Andalusian Soul The Merchant Of Venice 2018

About a year and a half ago I acquired a full bottle version of Andalusian Soul from The Merchant of Venice, yet for some reason or other forgot to add it to my collection on Parfumo. The beautiful Murano bottle – some of TMoV's bottles rightly rank among the most elegant of our perfumed times –, with its sundrenched hues of orange, red, yellow and ochre, is a sight to behold. Its colour nuances convey exactly what is inside the glass: a slightly smoky and spicy, not-too-sweet dream of the south of Spain. It has that bit of mystery of the gypsies found there, with their gorgeous olive-skinned femmes fatales burning themselves up in a wild flamenco dance, throwing their long raven-black hair around to the sound of passionate guitar chords rooting in the old travelling cultures of even more exotic places. There's something sultry to this wonderful scent, reminding one of that particular abandon which certain long hot Summer nights can conjure up. Who knows what the madrugada will bring?
As for the vanilla component in the base: to me, thankfully it remains firmly within bounds. If there's a sweetness here, then it is, without a doubt, of the creamy ambery kind. As a result, it acts in a so much more subtle manner than your average ice cream-that-comes-in-a-pint type of vanilla could ever hope to do. Smoke and spice – as well as the sage – bring just that intriguing soupçon of a deep oriental flavour to the table.
Andalusian Soul, like many of The Merchant's offerings, is an intimate delight when sprayed modestly. Nonetheless sillage and performance – on my skin – are quite decent. On a shirt, you will clearly smell its warm scent the day after you've worn it. For a few spritzes more – preferably in the neck, on the chest and arms –, you'll leave an alluring trail of refinement in your wake.