Spice D'Arno

Testing Spice d’ Arno from a Jovoy 2 ml sample. Spice d’ Arno has something really unique about how it smells. Which I find really appealing and addictive and I “blame” the novelty (to me) note of bran for that. I’ve got to admit that judging from the name I was expecting a scent with way more spices in it. It has a rather aromatic accent but that’s about it. The rest of the prominent notes are mostly from the opposite side like cashmere, resins, leather, amber, vanilla, iris and a mix of citruses. Nothing new under the sun but the result is really memorable. It’s a perfume that has a wow factor, very creamy and velvety thanks to the presence of iris and cashmeran. Elegant and opulent! I was honestly expecting to like better Caspian Cherry than Spice d’Arno but I prefer this way more. It’s unlike anything else I’ve tried or own and I’m intrigued... Will update later on the performance. Lasted about eight hours on skin. Projection was noticeably in the air for about two hours maybe. Not a beastly scent, but not a weak one for sure.

A beautiful new release from the British luxury brand. There are some curious reviews of this which for me are way off the mark. When I smell this, my nostrils are filled with the deliciousness of spiced baked goods. It's not just plain ol' vanilla, thankfully. In fact, I'd suggest closer references to something like Sweetie Aoud, thanks to the carb-laden bran note and a subtle oud note in the base, however it's much more wearable and zhuzhy. At times, it feels quite tonka-forward although it's not listed. The perfumer, Celine, says the main ingredient here is cistus absolute, but to me it's imperceptible, although I'm sure it has a distinct effect on the scent generally. For me, the drydown is all yummy, custardy vanilla with thyme and bran which gives it a fairly savoury inflection. I can forgive those for thinking this is not so summery, but to me, it works beautifully on a warm sunny morning paired with a crisp white linen outfit. Really lovely and well worth trying!

I just received my bottle, and this is my experience an hour into the fragrance. How would I describe what I am smelling so far: 1. A bit feminine fragrance. 2. Vanilla-forward fragrance (Think Althair from PDM but way softer and powdery). 3. It’s not fresh, but I think you can easily pull it off in the summer because of its softness and powderiness. 4. It’s definitely more interesting on skin than on cloth. I don’t think this is a strong performer, but I will update later. Do I like it? Yes. Is it full bottle worthy? On a discount, yes. Update: LOOOOVE this still feels more feminine to me but it is a stunner of a fragrance. If you love vanilla, then buy it (this is a soft, cakey vanilla). If you don’t like vanilla or would expect the darker facets of vanilla, then avoid it. I'm happy with it.

PDM Herod & Givency Pi vibes. It smells somewhat like sun tan lotion. Personally I really like tropical sun tan lotion fragrances so this is a win. I think the vanilla and saffron create an orange blossom vibe. I blind bought this and I am very pleased. For some reason I smell ginger maybe I’m tweaking but it has a light spicy and I mean light spicy vibe. Not a stinky spice. Very clean. Unisex but I personally think a man will do well pulling this off. Most of my blind buys are niche and most of them I like. This is a blind buy banger for me. After some time wearing it doesn’t seem to last long maybe up to 6 hours but no more for me. It is kind of weak pretty sad. But it is very natural mostly, non synthetic. Vanilla & Spice bomb. Gourmand facets.

I really think they were going for coconut mixed drink, on a hot day near a river. I will agree with reviews saying "this was to capture a warm river!" THIS does not, just as cupid kiss was just too dry to be considered excellent. But the scents are still so damn pleasing. This smells like a light coconut cookie paired with a spiced rum drink under an umbrella on a hot, 4 pm day. The performance is well enough, it reaches out softly, and has a good trail. I'd imagine this smells very light and spicey in the air off the skin. It's damn good. If you can grab at a discounter you won't regret it if your into tropical vacation type scents. 100% SAFE unisex!