Metaphore WJ

Beautifoul. Special. Unique. Magical. You ll land in a different word wearing it. Flossy. I m absolutely in love. Had the chance to meet the creator personaly. Everybody wants to know what is it when I am wearing it. Can t comphere to anything else. Really unique. Attention! Do not overspray as it s a bomb. Love love love

A black stallion in need of a horse whisperer. A more on the masculine side fragrance, that requires courage to be worn. Very elegant patchouli-leather combination, harsh and strong. Definitely not a blind buy suited fragrance, more of a fragrance that needs to be tamed by a strong personality.

Absolutely the most animalic scent I've ever smelled, definitely not for beginners, novices or ever most experts.

Blown away! Absolutely delicious! Honey, Tobacco, Jasmine and to my nose black pepper! Dont sleep on this one!

"May your life be sweet as honey" - It's an old, rural-style saying or "blessing" here in Romania. You'd usually tell it to someone you don't see often as they leave you from their visit. And with Calaj being a Romanian brand and Metaphore having honey as a primary ingredient (and, well, me being Romanian too), I thought it would fit in this context. Although... maybe life shouldn't be all that sweet and it should bring some dirt with it. Which it does, we don't get to choose. Now, regarding Metaphore, it was nothing like what I expected it to smell like. Somehow, patchouli listed both at the heart and base notes did not catch my eye as being a clear indication that this is a patchouli-forward scent. And not that I don't like patchouli; it's just that Metaphore is not my favorite rendition of the note. Its opening strikes with a potent kick of herbal, earthy thyme with minty and spicy facets also noticeable. But what really is impossible to miss here is the immediate medicinal path that Metaphore takes. The patchouli is largely responsible for this, along with musky and strong earthy undertones. It gives the fragrance a cold earthy profile with that medicinal, sort of sweet-ish coating. But it's not sweet in the typical sense at all, you can be sure of that. Some florals far back can be sensed - carnation sweetness, jasmine headiness - but they get overpowered substantially by the patchouli, getting muddled in the mixture in a slightly messy way. I could also get some dryness from the cedar pushing through, surprisingly more than I expected. Now, don't get the idea that this just smells like pure medicine; that's only during the opening. As things dry down and start agreeing on some aspects, the medicinal cover gets smoothly tweaked into honey drizzling right over the patchouli. That honey richness pairs well with the earthiness from the patchouli, yet I still feel like they struggle a bit to balance each other, seemingly both seeking your whole attention. And that leads to the main issue I have with this scent: patchouli and honey overpower everything else. It could very well be either batch differences or something a little wrong with my sample, but I doubt it. In my experience, the tobacco does pull through, appending some bitter accents as well as lending a bit of warmth, while in rest it might also aid in the perceived earthiness. But don't expect a whole lot of tobacco on its own. Even less leather, which shows up later in the dry down, more as a thing table cover on which someone dropped a bowl of honey - a little musky, soft and airy, but again, not the "grounding" type of leather. It's a great scent still, just one I feel like it might've benefitted of more balance between the notes. Performance, though, was plenty. It did surpass 12 hours of longevity on my skin, while projection was VERY potent for the first ~2 hours. The sillage was quite impressive, and the pushing power was intense, with people around me immediately asking me what I'm wearing, all of which also told me that I smell like honey. So in the air, it didn't even come off as that medicinal, which is good. After those two hours, it would take a big step back, a little abrupt even, but still noticeable here and there. It's not a terribly versatile scent, that's one thing sure. Especially given the strong projection. As a daily, it might be a little too much for most, but it's not excluded. Yet it also doesn't strike me as a "special occasion" type of entry. It lacks a bit of refinement or balance, so it wouldn't be something I personally reach out to for, say, a wedding. But leisurely or just for days when you feel in the mood for something louder and more distinct, then Metaphore will make every passer-by wearing YSL and SWY feel underqualified (they are). I like Metaphore, despite it leaning more on the patchouli x honey combo than I'd like. I appreciate it for what it is, and it probably gets close to an "endgame" entry in the genre of medicinal, patchouli-heavy compositions, as well as honey scents that aren't actually sickeningly sweet. But I don't love it either. No matter from which angle I look at it, I keep searching for a little more balance between notes. A little more polishing, a slightly less abrasive opening. Yet maybe, this is exactly how the author intended it to be; rougher around the edges. Regardless, Metaphore easily secures its spot as one of the best from the house, and if anything, it left me more curious for what else Calaj has to offer. Until then, "May your life be sweet as honey, though add patchouli to keep it wild and muddy." Presentation: 6/10 Scent: 8/10 Longevity: 10/10 Projection: 8/10 Versatility: 7/10 Value for Money: 5.5/10 Overall: 7.4/10