Saenerys

For the first time, I was allowed to participate in a fragrance discovery program. Not without some slight reservations about the perfume house, my anticipation was nonetheless high. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Goldfield & Banks; after all, one of my favorite fragrances comes from their portfolio, Silky Woods. However, my first experience with this perfume house was with Pacific Rock Moss. A great scent, no doubt, but I must admit I have a penchant for fragrances with more "power." Pacific Rock Moss is beautiful, but unfortunately a bit weak for my taste in terms of longevity and projection.
In my mind, I had associated Goldfield & Banks fragrances with being transparent and a touch of... How wrong I was.
I was surprised when I discovered during my testing phase that G&B indeed has other fragrances to offer, scents that also meet my "demands."
I was again surprised to find that one of my new favorites is treated rather poorly on Parfumo. Well, without the fragrance discovery program, I might not have thought to test it.
Wood Infusion is truly a wonderful woody scent that, in my opinion, comes with some extras. It has really decent longevity. Sprayed in the afternoon, a hint lingered throughout the evening, reminding me of its presence. Even the next morning, I could smell it quite closely, though distinctly, on my arm.
I find it has a certain similarity to Oud Wood, but it brings even more to the table.
Right at the beginning, I notice the fresh orange; it retreats a bit over time but flashes back every now and then. I also smell lavender directly on my arm, not strongly, but it is present. The woody notes definitely take center stage, while everything else, including patchouli, plays a supporting role that makes Wood Infusion beautifully complex and anything but boring. The scent doesn’t have a very strong but definitely a noticeable progression, showing different facets. Towards the end, it becomes creamy with a slight sweetness, but the woody notes always remain in the foreground. For me, it is absolutely unisex.
Is it worth a test? In my opinion, definitely.

3. Door
Yes, I also made myself a perfume advent calendar. Consisting of samples that I either bought or swapped. All neatly packed, I now get to unwrap a fragrance surprise every day, which will be worn without question on the designated day.
The colleagues in the office will have to deal with it now. Come what may.
And I have decided to write at least one statement about each fragrance in the evening every day. On one hand to share with the interested reader, on the other hand for myself, so that I can look back in months to see which fragrances were in the calendar and what my thoughts on them were.
Today, on the third day, it was Vanilla Diorama. To be honest, I expected something different here. Vanilla Diorama, I expected a fragrance where vanilla plays a leading role. I hoped for one component to be added, but I got quite a bit more.
Vanilla Diorama reminds me of Tobacco Vanille or also Divine Vanille.
Vanilla Diorama is definitely not a twin, but it goes in that direction for me.
After a citrus-spicy opening, a sweetness quickly joins in that warms up the fragrance. I can sense cardamom. However, instead of vanilla, a prominent tobacco note comes in. Vanilla is certainly there, but it does not take a leading role.
Vanilla Diorama is really nice, lasting through a workday. No one felt bothered by it either. ;-) Sillage does not seem to be excessive, at least not over time.
Since I already own decants of TV and DV, Vanilla Diorama will not be joining my collection. For anyone who likes fragrances in this direction, spicy-sweet with a slight boozy touch, Vanilla Diorama is definitely worth a test. Those looking for a vanilla fragrance with a truly expressive vanilla will probably not find it here.

and quite a bit, actually getting better all the time.
The first time I stumbled upon Elle in the forum, I was looking for a replacement for Midnight Poison. However, the thought of it was quickly overshadowed by another fragrance (Vengeance Extreme).
A few months later, while shopping at the local Müller, I noticed this striking pink bottle with the golden plaque. There was only one tester left on the shelf. Great, I thought, now I can still test it. Two sprays on my forearm, hmm ok fruity with a sweet freshness, red fruits, nice but not blowing me away.
At that moment, I had already put a checkmark next to the fragrance, thinking I don’t need it, since I have Vengeance if I want something similar to Midnight Poison. Your collection has already grown so much lately, and you don’t need so many similar fragrances.
Still, the thought of Elle lingered in my mind over the next few weeks, it seems like it did something to my subconscious, the rascal.
So I ordered the fragrance, the large bottle. It really makes an impression, heavy in the hand and despite the really bright pink, not tacky. A real eye-catcher.

I must say I perceive my fragrance differently than the tester at Müller. It starts off fruity/citrusy fresh with a certain sweetness, but here a certain spiciness comes into play, a slight sharpness that I like, giving the fragrance a little edge that prevents it from getting lost in the uniform mush of fruity sweet scents. The sweetness I perceive is by no means cloying, sticky rather than transparent, and yet the fragrance is already strongly noticeable at the beginning.
The rose soon reveals itself and can hold its own well alongside the red fruits that now join in, at this point the slightly prickly pepper note that might tickle some in the nose also disappears.
After about 2 hours, the fragrance is no longer projecting as much on me, but it is still quite noticeable. After 4-5 hours, the scent is close, yet every now and then a hint rises to my nose. Now the fragrance is also more grounded due to the patchouli, becoming creamy, less sweet, with rose and fruits still discernible. After 6-7 hours, I have to bring my nose close to my skin, now it’s slowly bidding farewell, unless you’ve gotten some on your clothes. ;-)
Does it have something of Midnight Poison? Kind of. If you like Midnight Poison, you will also like this one, if you don’t scrutinize it too closely.
Maybe it’s because I bought Elle at the beginning of spring, but I find it fits perfectly on those still cool spring days. I also perceive it as a feel-good fragrance, uplifting, somehow it has something of a new beginning, like nature in spring. I’ve been wearing it for three days and it does me good.

For days I have been thinking about how to write a comment for this fragrance. A comment that does justice to this scent. Yes, it will probably be very subjective. To quote Gollum: "My precious!" Gollum was likely enchanted by the glow of the ring, I by the scent of Farah.
Where have you been hiding, in a cave from 1001 Nights?
Through detours, as it probably happens a thousand times here on Parfumo, I stumbled upon it. Midnight Poison, Angels Share, Ambre Narguile, fragrance twins and fragrance notes researched. Read threads, watched recommendations, and researched again. Sniffed Arabesque and Maasai Mara. Sought out samples. But you know how it is.
All the ones mentioned here I like very much. They are not all twins to each other, but for me, a direction emerges that seems to be mine. Oriental-sweet, Oriental-spicy.
Farah was indeed a blind buy, and I am glad I made it. Of all the ones mentioned so far, Farah is my treasure, my favorite, the most beautiful fragrance in my collection. And I don’t even want to add a "so far," because at the moment I firmly believe that Farah is my scent and will remain my treasure.
So how does it smell? I don’t know how to explain it, instead, a whole bunch of adjectives come to mind: spicy, sweet, dark, mysterious, sensually seductive, unique, beautiful.
Date, honey, and the resins provide a diverse sweetness that is not cloyingly sweet or sticky. Cinnamon adds its spiciness, patchouli, and I believe musk and leather ground the composition and give this fragrance a mystical aura. Oh, it is just so beautiful.
Before this comment drifts too much into the cheesy, I will end it here.
Just one more thing, the longevity is very good. For me, at least 12 hours. The sillage is also very good from my perspective, although I might not be able to assess it that well myself.
And now I hope it can also be worn in summer, maybe just one spray...half a spray.

Finally, the package has arrived. I'm sitting on the couch in the living room, my husband next to me.
"Look how beautiful it is," I say to him. Reverently, I hold out the packaging of the bottle to him and he nods casually. I celebrate the opening by slowly pulling on the loop attached to the side. Gradually, the bottle comes into view, shining in its golden yellow from the dark velvet bed. Carefully, I take out the small glass bottle, weigh it in my hands, and examine it from all sides. Then I hold it out to my husband: "Here, take a look at how substantial it feels. Really heavy." My husband takes the fragrance, weighs it in his hand, nods, and hands it back to me.
Hmm! A bit disappointed because my enthusiasm is only met with indifference, I remove the cap from the bottle and spray once on my forearm.
I sniff, look at my husband, and suddenly I have his full attention.
Me: "Do you know what this smells like?"
Him: "Do you know what this reminds me of?"
Me: "It smells like that liqueur after dinner at the restaurant."
Him: "Julischka!"
Exactly.
My enthusiasm is now really dampened. I wave my arm and hope for the drydown. Do I want to smell like warm Julischka liqueur? Not really. In Croatian restaurants, known for their hearty and rich food, you often get this liqueur warmed after the meal. Do I want to be reminded of my overstuffed belly and the unbuttoned pants because the portion was so large and my eyes were bigger than my stomach? Um, no!
I stop waving my arm and tidy up a bit. The packaging from the online shop, the foil, here a little, there a little, before I hold my nose back to my forearm.
Lucky me, it develops. The warm fruit liqueur takes a back seat. The fruity notes remain, but the alcoholic, fermented scent disappears. Cloves and a bit of smoke join in. Yes, I like this much better. A little later, vanilla joins in, and I can also perceive something slightly woody. Even better, this can stay, and it does stay.

Now I'm curious how it behaves in spring or summer. According to hearsay, it should be wearable all year round. I will test it because Dolce Amalfi is appealing, and the scent stays with me. And every time I wear it, I will think of Julischka and then wonder if I can handle another one... another spray.