AbscheBo

After the "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (Eau de Parfum) | Zara" and the "Sand Desert at Sunset | Zara", it's now time to review the "Imperial Purple | Zara". I received all three Zara fragrances in micro-atomizers from the Parfumo Souk in Portugal.

The "Imperial Purple | Zara" is classified here at Parfumo as a powdery-sweet fragrance for men. The rating for the fragrance is good to very good 8.0/10 points (out of approx. 110 ratings) for the fragrance released in 2023. The more than 240 users are predominantly men with approx. 93%. The most frequent associations are: #date, #elegant, #affordable, #cheapie, #twilling, #dupe.

The nose behind the fragrance is Ane Ayo, who currently has 37 fragrances on Parfumo. Ane Ayo has designed two other fragrances for Zara: "A Book Liaison in Lisbon | Zara" and "A Daisy Bouquet in London | Zara". Both perfumes for women.

The components of the fragrance are only listed in linear form on Parfumo:
Iris, cereals, leather, woody notes, vanilla, praline, amber

This list is particularly interesting because of the emphasis on iris and the grain accord, which is still unknown to me.

The Parfumo community classifies the fragrance somewhat disrespectfully as a "dupe" and recognizes similarities to the equally powdery-sweet fragrances "Dior Homme Intense (2011) | Dior" and "Valentino Uomo Intense | Valentino", probably mainly because of the iris note.

So let's go for the mini atomizer ...

Wow, the iris really wants to know. Yes, as I said in the statements, this is what the color purple/violet smells like. Or, as the name suggests, the imperial purple. So it starts off fresh and flowery when you spray it on. But the aforementioned leather note is also at the forefront. After around 10 minutes, the iris shows that it can also be creamy, powdery and slightly soapy. This ambivalence of iris surprises me every time. And indeed, I also perceive grain in the form of dry stalks or ears of corn, a dry, dusty barn. Something like an oat bar. Interesting!

In the heart note, the sweet vanilla and praline come to the fore, one after the other and also together. Held somewhat in check by the persistent leather note.

The woody notes come later together with amber. Speaking of woody notes: I can even smell some eagle wood. Ms. Ayo couldn't quite escape the fashion trend, I suppose. But it fits well. And as I said, amber rounds off the base note towards the drydown.

Longevity is ambivalent from my point of view. While the accords of the top and heart notes disappear relatively quickly, after about 1 hour, the wood and amber last for several hours, but only very close to the body. I give it an average rating. The sillage is one point worse.

I can't say anything about the bottle. I only have one bottle in a mini atomizer for now.

The "Imperial Purple | Zara" is a pleasant daytime companion, but perhaps not exactly at the height of summer. It is not overpowering, but also festive enough for evening outings.

Summary
The "Imperial Purple | Zara" is a remarkable fragrance in the top note and a down-to-earth fragrance in the base note. Floral, powdery and slightly sweet, so perhaps not very masculine. But also wearable for men. In this day and age of very high-quality unisex fragrances, which dare to do a lot anyway. To be honest, I'm still undecided as to whether I will wear the eau de parfum as a full bottle. It's a good fragrance, but it doesn't fill a gap in my collection, which I deliberately keep small.

After being disappointed by "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (Eau de Parfum) | Zara", I have two more Zara men's fragrances from Souk acquisitions to review. Namely, the "Sand Desert at Sunset | Zara" and the "Imperial Purple | Zara". I would like to report on the "Sand Desert at Sunset | Zara" here.

The "Sand Desert at Sunset | Zara" is classified here at Parfumo as a gourmand-sweet fragrance for men. The rating for the fragrance is a very good 8.2/10 points for the fragrance released in 2023. The more than 1,250 users are predominantly men (approx. 77%), but 23% are women for a men's fragrance. And with almost 470 reviews, the fragrance is not only good, but also frequently rated. However, it is not as popular as "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (Eau de Parfum) | Zara". "Sand Desert at Sunset | Zara" is considered by many users to be similar to "Angels' Share | Kilian". The most common associations are: #gourmand, #sweet, #cinnamon, #warm, #security, #cheapie, #cuddly blanket, #apple pie, #dupe, #delicious, #gourmand delicious, #cheap. Cheapie, dupe, cheap - the eau de parfum costs €23/100ml. The fragrance is said to have poor longevity and sillage.

The nose behind the fragrance is Benoist Lapouza, who is represented with over 100 fragrances on Parfumo. "Sand Desert at Sunset | Zara" is his only perfume for Zara. Significantly, he is also the perfumer behind the Kilian fragrance "Angels' Share | Kilian". So it looks as if he has dubbed his own "Angels' Share | Kilian". At least that's how the Parfumo community sees it.

The components of the fragrance are only listed in linear form on Parfumo:
Tonka bean, chocolate, cinnamon, cedarwood, iris, orange, incense

At Zara, on the other hand, the fragrance is sold as floral-oriental and the fragrance pyramid looks like this:
Top notes: incense, orange
Heart notes: cinnamon, tonka bean, chocolate
Base notes: cedarwood, iris

Regardless, with these characteristics, "Sand Desert at Sunset | Zara" is obviously not a "freshie" and, unlike "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (Eau de Parfum) | Zara", is more suitable for the cold season according to the community classification.

So get to work on the mini atomizer ...

The fragrance opens fruity, probably orange, but I'm picking up a mix of fruits. Could also contain pineapple, peach and plum. The non-fruity will then probably be the hint of incense? But I wouldn't have assigned it without the clues in the fragrance pyramid. But this also moves the fragrance away from the fruity "freshie" towards the oriental. It's more likely to be the cinnamon that makes itself felt here early on.

Yes, after about 15 minutes it becomes sweet, and not fruity sweet. The tonka bean enters the stage. Chocolate? Yes, I can recognize it where it is written. Rather light dark chocolate than creamy chocolate bar milk chocolate.

It takes about another half an hour for the woody-floral base note to take hold. I am always amazed at how iris can be not only floral but also creamy. The cedarwood only comes into play after another half an hour. Now some incense joins in. And then it's time for the drydown. The fragrance gains another "fragrance point" from me in this phase.

I was looking for an inexpensive freshie and found an inexpensive oriental. That's fine with me too. Nice fragrance, fits pretty well into my "prey scheme". Much better than the "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (Eau de Parfum) | Zara".

Longevity is below average in my opinion: top up with a spray every 2 hours. Then you can fill the day with 4 sprays in total. I could also imagine layering with a molecular fragrance for "Sand Desert at Sunset | Zara". Apparently, a lot of the scent close to the body is lost through the sillage. Therefore 1 point more for the sillage. The other Orientals in my collection are better in both respects. I would mention the "Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud | Lattafa / لطافة" in the same price range as the "Sand Desert at Sunset | Zara" or the "Khamrah Qahwa / خمرة | Lattafa / لطافة" and the "Eternal Oud | Lattafa / لطافة" which are slightly more expensive. Relatively speaking, the three of them are long-lasting beasts compared to "Sand Desert at Sunset | Zara". But that shouldn't detract from my high marks for the fragrance itself, which is beautifully balanced and typically oriental.

I can't say anything about the bottle. I only have one bottle in a mini atomizer for now.

The "Sand Desert at Sunset | Zara" is an autumnal, wintery everyday fragrance that I think you can wear for any occasion. The positive side of its short shelf life is its restraint. You can hardly offend with it even in environments that are not perfume-affine.

Summary
In contrast to "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (Eau de Parfum) | Zara", "Sand Desert at Sunset | Zara" deserves its good fragrance rating here at Parfumo in my opinion. The classification as fruity-oriental at Zara fits better than the gourmand-sweet classification of the Parfumo community, although both descriptions are neither completely wrong nor completely right. Again according to my assessment. I like the fragrance, but as expected, it could not fulfill my search for a summer fragrance. Due to the strong competition of oriental fragrances in my collection, the fragrance will have a hard time finding its way into my home as a full bottle.

My collection is very oriental so far. Rather heavy fragrances, which is also my preference. Something for midsummer, fresh, not intrusive, wearable anytime and anywhere would fit well into my collection. I tend to be more economical and so the fragrance "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (Eau de Parfum) | Zara" caught my eye. I bought a bottle in the souk and tested it. I would now like to report on it here.

The "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (Eau de Parfum) | Zara" is classified here at Parfumo as a fresh, citrusy fragrance for men. The rating for the fragrance is a very good 8.1/10 points for the fragrance, which was only released in 2023. It is listed at number 45 in perfumes for men and is now gaining more and more places in the top list for men's fragrances in the monthly and weekly evaluation in late spring. The over 4,000 users are indeed predominantly men (93%) and the fragrance is not only well rated with almost 1,800 reviews, but also frequently rated. "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (Eau de Parfum) | Zara" is considered by many users to be similar to "Imagination | Louis Vuitton". The most common associations are: #summer, #fresh, #mandarin, #sun, #imagination, #citrus, #fruity, #dupe, #woody, #tea, #louis vuitton, #teawater. The fragrance is said to have poor longevity and sillage.

The nose behind the fragrance is the perfumer Mylène Alran, who is represented with over 40 fragrances on Parfumo. There are 3 fragrances for the label Zara, the "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (Eau de Parfum) | Zara" as Eau de Parfume and Eau de Cologne and the "Evening Safari Drive | Zara".

The components of the fragrance are only listed in linear form on Parfumo:
Bergamot, mandarin, amber, ginger, blackcurrant, orange blossom and tonka bean

So let's get to bottling ...

Yes, the fragrance opens fresh and citrusy, but with a certain warmth rather than a cooling, alcoholic evaporation. The latter actually only in the aerosol formation itself. An anticipation of what is to come. Bergamot and tangerine in equal measure at this early stage. The ginger is also somewhat recognizable with a slight spiciness between the citrus fruits, which are not only sour but also sweet. A slight Earl Grey touch from the bergamot.
In the heart note, the orange blossom is somewhat smothered by the cassis note. Unfortunately, a note that I don't appreciate so much. However, the cassis note is then overtaken by the resinous-balsamic amber and the sweet tonka bean within about 2 hours. This is now round and warm, which was already hinted at at the beginning. However, the fragrance cannot escape a slightly synthetic, soapy impression. My association is with a liquid soap dispenser in the toilet of a restaurant.

Longevity is ok from my point of view, although not good. Tolerates well even 3 initial sprays and one top up after 3 hours. Sillage is not so important for me, but I think it is similar to the durability. I classify it as mediocre.

I can't say anything about the bottle. I only have one bottle in a mini atomizer for now.

The "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (Eau de Parfum) | Zara" is an everyday fragrance that I think you can wear at any time of year, even in winter. A little freshness for the day, if you don't want to leave this to the fragrances of your detergent alone.

Summary
I'm actually surprised that the "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (Eau de Parfum) | Zara" is rated so highly here. I actually think that the "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (Eau de Parfum) | Zara" would go well with a liquid soap, but as a perfume to be worn individually, it is rather unsuitable (for me). I won't be wearing it. I'm probably a bit out of step with the Parfumo peer group. That's good feedback for me, because after all I rely somewhat on the swarm intelligence of this forum. This is a certain recalibration of the swarm opinion for me, so to speak.

Pure Islands is a new Munich-based perfume label that was recently presented here at Parfumo (https://www.parfumo.de/Benutzer/Neonwhite/Blog/Eintrag/eine-olfaktorische-reise-an-urlaubsorte-das-neue-dufthaus). There are currently 3 perfumes in the Island Collection to choose from, which are based on popular vacation destinations: "Ibiza | Pure Island", "Bali | Pure Island" and "Dubai | Pure Island", whereby I would like to discuss "Bali | Pure Island" here. The website (https://pureislandfragrances.com/) also offers a discovery set with 3 x 2 ml mini atomizers in addition to the 100 ml bottles at €159 each. I ordered the latter and am now testing all 3 perfumes in turn and "Bali | Pure Island" is the last one.

The nose behind the fragrance is Uwe Manasse, who is known for his 25 perfumes here at Parfumo. He has composed most of these fragrances for Wunderwerk as well as other creations for his own Manasse label. He definitely epitomizes the term "niche" with his approach.

Here at Parfumo, "Bali | Pure Island" is classified as a sweet-woody unisex fragrance. Pure Islands advertises the fragrance as follows: "Bali is an eau de parfum that combines oriental with fresh scents and embodies the spirit of the idyllic island of Bali." The fragrance was only reviewed once as a very new fragrance, but then immediately "very helpful" and there are already 8 statements. The main associations with "Bali | Pure Island" are #aromatic, #woody, #spicy and #orange.

The fragrance pyramid looks like this:
Top note: (fresh) orange(s)
Heart notes: ambrette seed, myrrh
Base notes: patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla

Orange, go ahead - do the opener, we'll be right behind you. It quickly becomes sweet and floral with hints of musk. The amberette seed enters the stage. The balsamic spiciness of myrrh is not long in coming. Perhaps used as a steam distillate with the more volatile components and not just as an extract? As quickly as the myrrh gets involved here.

The fragrance is in a hurry and sprints from the top note into the full heart note after just 15 - 30 minutes. A beautifully balanced heart. The orange has not yet completely disappeared, but quickly loses ground. Associations with sultry, humid, tropical rainforests come to mind. Perhaps a little monkey cries and birdsong? I feel like I'm sweating a little, my shirt is sticking to my back ...

The easily recognizable warm note of exotic sandalwood supports the tropical forest impression, just like the typical Indonesian patchouli note, which often triggers a dripping wet leaf association for me. The vanilla is the last thing I notice and, of course, it also fits in with the overall tropical impression. Everything fits together to evoke and maintain the tropical association for me.

And for a long time. The durability is good, sillage subordinate (not so important to me). You can get through the day with 1 - 2 sprays. If you want, you can spray again after 4 hours.

In my opinion, the fragrance is for outdoors; indoors, you can get a little tight around the collar. The fragrance calls for fresh air and light clothing. For example, I would not spray the fragrance on before attending an opera or a meeting in an expectedly cramped meeting room.

I can't say anything about the bottle with my Pure Islands Discovery set.

Summary
The "Bali | Pure Island" opens up associations with the tropical rainforest, humid, warm, dark green, slightly citrusy, exotic and colorful. No desert heat, but warm and humid tropics with monkeys and colorful birds. A warmth where even the fan is of little use. Not too intrusive, but harmonious and rounded in the overall picture. Associative fragrance creation, finely balanced and complex, but without offering a variety of fragrance notes in the fragrance pyramid.

Overarching for all 3 Pure Islands fragrances tested in the last few days: all 3 fragrances are very different.
- "Dubai | Pure Island" is an oud hammer. It guarantees a swanky appearance wherever you go. Be careful where and how much you spray! Unbeatable durability and sillage.
- "Ibiza | Pure Island", a light Mediterranean island fragrance, somewhat citrusy, but above all clean, creamy-soapy with a dry, warm drydown.
- "Bali | Pure Island", the humid, sultry and colorful rainforest, some fresh orange at the beginning, then a lot of humid, dark green forest.

Pure Islands is a new Munich-based perfume label that was recently presented here at Parfumo (https://www.parfumo.de/Benutzer/Neonwhite/Blog/Eintrag/eine-olfaktorische-reise-an-urlaubsorte-das-neue-dufthaus). There are currently 3 perfumes in the Island Collection to choose from, which are based on popular vacation destinations: "Ibiza | Pure Island", "Bali | Pure Island" and "Dubai | Pure Island", whereby I would like to discuss "Ibiza | Pure Island" here. The website (https://pureislandfragrances.com/) also offers a discovery set with 3 x 2 ml mini atomizers in addition to the 100 ml bottles at €159 each. I ordered the latter and am now testing all 3 perfumes in turn.

The nose behind the fragrance is Uwe Manasse, who is known for his 25 perfumes here at Parfumo. He has composed most of these fragrances for Wunderwerk as well as other creations for his own Manasse label. He definitely epitomizes the term "niche" with his approach.

Here at Parfumo, "Ibiza | Pure Island" is classified as a fresh, citrusy unisex fragrance. The fragrance has already been reviewed once as a very new fragrance (top review) and there are already 10 statements. The main associations with "Ibiza | Pure Island" are, or are simply #masculine. Nothing else (yet).

The fragrance pyramid looks like this:
Top notes: grapefruit, ginger, orange, lemon
Heart notes: bergamot, maritime notes (hints of seawater)
Base notes: amber, labdanum

First of all, as with "Dubai | Pure Island", the 2 ml mini atomizers of the Pure Islands Discovery Set are not ideal. The atomization is more like a small jet of liquid than a cloud of aerosol. Perhaps this is why the citrusy notes of the top note do not fully come into their own in my impression. Verified again on the test strip, the top note is more sweetish-citrusy than "fresh-citrusy". In a positive sense, there is no danger at all of slipping into the direction of toilet stone or detergent. The ginger note blends in nicely. But as I said, the beginning is not overwhelming in a positive sense. First of all, fresh-citrus is a perfume categorization that does not do the fragrance justice in my opinion.

The fragrance tends to enter its signature range with the heart note. The seawater notes are quite clear with a hint of bergamot. Here, the association with an early morning on a Mediterranean island actually succeeds. Slightly iodine- and seaweed-scented sea breeze with a sweetish touch. Definitely not the German Baltic or North Sea, not a cool, fresh Wadden Sea, but warm springtime and Mediterranean.

As the fragrance progresses, it becomes slightly creamy and soapy. Do you know those perfumed hand soaps with bergamot? People here in the forum often rave about a "fresh laundry" scent. This is probably also partly true of "Ibiza | Pure Island", although I personally always associate "fresh laundry" with the cheap, artificial and also environmentally harmful musk fragrances of the detergent industry. Here, as I said, it's the high-quality hand soap fragrance with bergamot. Perhaps that's where the #masculine association comes from. Hand soaps for women tend to have a floral scent. So I'm standing at the sink of my vacation home before breakfast, looking out at the blue Mediterranean Sea while a light breeze blows through the open window and I'm looking forward to another beautiful day on vacation. The association with an Ibiza club night doesn't come to mind.

And then comes the scent of the base note, in which the soapy, maritime notes are offset by the resinous, balsamic notes of amber and labdanum. To stay in the Mediterranean island image, and that's where the fragrance has me now, I'm walking through an olive grove, surrounded by a warm Mediterranean landscape with terracotta-colored soil and yellow, dry grass, tempered now and then by a light breeze from the nearby sea.

In terms of longevity/sillage, the picture is completely different to that of "Dubai | Pure Island" from the same house. While the "Dubai | Pure Island" is a banger in terms of longevity and sillage, especially with regard to the intense oud note, the "Ibiza | Pure Island" is very restrained. Here, you can start with 2 sprays and add 1 more after 4 hours if necessary. I would definitely not recommend this with "Dubai | Pure Island".

In my opinion, the fragrance is an all-rounder that can be worn at any time of year and on any occasion. Albeit with a focus on spring-summer and everyday life.

I can't say anything about the bottle with my Discovery set.

Summary
The "Ibiza | Pure Island" skillfully conveys an association with a Mediterranean island vacation. Not in a crowded, lively hotel with a beach bar and club, but rather the vacation home version with a terracotta interior, a little off the beaten track, cliffs, surrounded by olives and orange trees. Sea breeze, light citrus, hand soap and warm resins - that's the scent. The classification "fresh and citrusy" does not adequately describe the fragrance. In the base note, the eau de parfum "Ibiza | Pure Island" manages to maintain this association of the top and heart notes for at least half a day or to revive them again and again. A successfully realized "niche claim" to an associative fragrance at a still reasonable price.