2
So many different evolutions
As always, I try the scents without looking at the pyramid to both get a sense for the profile, and in a way train my nose to recognize accords. I had to revise this review like 5 times just to accurately describe the wear process.
Putting on Astaral, in the air I get what I think is a fruity-floral and feminine opening, instantly reminding me of something like Pink Me Up and perhaps a little bit also of Super Moon. I tried smelling the scent from up-close, but on the open it's a little bit harsh - getting hedione vibes, giving it this slight bitterness. As it dries, I notice soapy & fresh accords in addition to the fruity-floral ones, reminding me a little bit of "Join The Club - Comandante! | Xerjoff". Definitely doesn't smell like the most original creation. The sillage is pretty loud on this, great spring-fall scent. At first I thought it was feminine, but it definitely dries more unisex. I'm not sure I'd wear this in summer or winter.
After pyramid/accords, after it has settled for ~5 minutes: The rose does start to pop a bit more in the drydown, but I don't get this pyramid AT ALL. I don't get moss, I don't get amber. As it is drying, what I am getting the most is a very jammy rose, and not much else. I wouldn't say it's oriental - it smells a lot like the rose you get in scents from Fragrance du Bois or Roja Parfums - sweet, dewy, jammy rose with not much else going on. The main ones that I'm thinking of are Parisian and "Amber Aoud (parfum) | Roja Parfums".
After the scent has truly settled (2-3 hours): The rose was always flanked by notes that are comparable to the feel of cypriol oil / nagarmotha. Those notes were weak until this part of the drydown - the rose has given up all that ground to woody-mossy tones as the scent now has an eastern vibe to it. We basically went from up-lifting fruity-floral to pure rose to mossy oriental.
The value here is great at €290 for 100ml, think it's definitely worth a look to anybody considering scents like Parisian or Taif Aoud or any other oud-rose fragrances where the oud is basically invisible and the price is 2x the Xerjoff. Wouldn't compare to something like Favonius though - that one does not lean as heavily into the rose as Astaral. Given all these evolutions, I'm not sure there is a single comparable.
Putting on Astaral, in the air I get what I think is a fruity-floral and feminine opening, instantly reminding me of something like Pink Me Up and perhaps a little bit also of Super Moon. I tried smelling the scent from up-close, but on the open it's a little bit harsh - getting hedione vibes, giving it this slight bitterness. As it dries, I notice soapy & fresh accords in addition to the fruity-floral ones, reminding me a little bit of "Join The Club - Comandante! | Xerjoff". Definitely doesn't smell like the most original creation. The sillage is pretty loud on this, great spring-fall scent. At first I thought it was feminine, but it definitely dries more unisex. I'm not sure I'd wear this in summer or winter.
After pyramid/accords, after it has settled for ~5 minutes: The rose does start to pop a bit more in the drydown, but I don't get this pyramid AT ALL. I don't get moss, I don't get amber. As it is drying, what I am getting the most is a very jammy rose, and not much else. I wouldn't say it's oriental - it smells a lot like the rose you get in scents from Fragrance du Bois or Roja Parfums - sweet, dewy, jammy rose with not much else going on. The main ones that I'm thinking of are Parisian and "Amber Aoud (parfum) | Roja Parfums".
After the scent has truly settled (2-3 hours): The rose was always flanked by notes that are comparable to the feel of cypriol oil / nagarmotha. Those notes were weak until this part of the drydown - the rose has given up all that ground to woody-mossy tones as the scent now has an eastern vibe to it. We basically went from up-lifting fruity-floral to pure rose to mossy oriental.
The value here is great at €290 for 100ml, think it's definitely worth a look to anybody considering scents like Parisian or Taif Aoud or any other oud-rose fragrances where the oud is basically invisible and the price is 2x the Xerjoff. Wouldn't compare to something like Favonius though - that one does not lean as heavily into the rose as Astaral. Given all these evolutions, I'm not sure there is a single comparable.
NicheOnly
