Ismail Efendi - The Rose Bandit

A rose is a rose is a rose....until you let loose a perfumer with an independent mind to start playing around with it. This is NOT your Grandma's rose fragrance. It's full and juicy and sits proudly on a fragrant base of musk, and an earthiness that I JUST COULDN'T quite pick apart. I didn't get the patch or cedar, just a final full round earthy drydown that is so satisfying. A whiff of spice keeps it all interesting and wondering what THAT was (I had to look - I think the addition of carnation is inspired). Oh, and did I mention the rose? Yeah - he may have been a bandit but he had good taste in blooms. This one had me puzzled - I simply couldn't untangle it without looking up the notes. Ismail was not only a thief, but a master of disguise. I purchased my sample and the contents and opinions are mine.

Masterpiece Only for collectors Who understand the Art

Thanks Ali for this great stuff

Hidden gem Only for collectors

The fragrance begins with the rough, deep green note of oregano leaves, transitioning into a raspberry rose with a musky ambergris undertone. The sweetness of the raspberry and rose is intense, hiding the spicy aromatic green note, and is further deepened by the heavy patchouli which make the scent dark and dense. If you pick up on the raspberry and rose, it might seem pretty feminine. But once you catch the musky ambergris, the spicy greenery, and the weighty patchouli, the fragrance totally flips and starts to feel more bold and masculine. A quirky and interesting take on raspberry rose.