Isleta D:SOL MMXVI 2025

The notes of fig and tea here might have sparked a thought in your mind related to Wūlóng Chá Extrait de Parfum. "A potential competitor/challenger? Maybe a better take on the DNA?" I'm afraid it's neither, nor is it the kind of scent that I get lost into like you would in summer's adventures.

But sure, it does have that summery vibe without a doubt. It opens bright and crisp, with a strong bitter orange aroma with a more prominent, savory herbaceous undertone. The bee balm note, which isn't listed here, appends a gentle minty accord that envelops the citric aspects, while also aiding with aromatic touches. The juniper leaf does what it does best, giving the composition a fresher breakthrough with a clear but laid back piney attribution. Thoroughly summery start, but can it keep the vibe on the long run?

Well, if you're expecting an ecstatic, effervescent, very lively and active summer continuation, then you'd be wrong. Isleta slows down and searches for the quiet. The jasmine is quick to take over once it pushes through, appending a smooth, not intoxicatingly strong white floral aroma. It goes easy on any sweeter aspects, especially since it is also aided by a light and airy white tea note, giving off a clean herbal character, while the clary sage carries the herbaceous undertone. I also get some creaminess hidden underneath, but the fig is not very prominent, at least not enough to bring out a fruity accord. It mostly just gets lost among the jasmine and tea somewhere. Or, well, to be in line with the brand's marketing, it gets "lost in summer".

Unfortunately, as it was the case with its other siblings Herbes and Tesoro, the base notes here are quite shy. The patchouli at most appends some muskiness, while the other wood notes just stay very soft, slightly on the creamier side of sandalwood. It's in line with most compositions of this type, but I'm quite tired seeing the same boring, soft base woodiness in so many fragrances. That and the overall tea/jasmine-led concoction makes Isleta nothing more than a pleasant scent to me. Smelt similar things plenty of times before.

Expectedly, performance doesn't shine too much either - somewhere around the 8 hour mark in terms of longevity, which is actually quite decent, but pretty mellow projection after the first hour. It would barely still project 3 hours in, just a faint whiff here and there from very up-close.

You're asking about versatility? Don't. Wear whenever, wherever. Judging by the brand's marketing, summer seems the ideal season, but it's versatile year-round as a daily, office scent. Slightly more feminine leaning, though.

It feels more like spring than summer if I'm being honest. But I definitely don't get lost in Isleta either way. It's simple, it's easy to like, it's versatile, but is it better than, say, Wūlóng Chá Extrait de Parfum, the most renowned fig + tea fragrance? Not even close. Not in those aspects at least. On its own, I'm sure Isleta will find plenty of fans, and since it also asks for somewhat less than Nishane's proposition, it would also be more pocket-friendly. But it isn't a replacement for Wūlóng Chá Extrait de Parfum. Not that it is such a big question people are throwing, anyways; it's all in my head.

Overall Rating: 5.5/10

I think fig can be declined in a very laidback elegant way. that's not new. Think Premier Figuier or Philosikos... not similar perfumes but similar vibes: the same kind of slender gorgeous elegance you'll find in Isleta.
Tea, on the other hand can have this summery noble easygoing noblege Bvlgari showed us.
Isleta is better (and I own and love Eau au The Bleu, which is very -however- very different). I mean Isleta is more than tea and fig. there's an intriguing something in the opening (guess is the medarda? no idea). there's a blend of sunny summer greenness that never becomes to much, a grounded dry down...there's balance, there's joy... I think Michael Nordstrand did a gorgeous job with this summery scent that I happily wear in luminous days.