Sombra

a very unique interpretation of Oud in its true blackness. Refreshment on the perfume scene on this topic in this category, but at the same time quite a challenging perfume that you either like or don't like (in translation: you can wear it or you can't, or part 3 perfume can wear you). Potently mild with all its rich capacity of ingredients, this fragrance is really beautifully blended and rounded into one perfume hexagon. The perfume nose and the author of this part, together with their creativity, very ingeniously fulfilled their mission and put on the market a beautiful Oud creation that still requires a specific and I would say more experienced audience. Of course, it doesn't have to be that way, but that's how I personally experience it. As something very well expressed, clearly presented, but still requiring that nose to be immersed in that blackness. Beauty, dark, light, shadow, kinky, quite art/y. After a few weeks of studying this perfume, I came to the conclusion that I am intrigued by this trend, but I also think that this wind is coming from Berlin 🙂 Very very good! Read more on my Ig: frag_explorer edit 5/4/24 This one here is I would say, feminine oud potent creation for me. This is Sombra, a feminine side of unique and rich oud that is powerfully expressed and very well blended. Ideal and clear unisex first of all (needless to mention), but personally I still experience it as a strong female character imbued with this fragrant Oud specially pronounced here.

Sombra is a dark, experimental, and utterly fearless composition—one that teeters on the edge of art and pure provocation. It is brutally animalic, almost primal, more of an odor than a conventional fragrance. Unrestrained, wild, and deeply unsettling. It doesn’t try to be beautiful. It doesn’t seek approval. Instead, it forces a confrontation with our most primitive instincts, dragging into the light what is usually left in the shadows. Fecal, decaying notes evoke the stench of stale excrement and a rotting tooth—repulsive, yet mesmerizing in its sheer authenticity. The rawness of this composition is further amplified by the distinct presence of animal anal gland secretions, intensifying its wild and untamed nature. It is an experience. I respect it for its audacity, creativity, and masterful rendering of ugliness in its rawest, most extreme form.

If you are an oud lover and if your tolerance and love for animalic scents is high, then run don't walk to get your nose on this absolute beauty. Ignore the negative reviews below, because a lot of people just do not tolerate animalic scents. If you e.g. loved Oudh Infini by Dusita (to me it and Sombra are reminiscent in style. Luca Turin said the oud in Sombra smells more like civet - perhaps that's why, as civet is in the base of Oudh Infini) or if you laughed in delight at Afrika Olifant by Nishane etc - then you will find this gorgeous. Sombra is a stunner, a perfectly formed and polished to perfection oud confection, that to my nose is not even particularly animalic - it's just really good oud that you are smelling.

I will be honest: the primary reason that pushed me into buying D:SOL's collection set was Sombra. Its notes pyramid made it look like something right up my alley, and seeing the amount of debate around it, with many labeling it as "challenging" and "not for everyone", led me to believe I was in for a treat with a proper oud stinker. Reality, however, disappointed me. The part that this is not for everyone remains true, though. It opens bright and zesty, with a squeeze of sweet mandarin/clementine juiciness paired with a more direct, citrusy yuzu. A berry-like undertone appears with spicy facets, giving the composition a very airy and luminous character, which is the opposite of what I expected. But a plot twist seems to be in play, especially given the brand's descriptive title "From Light to Dark". And sure enough, there is a plot twist, but not the kind that leaves you fascinated. Sweet rosy accents gently push through, accompanied by a tiny saffron element in the back with warm, gently leathery attributes. That's not the plot twist, but the diaper-like addition that appears seemingly from nowhere. Yes, it's the best way to describe it - diaper-like, or like a clean toilet. It's reminiscent of those toilet sprayers, here giving the impression it is trying very hard to fight off the smell of an open diaper, having this clean but not quite edge. Surely, the Laos oud and the not-listed Vietnamese oud both have a say in this regard, and since both are some of the gentlest types of oud around, it's no surprise there's no barnyard/animalic quality to the scent. It's more of a resinous, sort of balsamic, clean, ambery sweetness that makes for the diaper association, along with rosy touches in the background that you don't think about much more at this point. Any leather thrown in here is mostly overpowered by the rest of the profile, but it does seem more apparent on the long run. Regardless, this is not what I expected, nor what I wanted from Sombra. An oud-rose combo was at least what I hoped for if I had to temper my expectations, not a toilet sprayer you overspray when an open window alone is not enough to fight off the result of your confident Chipotle order. Performance was neither too strong, neither too soft. In terms of longevity, it managed close to 11 hours. But on the side of projection, it didn't really offer much after the 2 hour mark. The first hour, however, did bring pretty noticeable pushing power, with pretty good sillage too. And well, not that I'm calling out anyone's tastes, but smelling like you use toilet spray for fragrance or as if you've got a diaper on isn't exactly what society agrees on smelling like in public. So versatility will be limited, mostly for leisure wear, but I just would never reach for this in most other situations, unless I'd have minimal to no human interaction. For those who actually enjoy Sombra, I suppose it would fit the bill to weddings even. It's not a challenging scent in the traditional sense; not animalic, barnyardy, or simply rough and dark. It's just hard to like given the clear toilet/diaper associations, and I doubt there's many people out there who want to be perceived as if they've just been cleaning their bathroom for the past 30 minutes. Hence, I suppose you can imagine the letdown I felt when first smelling Sombra, being the one fragrance I was most hyped about from the house, and it ending up as being the worst of the lineup. I suppose the "From Light to Dark" title fits in the end - my eyes opened wide and brightened when seeing Sombra, and my expectations and excitement went high up. But once smelling it, it all crashed down harder than the stock market and it left me disappointed, in the dark. Presentation: 7/10 Scent: 5.5/10 Longevity: 9/10 Projection: 5/10 Versatility: 6/10 Value for Money: 3/10 Overall: 5.9/10

Sombra is a well blended perfume with a spicy kick in the opening, earthy feeling from Saffron in the heart and a strong, dry cinnamon like aroma from Nutmeg. Roses are quite hidden so I wouldn't call this as a floral at all but Saffron stays there during all the journey from beginning until the late dry down together with resinous base. There is a hint of leather lurking somewhere but the smell of real mellow Oud is missing, for me it is a resinous wood. This scent is not bad at all but I like a softer texture with a little bit sweetness. It's good that Vanilla is not used everywhere but personally it makes so many scents better than they would be without it. Because of that missing sweetness this scent stays on the masculine side and it's not so wearable for me personally. Because of that reason I chose to write a shorter review instead of a deeper analysis after multiple wears. Thank you for reading, I hope my review was helpful. I would appreciate a lot if you want to follow me on IG and/or YouTube (English subtitles): @ninamariahperfumes It gives me a lot of motivation to write more. 🤗