07/27/2020
Elysium
817 Reviews
Elysium
4
Earl Grey Chiffon Cake
My kitchen is full of blood oranges, and I must eat them before my trip next week. It was a choice between Earl Grey, Blood Orange, and Cardamom Cake, or Chocolate Orange and Cardamom. And the winner was a chiffon cake made from milk infused with Earl Grey tea and cardamom, some dried rosebuds, and a little blood orange. Then, a little blood orange zest. I sweeten the icing with blood orange and cardamom I also add syrup and a part of jam between the layers for an extra touch of orange. Its flavors of bergamot combine really well with blood orange and cardamom. If I had to compare Zara’s Cardamom & Blood Orange perfume to a sweet, it would surely be a red-orange and cardamom chiffon cake. What else?
ZARA Cardamom & Blood Orange arrived pristinely, not smelt at my home during the lockdown. I was aware of the originality of The Naturals Collection, so I took the risk. The bottle is a minimal, rounded glass affair with a wooden lid, and the box features an exclusive black and ivory carbon box similar to the other pieces of the collection. This is a cardamom based perfume, no question about it. The cardamom note is dominant all the way until the dry-down, and it gives a very fresh vibe. The fragrance is oriental, spicy, soapy, unisex, sweet, reminiscent of LUSH’s things.
When sprayed on the skin, a sweet citrus fruit cloud rises and expands, full of zest and a spark for life. There is a firm note of sweet orange, a tad boozy right off the bat, likewise a good Cointreau Triple Sec Orange Liqueur. Suddenly it turns sanguine as candy. It reminds me of a lot of the taste of hard orange candies whose shape resembles the fruit wedges. Here we do not find the classic citric aroma, the zingy citrus notes aren’t all too harsh. Instead, a creamier, smoother, and soother accords embrace me, as if there were creamy sandalwood blended with blood orange. Orange fruits offer a pleasant mood, while spicy cardamom appeals to all senses. Okay, okay. Well, in the spirit of finely chiselled and with friendly manners. The initial stage is gourmand to me.
It takes just a few minutes, and the most aromantic, mentholated, balsamic green cardamom reaches the orange flavor. I am whisked to a spice market where I am dazzled by the scents of cardamom and other spices. It gives me the feeling of the hard shell of the candy that breaks and fills cardamom syrup. The impression is terrific, so pleasant, and I would say unique. The heart also offers a bouquet of sweet blossom; I guess ylang-ylang and other carnal flowers, though the result is everything but cloying or too floral, and still stays in the genderless zone. Suddenly you catch a wave of scent, stewed cardamom plums, smoky woods, and dried orange peel, and it feels so unexpected and delightful.
Even if a chill wind blows outside, wood aromas such as cedar and sandal attract interest in an extended forest walk. The dry-down is very mild compared to the opening and features woody notes of barely dry cedar and cozy sandalwood. The latter was perceivable from the very beginning. But the base is more than just woods, and I get sweet and warm amber incense with a pinch of modern patchouli, which is only there for keeping the bottom far from obnoxiously mild. Since I detect a vibe akin to Caron Pour Homme, I bet a touch of sensual vanilla is present in the concoction and emerges lately; I don’t mean they are like one another, yet they have an accent in common. I find the last stage a delicate and comforting end to a rather wild olfactory experience.
Cardamom & Blood Orange seems to change according to the distance from which I perceive it. It is a fascinating blend of deep spices with a little lightness coming from the floral and fruity notes. It radiates heat, like a bag of spices left in the sun or a pot of freshly brewed chai tea. There is also a beautiful feminine depth, seductive to the point of being almost intoxicating. The perfume is lovely; it smells like something that should be called Noir, niche, or exclusive. It has plenty of radiance, and it contrasts the opulent notes with the sweet orange zest and sheer blossom. I reckon this is a fragrance that is not suitable for the mass; it is rare, dense, and still something more for the alcove, intimate, refined. It can be ideal as a unisex fragrance since it is not excessively sweet.
Many people would only wear this cologne during colder seasons, but I find the warm summer breezes bring out its tropical vibe, a middle season scent that is unusual. Loud on top, the bottom though, is a little softer but still very distinct. Miserably, as an EDP, it offers a weak performance, the sillage is close to your arms, and longevity is below average. Nevertheless, I feel that this is a fragrance with which I will have an exciting journey. I do not regret my blind buy; instead, I am glad to have this rare gem.
This review bases upon a 100ml (3.4 fl. oz) I own since May 2020.
-Elysium
ZARA Cardamom & Blood Orange arrived pristinely, not smelt at my home during the lockdown. I was aware of the originality of The Naturals Collection, so I took the risk. The bottle is a minimal, rounded glass affair with a wooden lid, and the box features an exclusive black and ivory carbon box similar to the other pieces of the collection. This is a cardamom based perfume, no question about it. The cardamom note is dominant all the way until the dry-down, and it gives a very fresh vibe. The fragrance is oriental, spicy, soapy, unisex, sweet, reminiscent of LUSH’s things.
When sprayed on the skin, a sweet citrus fruit cloud rises and expands, full of zest and a spark for life. There is a firm note of sweet orange, a tad boozy right off the bat, likewise a good Cointreau Triple Sec Orange Liqueur. Suddenly it turns sanguine as candy. It reminds me of a lot of the taste of hard orange candies whose shape resembles the fruit wedges. Here we do not find the classic citric aroma, the zingy citrus notes aren’t all too harsh. Instead, a creamier, smoother, and soother accords embrace me, as if there were creamy sandalwood blended with blood orange. Orange fruits offer a pleasant mood, while spicy cardamom appeals to all senses. Okay, okay. Well, in the spirit of finely chiselled and with friendly manners. The initial stage is gourmand to me.
It takes just a few minutes, and the most aromantic, mentholated, balsamic green cardamom reaches the orange flavor. I am whisked to a spice market where I am dazzled by the scents of cardamom and other spices. It gives me the feeling of the hard shell of the candy that breaks and fills cardamom syrup. The impression is terrific, so pleasant, and I would say unique. The heart also offers a bouquet of sweet blossom; I guess ylang-ylang and other carnal flowers, though the result is everything but cloying or too floral, and still stays in the genderless zone. Suddenly you catch a wave of scent, stewed cardamom plums, smoky woods, and dried orange peel, and it feels so unexpected and delightful.
Even if a chill wind blows outside, wood aromas such as cedar and sandal attract interest in an extended forest walk. The dry-down is very mild compared to the opening and features woody notes of barely dry cedar and cozy sandalwood. The latter was perceivable from the very beginning. But the base is more than just woods, and I get sweet and warm amber incense with a pinch of modern patchouli, which is only there for keeping the bottom far from obnoxiously mild. Since I detect a vibe akin to Caron Pour Homme, I bet a touch of sensual vanilla is present in the concoction and emerges lately; I don’t mean they are like one another, yet they have an accent in common. I find the last stage a delicate and comforting end to a rather wild olfactory experience.
Cardamom & Blood Orange seems to change according to the distance from which I perceive it. It is a fascinating blend of deep spices with a little lightness coming from the floral and fruity notes. It radiates heat, like a bag of spices left in the sun or a pot of freshly brewed chai tea. There is also a beautiful feminine depth, seductive to the point of being almost intoxicating. The perfume is lovely; it smells like something that should be called Noir, niche, or exclusive. It has plenty of radiance, and it contrasts the opulent notes with the sweet orange zest and sheer blossom. I reckon this is a fragrance that is not suitable for the mass; it is rare, dense, and still something more for the alcove, intimate, refined. It can be ideal as a unisex fragrance since it is not excessively sweet.
Many people would only wear this cologne during colder seasons, but I find the warm summer breezes bring out its tropical vibe, a middle season scent that is unusual. Loud on top, the bottom though, is a little softer but still very distinct. Miserably, as an EDP, it offers a weak performance, the sillage is close to your arms, and longevity is below average. Nevertheless, I feel that this is a fragrance with which I will have an exciting journey. I do not regret my blind buy; instead, I am glad to have this rare gem.
This review bases upon a 100ml (3.4 fl. oz) I own since May 2020.
-Elysium
Elysium
Stolzman
