BlackDustt

Sunset in KSA attar JS - very strong opening, you can immediately feel the oud varieties together with this coffee note that gives an animalic and imposing effect. After a few minutes, once the oil settles on the skin, the magic. The coffee is accompanied by green notes of basil and lime, which give a touch of freshness and liveliness to the perfume. Then, again, a sublime rose and the pairing of Kashmiri and Tibetan musk make their entrance. The scent is definitely oriental, the perfume truly manages to embody the essence of a Saudi sheik, the raw materials used are immediately perceived as excellent, you can tell that the distillation process by Marius was done with caution, as the oud, although animalic, does not appear to be manure or unpleasant, instead managing to give body, size and powerful character to the fragrance, giving it roundness and charisma. The deer musk used, on the other hand, together with the rose, give refinement and delicacy to sunset in KSA. This contrast created addiction in me after a few minutes, making it impossible for me not to look for this fantastic blend of smells that the attar in question has. One of the best I have tried so far, 9.5-10/10
(Lime and basil top effect, give that hint of freshness to the perfume that makes the rest, oud musk and rose, even more clear and pleasant). Nonsense, it is phenomenal, period. It is addictive.

I love Carlisle, and it’s one of those fragrances I’m happy to have in my collection and of which I’ll always try to keep a bottle of.
To me it’s not a super versatile fragrance though, as I wear this mostly in the nighttime, whenever I want to put the cherry on top of the cake, whenever I want to feel complete, stronger, more confident, "dark and better”.
Many have complied that if Layton was Superman, this ‘d be Batman. It’s a funny comparison, but in a way, it’s true.

Carlisle is a medieval dark knight’s armor. It feels like a second skin to me, but why is so? This is interesting, mysterious, dark, rich, complex, it feels like you’re almost wearing a bat suit or like a Batmobile waiting for you to ride it.

Ok, it’s getting corny, but I really think this is one of the fragrances that really bring me emotions and wakes my mind.

The dark vibe associated to it is attributable to the apple, patchouli sandalwood and vanilla notes, which give off the earthy, spicy and woody feeling.

It’s not the type of scent I’d reach for anywhere, anytime, but that comes to me wanting to wear something based on how I feel, and also cause I almost don’t want to ruin the special effect it gives me whenever I spray it on!

8.5/10 from Gotham.

Erba Pura was one of my first niche fragrances, and while I still appreciate it, I’ve come to realize it doesn’t fully match my evolving taste.

It’s a fresh, citrus-heavy scent that soon transitions into a fruity, synthetic profile. It’s not the most complex fragrance, but it’s bright and uplifting, making it an easy wear. The performance is fantastic, lasting well over 12 hours with great projection and sillage, and stays days on clothes.

However, I’ve moved on to more sophisticated options: caught up in the eagerness to discover and delve deeper and deeper, I rediscovered a gem that solved the problem I unconsciously had with Erba Pura, but also overtaking it in every aspect - Evil Angel by Lorenzo Pazzaglia.


In the end, I believe that Erba Pura is a great starting point for anyone new to niche perfumery, or for those who love fruity fragrances, but I’ve outgrown it in my collection.

Would I repurchase? Likely not, but it’s a solid niche entry-level fragrance. 7+/10

Portrait of a lady - where to begin. One of my favorite rose base scent. It has been on my radar for quite some time, then one day, I had the surprise to find its decant as a gift of an order I made. I was jubilating, and wanted to like it even before I had actually tried it on. Let’s talk about the experience, before though, I can’t stress enough that this scent, even if published as a fragrance for women, is totally unisex. It was actually a bright winter morning, a sunny one, I dressed up with a sweater, a coat on top of it, sunglasses, sprayed this on and was soon on my way to Florence. POAL began with a fabulous… drum roll.. rose. But it’s not the same rose you’d find in OSM from Maison Francis Kurkdjian, but rather a softer, more delicate, elegant, elegant, elegant, classy one. When I say delicate by no means I refer to the performance though, because Portrait of a Lady walked with me through the whole day, leaving a noticeable, yet classy, sillage, wherever I was walking by. Everything is blended perfectly. Is the rose the protagonist? Yes. Is it the only thing I perceive? Absolutely not. Notes can be used with this scent as a tool, to try solving a puzzle. I can identify the raspberry and the patchouli (love it) and sandalwood in the base, but to me the blend is so done well that I don’t even wanna go into that, it just puts a smile on my face and gives me a positive, charismatic and confident feeling. I don’t have a signature, because I’m still early on my journey with fragrances and I’m in a period in which I’m exploring many scents, overtaking my boundaries and trying to find what my actual taste is. That said, this is really close to my idea of signature scent, namely something that is able to emphasize, reflect and complete your personality. I will always leave space for Portrait of a lady in my collection, and I suggest you trying it if you haven’t yet! :) 9.5/10