Shaal Nur

A hauntingly beautiful dry "amber woody" (but *not* Woody Amber, thank God) dry spicy Oriental fragrance, Shaal-Nur is a gorgeous, herbal, vetiver-driven scent that is rounded off by enough complex woods (several types), complimentary herbs, incense, and subtle musk that, unlike some vetiver fragrances, has enough other business going on to qualify as a real, complete perfume. It opens with an appealing mixed-citrus blend of tart and aromatic lemon/bergamot, sweet mandarin orange, and bitter grapefruit, and the way the perfume continues to unwind along the paths of these opening notes shows the thoughtfulness of the overall composition.. The bergamot leads to lemony coriander and the equally lemony--but also green and anisic--tarragon and finally to the burnt-lemon edge of black frankincense; the orange connects to floral petitgrain, then to soft focus karo karunde (a less indolic relative of jasmine that often appears uncredited in green chypres, then to the mellow hum of opoponax--sweet as the sound of a cello; and the grapefruit's bitter astringency is a natural pair for equally bitter and aromatic rosemary and thyme, and also for the perfume's subtle but peppery patchouli. These three strands braid together, complimented by lemony rose, rosy cedar, and a basically indetectable of rosy musk in the very base provide connective tissue that helps these elements harmonize. And, of course, the vetiver, which is at its most savory and almost sage-like, herbaceous but dry. Without any of these, the perfume wouldn't work. Without its suble florals and sensual incense ingredients, Shaal-Nur would probably smell more like salad dressing than perfume. It might not be sweet enough to satisfy someone who lives for modern conventional feminine florals. I find it satisfying because vetiver-centric fragrances often don't smell like much besides just vetiver, which smells great, but can also be a little monotonous by the end of a day's wear. The complexity of the composition, especially its woods and incense, ensures that the perfume changes while you wear it, and gives it a sense of completeness rare among its relatives. The complexity of its composition makes it truly unisex, in my opinion--nothing in this composition says trad gender; it just smells intriguing and confident. Is it for you? I think everyone should give Shaal-Nur a try, but I wear my biases on my sleeve. Consider it: *If you like green perfumes, especially chypres, then it's definitely worth a try as a more contemporary-smelling companion to your greenies; it would happily sit next to any version of Chanel No. 19 (Poudre has the most vetiver, I think), or Silences (although it less floral than these), and YSL's Y (the Original Goddess, not the masculine travesty)--or if you have tried these and found them too chilly; *If you like classic dry mossy chypres like Givenchy III, Scherrer, Empreinte, or even Mitsouko and Aromatics Elixir--or if you always wanted to wear these but found them either too forbidding or too "vintage" for your taste; or *If you like greenish Orientals like Dune, Vol de Nuit, Habanita, Obsession, Black Orchid, Black Saffron, Krazy Krizia, the original Moschino, or Must de Cartier (or the Queen Mum of these, Emeraude)--or you find the ambers in these perfumes too sweet or the green/sweet combos in these overwhelming; or *If you like complex vetivers like Sycamore (more straightforward but still similarly woody), Bal d'Afrique (youthful, juicy-fruity), Ormonde Woman (silkier, more polished and less citrus-spicy), Timbuktu, Dzongkha, ; *If you like woody unisex fragrances like Eau des Merveilles (EdM is more transparent, fresher and airier, but it has similar outdoorsy vibes) or Stash (Stash is less transparent more intense, less herbal, and both sweeter and "hotter")--these all feel like close cousins to me; or *If you like the less churchy incense fragrances like Commes des Garcons' Ouarzazate, Zagorsk, Fille en Aiguilles, and Donna Karan's Black Cashmere and Wenge (I love churchy, but there's a whole world of incense out there that doesn't smell like cathedrals, wonderful as they do smell); or *If you're a fan of niche fragrances like Pierre Guillaume's early creations (especially Coze and Aiomassai), Tauer's L'Air du Desert Morcain, Serge Lutens' Jeux de Peau (which has a similar savory quality to Shaal-Nur), or Tom Ford's green Prive scents like Vert d'Encense, Vert de Bois and Vert Boheme; or *If you like amber fragrances from contemporary Italian niche and artisan houses like Bois 1920 (Vetiver Ambrato is right in the pocket with Shaal-Nur) and Lorenzo Villoresi (I haven't found the same creative use of complex herbal accords like these anywhere near as prevalent as I have with Italians, and they love to pair them with woods and amber in striking and elegant compositions). September is well in effect, and this is the season for wearing Shaal-Nur. It has a graceful, autumnal quality that works from the warmer days all the way through early December, when it's time to switch to deeper and more resinous fragrances. It also wears well in spring, especially on cool, rainy days, so if September means spring to you, I've still got you covered ;). Overall, it's a great transitional-season perfume, one of the few, like Dune and Eau des Merveilles, that I never fail to add to my rotation this time of year. It's not only unisex but also extremely versatile--I love it during the day, although it projects well and I would be very judicious with it at work; it is also great for dates and other evening activities, anywhere up to the dressiest occasions, thanks to its delicious incense. Something about this perfume makes me want to experiment with layering--I sometimes wear it with Eau des Merveilles to add some sparkle, and I love it with transparent peppery roses like Rose 31--and I suspect that almost any of the perfumes I mentioned above would make very nice friends for Shaal-Nur. Performance is outstanding; I smell it at least 24 hours after application. Projection is great, too, at least two or three feet from you, people will smell it--it's not a screamer, but go carefully, especially at first, as (with most incense-driven perfumes, especially those with opoponax) Shaal-Nur can turn strident if you overspray. Victoria from Bois de Jasmin says it's a "modern version of Shalimar," and I usually defer to her expertise, but I disagree in this case: I've owned and worn every Shalimar formulation out there (including vintage EdC, which is the most transparent), and while I smell similar ingredients--florals, musk and especially opoponax--I think even the most delicate Shalimar has a lot more resin and, overall, reads as sweet and not at all green, whereas Shaal-Nur is dry and very green--so if you hate Shalimar, you might enjoy this (and vice versa fwiw). Shaal-Nur has absolutely no gender; it's truly unisex in that it is too smoky/savory and rough to be classically feminine and too musky and smooth to be classically masculine. I appreciate how versatile it is, and I will be wearing Shaal-Nur from now until it goes out of my rotation at the end of the season. It's easy to find at discount prices, and samples are plentiful online. If you haven't tried it yet, add some to your test list--it's easily a contender for one of the best all-purpose fragrances around.

Released in 1997 and truly unisex, however named after an Indian princess (which is so apropos for the aromas found in here). Truly wonderful perfume...the movements are vivid and remarkable. Intelligent, exotic and never disjointed - very high quality ingredients present themselves distinctly. The opening is of very bright, but contrasting citrus (crisp bergamot, warm mandarin & bitter lemon peel) - even a squeeze of sour grapefruit - with a nice dusting of earthy coriander and a light note of smooth rosewood. Karo Karounde is found in the heart with its interesting peppery quality that begins to warm the scent, blended with a detectable rose note and a nice melange of chopped herbs - rosemary, tarragon and thyme. At this point, there is a green quality that is slightly bitter, but so very realistic & not off-putting. While there are some more notes that waft in and out, this is the main essence (up to this point) - overtones of the citric top show in the heart with petit grain. A nice touch. The looming base notes are coming through in light, soft plumes. Frankincense and opoponax reveal themselves in the middle of the heart along with the wonderful and very nice vetiver (a touch rooty and well-presented) and patchouli...slightly herbaceous initially, but warms with the smoky resins. Both join with a nice cedar note that is rich and meld with the herbal & floral heart that has all but faded. This stays rather fresh up to a point, but there is a stage that this becomes deep, warm and the vibrancy goes away...not completely, but it fades to the background. The sun is setting. Shadows fall and this ends as a very cozy scent with great incense and wood...Shaal Nur, the Indian princess closes the canopy over her bed with the resins still warm in the bronze burner, filling her room with magical, seductive aromas drifting on ethereal, misty trails of smoke. What impresses me most is how it opens so vibrant, lush and high-toned and how it warms so naturally on skin - the evolution is incredible to behold. I didn't spray on fabric. I've always loved the way Etro scents seem to reveal themselves over time on my skin. Shaal Nur evolves about as much as a scent can within a single bottle. The dryness is compelling and what makes Shaal Nur work so well. If the base had oriental notes, it simply would not create this wonderful vibe. The wood all dries out naturally & integrates seamlessly - while the citrus fades with the green herbs, which is rather amazing as you start with so much dampness and greenness well into the heart. This is an exquisite bottle of fragrance - one that I love with lust & passion. Cheers. "Daylight dies, The Camp fires redden like angry eyes, The Tents show white, In the glimmering light, Spirals of tremulous smoke arise, to the purple skies, And the hum of the Camp sounds like the sea, Drifting over the sand to me. Afar, in the Desert some wild voice sings To a jangling zither with minor strings, And, under the stars growing keen above, I think of the thing that I love." A verse from: "Reverie of Mahomed Akram at the Tamarind Tank"

For women? This is mis-categorized. Even the hang tag that accompanies the bottle says "unisex." At least on the bottle I have, which is the slightly older design with ornate gold cap, round label, and paisley styled box (not sure if it has been reformulated--I hope not). Shaal Nur opens up with a semi-sweet patchouli citrus amber and vetiver accord that is delicious. But then as it starts drying down it becomes sharp, with vetiver leading the charge. Originally I'd thought this had sandalwood in it, as there's something in the coniferous like mixing of vanilla, amber, tarragon and vetiver that initially suggested it to me. Somewhat similar to Diptyque Tam Dao that contains amber, cedar, sandalwood, Brazilian rosewood, and cypress, with a softer edge. I still feel there's something connecting them, but not quite enough to say one mimics the other. After experiencing Shaal Nur for a while longer, it does feel more like vetiver than sandalwood. Spicier too. Sillage is fairly strong at first but shifts more to a skin scent after several hours. Longevity seems to be moderate. This is one of those fragrances where you can wear it without easily offending. Oddly, there's quite a bit of citrus listed but I don't really get the impression. Bottom line: This is a wonderful woody soft spicy fragrance. My body chemistry feels a good synergy with it. While I've recently been mesmerized by another fragrance that requires a nearly $300 commitment for the same 100ml size of contents, I feel like I've gotten something also exquisite for a pittance in comparison. This is one of Etro's greats.

Twenty years ago if some eBay seller had been selling those 8ml mini bottles of Shaal Nur, I'd be saying right now that I'd been wearing this stuff for 20 years and had gone through several bottles. But they weren't. I heard about it 20 years ago on another perfume chat group, but never got around to trying it. Etro wasn't in every local department store even around here, and now thanks to Covid they either aren't open or no one dares get on that vast petri dish otherwise known as public transportation. But fortunately some Fragrantica editor wrote an article about it here 10 days or so ago, and some eBay seller is offering small replica bottles bottled by Etro. This stuff is wonderful at the first gush. It really blasts out the grapefruit and the coriander and then heads into the herbal notes. No one expects thyme and tarragon in a perfume, which sets Shaal Nur apart from most scents. And I'm sure they weren't identified in 1993 or whenever this stuff first came out...ah, 1997. The whole effect of herbs and rose and vetiver, nutmeg, patchouli and cedar (what's not to love) settles down into about hour 3, and at least yesterday ended about 6 hours, gone too soon for me. But this sample is a dab on, not a spray. So many you get more longevity in a traditional 1.7oz spray bottle. The other Etro fragrances I have in spray bottles from that era, Dianthus and Messe de Minuit, certainly gush on at hour 7. Shaal Nur is well worth your time, especially if you've been wondering about it for 24 years.

Okay so ETRO is a brand of supreme quality and ideas. Let's get that out of the way. Sadly overlooked by me and it would appear many others, although plenty of collectors and pals I respect have them in their collections which always made me think they would be worth their salt. I'm saying this as if I never tried them, I did!!! Way back in the day too! When there was only really Serge and L'artisan and Mona and such...ETRO was a brand I tried and went....'yeah they're alright' What a shortsighted numpty I was because they have some things I've simply never smelled before and a sort of outlying, vintage, sensibility which says ETRO don't really give a shit about what's cool or dare I say what sells!?!? (I'm sure they do care about that to a degree) Shaal nur is an aromatic, herbal perfume which smells 'old' (my sample is somewhat vintage) open and translucent, almost modern in that sense but 'OLD' the aromatics giving way to a masculine leaning, woody musk. I hate to be so vague in my description of a perfume I really think is excellent but I genuinely can't pick out notes or accords as such. It all hangs together very well. Not spellbound, but I'm happy!