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Elysium
Helpful Review
4
The Smell of Fresh-cut Wood in Sawmills and Milling
One could detect the scent of resin from the sawmill from far away, and many people appreciate it. It is released into the air every weekday from morning till evening...
ZARA Black Pepper & Cedarwood belongs to The Naturals collection, these fragrances have been made with ingredients from natural origin. As usual, Zara invests a lot in packaging and bottles. This time the box is a white cylinder liken Acqua di Parma blu boxes, and the bottle is the same used in Molecules collection, 80ml with transparent glass and wooden-made cap. The perfume comes in an EDP concentration and features notes of peppercorn, rose, and cedarwood.
My honest impression, right of the bat, is that you have to enjoy the woody/smoky accord to appreciate this perfume fully. Imagine entering a sawmill where cedar logs are cut into lumber. Well, this is the burst of wood notes you get when you smell this perfume. With all of that woody aura surrounding you, take a bouquet of roses, crumbles some peppercorns over the petals, and then inhale deeply. Here we go!
Smoky yet light, this Eau de perfume from Zara is all about that smell, the fresh scent of smoldering, austere, and elegant cedar with a distinct spicy black pepper and rosy edge. Complex, sharp, and sensual, this stunning scent is the perfect balance of precious, masculine woods and earthy sweetness. As aforementioned, Black Pepper / Cedarwood is a light spicy scent with strong smoky notes. In the head phase the essence of cedar it is almost only a suggestion, an expedient to give a marked three-dimensionality to the eau de parfum right from the start but, when after a few minutes the light citrus notes of the opening fade almost completely, only the more decisive spicy component of the pink pepper remains. it reinforces the cedar, whose presence becomes more and more clear as the heat of the skin warms it.
Supposedly featuring natural ingredients, I bet this cologne contains Cedrus atlantica, and the much more rare Cedrus deodara blended with piper nigrum to create a woody, masculine fragrance with the hot and peppery middle notes of black peppercorns for a touch of spice. Among the few ingredients listed on the box, both linalool, limonene, and citral are mentioned, which should add a touch of zesty notes of bergamot and lemon in the opening I barely detect.
That's it. The cologne is almost linear, the transition among the spicy, floral, and woody accords occur in a while, and the dry down is only too smoky and wooden, with the pencil shaver vibe outstanding if you put your nose close to the skin. I gave a full 8 to the scent rate cause it somehow recalls me of LeLabo Santal 33, with that strong woody and smoldering accord all over, the pencil sharpener vibe for which I go crazy. Sillage, projection, and longevity are moderate, and I gave 5 to them, you might want to reapply if you're going to smell good all day long. That's the lousy point for an EDP, yet it is safe for the office and not bothering your mates, a daytime scent ideal for the middle seasons, Fall preferable than Spring. I am rocking it today, a windy day of central Winter, too cold for this inadequate feeble guy.
-Elysium
Elysium
