Deniz21

I would like to share my story about EP with you. I must admit, two years ago I was not a big fan of EP.. I tested it and it just wasn't my scent. So I marked it as tested and continued on my fragrance journey.

It was at our last company party, I was standing at the cocktail bar drinking a mojito when suddenly a scent wafted under my nose. It was intense, intrusive, and somehow sexy... I asked a few people around me, "Hey, are you wearing Ombre Nomade?" The answer was no, I’m not wearing anything.. until I got to the wearer, and he said no, it's Erba Pura. I complimented him and decided to buy it. I was surprised at how much I suddenly liked it. It turned out he is also on Parfumo and already owns several Xerjoff fragrances.

In any case, I thought it felt like Ombre Nomade; they smell completely different side by side, but the way they are structured and how they affect me feels similar.

They are both beautiful in their own way and harmoniously composed, but they still have something edgy, something tingling in the nose. The Erba Pura effect :)

This definitely generates attention, both for the wearer and for those who smell it on others (and they will, for sure) - two polarizing fragrances. One should be aware of that.

Erba Pura really starts off a bit harsh and very synthetic; I understand why some criticize it for that. And the similarity to some shampoos cannot be denied; it is indeed a bit overwhelming at the opening, almost too strong.. the fruits are very dominant. But as it develops, when it softens through the vanilla and amber, the slightly animalistic note from the musk joins in, and the fruit basket is refreshed by the bergamot, it becomes a fantastic fragrance. It’s hard to describe; you really should just spray it on and test it. Every time I wear it, I have a lovely feeling with it. And that is what matters most, of course.

After the, for me, not so pleasant opening, it becomes a fresh fruity scent, yet not generic, suitable for any season. And it also has an incredibly good performance.

Furthermore, it should be mentioned that Erba Pura, together with Naxos, at least for me, is really well received, and the concern that it might be too feminine for male wearers was denied by my test subjects :D.

However, please do not buy it blindly; it is far too polarizing for that :)


Thank you for reading.

Best regards, Deniz

So now the 2nd LV has already secured a place in my collection.

Imagination is a fragrance that convinced me practically immediately with Ombre Nomade.

The first spray on my arm was a bit surprising; I somehow expected something different. Tea scents have never been my great passion, and Wūlóng Chá Extrait de Parfum was the only fragrance I knew from this category until now.

Imagination starts with a very intense opening, refreshing, slightly cooling, and fruity, thanks to a very soft and sweet-smelling orange combined with a zesty lemon and bergamot. Soon, light, soft, warm contrasts in the form of tea, wood, and spices come into play, rounding everything off wonderfully, creating a fresh scent that radiates a warm sensuality I didn't expect.

As it develops towards the end, it becomes a bit sweeter but also woodier, with frankincense, guaiac wood, neroli, ginger, cinnamon, and not least the tea note creating a wonderfully gentle scent progression, warming and soft, yet still citrusy fresh and clean like in the opening. It sounds a bit contradictory, and it is :) but that's exactly what makes this fragrance so special for me.

I often catch myself smelling my arm and saying to myself, wow. It simply has that certain extra that makes it feel special.

A truly wonderful fragrance, ideal for small collections, as it is so wonderfully versatile, but certainly does not smell generic :)

I think it shines particularly in summer or spring, but I also feel completely comfortable with Imagination in autumn or winter.

After all, it's just another fresh scent with too much ambroxan ;) or so I thought before I tried it...

But the ambroxan in Imagination, I hardly notice, perhaps a slight fresh woodiness that provides a stable base for the entire fragrance. But there's no comparison to the ambroxan bombs we all know, no scratchiness or sharpness that hits you in the nose.

Imagination remains perfectly balanced the whole time. Never is one of the notes too dominant or too weak for me. And especially the tea note is truly fitting at all times and simply excellently executed.

It's called Imagination, and indeed, you couldn't have named this fragrance more aptly. It radiates a feeling of security and sensuality, exactly this beautiful imagination ;) is what the fragrance leaves with me. And that's despite the fact that it's actually a fresh summer scent :) strange...

You can wear this fragrance every day, and the time of day doesn't matter :D a damn good companion for practically any occasion that comes your way, personally, I find it more masculine than unisex. But I'm sure many ladies will also like it. Age doesn't matter at all.

And although I praise this fragrance so much, just like many of the other great reviews you find here on this site, or generally on Parfumo (thank you to everyone who takes the time to share their impressions and write a review :) I enjoy reading them all), it is a very expensive perfume, and I would advise everyone to test it for a few days before purchasing. That's what I did too. Reviews are great, but tastes are very different.

Thank you, Brokehoven, for the sample; without you, I might never have tried it :D

Thank you for reading.

Best regards, Deniz

I don't know if it was me or the fragrance, but my first test of Enigma Cologne ended without a happy ending :)

I received a sample from a very nice Parfumo, he didn't like it and neither did I :D

Then one night, unable to sleep again despite an early shift... my eyes spotted an offer in the souk, it would have probably been gone quickly, but aside from him and me, everyone else seemed to be asleep, so everything was quickly settled. Although there was some uncertainty due to the first test, I was really looking forward to it!

It arrived beautifully packaged, unpacked, and bam, the first spray was already on my arm.

Bergamot is beautifully fruity but not quite ripe yet, still very delicious and sweet, ginger for the spiciness, pepper for the tingling tickle in the nose, and a bit of sweet rum rounds off the opening. It is really intense overall; it is definitely not a gentle soft opening, but strong, zesty, sparkling, and sharp. You feel awake afterwards... let's put it that way :)

How this fizzy soda effect comes about? No idea, but it really smells like that, and it lasts a long time, longer than the Enigma pour Homme Parfum. Mixed with the ingredients above, it creates a sparkling cocktail that is really delicious.

As it progresses, the bergamot fades, becoming softer and spicier, with the floral notes and spices becoming more prominent. But always with this slight Coke note and a sweet fruit.

In the later drydown, it becomes warmer, but no less interesting; the sparkling cocktail has disappeared, and now there is a very nice vanilla, soft woods, a lovely booze note, and light tobacco. A really beautiful progression, with plenty of depth and a lot to discover for our noses ;)

The fragrance progression is really beautiful. Successful from start to finish. And simply a bit different from many others.

What is also worth mentioning positively is its wearability, even though it is a very unusual fragrance, complex, and offers a really large fragrance progression. It is still quite easy to wear.

I believe it shines particularly well in spring, autumn, and winter. The cold seems to help the fragrance, or so it seems to me.

The sillage is a dream and smells even better than on the skin.

And the H/S is really good on me. I also experienced this with the "Elysium (Parfum Cologne) | Roja Parfums", but the Enigma is even more intense on me. So definitely no reason for criticism.

Compared to the Enigma pour Homme Parfum, this one is lighter, not as dense as the perfume, and also easier to wear; the performance with the Cologne is even better on me.

The bottle is, of course, beautifully typical of Roja, and the sprayer works excellently. The bottles from Roja sometimes have quality issues, but this one was quite okay; it wobbles a bit :) but I can live with that.

What surprised me much more was my impression of the fragrance; I like it so much that I wanted to write a review, and after the first test, I was glad I could pass on the sample. Our impressions and perceptions really seem to change a lot over time, in this case, even significantly. I am very glad to have tested it a second time :)

And although this review sounds like a hymn of praise, it is not a blind buy fragrance. You should test it, preferably twice :D

Thanks for reading

Best regards, Deniz

The Immerser

We should keep in mind that this fragrance was released in 2007, already 14 years ago!

And it is quite astonishing how great it still is, and sobering how little better has come out in its segment since then :)

There is hardly an occasion when you couldn't wear RM, whether you're in a suit or out in trainers with sneakers, you will smell excellent and unique! It may not be the most extraordinary fragrance, or have the most spectacular development. But still, it is such a beautiful experience... or maybe that's exactly why?

The opening with the light floral notes, combined with this metallic freshness, which is initially rather cool, and later becomes a bit warmer and softer. Is always a pleasure. I particularly enjoy this slightly bitter, herbaceous note in the opening.

On my skin, I don't experience much of a development, only towards the end do the softer woods come in.
They make it no longer feel as metallic and cool as at the beginning.

The floral notes from the opening also fade a bit, but it remains clean and fresh the whole time, but not too fresh! With a certain warmth.

Almost like a big soft pillow, smelling freshly washed. On a beautiful spring day. Like a masculine pillow :D if such a thing exists :) for women, there are better alternatives than RM.

Moreover, RM is also suitable for people who actually do not like floral notes, as its floral notes manage to remain masculine, and it does not smell standard floral, which many associate with femininity.

Reflection Man deserves the "Man" in its name!

And as mentioned above, the fragrance has aged so excellently, still a bestseller and yet special, with little that has come after it that is better than this classic!

One often searches for the latest and supposedly better... I catch myself doing this way too often... but mostly it's completely unnecessary :)

Thank you for reading and above all, enjoy Reflection Man :)

Best regards, Deniz

Recently, I received this fragrance, and what can I say? It is very nice, not a 10, but still really good.

What impressed me even more was the feeling it could convey! More on that later.

Regarding the bottle, Arabian Oud fragrances do not have the best bottles; the quality is okay, but sometimes below designer level. The sprayer is fine, but this one really only dispenses a hint, about 1/3 of what comes out of other fragrances :) it seems to want to be dosed sparingly ;)

The scent starts slightly spicy and a bit bitter; you can imagine it as a mix of Carlisle and Grand Soir. However, it quickly becomes sweeter, with amber that smells excellent joining in and harmonizing beautifully with the other components!

It gradually becomes warmer, darker; I also smell vanilla, but significantly less than the amber and the incense. It stays like this for a while, a very nice fragrance that doesn't have to hide from Carlisle or "Grand Soir | Maison Francis Kurkdjian"!

Perfect for cold days!

But then comes this turning point, the oud comes to the forefront, and it has a lot to offer; it truly makes this fragrance something special for me.

Since it is this beautiful dirty oud, sexy, dark, a bit gritty but not too animalistic. And together with the sweetness of the amber and the vanilla, simply wonderful.

You smell the fragrance, it smells lovely, and then a moment later you smell the oud, and you think, yes, it somehow smells dirty and smile at the same time, but in a sexy dirty way.

It is not a scent for every day, but for one night or another, it is certainly more than suitable :D

It is elegant, dark, sexy, unisex.

Conclusion

It will certainly not please everyone, especially because of the oud and the smoke, but if you like oud and enjoy standing out, then this one is just right for you; the fragrance smells very high-quality, in no way artificial, and is truly potent ;) (no pun intended)

A Grand Soir in dirty dirty ??

Best regards, Deniz