Shores Of Asyut

For me, in the opening this goes in the direction of the new bal d'afrique absolu (which i love) and portofino from Victoria Beckham (which I really like). Portofino has more of that BR540 aspect that the reviewer below is referring too. I like this one too (it's a scent profile I am drawn to). On first sniff it seems very soft though. This is just an initial impression, so I will update if I change my mind, but this is a definite like so far. I'm not sure why it's getting such a low score here. Full day wear to come.

I really like this fragrance. I get less gin and more juniper trees on hot sandy earth with a distinct saltiness. It reminds me of my summer holidays on the French Atlantic coast. I don't really get any of the single notes listed but a clear mental image of this landscape of pinetrees, salt water, sand and heat.

The opening is spicy, woody, and mossy, with pepper definitely being the dominant note. If I smell it too close, I almost want to sneeze, and I actually like that. There’s also a bit of bitterness in the opening, maybe due to the gin note? After the perfume settles, it becomes noticeably sweeter. What’s interesting is that the sweetness smells different depending on whether I’m outside or indoors. It’s a cold November day in Canada today, and in the crisp air the sweetness is creamier and more airy. It blends beautifully with the woody spiciness, and I do enjoy it quite a lot in that setting. But as soon as I step into a warm, heated room, it develops an aspect I’m not a fan of. I start to pick up that pungent, slightly irritating note that I absolutely hate in Baccarat Rouge 540, and sometimes I even get a similar note from my macerated Libre Intense in heated rooms, which is one of the reasons I almost never wear that one anymore. I’m not comparing these perfumes, they are obviously very different, but that one note... I don’t know, tell me if I’m crazy. It’s just so unpleasant to me that it becomes all I can smell, unfortunately. Close on the wrist, Shores of Asyut is still peppery, woody, and genuinely great. But that one note I catch in the air ruins it for me. I’d still wear it outside, though. And I can definitely see it becoming someone’s favorite. It has complexity, good sillage, and impressive longevity, you can tell it’s quality work. Just not for me. This review is based on a perfume sample I purchased from the Parfum Exquis website. Fragrance - 7/10 Sillage - 8/10 Drydown - 3/10 Performance - 8/10 Uniqueness - 6/10 Overall: 32/50

13/24 Orris and Brown Sugar dominate this scent. I can detect a sprinkle of pepper and gin but lose it the next second. The composition looks interesting, but it’s not mossy or earthy to me at all. Too bad.

The opening is a burst of brown sugar, then you get the dustiness but in a pleasant way. This perfume is supposed to evoke passing through the Nile but I find it way too sweet and powdery. I’m not getting any of the gin, pepper or woody mossiness. It has the lingering scent of the burnt brown sugar note I get in BR540 that I just can’t get past. I was hoping for something more green and woody. Not for me! IG/Tiktok: @wilddew_vibes