Hope

To start off my review, I understand the comparisons with Oud for Greatness and Haltane. Incense + Oud + Dry notes (whatever you might perceive first, be it the pink pepper, incense, etc) + subtle balsamic sweetness gives off a certain vibe that might be considered similar. However, the raw ingredients in Hope launch it into an entirely different dimension entirely. I've not purchased a full bottle, I probably never will unless I win the lottery, and even then I'll be kinda upset at myself. But the keyword is 'kinda' because in testing it, I have properly fallen in love with this fragrance. The balance between the oud and earthy notes is addicting. It's maybe 2% fecal/barnyardy and 98% luscious and spiritual. It smells natural and expensive, almost imaginative as if you've come across a being who's never bathed in their life, yet have the most attractive pheremones you've ever smelled. If I came across somebody else who smelled like this, I'd probably be attracted to them on some base subconscious level. At the very least I'd be extremely impressed by their taste. The smell is unrelenting as well, it lasts well over 12+ hours and reminds you of its presence, frequently, blending gorgeously with your natural skin scent over time. Keeping this in mind, anything over one spray is absolutely criminal and will give you diminishing returns when it comes to compliments and people wanting to be near you. One spray on the neck (front or back, your choice) is the maximum you should aim to apply on yourself. This scent is mysterious, exquisite, and evokes a seductive feeling for myself personally. I would wear this on a special occasion with a lover, at an open-air gala, or in a spiritual / bohemian setting. It could easily be rocked with a suit, as well as with robes, an Indian kurta / shirvani, batik clothing, Arabian formal attire, etc. It fits a masculine, but spiritual vibe. I find this to be a unique piece of art in the fragrance world. Granted, I'm not the most experienced frag-head out there and I'm sure that this certainly might not be to the general public's taste, but my nose and feelings gravitate towards this scent with fervor and I'm very happy I've had the opportunity to test it and can absolutely recommend anybody who enjoys oudy scents to try it as well.

Now that I'm smelling it, it's very difficult to pull away from the description I suspect many will jump to, which is that Hope smells like Promise. As such, Hope smells wonderful, but even so... hm... Hope to me smells a bit like a post-hoc demonstration that yes, Promise did indeed create a strong sense of oud without actually using any of the real stuff, because here's the real oud (Hope) and it smells extremely similar. It's an interesting 'quod est demonstrandum' moment, in which it feels like the brand has just finished a mathematical proof that two things (A and B) are indeed equivalent to each other. I'm certain that by combing through Hope and wearing from my sample over and over again, I will persuade myself that there are meaningful differences to Promise and that Hope is perhaps worthy of its enormous price, but I want it written here for posterity that these two frags, on first scent, are overwhelmingly similar. This isn't something I'll continue to harp on, but it is kind of an issue as, to me, new perfumes ought to be about either high-level refinement of an existing concept or, even better, the invention of an entirely new "effect", a new emotion. Provisionally I can offer that Hope is less apple-rich than Promise and as such is less psychopathically astringent, but still very much on the sharp end. The rose, which in Promise only reveals itself in glimpses and flashes in the mid, is supposedly absent here but, again, this doesn't meaningfully shift the effect or mood of Hope into something new. I do think Hope smells more relaxed than Promise. If Promise is a sword, then Hope is the same sword but now in its sheath. Nevertheless it's an incredible perfume, and I'd love a bottle. EDIT/Update: I've spent more time with Hope and, alas, my opinion is actually unchanged. I will say that as it dries down it develops a lot of ashy notes, which are less earthy and more burnt than Promise, but the two frags remain overwhelmingly similar. Still, against my better judgement, I lust for a full bottle of this (I did really love Promise so it's no surprise).

The comparisons to Promise, while marginally fair, are for the untrained nose. To be sure, the first blast of Hope will indeed conjure up strong memories and similarities to Promise, but it is ever so fleeting. In no time, Hope takes on its much more mature and rich character, and looks at you directly in the eye to see if you grasp what just happened. Think of Promise as the hardworking, enterprising one who finally made it to the big leagues despite the odds stacked against it, and Hope as the scion and bastion of institutional opulence who knows that his or her genuinely elevated stature could never be questioned, even if it came as a result of being born with a silver spoon.

Two weeks ago, I picked up this fragrance on impulse in Harrods, Knightsbridge. I am very impressed with the quality of the fragrance. I own FM Promise. I could see the similarities, but this is different. It's a lighter, more pleasant wear. I enjoy this more than I do Promise. I have worn this twice, once on a long-haul flight. The fragrance was present all through the flight. I love fragrances, with a bubble and I can constantly smell myself . This is a 10 out of 10 fragrance and not redundant to own this and promise.

This perfume is so intriguing. It goes on smelling like Promise and then within an hour or two becomes smoky and leathery. It then settles into its woody oud base. By the end of the day has a very subtle sweetness. For sillage, at 4 hours after one spritz from the sample vial a cashier 3 ft away told me I smelled “great”. My wife usually gets that comment wearing Portrait. While it has yet to become my signature, it has move up the ladder quite rapidly. I love it.