N°04 Amber & Fig Cashmere Zara 2021

Let it breathe. This fragrance needs to breathe.
Barely out of the box (very nicely packaged with wonderful haptics, although a bit dented from the post), the alcohol almost knocks me over. Wow, this blind buy really went wrong, I think, and I’m already considering washing it off.
The bottle stands next to me, simple, pretty, pleasantly shaped, and surprisingly well made for the price range.
Then, after a few minutes, something begins to emerge, something I did not expect. Fruity notes, or even orange, I cannot perceive, maybe just a hint of citrus, but amber is present from the start. Amber in every conceivable facet. First a bit spicy, sharp from the pepper, then increasingly woody.
This fragrance makes a fantastic progression, where at first only alcohol and chaos are noticeable, now a creamy blend of fig, green, soft, and woody notes settles over the skin, which comes across as very melancholic, almost a bit "old-fashioned."
Not old-fashioned in the sense of outdated, but somehow from another time. A time when men's perfumes smelled of amber, and this note has imprinted itself in my mind as unmistakably masculine style. Now I am reclaiming it. Amber and fig together definitely come across as unisex, if not slightly masculine, but always intriguing, always lightly peppered and deep. The fig provides minimal fruity notes until the end. Patchouli occasionally peeks through, reminding me of rain-soaked earth. For me, this fragrance has something incredibly melancholic. Like the first autumn days, when it is still warm, but stormy, with the sun occasionally breaking through, and it smells fresh and earthy throughout. Longevity and sillage have amazed me, which is surely also due to Abroxan (the star from Molecule 02). This means it will develop slightly differently on every skin and remain perceptible to others, even when we can no longer smell it ourselves. Interesting.

Addendum: Even if the notes diverge a bit: Fig and Cashmere is definitely from the same DNA as Eau des Merveilles by Hèrmes. In the opening, AFC is a bit stronger, a bit less complex and spicy, but in the fragrance progression, they are hardly distinguishable. Well played, Jo Malone. In fact, AFC lasts longer, but is generally a bit more straightforward and varies less between different nuances, being less spicy. If you are not entirely sure about Eau des Merveilles or are looking for an affordable alternative... try this fragrance here. I am usually always on the side of originality, and Eau des Merveilles holds a special place in my heart, but the quality of the Zara fragrance is quite impressive for a fraction of the price and, with its slight aquatic notes, is unique enough to stand up against EdM.