Megalium

Ever have one of those "holy smokes, this stuff smells amazing" moments upon trying that new blind bought bottle you just got in the mail? For me, Megalium delivered one of those rare moments. I bought this figuring how bad could it be if I like every one of its constituent notes and also have and love it's #1 "smells like." And you know what, Carner really knocked this one out of the park. It's familiar in many ways, but also unique and special. Be aware -- let there be no doubt what the feature note is in Megalium -- cinnamon. If you don't like cinnamon, then you probably won't like this. But I will say that Megalium features as full and rounded a cinnamon/calamus accord as you will find. Blended with what seems like a shade of honey sweetness and just enough nutmeg and pimento to almost convince me there's some cardamom and anise in there as well. It's bold, warm and inviting, while also maintaining a sense of clean. As if that weren't enough, its dry down is met with a chorus of balsamic resins that bring a certain solemnity and the slightest green, soapy edge to Megalium. Clean, warm confidence -- and balance in every phase. Longevity is better than average on me, as I got a good 9 hours strong in my first wearing. Not sure yet about projection/sillage, but honestly, this should be for you and those who venture close enough to take in its radiant aura. Less is more. Those who would say this is similar to Potion are not too far off in terms of overall composition, though this one brings more spicy heat by comparison, whereas Potion favors a fairly prominent sandalwood and angelica base. I also pick up a similar spicy/resinous balance to Franck Boclet Incense as well, though more pronounced in Megalium. There is also that spicy chai heat of Gucci Pour Homme II (minus the cooling violet/bergamot brightness) and that familiar myrrh of Prada Amber Intense. As I love all of the others mentioned, it's no surprise that I love this one too. I think this stuff is magnificent, but you really have to appreciate that whole cinnamon/spicy/resin theme to love this. But if that's you, then Megalium should qualify as a safe buy. Really happy I rolled the dice on this one. Looking forward to trying more of Carner's creations.

Cinnamon is the opening star. a rare, elegant cinnamon. Dry, crisp, actual cinnamon stick. the perfume is comforting. A modern, refined take on the classic amber-wood perfume genre. a beautifully dry, resinous amber that evokes the spirit of a Youth Dew and Cinnabar (but it's more now/contemporary/less 80s) church incense, softened with woods. (I discovered Megalium while searching for a modern take on Youth Dew, a request from a friend whose grandma adored the original, so she wanted something similar but maybe less grandma vibes.) It's supposed to be based on ancient Roman classic incense recipes. I've read that it's a "natural" perfume, meant to improve significantly with time, needing up to a year of maceration to fully mature(!). I haven’t had the chance to experience this as aged/complex (I am impatient), but I’m enamoured with the straight-from-the-bottle version. If you are keen on dry woods, resinous amber, warm churchy incense and a nuanced, beautiful cinnamon (that steers clear of sweetness), i reckon it is worth exploring (and you haven't got many/any other options anyhow). Note: I usually use this as a warm fancy base for a gourmand pastry perfume, Lush's chelsea bun or Andromeda's Moon All Hallows Veil or Odette's Pain au Chocolat

This is incredible. Right up my alley. If you like cinnamon send it. Max Aroma has it cheap. Its very cinnamon. But it's not an overpowering cinnamon. Its there forsure and it's prominent, but it's a creamy amber cinnamon. It is spicy so you gotta like that too, and it is vaguely incensy. Sillage is fairly low and it sits close to the skin. Projects pretty well for about 2 hours max then sits pretty intimate within your scent bubble. Noones gonna smell you from afar but if they are up close and personal they will get a whiff. On my skin it works perfect and its slightly sweet. I cant get enough of this smell. Blind buy was a success. Evening and fall/winter wear is where its at. Because of the amount of cinnamon id never wear this on any day warmer than 75 lol. Wouldn't make sense. Date night forsure. Good lounge / bed time scent cause its super comforting. Could be a great formal wear but i have better stuff for that. Ill be abusing this all fall and winter long no doubt about it. Dry down reminds of of that photo of Leonardo Dicaprio in the great Gatsby holding that glass of champagne all dressed up. Idk why but thats what the scent does to me. For 52 bucks its worth a try if you are into this style.

Gorgeous fresh spicy oriental - wow. Not as per the notes but for me it starts with a bright sweet airy candied orange feel blanketing a linear dusty (nutmeg in overdrive) cinnamon bark/leaf. After a few minutes this “Orange” morphs completely to the linear scent and the orange moves to the background backing up the scent. It then has a bright kick at the top with white pepper reminding you that it’s full of dried crushed spices. The nutmeg still giving a body of rusty and dusty spices. Though not listed I feel as though there is smooth cloves hovering through the layers though this likely the balsamic reference. The other notes complimentary giving a feel of a beautiful sweet orange, red and brown oriental spice. The balsamic connotations mislead the description for me as for me this is a fresh dusty somewhat dry unusual oriental. A gourmand at that... This together with Volcano has turned me into a Caner Barcelona fan. Out of five hundred or so perfumes that has crossed my path I do not believe I have yet come across one like this. 7/10 for quality 9/10 for originality 7/10 for value

I love this scent because it has some structural similarities with The Spirit of Dubai Majalis and it has the same beautiful & strong calamus note as the Carner Barcelona Black Calamus . Megalium is a beautiful spicy oriental scent for fall, spring and cool summer evenings. It feels totally unisex and safe for all. Dominant notes are strong calamus, well-balanced cinnamon, stunning myrrh, very-very strong olibanum and strong opoponax which feels the same as in Amouage Jubilation for Men. The olibanum is the second strongest note after the cinnamon, intensive nutmeg, mild mandarin, noticeable rose and strong white pepper. I do not get styrax at all. It a long lasting scent with moderate sillage and moderate projection. Its performance is western but its smell is totally oriental. If you like cinnamon with spices and resins give it a try.