Ia

This is quite a beautiful and unique perfume, especially if you're into offbeat sweet gourmands with unusual floral aspects. Its name 'Ia' means a special type of traditional Romanian blouse, as pictured on the perfume's box. Many of the notes listed here are not the ones found in the fragrance. Here is the official list, which is closer to what you will smell: traditional sweet bread (cozonac), mulled wine with cinnamon, vanilla, wildflowers, green grass, blueberries, wild strawberries, yellow bedstraw, wild carnation, honeysuckle. Apart from these, I can also detect a strong sweet Bulgarian rose note which isn't listed. I'm not a particularly patriotic type to be honest, but still this is a beautiful perfume with an accessible price. I love how the smell is distinctive and doesn't resemble anything I've tried before - it does remind of something authentically Romanian, despite not being able to put my finger on it. Smells like a happy home reunion on Holidays. I'm glad to have added it to my collection. Lasting power is good (8h on my skin) and sillage is soft-moderate, depending on how much you spray. I find it best in cool but not freezing weather (autumn, spring, warmer winter days).

Since it's the first review, I'm going to make it a long one. First of all, I pick up NONE of the notes listed, I only smell a beautiful mixture of turkish delights and rose. Longevity is decent, not weak but not great, projection same. The scent is very likeable, not at all challenging. The concept and the marketing are the things that make this nice perfume great. The turkish delights remind me of cozonac, a sweet bread romanians make for Christmas, while the rose reminds me of chrism. The little story behind the fragrance is heartwarming. On the back of the sleeve are written (and translated to English) the first two stanzas of the most popular romanian poem, called "Luceafarul" written by Mihai Eminescu, a poem that has a total of 98 stanzas. The whole concept is beautiful, the male counterpart of this fragrance is called "Roman", this one is called "Ia", "roman" means romanian man, "Ia" is a traditional blouse very nicely depicted on the sleeve of the box. I am very pleased with my purchase.

I find that this one, along with it’s counterpart “Roman” are such underrated fragrances. They are beautiful on each own, but also layered together. “Ia” is very fruity to my nose, i mainly detect wild strawberries, raspberry, ylang ylang, vanilla, but after dry down the sweetness lessens and it’s more musky. Longevity is great on me, 6-8 h, with medium projection. It’s a stunner for me, makes me think of walks in the woods where i would pick ripened berries on the trails. I really recommend it!

A wonderful, realistic, jammy, autumnal fruity fragrance. Like slow cooking homemade strawberry jam in your kitchen, with a vase of fresh white flowers sitting on the table. Very rustic and more-ish.

I adore it... True essence of Romanian sweet brioche, such a realistic gourmand. I associate it with Christmas and Easter: toasted vanilla, spices and bit fruity and flowery.