Brocéliande Sora Dora 2021 Extrait de Parfum

I feel as if I simply found this too late. This is quite reminiscent of Lira and Unknown Pleasures, but more zingy which is likely due to the ginger. The animalic notes did not come through on me, but surprisingly the citrus stayed around all day. If I'm being honest, I prefer this to both the aforementioned fragrances, but find it too similar to justify having yet another citrus gourmand... at least for today. Maybe.

I was thinking and wondering what this smells like - I somehow know it hmmm... and then POW of course! Cola! Look at the notes, Caramel, Cinnamon, Lemon, Ginger and Vanilla - all key ingredients for the fizzy beverage. But there is something beneath, something dark and slightly woody. Basically almost like brandy. I guess I get the impression from the rum along with castoreum. In my area there is a beverage called "Rüscherl" which is a popular drink from the 80s and 90s consisting of, you guessed it from Coke and Brandy.
And that's the solution to the fragrance with the name of an enchanted forest. Party drink with an nostalgic trip to the past.

A very pretty gourmand that smells like drinking a Cuba Libre on a beach, a cocktail that has been sprinkled generously with a dash of cinnamon. It reminds me of Tigre du Bengale minus the tobacco notes. It`s even less animalic than that Malbrum kitty cat. And the citric soda sweetness only lasts for a little while. The evolution is an orris butter whipped with vanilla, caramel, and a touch of rum. I like it, but when I wear it I have the sinking feeling that I can see a queue of ants marching their way towards my wrists.

This smells like Coca-Cola Zero Lemon to me. And I mean really close.
The opening is almost exactly that feeling of opening a fresh, cold bottle of Coke Zero Lemon. Fizzy, citrusy, a little bitter and slightly sweet. The lemon, lime and bergamot really give it that fresh citrus kick, while the cola feeling is already there in the background. It’s a very strange but very addictive combination.
After a while the ginger and cinnamon start coming through and the fragrance gets warmer and spicier. There is still that citrusy cola feeling, but it becomes less fresh and more rounded. I can also pick up the coriander and iris, although they are much less obvious to me than the ginger and cinnamon.

What I find really interesting is how much it changes depending on the temperature outside. In warm weather it stays much fresher and more citrusy, so I get a lot more of that Coca-Cola Zero Lemon feeling. In spring and autumn it becomes more of a spicy cola, with ginger, cinnamon and a bit of sweetness from the caramel and vanilla.
Then when it’s cold outside, it changes again. The lemon and freshness fade and I get much more of a cinnamon Coca-Cola kind of smell. The caramel, vanilla and rum make it noticeably warmer and sweeter, almost like regular sugary Coca-Cola with added cinnamon. Kinda weird but true I guess…

There is also something slightly unusual underneath all of this from the castoreum, civet and styrax, which gives it a darker, slightly animalic/resinous touch. I don’t get these as individual notes, but I think they are part of what keeps the fragrance from becoming just a simple sweet cola scent.
The rum CO2 is also interesting in the drydown. It doesn’t smell like a boozy rum fragrance to me, but it adds a warm depth to the cola accord.

It’s actually weird how much the sweetness changes with the temperature. In warm weather it feels almost like Coke Zero, while in colder weather it becomes more like a proper sugary Coca-Cola with cinnamon, caramel and vanilla. More like Dr Pepper, sorry I know too much cola-esk reference

For me, this is one of those fragrances that doesn’t really belong to just one season. I can easily see myself wearing it in spring, summer and autumn, and even in winter it works, just in a completely different way I guess…

Very strange fragrance, but in the best possible way. The way it changes with temperature is probably my favourite thing about it.

If I had to describe it in one sentence: Cola Zero Lemon when it’s warm, cinnamon Dr Pepper when it’s cold.

I love heavy fragrances, and unfortunately, most heavy scents are winter fragrances. As winter is set to retreat in the near future, the question remains: what do you wear in summer?
Sadly, I don’t have much selection.
Although I wouldn’t mind wearing "heavy artillery" in summer, according to the motto "If you can, you can" :-D

Still, I thought I’d take a look around.
One pure summer fragrance for me is "Imagination | Louis Vuitton." It is so wonderful, fresh, and delightful, even with incredible longevity and projection (which is very, very rare for fresh scents!).
This one went straight into my "MUST HAVE" collection.
Unfortunately, it’s not cheap, and secondly, it’s so endlessly popular that I suspect everyone will wear it in summer, just like Ombre Nomade, London, etc... and rightly so.
Still, I’m not a fan of being like everyone else, or smelling similar to most people :-D

I came across Sora Dora at some point on a YouTube channel, and the brand was full of praise.
So I had to get my nose on the house, and well, what can I say... the first scent completely captivated me!

"Brocéliande | Sora Dora" is such a wonderful summer fragrance, which for me is on the same level as Imagination.
However, considering the artistic aspect, this one is far beyond Imagination!

The development is true art for me, and it’s incredible how it evolves.

But let’s start with the first spray :-)

At the start, you’re hit with an authentic burst of freshness from citrus fruits.
Bergamot, lemon, and lime hit you right away.
Actually, such strong citrus openings aren’t really my thing, and in general, I’m not a fan of very strong citrus scents like Hacivat or similar.
But this one is very authentic and not annoying.
It definitely surprised me positively, as I really liked the beginning!

Shortly after the fresh start, ginger joins in. It plays a role in the background but is easily recognizable, and now here it comes... :-)

...you can recognize the development and transformation and realize that the scent gains a softness, which is perceived through the vanilla and I also think the sesame.
In this transitional phase, I get a slight fresh Coca-Cola vibe that just screams for summer by the pool!
Since this is basically just a "transition," the cola vibe doesn’t last too long, and you realize how the vanilla becomes more dominant while the fresh kick from all the citrus nuances recedes into the background.

The vanilla becomes more present, and the whole scent orchestra is joined by caramel, developing the fragrance into creaminess. Vanilla, caramel, and rum become more and more the main players!

WOW, insane! The freshness is hardly perceptible anymore, and the scent turns into a soft vanilla "pleaser," slightly gourmand-like.

WHAT A FRAGRANCE composition!

I define it by the opening as a summer scent, but one could also say this fragrance starts in summer and ends in winter!
Or the day begins with a fresh morning and ends with a nice, cozy, warm date.

I’m so flabbergasted, and for me, there are truly wonderful and great fragrances that are often linear or have a development from "meh" to "delicious"/wonderful, and then there are fragrances that are true art.
This one definitely belongs to the last category, and in my eyes, they play in the same artistic league as "Musc Ravageur | Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle" or even "Au Coeur du Désert | Tauer Perfumes," which is simply true ART!

With Musc and Tauer, the fragrances start a bit challenging, to put it nicely, and then develop into a true delight by the dry down, but "Brocéliande | Sora Dora" is a true delight in its entire artistic form!

Yes, I believe I have found my true summer love for 2023 and hope it will join my collection by summer. I JUST HAVE TO HAVE IT! (At the latest by summer)

Initially, I had placed it on the same level as Imagination, but considering the price, this one is probably more expensive, but definitely worth the money in comparison, as this fragrance is ART! True art and a delight for the senses!

I love it! :-D