Isibisi

I thought I would dedicate a review to this fragrance, as it has quite captivated me over the past few weeks…
“Inspired by the energy of the concrete jungle and paying homage to the brand’s first home of New York,” writes Gabar on their website. Interesting, as my associations are quite different.
About the scent progression:
At first, I smell pure marzipan and something that reminds me of a juicy red apple… I search in vain for a teenage note.
In the drydown, a wonderful milky note emerges… the fragrance is subtle and has moderate sillage and longevity. I would describe it as sweet-lactonic with a delicate woody note.
I keep sniffing my arm. For me, the fragrance has something “fairy-tale-like” and dreamy about it. Somehow warm, soothing (!), comforting… I also like to wear it in the evenings after showering - just to relax.
What the fragrance has in common with a “concrete jungle” is a mystery to me. I actually enjoy reading the scent descriptions from the brands themselves - and I often let myself be “seduced” by good marketing. However, I was a bit perplexed by Gabar's own description - it just doesn’t fit my image at all.
I associate the fragrance with Snow White - a red apple, a “white” milkiness, the packaging with the beautiful black “ebony” cap… maybe I have simply drifted into the strange “influencer” bubble, where one seeks appealing associations for the masses to make the fragrance more attractive.
I definitely enjoy wearing the fragrance, and it was one of my loyal companions in autumn 2025. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to test other fragrances from the brand - you don’t receive a single sample with your order on the website, which I found a bit disappointing.

I have known this fragrance for quite a while, about 10 years… and if I remember correctly, a 100ml bottle cost around €150 back then, but my memory could be misleading.
In any case, this fragrance was on my wish list for a long time; I would have loved to buy it, but the price was unaffordable for me at that time…
When I started working a few years ago, I decided to finally "treat" myself to this fragrance. My first niche fragrance.
And all of this happened, by the way, before I knew Parfumo. Chloé (2007) Eau de Parfum was my "signature" scent back then, and Rose of No Man's Land Eau de Parfum joined it.

The fragrance starts with a peppery, transparent rose, without any sour components. That is also what I appreciate about this scent. It is delicate, transparent, organic - and completely free of citrus or fruity components. This makes it so different for me and clearly separates it from "Eau Rose (Eau de Parfum) | Diptyque," which comes across as much greener and fresher (and is listed under "Similar").
Rose of No Man's Land Eau de Parfum evolves into an ambered, subtly sweet rose and has a very "serious" character for me. The fragrance corresponds to its creative origin - it is meant to remind one of the compassion and selflessness of nurses in World War I…
The longevity is in the medium range, as is the sillage.
Thus, this fragrance is perfect for everyday wear - it smells pleasant, transparent, only subtly floral - and yet different from the other "everyday" fragrances I own.
I love rose fragrances in all their facets - whether it’s the fruity variant of "Eau Rose (Eau de Parfum) | Diptyque," the authentic rose in "Red Roses | Jo Malone," or the sugary rose in "Peregrina | Thameen." But Rose of No Man's Land Eau de Parfum is so special among all the rose fragrances that it is indispensable in my collection. I have often bought fragrances and later resold them - tastes change. However, the purchase of Rose of No Man's Land Eau de Parfum was so well thought out that it can stay. :)

This fragrance has now achieved quite a cult status, and the many reviews speak for themselves :) However, I have made it my goal to articulate my scent impressions a bit more (both as a small exercise and to reflect on my collection), so I will now write a bit about it.
I first encountered the scent as a sample from a souk - and back then, I unfortunately didn’t like it at all. Far too "old-fashioned" for my nose, and I couldn't relate to leather in any form at that time. After quite a bit of practice and many, many fragrances later, the tide has (thankfully) turned, and "Cuir Béluga | Guerlain" has found a place in my collection.

Cuir Beluga starts incredibly velvety and soft, almost like a veil that envelops you. Not a dark, black veil - but one made of soft flowing silk. I can smell the suede from the very first moment, and it remains subtly present throughout the entire duration, but without becoming too "bitter" or "dry" - rather "supple" with a pleasant sweetness. The aldehydes in the opening are rather subtle and very finely woven. The vanilla is simply beautiful and becomes even a bit more intense in the drydown. I hardly perceive the patchouli - for my nose, "Cuir Béluga | Guerlain" is simply a leather-vanilla fragrance that couldn't be more beautiful! :)
I don’t notice any significant development; the fragrance remains quite constant and balanced throughout. But this might also be due to my non-professional nose.
The longevity on clothing is very good, but on my skin, unfortunately, not quite as much... The sillage is good, but compared to other winter fragrances that I am currently testing (e.g. Ôud Bouquet or "Hermessence Ambre Narguilé | Hermès"), it is rather in the middle range. But I think that’s a good thing - if the fragrance were any stronger, it might become overwhelming and cause headaches.

Guerlain simply has beautiful fragrances, and the whole concept of the "l'art et la matière" scents is high-quality and luxurious - and therefore quite dangerous, especially when looking at the pricing policy of recent years.

I look forward to wearing this fragrance more often in the coming season and can only emphasize again - also test fragrances that you didn’t like before. Because taste changes constantly.

I don’t write many reviews, as I often think - oh, others can do this so much better than I can. However, I absolutely want to write something about this fragrance, as it has developed from practically 0 to 100 into one of my absolute favorite scents. And that’s despite the fact that I had completely written it off.
I participated in a sharing and the sample of l'Eau Papier (such a beautiful name!) arrived along with some other fragrances. When I sprayed it for the first time, I had already tested several other, significantly more intense scents, so I could hardly smell it at all. Even the second time, I only caught a hint of sweet synthetic notes, so I set the fragrance aside as a "flop." Luckily, I gave the sample another chance... I wanted something light and barely noticeable that day, as I planned to go to the gym later... And hours later, while I was working out, a warm scent suddenly wafted towards me... I couldn't believe that it was "L'Eau Papier | Diptyque." I then wore the fragrance again and lo and behold - suddenly I could perceive it wonderfully and it left a great sillage.

"L'Eau Papier | Diptyque" has a wonderfully warm "rice note" in the top notes for me, which smells both edible and somehow synthetic. It's hard to describe; it just smells comfortably warm without being gourmand. Then the fragrance becomes slightly floral for me, yet that almost "spicy" rice note remains subtly in the background... Sweet, but somehow not. Edible, but somehow not. A paradox! And right on the skin, this scent really radiates enormously, so that even hours after applying, I occasionally catch a whiff of it. But not in a penetrating, intense way - rather softly, airy, and "pure."
I believe the people around me don’t perceive it as intensely. With other fragrances, I at least get approached more often. "L'Eau Papier | Diptyque" is thus a scent that I really wear exclusively for myself - in fact, I wear it almost every day now... Sometimes in the evening, sometimes in the afternoon, rarely in the morning as a "first scent" - but that happens too. By now, I have given my remaining bottle to my mother, who also loves the fragrance.

One doesn’t need to say much about the design of Diptyque: I find the bottles to be little works of art, delicate and a bit "bohemian" with their ornate images. Diptyque is certainly not a hidden gem, yet the fragrances are very special to me. Elegant - but with a twist.

I can understand the average rating on Parfumo despite my enthusiastic excitement. Not many people will love the fragrance as much as I do - because it probably isn’t that special. But it’s worth a try! :)