Pronounta

It’s July. Outside, the sun is blazing on my skin, sweat drips from my forehead, and yet I’m just walking through the streets. Or am I? Am I not actually sitting in the office? Am I not listening to my professor giving a lecture? Or is it not actually late, with my date across from me telling me that I smell so good?

Is it really July? Isn’t it actually December, with cold wind hitting my hands, making me regret not having gloves with me?

I don’t know. But at least I know how I need to smell to not stand out. Or do I stand out? Probably, I project strongly enough for that. But negatively? I never stand out negatively. I smell too agreeable, always appropriate to the situation.

AHSEE shows its base from the moment it touches the wearer’s skin. Musk and tonka bean together with sandalwood are subtly woven into the fragrance, so that you have to search for them rather than them being overpowering. It doesn’t overshadow the two, but lets them play and refines them.

At first, mandarin and mint join in. It’s as if you’ve squeezed the mandarin, added mint, and subtly spread both over the base. Here, I like the scent the most. A balanced, fruity freshness (and rather the latter) counters the sweet base.

Now I must admit that I don’t perceive the heart note specifically. The longer the fragrance stays on the skin, the more homogeneous it smells. After a few minutes, it becomes harder for me to pick out individual notes. I don’t really find sage and black pepper. But still, the fragrance develops quite a bit.

The mandarin makes way after a short time; after an hour, the fruit is no longer directly perceptible. The mint remains, bringing its characteristic freshness, but not in the same strength.

The sweetness of the base now takes over, and the freshness is no longer such a good counterbalance. The former now expresses itself a bit powdery, extremely pleasant. The latter now does just what it needs to do to remain present and at least steal some of the intensity from what lies beneath it.

In the further course, not much more happens. After a few hours, the fragrance presents itself as it will at the end of its lifespan.

The blend is wonderful. Nothing is too much, nothing should be more present, nothing is missing, nothing should be added. AHSEE is coherent within itself. That’s why I used the word "arbitrary" in the title: it has no real edges, it’s rather smooth. Yet there is no fragrance that smells quite like this one. Except for the other Allures, which may show slight similarities. :)

But what makes it such a good all-rounder? The answer is simple: it simply has a lot. Warm tonka bean and cool mint, powdery sweetness and countering freshness. It has seductive elements but remains down-to-earth and casual. Surprisingly, it does everything well and doesn’t sacrifice quality for its agreeable versatility.

Now I must confess: I don’t wear AHSEE very often. That’s on me. When I’m in the office, it feels too precious. I prefer to reach for something affordable like Zara’s Fresh Sandalwood, which presents itself pleasantly. On dates, I prefer a sweet-spicy fragrance like Herod. When the outside temperature approaches 40°C, a higher freshness component would be beneficial. But that’s mainly because my collection is large enough to give me so much choice. When I’ve dressed for the day, look in the mirror, and have no idea what fits my outfit, the season, and my mood? Then I gladly reach for AHSEE.

There’s just one thing it can’t do, in my opinion: be elegant. I wouldn’t want to wear it with a coat. There, it can be warmer, spicier. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in AHSEE with very elegant clothes. It’s youthful too, so perhaps unsuitable for an older clientele. Otherwise? Always wearable. At most, I would still forgo it on dates in nice restaurants or similar.

H+S are very good. Not a loud screamer like a Montale or Nasomatto, but it lasts long on the skin and shows itself. One might claim: H+S are not too strong for summer, but at the same time not worse than alternatives for winter. :)

Thank you for reading!

In search of an intense berry scent for autumn/winter, I stumbled upon this one while looking for fragrance notes. With a price of under €10 for 50ml, I decided to take a blind buy; it can't get much cheaper than that.

Rayan Black starts off very berry-like. Green tea takes away some of the sweetness and replaces it with a subtle, bitter touch. Right from the start, the heart note of musk, sandalwood, and vanilla lays under the berry-tea mixture, but it still gets overshadowed by the intensity of the latter.

If you give the fragrance a good 10 minutes, the top note dissipates enough for the heart note to be present. Musk, sandalwood, and vanilla radiate a pleasant sweetness, which is slightly characterized by the berries.

The further development of the scent is marked by the gradual fading of the berries and green tea, while musk, sandalwood, and vanilla remain. The base of the fragrance doesn't really vary and presents the same sandalwood/musk/vanilla mixture.

It radiates well for about 2-3 hours from the skin and can still be perceived closely for another 5-6 hours.

Sounds nice and all, but unfortunately, I'm not entirely convinced. Everything about the scent gives a rather synthetic impression and reminds me of modern cheap designer fragrances.

Well, calling it a generic scent might not be entirely fair. After all, Rayan Black does have a very oriental impression, but that might be exactly what gives the fragrance its most distinctive quality. A glance at the heart note is enough to understand this: sandalwood, musk, and vanilla are found as a combination in a huge number of fragrances. Al Rehab didn't have to do much more than mix together a somewhat fitting top note to create a wearable perfume. The result? A synthetic scent that is probably quite pleasant for many, with mediocre performance, which bores me and likely gets lost even more in the crowd in the Orient. For €10, I shouldn't have expected much more, as the price is fair. However, I was hoping for a hidden gem, but unfortunately didn't find one.

In my opinion, the suitable occasions are absolutely in winter and autumn everywhere. Not too sweet for work, not too boring for a date, but too warm for hot days. I can't identify a specific target group here either. I find the scent completely unisex, but perhaps a bit more suitable for younger people.

EDIT: I have to downgrade my rating from 7 to 5. After just a few wears, the penetrating synthetic nature of the fragrance becomes quite noticeable.

First comment - I hope it helps you. :)

In my attempt to expand my collection of fragrances for spring and summer, I stumbled upon Fresh Sandalwood. Sounds safe, is affordable, ordered. In summary, I can say: I am quite satisfied. No more, no less. Sounds like a boring evaluation? Fits the scent. Sounds negative? It absolutely shouldn't be.

Fresh Sandalwood opens with a large portion of sandalwood. This is not surprising, as it is in the name. However, not much else is noticeable. A bit of bergamot helps the sandalwood to be a little more playful. This is not new, but nice nonetheless.

Then there is musk in the fragrance pyramid. I perceive it somewhere, but it is harmoniously blended with the rest of the composition, making it hard for me to grasp.

And... that's it. The scent does not develop strongly. The bergamot evaporates first, as expected. However, the scent impression remains very similar. The fragrance is certainly elegant. Minimally sweet, somewhat fresh, although more woody. It fits very well in spring. For the hottest summer days, the scent would be a bit too heavy for me, but otherwise, it is also well wearable in summer. In winter, I prefer warmer scents, but I can also imagine it well in autumn.

However, I do not see the best use for this scent outdoors. Whether I am out with friends, walking around downtown, or maybe on a date; Fresh Sandalwood lacks enough individuality for me. It is very conservative, strongly reminiscent of a clean-cut person, and makes little effort to change this impression during its scent journey. Many have no problem with this, but I would like to make more of an impression in my leisure time than this scent allows me.

However, I wear this scent very often in the office. Everyone benefits: my colleagues, because they get a very pleasant and lingering breeze of sandalwood when they talk to me or are near me. I, because I only paid €20/120ml for this pleasant breeze of sandalwood. :) In the office, the clean-cut characteristic really works in the wearer's favor.

The longevity is absolutely okay. The sillage remains rather close to the skin throughout the scent journey, which doesn't have to be bad; the scent never completely disappears from the picture. It prefers to cling to the wearer rather than aggressively spreading into the environment. It is also well wearable by all age groups.

There is not much more to tell. Fresh Sandalwood is a quite nice, subtle scent. Very unidimensional and yet versatile, it should especially appeal to sandalwood lovers. But it is also important to mention the price. Pleasant and friendly to smell for €20/120ml is already very little. However, I would also be reluctant to pay much more, as I expect more complexity in higher price ranges.