Злато Скифов (Or des Scythes)

This is kind of perfume which might evoke the wildest memories of your soul . Kind of membership you didn't know you have... AND the feeling of belonging...Well... Belonging to what? To the distant and strange place Russians call "the Steppe"... This is a wast wilderness suffused with heady fragrance of honeyed wild grass and herbs mixed with aroma of sensually perfect and healthy bodies of the young male warriors Scythians who are getting ready for next battle with nomadic tribe from the East in the early morning...The women are wearing the most stunning, heavy gold protective jewellery to preserve the continuity of the nation, not to mention they are warriors themselves... The shaman is boiling wild herbs potion in the golden cauldron to soothe and heal the wounds of Scythian warriors tomorrow. It's aromatic, it's dusty and balmy... This is kind of barbaric and wild perfume comparing to refined and genteel French ones... But it's magical. There is nothing like it. It's so distinctively Russian/Eastern Slavic aroma of the...place?... land?... time?...dream?... past life...? It's a hell of feminine seductive perfume if you can relate to this kind of exuberant, fertile and wild vibe of being... It has reduced me to tears... It's a masterpiece of Soviet perfumery along with La Belle De Russie (but this is another story) I would not like to be without ever.

This was a gift from a wonderful Fragrantican who has introduced me to a little known Russian treasure! Or des Scythes doesn't have harsh aldehydes in the opening, rather they are quiet and subdued, just as I like them. I can't describe this perfume in detail as it's the most unusual olfactory experience I have had in a long time, so I will try and describe my experience of this little gem. From the first spritz I felt warm and comforted. There is something timeless and nostalgic about this perfume. I smell huge amounts of spicy honey, it sounds crazy, but that's what I can smell and this to my nose, is a true chypre perfume. There is a lot of wood and although this is a sweet smell, it's not cloying or sickly, it has more of a spicy sweetness to it. I feel a sense of autumn in this scent, I can smell fires burning in the distance and I get a smokiness to the composition which just makes this irresistible. Classic, timeless, elegant, unforgettable perfume with outstanding longevity and enough silage to make people stop and ask me what perfume are you wearing, it smells lovely?

tried this one on yesterday, in a local Russian cosmetics outlet and can still smell it on my wrist. that ́s staying power - some 17 hours and a shower, but the scent is still there. experiences on my skin: the opening notes were a bit overwhelming and for the first couple of hours it felt like being wrapped in a cloud of the scent - notes of chypre, some undefined sweetness and a rather strong powdery touch. later on it evened out in ambery tones with a tint of white flowers and smoke. now it is an almost round amber with a distant bitter vanilla, vague fruitiness and a hint of wood and citrus. reminds me of Organza by Givenchy, but not so sweet and with a bit of a crunchy edge. i only had a little spritz on my wrist and rubbed the wrists together, so a little goes a long way for me. generally I definitely do not see any knock-off quality, it doesn't even remind me of Chanel #19 that much. for me this is absolutely a perfume in its own right.

Wow! What a wonderful little powerhouse this is! Just received a 16ml bottle through a Russian supplier, and I'm already considering a back up bottle. The first spray is a little harsh (and overly floral) to my nose, however after about 15 minutes it settles into an exquisite chypre-like fragrance. It isn't a green scent per se, but the wood and spice seem to allude to it. They also tone down the potential sweetness of the ylang-ylang which is the dominant floral in this scent. I own both Chanel #19 and Coco, and the only similarity is in style. This is a classy, timeless fragrance that smells expensive but in this case isn't (bonus!). One spray on the back of my hand was sufficient for me to get lovely wafts of it for several hours, so I would say a little goes a long way. I could still smell it, albeit faintly after 8 hours, so the lasting power is good too. A definite new love for me :-)

23. march 2013 oh, wow!!! I have this one in a vintage pure parfum version. People, i tell you, this one is soooo amazing. The sillage, the lasting power, the smell itself and above all praises!!! To me this one a magical combination of my very much beloved "Gucci di Arte" and Paco Rabanne ́s "La nuit". I don ́t know about the current version, maybe it has been changed, but the one i have i can swear it is "La nuit" so animalistic and wild with amazing rosey-honey note of "Gucci Arte". Like i said it lasts for days. Literally. i have to compare it with the modern version. Hope i won ́t be dissapointed. P.S. I have checked the russian Fragrantica and even though not many like the scents of "Novaya Zarya" this one has an impressive fan base and that is something. I have now 2 bottles of the very firat release (different from the one pictured above) and am extremly happy.