AugustoB

I had promised myself I wouldn’t try Zara fragrances again — dissatisfied with some because of their performance, and with others because of the scent. But then, during a group purchase through social media, the seller, being generous, sent me a small vial of Ebony Wood as a freebie. The moment I put it on my skin, I felt the need to get a full bottle.
This fragrance is addictive, delicate, and quite original — it’s hard to associate it with anything I’d smelled before. I notice two distinct phases: it opens with a citrusy, sweet, and spicy note, then transitions into coffee — a light, sweet coffee blended with woods. Altogether, it’s bright, smooth, warm, and creamy, with an elegance that’s unusual in low-cost perfumery.
Even so, I find it versatile. I wouldn’t save this one just for cold seasons; its sweetness is subtle, and the citrus presence makes it perfectly suitable for a summer evening. The performance is fair, but that’s the least important thing — the overall aromatic composition is addictive and always worth it

I was more convinced by its presence than its composition. After stopping by a perfumery and trying a few things that didn't represent any originality or spark any enthusiasm; and after several hours with a Fantasm spray in my hand, noticing that it was still very present and rich, I decided to buy it on impulse. Then I decided it was just another sweet perfume among others, which perhaps stood out in performance. It's somewhat linear, with pronounced but imperceptible citrus notes at the start. This opening is plasticky and somewhat alcoholic, and the sweet chocolate quickly reveals itself with something like menthol, probably patchouli. Not much more than that, without disregarding the perfume. It's good, rich, enjoyable, and long-lasting, but not much more.

What a tremendous collection this Montblanc has. The four released are very good perfumes, original, purposeful, even bold. The bad thing is that designers charge us almost niche prices so we can enjoy a scent that can be confused with any other. Black Meisterstuck is a tough, solid, direct composition, just three notes that, at the top, display an incense reminiscent of Loewe Anonymous, but it doesn't go that way; this evolves into dark woods, dry, bitter, almost medicinal, and slightly amber. I imagined it would be something warmer, for winter use, but on the contrary, this could work well almost year-round. It's for dressing casually, seriously, with a frown. It is truly a rugged and distinguished perfume. Fair performance, 5 to 6 hours are enough, projected for an hour perhaps. Quite unique, except for the price it is well worth it.

After having tried and owned more than a dozen Arabic perfumes, at least half of them from the house of Lataffa, I noticed a peculiarity in most of them: a somewhat shocking opening and some ingredient reminiscent of something burnt—many say plastic—which, when I perceive it in a fragrance, inevitably makes me familiar with Arabic perfumery. Ameer al oud has that burnt touch, like burnt sugar, sweet with an oud-esque and woody background, which warms you just thinking about it. I thought it was a typically Oriental composition until I tried its source of inspiration, the famous By the Fireplace. Forgive me, purists, but I find it difficult to distinguish clear differences, and it would be a challenge to definitively identify one from the other. I don't think of this as a merit of Arabic perfumery; it's much more meritorious to create, but it's so difficult to find something original in any world of perfumery that we're not going to get too picky. In short: I like it a lot, except for the opening; the rest is pure warm, sweet, and intense opulence. It lasts longer than necessary; I didn't count the hours, but it lasted more than 8 hours with absolute ease. Unisex to my taste. My wife uses it, and when she does, it leaves a stunning trail. Recommended.

It's so hard to find something that's out of the box these days, and there's so much on offer in any niche, designer, or Arabic world—that it's impossible to know much, and most of the things I try are forgettable. that it is impossible to know much and most of the things I try are forgettable, very few are good and from time to time I meet something memorable, like what happened to me with Siesta. The first of its virtues is the occasion of use, it is a scent suitable for everything, although it could be left to rest at very high temperatures. Another virtue: the composition, takes the lucidity of lemon, with a fairly prolonged release that mixed with vanilla and honey gives a very pleasant dessert sensation, a very prolonged middle phase as well, more woody, with a creamy iris although not the protagonist, well perceptible, but the softness and creaminess of Siesta is something that surprises me, decaying in a more subtle way at the end. Siesta is the calm of a homey afternoon, the dessert baking at snack time, the close and cozy company.