Chypre

"Chypre", indeed...it's a textbook green chypre. Dry and green and mossy, opening with the scents of linden, bergamot, and a touch of lavender; then caraway seed, rose, violet leaf (I think), and mint blow through. Next, a smell of the seaside, presumably the seaweed (smells like seaweed tincture?). Finally, oakmoss and cypress. I do not notice much of a tobacco note. I like this greatly---it's interesting and somehow compelling and has a delightful smell of Mediterranean woods on a hill above the sea. Sadly, by the time it has gone through its full evolution, it is already fading to a ghost of itself. Buried in the skin, a subtle trace remains; I inhale deeply and slowly, hoping to recapture this beautiful, earthy, almost wistful fragrance, but it's almost gone. Like a long-treasured photograph, too timeworn and faded to see the features it held, now resting only in memory. I find myself wishing they could re-work this formula in some fashion that would give it the tenacity it deserves to have. Sillage, low; duration: evanescent. I have smelled something very like this before, in another beautiful but fleeting natural perfume chypre: "Greenwitch", by Roxana/Illuminated Perfumes. Someone, somewhere, please make this scent durable! And call me...

Ok, this is very, very weird and I'm not sure how I feel about this, it's somehow too strange for me to actually enjoy it, but I keep sniffing my wrist as it's so unique and well, strange yes. It opens very herbal, bitter and masculine, it has some fantastic green chypre qualities and at the opening there is very loud tobacco note. The sweetness from tobacco strangely plays together with bitterness of the heart notes and everything gets even stranger when I start to feel seaweed and caraway combo. It is very unique, strangely addictive and worth a try. Or two.

Nice gourmand scent with lots of spice; yes the cumin is ever present from the top notes right through to the basenotes; very long lasting and made with good ingredients; I have really enjoyed it this one too... Big thumbs up...!!!