Les Souveraines d'Egypte

The Sovereigns of Egypt

Roméa d'Améor 2008

On the test strip that has been sitting here on my desk for several days now, the scent is a poem. Perfect, enchanting, overwhelmingly beautiful. Kneeling-worthy.
Well, right after the first spray, I was a bit confused: A wave of sweet, fruity balm overwhelmed me, almost a bit intrusive. However, I have since learned to give fragrances time. I had to leave anyway, so I left the strip lying there. When I returned home in the evening, a captivating fragrance greeted me as I entered the apartment. Spicy, sweet, incredibly multifaceted. I traced the scent trail back to the test strip: What a wonderful fragrance. I find it very difficult to describe it concretely or identify individual notes. Figuratively speaking, it’s like a warm sparkle of thousands of delightful facets, perfectly coordinated, bright yet mysterious, a bit oriental, but also fairy-like and light. A truly aristocratic scent.

Cheerfully, the skin test followed the next day (the whole apartment was still a fragrant dream). I tried to ignore the first, somewhat strange impression, optimistic that the true magic of the fragrance would soon unfold. It did not. All day long, I was surrounded by a rather unpleasant, herbal, almost sour sweetness, reminiscent of fruits and herbs that have recently been in a midsummer trash can. I also perceive the spicy note on me quite differently than on the test strip, somehow unclean and anything but delightful. The whole time, I felt uncomfortable in the presence of other people and fervently hoped that I was not perceived as a walking compost heap. Fortunately, the longevity on my skin was also significantly worse than on the test strip.

Now I know what incompatible skin chemistry means, and I mourn a fragrance I was very much looking forward to.
I still give it 80%, as the scent can’t help it and is apparently dreamy on others.

Edit:
Half a year later, I must revise my rating. What happened? Did 400 (parfumo-related) fragrance tests turn me into a test strip? It’s more likely that my scent perception and perhaps my preferences have changed. In any case, I now find the Egyptian woman wonderful, not just on the strip, but also on me.
A happy ending.