Vani Noire

One of my favorites from Epico. Still slightly surprised that almost no one is talking about this house, but I guess their limited availability outside of Italy is a big reason for it. Anyway, Vani Noire is quite spicy but at the same time very soft and comforting. I do get the cola vibe others have mentioned, but not as much as in, say, Roja Enigma. The spiciness turns down a notch after the opening, and the patchouli becomes less prominent. The dry-down is gorgeous; spicy (I guess it's the ginger), smooth, and woody. Smells great in the air. On another note, the bottles Epico uses are some of the best I've come across, reminds me of the bottles of Meo Fusciuni. Not only do they look great, but they're heavy and sturdy, as well as the cap.

Wow I'm shook that nutmeg isn't a main note in this, that's the prominent spice I smell. That and a good amount of incense and woods and vanilla and cardamom. I don't get much cinnamon at all and I can't make out much for ginger or cloves. This is deep dark smokey woodsy earthy spicy bomb. I don't directly smell the patchouli but it's definitely giving it that earthy resinous feel I'm sure. The bergamot is giving it just a bit of brightness to balance it out. This is a fragrance for winter evenings for sure. I wouldn't even wear this during the day.. it's not a happy uplifting spiced fragrance it's dark and mysterious.

Delicious Cola vibe, sparkly and effervescent. Smells just like Haribo Cola gummies.

#1767 in my “Tour de Fragrance” At first I though I was going to really like this. But this fragrance can’t seem to figure what it wants to be. There’s nothing that you would say is anchoring the scent. Kinda a woody freshie. Kinda a coffee shop specialty drink thing going on here. I like what it’s trying to do but for something that goes all in with this vibe I’d choose Memoirs of a Perfumer’s “A Night in Marrakesh”, which is pretty damn expensive at $215 for 50ml, so you want to be sure you want that espresso shop and perfume market side-by-side smell by getting a decant to try. Check out the page. https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Memoirs-Of-A-Perfume-Collector/A-Night-In-Marrakesh-72009.html I like the opening of this scent and I like every note here, but it needs more. Some olibanum or myrrh, cypriol, castoreum, maybe some saffron. And I think it’s the davana that is really distracting me. Davana can come off smelling like plastic bottle in some scents. It kinda does that here and it doesn’t go away in the dry down, at which point this scent is just not that interesting. I’m seeing pricing of $180 for this. Definitely not a buy for me. Good Luck and Good Hunting!

Holy cow... church basement. I definitely don’t want to smell like this. It has a dark, gothic vibe, so if that’s your style, you might enjoy it. Unfortunately, it’s not for me. It honestly reminds me of an old Catholic church basement, so musty, heavy, and nostalgic in a way I don’t enjoy. Pass.