Nigredo

Zworykina's take on agarwood Nigredo opens with bold, dark absinthe wormwood, woods, mosses and boozy cognac. Woods give it a dry, smoky feel and mosses are richened by an earthy accord made of patchouli and mushrooms (yup, Prin Lomros wasn't the first one to use mushrooms in his fragrances). The highlight of this fragrance is the mid-phase where a great oud accord comes together with fruity (apricot) and suede nuances coming from osmanthus. It reminds me of the fruity way oud is used by Fort&Manle. It dries down to a pleasantly dry, dusty woody scent. An interesting agarwood-forward fragrance done in a typical Zworykina's bitter-herbaceous botanical way. One of the best AZ's fragrances.

A woody oud masterpiece. What a lovely perfume for the fall! The superb quality oud is complemented by outstanding selections of wormwood, incense, patchouli, castoreum, myrrh and vetiver. The other notes are less prominent for me, but they add to the whole. This is immediately recognizable as a Zworykina fragrance - few if any have her mastery of inspiring a great symphony of associations and ideas, feelings of travel and liberation from the mundane; a journey through memories thought long lost. A strong gust of raw passion that inspires and provokes but does not overpower. Lasts 4 hours and dissolves into a bitter-sweet perfection of a farewell.

Beautiful! Opens with a soft, fresh floral blast, then quickly turns smokey and bitter, without overpowering the flowers. Later the oud and incense deepen the composition. This is another example of Zworykina's 3D-perfumery, so many layers that are all clear and recognizable, but together form much more than the sum. I am suddenly standing outside in a fresh flowering field, by a dark resiny forest where a fire is burning. Light and dark, color and smoke, all at the same time, all harmonious.

This is how you make perfume. This is how you create art. This is real, this is nothing but perfection; care and creativity. Anna is an artist.

Amazingly calming under any circumstances, giving support when you are comepletely exhausted. It’s smell gives a feeling that you are all by yourself and at the same time all the existing life (excluding humanity, but about it a bit later) is here with you. Anna herself writes about Nigredo “it is the Darkness itself, nature’s deepest sleep, hidden movements of soul” Quite! But it is not the darkness that tears your soul apart, it’s the darkness you’ve been longing for eternity, waiting for her to rest , to recuperate, to mend your broken heart and become yourself once again. Sometimes it holds absolutely uncontrollable wind of destroying force inside and the other times it feels so still and unmoved as if there’s no air inside at all. It becomes a little more friendly when it’s warm, with floral semi-sweet nuances set a bit forward, and when it’s cold it becomes chilly an mineralish but somehow manages to make you warm. It is very comforting but please be warned – this comfort is of a misanthrope. It’s smell doesn’t suppose seeing people around you. Not because it is too strong, too sharp or unpleasant – it is not. It is so all-sufficient, so self-concentrated, you just won’t need anyone.