Cooling Note
This is an incredibly special fragrance. It's a photorealistic tin of cookies, but not in an artificial way at all. Truly a masterpiece... there is nothing quite like it. The only downside for me is that it has an e x t r e m e l y powerful cooling note to it (which make sense, because Snow is in the name) which was unfortunately too strong for me. It made my throat and nose excessively cold, like when you smell Vix Vapo Rub, but without the mint smell. It was a little too aggressive for me, in an otherwise gentle and comforting scent.
Like LDBS but Sweeter
Quite similar to Love Don't Be Shy by Kilian, but with weaker performance. For me, this sits extremely close to the skin and lasts 2 hours at most. It's missing the civet note, which is great, because it's my least favorite note in LDBS. Replacing the marshmallow in LDBS with toffee in Istanbul, makes it more syrupy and rich, which I prefer. Overall, because of how faint it is on me, I won't be buying a full bottle, but the scent is excellent!
Creative but a Miss For Me
Polarizing scent. I typically love unique, weird, nostalgic scents, but this one was not the vibe. To me, it starts off smelling like Davidoff's Cool Water. The plastic note truly does smell like a beach ball and that's the most intriguing and enjoyable part of this scent! Then comes the choya nakh (toasted sea shells + sandalwood) aaaaand I'm on my way to the sink to scrub my skin.
Mature and Traditional
I would categorize this as a very traditional lilac fragrance. It's a perfect match to the fragrances my eldest family members wore. If you're looking for a mature, straightforward, and perhaps nostalgic powdery lilac, you'll probably love this. I was hoping for something a bit more interesting or new, so this wasn't a great fit for me.
Lost Me at Cumin
I would agree that this is similar to Marrakech in that it's deeply resinous, but a completely different scent entirely. The vanilla is a supporting note, not at all the star, which I love. Unfortunately the cumin note comes out in a very offensive way. I understand why it was added. It's interesting, makes you sniff a little longer to figure out what's "off". But it just ruins it for me, so I'm not the target audience!
