AB±Cashmere UerMi 2013

The opening of Cashmere is extraordinarily similar to Scent Intense by Costume National, just a bit less "intense" and more greyish, but the notes are incredibly close (I have a bottle of the Intense and I just applied it on my other arm: the similarity is *really* close, especially initially and for quite a while). Basically Cashmere smells of sandalwood (a lot), cashmeran, a synthetic amber note (more like ambrette seeds or cetalox) and something fruity-floral on top, with the peculiar lively-aromatic juiciness of tea (Scent Intense comprises a tea leaves note, this one has osmanthus which is quite close to tea - not to insist on the comparison, but well...). All over this glossy, artificial creamy-woody-fruity concoction stands a light, grey, slightly dusty breeze of synthetic resinous incense. Say, something halfway Cuiron (apparently now that it's back in a different formulation we have to get used to say "the vintage" Cuiron), more or less any sandalwood scent (I thought of Geo Trumper's Sandalwood, for instance, but any average-cheap sandalwood works the same as reference) and as I said, Costume National's Scent Intense. After a while it becomes more a generic sandalwood scent on the sweet-creamy side, always also quite fruity. Pretty pointless to be honest, just get one of the scents I mentioned, which all cost a fraction of this (except Cuiron, obviously).

5/10

To get straight to the point - I have had a frankincense trauma since childhood. This originated when I was regularly dragged to church by my grandparents, whether I wanted to or not.
The small, chubby priest with the red face took frankincense particularly seriously. It was used in every service after the preparation of the gifts, and I am sure today that this priest must have lived in the Middle Ages in a previous life, when churches were still disinfected with frankincense.
So it happened that when I opened the generous sample pack from Franfan20, I immediately reached for this scent. It fit my preference - soft, warm, cozy. Unfortunately, I had miscalculated.
Shortly after spraying, I noticed a spicy, woody scent that irritated me greatly, as I was expecting something cozy. But before I could gather a clear thought, there it was, the frankincense, and it came on strong. Dominant, intrusive, all-consuming. And I was the little girl in the church pew.
A glance at the fragrance notes confirmed it. The trauma of my childhood had returned, but I refused to be defeated and held on. At 2-minute intervals, I did a scent check. At first, the sillage was unbearable, but my efforts were to be rewarded. Over time, and thanks to the good longevity, the frankincense receded into the background. Finally, sandalwood, amber, vanilla, and patchouli could reveal themselves, and it became a warm, soft, harmonious scent. Who would have thought it, I was reconciled. And it was also a bit of trauma processing.

Everything that my previous commentators can say about "AB±Cashmere" I cannot perceive in this way.
I first tested "AB±Cashmere" blind, so I didn't know which ingredients were listed or what had already been commented on.
To me, it is a nice woody scent at first, then "AB±Cashmere" becomes slightly spicy, resinous, and afterwards I smell a very soft sandalwood note. This lasts for a while, and I already regret that. The scent dims down, I hardly perceive anything anymore. But I notice that this only applies when very close to the skin; around me, I perceive the woody and also resinous, slightly smoky scent. Then really sweet and floral notes emerge. But they blend with the woody notes and make "AB±Cashmere" softer, and maybe there's vanilla in there too.
And then "AB±Cashmere" is gone. So I sprayed a little more on. Everything plays out the same way. After a proper, albeit short, progression, it smells woody, balsamic-resinous, and pleasantly sweet at the end. This fine scent then also lingers for a very long time and is close to the body.
Fortunately, I find no connection to the material "cashmere" at all.
Every wool has a certain hair smell, especially when damp and wet. Cashmere too, but only very faintly, at least the cashmere wool clothing and scarves I have perceived so far. I don't smell anything like that in "AB±Cashmere" at all. And that's a good thing.
I only own a Nepalese shoulder shawl with embroidery made of cashmere wool.
Otherwise, it is impossible for me to wear anything made of wool, not even if I wear blouses underneath.
It itches, even in the smallest amounts. You can't fool me, it itches.
Neither cashmere nor mohair, nor rabbit, it itches and irritates.
This is because static electricity builds up due to the friction of the wool, and it tingles and scratches. When I then touch the cat or door handles, there's a slight electric shock. Really. In this respect, I cannot understand the enthusiasm for cashmere clothing and the like; my little hairs stand on end just thinking about it.
But I quite like the scent "AB±Cashmere," even if it is not a novelty and not a scent that makes my heart race with excitement. I am certainly not bothered by anything about it. For me, it could have a bit more substance and longevity as well as sillage.
It is definitely unisex.

"Cashmere" begins on my arm with a bang, showcasing the full vanilla-amber spectrum. Sweet, delicious, and very cozy due to the musk, like a warm cashmere sweater, fluffy and warm. So far, so good. I'm waiting for the flowers and I'm curious how they will fit into the wool association. Suddenly, an incredibly intense scent of rhubarb rises from my arm, rhubarb with vanilla, a bit of caramel, a bit of sugar - rhubarb cake! Very delicious, with a dollop of whipped cream! Nothing about this was mentioned in the ingredient list. Whether this olfactory impression arises from the mentioned floral combination is possible. Over time, the rhubarb fades, the scent becomes even warmer, creamier, and deeper, likely thanks to the musk and sandalwood. I can't detect patchouli or incense. Only after many hours does "Cashmere" quietly fade away, without changing anymore.

Okay. I admit that "Cashmere" feels more like a fuzzy, overly warm mohair sweater for me; I could have guessed that from the mention of the two disliked partners, vanilla and amber. But for the pastry lovers among us, the unexpected rhubarb could be an interesting variant in the cake buffet. However, I miss a bit of freshness, something truly distinctive; just being delicious is definitely not enough for me.

The sillage is decent; one spray too many and the open-plan office gets murderous thoughts! And hey, if you want to wear this on a date in the evening - please dose extremely sparingly! Even the next morning, the scent is still noticeably present on me.