Volcano

Volcano is the last sample from my Carner discovery set, and it is easily one of my favourites. I haven't been bowled over by the myriad of freshies offered by this house (due in part to personal taste), but I adore the likes of Botafumeiro and now, Volcano. Volcano is a rich, dark rose scent, bolstered by spices, woody oud and a balsamic amber base. It is fairly classic in style, but well-composed with high-quality ingredients - a beautiful example of the genre. Rose is one of my favourite notes, but this is objectively good. Volcano opens with a rich, realistic rose note, slightly jammy and complemented beautifully by the warm spices that follow, notably nutmeg. The balsamic amber undertone emerges early, initially light and green-tinged like elemi, but paving the way to the rich, resinous, slightly leathery drydown while complementing the rose from the early stages. As it develops, a cloud of patchouli emerges, marrying beautifully with the rose. It is multifaceted - initially earthy and slightly herbal, becoming more balsamic as it develops, marrying seamlessly with the amber accord that forms the base. The oud note follows, dark and dry, more woody than skanky, again serving to complement the rose. It also paves the way to the resinous amber base. It becomes slightly leathery as it dries down, but remains dry. It becomes increasingly musky as it fades. Sillage is strong and longevity is long-lasting. A unisex dark rose scent, Volcano is best worn in autumn/winter. It is beautifully and cohesively composed - rose is king, and every other note here has seemingly been chosen with the express purpose of complementing it - to great success. Middle Eastern amber-rose-oud, interpreted for western tastes. 4.5/5.

Yes it has rose and oud and we might feel a bit tired of that duo but then there are a lot of combinations that we could say the same about. The thing is the materials has been here for a long time and and is here to stay so instead I tried to focus on the bigger picture. And what I found was an exceptionally well blended creation. Hat of to Mr Fernandez. Yes it might not come of as something unique if that's what you're looking for but if you pay attention to the weaving of the materials you smell something that has been crafted with precision and love. Does it smell like a volcano? I wouldn't know but what I do smell is an opening that is bursting with energy - simultaneously juicy and glowing of spicy roses and green tinted resins. As the eruption subsides all the notes mellows and softens in perfect harmony. Much like the flowing and pulsating golden lava. So in that sense the concept and the scent has aligned quite marvelously. The end result is one of the sexiest scents I have smelled and currently hold in my rather large collection. It's however not a raunchy sexyness it's more of an assertive natural sexiness without any obvious bedside associations. So maybe sensual is a more accurate description... Fantastic!

Black and Red is what comes to mind when I smell this. So, I disagree with the nay sayers. Volcano works as a description for me all be it a sweet one. Beautiful deep powdery (nutmeg), smoothed out by Oud and broadened out with laudanum and benzoin creating an almost oily leather like playing field. On top a bright ginger (not too much) and equal sweet rose providing just enough to flavour what might otherwise be a high quality but somewhat generic feeling oud scent. Strange that very few people have voted for Oud when for me it is the main player. It has awesome longevity (lasted all night) and decent Sillage. It comes across as a lower volume version of Oud Essentiel by Guerlain - a bit sweeter too with no leather and less oud. I converted my free Twisted Lily sample into an FB order - it can sit happily next to my Oud Essentiel for when I want to impress the ladies rather than when I want to show up the boys in the smelly gym locker room...

This smells dark and quite satisfying to me. The labdanum is thick and hefty but does not stomp out the delicate sanguine petals of the rose. The bright spices seem to pop, sparkle and dance around without actually settling in on top of any other notes. Rather simple but beautiful to my nose. Did the company not send out free bottles or something? I am quite suspicious of these dismal reviews, though I am also open to the possibility that I have poor taste. This was a blind buy for me and other than the unexpectedly short-lived performance on my skin, I have no complaints. For what I paid for it I'd be rather upset if I didn't love it, doubly so if I couldn't sell it due to it being so roundly shat upon.

I’m not usually a huge fan of rose pud frangrances but for some reason this was an immediate love for me. When I visited the Carner Barcelona boutique (a must visit btw!) I tried almost all fragrances and this was one of the few clear standouts for me! The rose is prominent but not overpowering. It starts spicy, dark and woody and soon becomes resinous but dry with a slight hint of sweetness. Smells very luxurious, alluring and mysterious. Dark and seductive, perfect for a night out. Ideal for the colder weather but I also wear it during the warmer months at night, when it’s not too hot. A must try from the brand!