and soft to me. A gentleman might find it a bit too gentle or fruity-creamy.
I will save this fragrance for the evening and special occasions, as it might feel a bit out of place in the office.
Even though the opening is much more oud-heavy than I would have liked, it's worth waiting and giving the fragrance time to unfold.
