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!

A beautifully bright introduction with bergamot and grapefruit. Hints of vanilla are discernable as this begins to warm on the skin. Tarragon and rosemary then join to create a further elivening of the senses--earthy and cleansing with the added smoothness of tea. Nutmeg (in description but not pyramid) seems to really differentiate Shaal Nur from other vanilla citrus scents making it really warm and special--almost like soft, nutty pepper. I don't get a lot of florals at all, maybe just a petal or two to add softness and grace. For all the notes that Shaal Nur presents, this fragrance to my nose culminates into a somewhat simple and beautifully spiked cedar-vanilla citrus. Every single note is so well blended in this composition without any stragglers hanging out or obnoxious notes competing for attention. Wearable and unpretentiously exotic. For the price though, I'm still deciding if it's full bottle worthy.

A proper guy should be cheered up by things such as beer, whisky, a good cigar or a victory of his favourite football team. It's not very usual for the same trick to be done by a liquid with ROSE in it. But that is exactly what Shaal Nur does for me. Iťs a fragrance which brightens my day (as pathetic as it may sound). Shaal Nur starts more like citrusy cologne for men with a touch of flowers and vanilla, but it actually has more up its sleeve. When it develops on your skin, you witness it becoming stronger and more complex thanks to other ingredients (vetiver, incense and woods are my guess). But it is not about the ingredients alone, it's the outcome which offers much more than a sum of its parts. The result is coherent and very pleasant smell which lasts for many hours. I guess it is considered to be a summer fragrance, but Shaal Nur is so warm that it can work even when it's snowing outside.

Ahhhh.....Shaal Nur....what a gem. This is a classic scent brought forward to our current times. It is sorta difficult to "describe", because I get different vibes of notes at different times on my skin. This scent does need to develop and blend into your skin and chemistry....IMO. Aromatic/oriental blend of notes. I get the herbs and vetiver/pettigrain. I get aromatic/citrus/spice on the opening...then for me it goes a tad earthy/herbal.....and then I get vibes of several parts of other scents....such as; Shalimar...Jicky....ELDO Bijou Romantique....and even JPG Kokorico....???....There is also a powdery feel at times....spices are present thru out...a tad of dry rose...light. This is a fantastic scent. Just my "style". Performance is medium range.

Ah, fanatastic Etro! Oriental, but not the sweet one. Spicy-woody oriental mix with grapefruit, lemon, bergamot .... composition which makes up kind of deep freshness, kind of mistical fresh incense. It opens sharp and strong incense mixed with some grapefruit and lemon. When settles, it goes through smoky vanilla and amber.... and the dry down is fantastic smoky woody fresh scent.... wow, I really do like it. It's wonderful! Of course this is not kind of signature fragrance which you can spill around and it doesn't matter. No, no,no ! This is THE perfume ( in large font) which belongs more to the group of going-out fragrances. It's outstanding and long lasting like all Etro perfumes are. So, you couldn't be invisible with this one!

I get the after shave effect for the first few minutes and then it evolves to a quite sweet, meant in the best way, light creamy rose combined with a polite citrus and a touch of incense in the background. It is a fresh oriental if there is such thing. I had forgotten my sample and now found it again after a few months. God the more I wear it the more I love it. Very unique smell. I agree it is not feminine nor masculine.Quite, cosy scent. In search of a full bottle.

When wearing Shaal Nur, I thought I would smell mysterious, daring, enchanting. A co-worker (a man the same age as me) walked into my classroom and said, "Something smells like a vanilla milkshake. Is that you? You smell like a vanilla milkshake." Huh. To my nose this is a cool, unisex oriental that reminds me of Shalimar, even though it doesn't really smell like Shalimar. I think it's absolutely gorgeous...milkshake or not. Does this even have vanilla?

An aromatic, balsamic and warm opening. There are herbs and woods with a dry incense in the back that shows in the development and then sweeter notes like vanilla and opoponax create a relaxing and powdery base. It's rich, aromatic, resinous, warm and classy. Scent: 8/10 Longevity: 9/10 Projection: 7/10

Very lovely, I am a man and I just adore it. As someone said here ShaalNur is a sister of Shalimar. I would say it is a brother, this perfume goes more on a masculine side. Very light citrus and incense, with quiet vanilla at the base. Casual and at the same time very oriental.

yes, it sounds lik Shalimar, but Shaal Nur is also may be worn by a man, unlike Shalimar. and it smells very charming and mystic.

Try this mix : SHAAL NUR 2 step for HELIOTROPE 1 step = WONDERFUL !!! My favorite from ETRO

Minimal citrus wood fragrance. Myrrh, vetiver, cedar, patchouli, nutmeg and incense all play an important role in this fragrance. Nutmeg creates an oriental temperament, adding temperament to the trunk of the root incense, showing a hollow condition. Starting with citrus like Bergamot, you can refer to the oriental fragrances headed by Shalimar. Petitgrain, Tarragon, rosemary and thyme all have their unique grassy scents. These characteristics are combined with rough Brazilian Rosewood, rose and coriander. The scent of smoky herbs is vague, and the powdery base of resinous musk is warm and round. Shaal Nur has a standard structure, uncomplicated, but it can stand up to sophistication, with delicate transitions, smooth transitions between stages, and a light and captivating fragrance. Only by trying it for yourself will you agree how rich Shaal Nur is. Shaal Nur is a light oriental fragrance you should never miss.

When I first spray this on, it promises to be a chypre, with a lot of citruses and a coniferous feel. But slowly the vanilla, incense and vetiver start to creep in and it takes a long turn towards mildly ambery drydown. The way to the base is the most splendid thing about Shaal Nur: You can still smell the bergamot, but it combines with the vanilla and cold smokiness (hello, Shalimar), uplifted by the vetiver note. Bright and beautiful, Shaal Nur doesn't project a great deal and its staying power is limited, but it does such wonderful things to the old-fashioned citrus-based male cologne concept that I still love it. On a personal note, this will probably always remind me of the time when I first smelled it on the skin of a fellow perfume enthusiast in Vienna. He's a straight man and it suits him exceptionally well - so guys, take this as a recommendation and give this allegedly feminine fragrance a try.

This is an interesting one. I have to admit, the opening is a bit sharp and tangy for my taste, but once I get over that, it turns into something else. There are intermittent whiffs of elusive cardamom that I seem to only get when I am not sniffing directly. A direct sniff reveals more resiny or woody / spicy notes, at times there seems to be something sweet that stays just out of reach. This is a mysterious blend that keeps my nose busy and my interest awake. It makes me want to wear it more so I can discover all its hidden treasures...

I love analyzing notes and structures as much as the next person, but gosh sometimes we take the romance and mystery out of fragrances. How would I describe this to someone not versed in the language of fragrance? This is a straight up witches brew, the scent of a sorceress from the 16th century. The competing herbs thrown in the brew, with a smoky vetiver and sharp citrus, mixed in a cauldron. Not an easy reach, you've got to be in a mischievous or cerebral mood.

Just like some of the reviewers below, I also made the experience that this one starts out completely different as it eventually turns out. At the beginning it reminded me a bit of a more intense version of Dzongkha, being way more masculine than feminine. After a while it's totally different, heavy, sweet, a bit like a 1970s feminine. Interesting and retro, but not necessarily pleasing. ***