El Descanso

El Descanso is aptly named. "The Rest" or "The Break" is as quiet and calm as a nap. First impressions right after the sprays on skin remind me of the tingle that goes through my body after I lay down and the whole of me shifts into the mode of sleep. Eyes are closed, I can perceive my brain shifting from filtered reality to dream-like lucidity, the parasympathetic nervous system takes over, and a gentle electric shiver runs through flesh. Ambrette, with its creamy and nutty unctuousness, its white glowing light, plus a strong galbanum note are responsible for this. The whole is bracing, but the galbanum has been well-rounded out. It doesn't hiss or claw at you the way a lot of green galbanum accords in perfumes frequently do. There are no sharp edges or pricks in the opening, just a smooth tingle. It also struck me as similar to the feeling I get when a very warm sun hits my A/C-cooled skin immediately stepping from indoors to outdoors, minus the warming aspect. This is quite a clever blend of ambrette and galbanum, and technically noteworthy. The ambrette is very fleeting and short-lived, but it sets the stage very well in that - just like laying down for a nap right before you drift into sleep - the soft but bracing, glowing tingle gives way completely to the delicate yellow and green florals of galbanum and a floral hay accord that are instant dream-like relaxation. The brand says there should be a bran absolute and ombu leaf combination. I don't get the bran reference. I don't smell anything calling to mind flour, oats, cereals, breads, or dough, it's too sweet, too floral, and too hay-like for that. I have no idea what ombu smells like, and there seems to be little agreement across the internet about it, so perhaps that is what is driving the novelty and discrepancy of this, as far as my nose can tell. I will say, despite being sort-of confused, it is very, very pretty. I don't want to stop smelling it. It is having the same effect on me that I usually feel after that initial transition into a nap of melting into the plush fabric, and letting sleep whisk me away. It is very gentle, very quiet, very caressing and soothing. Absolutely lovely. The final skin scent of El Descanso is a combination of creamy and aromatic sandalwood and a gentle peppery cedar. El Descanso gets to this phase slowly and almost imperceptibly. The nature of the perfume is to be quiet and understated. Much more of the time than not it is a skin scent. You don't wear El Descanso for others, you wear it solely for yourself. Just like a rest or a break is meant only for you, El Descanso means to be felt only by you as well. Those who have read several of my reviews know that I love a grand and statement-making perfume that pushes, pulls, projects, challenges, and makes you think, but I also love quiet perfumes meant to stay close to you, not be heard/smelled across the room, to be for you and no one else. The problem with the latter perfumes, as far as today's trend goes, is that too many perfumes of that type equate quietness with meekness - lacking confidence, conviction, and novelty. We are seeing a drift to quiet perfumes in the last small-handful of years after much of this century was dominated by the big, the loud, and the bold, but too many of the perfume houses jumping on this "quiet is the new chic" bandwagon seem to have a very cynical approach to it: it's not a shift of their style that finds cohesion with the creative process insomuch as they are ticking-off a box requested by marketing wonks (it's tempting to call-out a couple of my favorite brands that have lately been going wayward, but I will resist). Frassai proves with El Descanso that today's perfumes aiming to be quiet, close, gentle, and tame can still be confident, unique, and evocative. It's a simple joy to wear.

You know what I absolutely love? That state in between wakefulness and sleep—hypnagogia, where I experience traces and outlines of dreams, holographic, somehow comforting and reassuring. I often experience these when taking a nap. I never experienced anything nightmarish during a hypnagogic state. On the contrary, its much like the lyrics from one of the most heart-wrenching songs ever to have been written, Joe Raposo's "The Rainbow Connection," from the Muppet Movie: 'Have you been half asleep And have you heard voices? I've heard them calling my name Is this the sweet sound That calls the young sailors? The voice might be one and the same' El Descanso ("the rest") makes me feel much the same way as a sweet hypnogia during a restful snooze, smelling distant and gentle, but profoundly special at the same time. I recall a heart stopper of a scene I once had when driving past flax in bloom—and I think of the green nuttiness of the flax seeds as ambrette forms the crux here. This unctuous quality is punctuated by the chartreuse-stem aroma of galbanum. There are, however, no sharp edges; all is rendered pastel and soft focus. I experience wafts of starch and hay, soft cereal grain, sunny acacia, milky verdancy. Often when I have these naps of mine (God do I love them) I listen to music—usually of the minimal, ambient or old-school new age sort, and another favorite sensation is when a piece ends and there is this pause in between, before the next one plays, and this quiet passage feels like the most peaceful and satisfying moment. As El Descanso wanes to its skin scent, it's like this quiet passage to me: a phrase of dried grasses in the afternoon light and creamy, woody coda slowly fading out. It's for the lovers, the dreamers, and me.

El Descanso (translates roughly to "rest" or "relaxation") is an aptly-named. A natural-smelling green scent, one of my favourite scent profiles, it is a calming, restorative scent. ED opens with dewy green notes, photorealistic and deeply satisfying. A hint of lemon adds brightness at first spray. The grain-like accord follows, softening the scent while complementing the bright green opening. Not grassy or hay-like, but more like an autumn field, it somehow becomes hazy, in keeping with its name. As it settles, it becomes powdery and slightly sweet, with the ambrette adding a soft musky undertone. Hazy galbanum adds gentle vintage-style greenness, while subtle iris keeps things powdery. The mimosa comes to the fore, its hazy sweetness adding a nice floral edge to the heart, melding beautifully with the other notes. It becomes softly woody as it dries down, with peppery, stem-like geranium keeping the greenness alive in its later stages. It fades to a powdery, musky skin scent, green until final fade. Sillage and longevity are moderate. It is a unisex spring/summer daytime scent. A beautifully-composed green scent, set apart by its clever grain notes, ED is my favourite Frassaï so far. I'm tempted to get a full bottle. A treat throughout, and the best green scent I've tried in a while. 4.5/5.

El Descanso is one of my favorite perfumes. First time I smelled it, I liked it but I didn't love it yet. But surprisingly, I couldn't stop smelling it, it's so addictive. If I have to describe this fragrance, it would be milky green. The green isn't a fresh green or a juicy green. It's dry green that is dipped in milk. I can totally smell the texture too! The texture is like pencil hatching, and coarse, dry hay leaves. The scent is louder when I wear it in the rain for some reasons. LOOOOOOVEEEEE IT! 💛

Starts out juicy, sweet, green, almost like CdG Calamus, but as it wears, it becomes drier and less sweet. Like the grasses drying up in late summer. It retains is greenness. I get the grain impression, but to me it smells more like drying grasses or hay, but with a bit of life still left. It's a fairly quiet scent on me, which I like, and is more atmosoheric than perfume-y. Not mind-blowing, but nice and calming and probably suits late summer or early autumn wear. Lovely overall. Edit: I've worn it a few times now, and have to say I don't like it as much now. I like the top notes best, but the later stages are coming across as bitter, dry grass and a tad chemically smelling.