Art Collection by Jacomo #08

Note: Posting this again with a few edits coz I didn't realize I'm not signed in. Sorry for the previous post as Guest The bottle itself is very nice, but I did have a tiny problem with the box packaging. They have put images of Lord Ganesha on the cover. I really wish foreign companies stopped doing that - going straight for religious icons in the name of exploring culture. It might not pose a problem for most people but I'm still holding on to the box because we just cant throw something with a picture of a god casually into the dustbin. Please, I wish they would take this into consideration. ______________________________________________________ This is one of the most unique pieces I've smelled, yet it took me a really long time to come up with this review as I finally figured my thoughts about it. However, fist things first, I don't think this is a masala chai scent. I'm from India and a regular homemade masala chai is quite different from the packaged teabag, and I quote, "exotic spiced Indian chai tea" (The most intense form of pretentious redundancy I've encountered in the west) version sold in other countries. I recently moved to US, and it has come to my notice that people's version of masala chai is quite different from our own, the former one being rather more elaborate in it's ingredients while a home made masala chai is rather more simplistic, with fresh cut ginger and cardamom taking the lead in a balanced proportion well infused with the chai. The supposed spiced tea I've tried here just feels like spice water rather than tea, probably because they put too much quantity of spices(esp clove, which is weird) for commercial purposes. That being said, I don't get the masala chai whiff from this. I was confused yet enchanted with the first whiff. I got cardamom, face first. The most delicious form of cardamom, and not in a foody way mind you. Cardamom is an essential ingredient in most Indian desserts, which is why I'm vary of it being in a perfume because it always reminds me of home food. But not this, it did not in any way took my mind towards desserts. In fact to me it was like experiencing cardamom on its own for the first time. I was trying to work out the notes that alongside cardamom created the lovely first experience. I thought it was a little bit of clove combination but I was really surprised when I checked here as ginger and tea being the other top notes. Honestly I don't get ginger here, maybe it has been combined so well or it's just my skin. I don't get the tea either, so chai is out for me. As I said, it took me a while to work this out but the first whiff kept reminding me of something and no it was not the synthetic masala chai flavour of the west but rather something else. And then it hit me today as I put it on. I don't think anyone would have heard of this product, I think it's only used in India. It's called "Chyawanprash" - a jam like cooked mixture of sugar, honey, Triphala, ghee, sesame oil, berries and other naturally available herbs and spices(around 25 - 28). Its origin lies in the ancient science of Ayurveda. This concoction is an immunity booster and keeps various illnesses at bay if taken regularly. Cardamom, ginger etc are also part of this and the smell of this fragrance is exactly like the sharp tang of chyawanprash. This really surprised me because like I said I don't think of food upon smelling this but it is that smell just in a non edible way. So this is not masala chai, just the masala rather. (And stop calling it Chai Tea for the love of God and English) Coming back to the notes, the top one is cardamom dominated. Not the sharp greeny raw cardamom but rather like a bit roasted and creamy. This is probably due to the milk and honey. It has a pleasant sweetness to it but not in a overtly candied way. I don't know what Freesia smells like so I can't talk about it but I think it contributes to a very well hidden floral note to it. The dried fruits blend in well with the other notes. You'd think honey, milk and dry fruits will be too sweetish but it's not really. The perfect blend of cardamom cuts down the sweetness. For me the transition from the top notes to the middle notes is very fluid. You won't detect it until you pay attention to it. The fresh yet warm opening will turn creamier gradually, without losing it's body. The drydown is pretty much the mentioned base notes. I do get the amber as it combines so well with honey and milk in this. The cardamom remains till the end, well infused. The drydown is slightly more sweetish but never in a candy way. The term warm & fresh spicy is really apt. Although the spice is mainly cardamom here, nothing in your face. This perfume is like a very comfy and soft blanket that engulfs you and keeps you going. The ambery undertone makes it perfect for cold days. The longevity is decent, it's stronger in winters. The sillage ranges from medium to skin close, and trust me that's how this should be as you don't want the cardamom filling up the room. The dry down is pure delicious, I can't stop sniffing myself. I do think that the drydown is more amber dominated though. Though I do wear it sometimes in all seasons, it still is perfect for winters. It doesn't turn sour or foul for me in summers but the effect is not the same. This is simply because of the nature of cardamom itself. We increase the consumption of cardamom and ginger during the winters only, because it's comforting. The same goes for this. I used this a lot in the heavy winters and snowstorms this year in Iowa and it kept me warm and happy. This is rather well blended scent and its fluidity is continuous. So if you're kind of the person who looks for complex notes and bases, this might not be the one for you. This is a simple piece with specific notes, blended so well that it's magic. There is a reason I guess why this is the Art series because this one is. It has a rather sweetish quality to it but I definitely think it's unisex. A man can pull this off. This reminds of Delhi or anywhere in northern India in winters. The coldwave-chilly nights and fog covered morning when the visibility is down to zero and you just crave warmth or rather an illusion of it.

Finally I have this wonderpoison - like masala chai, but at the same time not gourmand. It is clearly a perfume and not some food you spray on. I second and laudate the review by NebraskaLovesScent. But where she smelled no fruits, for me the middle notes are clearly detactable and stay with me for a long time. The 3 stages are all identifiable and transit smoothly in another. The glorious concoction of uplifting spices from the topnotes,blended togehter wih a bit of lightness from the dried fruits and the milk, and all throughout you really feel the energizing effect of cinnamon and ginger. The uplifting and "fresh"(for lack of a better word) character fits geniously together with the understated sweetness of the honey and the depth and earthyness of the amber and milk! Oh - the longvity and sillage is great, even after 11 hrs I faintly smell it on my wrist, and I just had to use 1 spritz. The projection was quite detectable - to other people ;) This scent is a mixture of notes which all of them I dearly love, so I can do nothing else but HIGHLY recommend this, love this, and thank the perfumer for creating this! Might have to stock up on this... Now I'm dying to test the other two of the line!

The perfumed equivalent to a lightly toasted hot cross bun and a glass of refreshing iced tea :) I find similarities with Diors 'escale a pondichery' Both have the tea and cardamom notes. There is almost a freshly baked bread aroma with this scent, interlaced with dried spicy fruits,hence why hot cross bun springs to mind. The cardamom helps to boost 2 ingredients in this. With cardamoms spicy, herbal quality it combines beautifully with the dried fruits, to give this fragrance Pizazz, and it also helps give the tea note a boost in the longevity department,as i normally find tea notes in perfumes abit fleeting (sadly) but that is not the case with this scent, thanks to cardamom. Ginger also plays a prominent 'zingy' role Im finding it hard to detect freesia and honey, i think their main part is to provide this fragrance with a creamy,sweet presence and to stop the ingredients from becoming to spicy. This is my 2nd favourite from the collection :) this fragrance would be particularlywelcoming in the spring/summer months to provide a refreshing feeling, but it would also go down a treat on a balmy summers night too :) xxx

I had never heard about this fragrange before a couple of members recommented it to me (based on my profile, and especially my love for cardamom and black tea). And they were really right! It lives up to what it promises, so if you enjoy the notes listed, I believe you will most likely enjoy the scent. The dried fruits had worried me a bit (it was a blind buy) but while they - and their sweetness - are definitely there, they are balanced by the cardamon and ginger. The black tea smells natural (and not musky-sweet-perfumery, as tea notes smell in many fragrances). #08 is spicy and sweet, fresh and warm, dry and mouthwatering - all at the same time. The naturalness and type of scent make it different from most mainstream fragrances I know of - I doesn't have that typical 'perfumery' smell. I got Jacomo #08 this summer, but enjoy it more now in autumn/winter. Recently, I listed it as one of my "happy" fragrances, because it has this effect on my mood. This fragrance has personality, but it is very approachable and easy likable, I think Medium sillage, medium/below medium longevity.

To my surprise, #08 is my favorite of the Jacomo Art Collection scent. It's very gourmand and smells just like the spicy masala tea I drank from the tea stalls in India, and which we usually refer to as "chai" here in the U.S. There's lots of ginger and cardamom in this spicy brew. I don't smell the fruit and flowers at all, but the milk, honey and cinnamon are all there. Truly, it smells edible (or should I say drinkable?) upon first spray, but gets less sweet and more woody as it dries down. It stays close to the skin but has excellent longevity. I agree with pandorosa that this will be great for autumn and winter. #08 has a lot in common with L'Artisan's Tea for Two and Fendi Theorema. I believe both of those scents are now discontinued, and if you miss them, you may find #08 to be a worthy substitute.

Sweet, spicy tea. Ginger and cardamom make the opening exciting. This reminds me of summer though I can understand why people prefer it in colder climates. Today is summer here, and I am wearing this, and it lasts longer on me than ever before. I love tea and admire its many forms and their health benefits. I love Bvlgari Omnia which is a cold-cool tea. This is its passionate sister, full of hot passions brought by the dry sweet hot air. Instant teleportation to an Indian vacation. The artistic package is amazing, so is the bottle. Reminds me to the Kipling novels. I can imagine the King of the Indian Jungle on his elephants back carrying this scent in a lovely breeze while riding and leaving some waft behind. (Only the Indian jungle, because the African all belongs to Kenzo's Elephant).

This is one of the most spectacular concoctions I've ever had. Successful blind guy, and believe me, I've had some shockers. Beautiful, real cinnamon fragrance, real dried fruit, cardamom beautifully done. So sexy, spicy and mysterious. Reminds me of that wonderful darkness of Mirage... but such a different fragrance. THIS is what I've been looking for, that real Christmassy plum pudding scent. I am in awe. EDIT: Absolutely no staying power, on me, and poor sillage. Like falling in love and finding out the guy is married :( SECOND EDIT: Sprayed it on the sleeves of my top and on my scarf 3 hours ago, and it still smells devine. I can actually SMELL it, just sitting here, so that will be my solution for this frag :)

Being Eurasian it is perhaps not surprising that I love my spices. I do drink a lot of tea and add my own masala. This smells very close to my masala. I am so glad there is a good dose of cardamom, cinnamon and ginger in this. Three very warming spices. These strong spices not surprisingly somewhat overwhelm the smell of the tea note but it is sweet like chai from the honey. I do vaguely pick up the smell of sweet fruit and milk on the dry down. I was hoping SL Gingembre would be like this. My only sadness is that it fades to a faint skin scent after only an hour on me! I have to say I was surprised considering the notes in this. Oh well, lovely while it lasted.

The opening is a cool cardamom and sweet black tea. The drydown is a warm, soft, smooth blend of milk, cinnamon, cardamom, and honey. I notice some fresh, floral notes that balance the perfume so perfectly. It reminds me of Samsara or Allure due to its ability to morph from cool to warm. I have worn it in both warm and cold weather, and it works great in any weather. It isn't a heavy-hitter but it lasts several hours on me. This is my perfect chai perfume because it isn't so literal and overly gourmand. I don't like being a walking dessert. Side note: If you love creamy cardamom, you should try Kulfi by L'Aromatica

I blind bought this one based on reviews (on my quest for a chai-tea scent) On first spray, I got hit with enticing spicy cardamom, which quickly mellowed into a milky cinnamon-y scent fairly quickly with a touch of spice at the back. It did satisfy my chai-tea smelling cravings but unfortunately, it just doesn't have a lot of sillage/longevity on my skin. It's a great scent for cozying up inside under a blanket in the fall/winter - or if you're after something unique and comfortable at the same time. I just wish it stayed longer and had more projection on my skin.

This gorgeous creation opens up with spicy tea notes. It's like Indian chai to my nose. It settles into a lovely and gentle creamy cinnamon fragrance with the sweet shades of amber. This perfumes sounds like a Christmas/winter scent, but it isn't really. This is a softly flowing, silky stocking which throws sweet shades of creamy, milky essence around you, clinging lightly and casting a glimmering shadow of loveliness. Beautiful, unusual, elegant, soft and very Jacomo.

Ooohhh I love this gorgeous perfume!!. I adore the bottle too. I would say cardamom makes a very bold appearance at the beginning, but beautifully blends in with ginger, tea and honey after couple of minutes. I am so glad that I found this unique perfume. Its gourmand factor does not come across sugary and sticky. Rather, it has a dry, rounded and well balanced feel to it which makes it so warm and cosy during those cold winter days. This definitely has won my heart.

Airy oriental, light spicy and aromatic perfume. Best for hot days during summer. The most distinguished notes are ginger, cinammon, cardammon. The sweetness is not cloying while the combination of spices and dried fruits is nicely done. Medium long lasting but you can spray more than usual as price is very low. Men can wear it too. Simple purple glass bottle with unusual print on the packaging. Good choise for this rather optimistic perfume from Jacomo!!!

Oh my good lord do I love this one! It opens with a heavy dose of clove and cinnamon, but the drydown it so sexy and sultry, smooth and creamy clean(tea)and sweet. This should NOT be worn by any man, this scent should be worn by a woman only. PerfecT for winter makes me feel warm. It lingers on forever but only very subtle, I can cathch a wiff every now and again! I am so glad I have this in my collection.

A beautiful spicy sweet milk tea scent, long lasting. Great for casual wear. Works in warm and cool weather but I prefer it in the winter. If you like the idea of Omnia by bvlgari but find that it is too soft and doesn't last long, I highly suggest trying Jacomo's 08.

I am very impressed with the new Art series from Jacomo - they have managed to create a beautiful trio of interesting & wearable scents with a heavy lean towards an artistic interpretation for each theme. #8 is a warm spicy-fruity scent on my skin, which fits the beautiful artwork to a T. The first blast is an astringent ginger/tea combo with a heavy dose of spice (cinnamon, clove, cardamom, black pepper) & strong, tart red-berry hit (redcurrent?). From this first stage I feel this scent could easily be worn by either males or females. All this could seem far, far too heavy to wear bar a once a year Christmas spritz, but this really is not be the case. #8 is only a mid-weight fragrance with a rich ruby glint - a transluscent scent with a "sun-rise in India" luminescent quality & a formidable persistance & sillage. As this perfume settles it warms, sweetens & lifts the overall feel with a slightly fizzy citrus edge before cosying down to a creamy spicy number. The fruits & spices are still very present to my nose, but now less sharp & far more honeyed. I do not get the heavy lactonic milky tones I expected from reading the notes alone (indeed, it is not the chai note that I know & love) but I feel this stops the whole composition from souring or becoming stodgy & heavy. If I were to liken it to chai it would have to be a red-berry version, with skimmed milk! Those who adore fruity scents but are longing for something with a kick & an edge or those who love Elle, but find it a little synthetic or lacking in spice should definitely try #8. I hope that a few men may also give it a shot as it has a universal appeal. A spicy winter warmer that won't leave you feeling bloated or heavy. Bravo!

The sweet smells of India... What a beautiful fragrance! I love to be surprised when I try something new... and Jacomo Art Collection #8 was a lovely surprise for me. This one is inspired by the wonderful smells of Indian spices... green cardamom, cinnamon, hot ginger, and spicy indian black tea (called "masala chai"). If you have ever been in a spice market somewhere like in India, North Africa or the Middle East, you can find the "sweet" section where you can see dried fruits, fresh aromatic spices like dried cloves, raw cinnamon, spicy cardamom, coriander, nutmeg etc etc. This takes me back to those places (which I have been lucky to experience), and the aroma is fantastic! I think this one will appeal to many people because it is quite light. If it was any heavier than this it would be similar to a Serge Lutens fragrance, this is almost like a "lighter" version of a Serge Lutens. The floral note of freesia gives this an air-like quality that stops it being to heavy. To me this also reminds me a lot of the "real" spiced Indian ginger tea I used to receive when I visited a Buddhist monastery. It's so green and refreshing with a hint of spice! This can work in summer as it is light and not too heavy, but in my opinion this would be great in cold weather (in winter... by the warm fire). It has a very "warm" quality to it which is very nice... Like a cup of hot tea! Well done Jacomo !

When I first smelt Jacomo Art Collection #08, it strongly reminds me of Serge Lutens Five O'Clock au Gingembre, which is not too surprising, since both are relatively sheer and tranluscent in the oriental category and share a few notes. However, when compared side by side, there are still quite some differences. Upon spraying, Jacomo #08 has prominent cardamom, ginger, pepper and tea, spicy and dry, like smelling dried black tea before pouring hot water into the mix. This opening of Jacomo #08 is much spicier and drier than the sweet juicy ginger, tea and woods combination of Five O'Clock au Gingembre. After about an hour, dried fruits gradually become dominant, providing a leathery edge and some sweet flavour to the spicy tea. I don't particularly pick out amber or honey, but the scent becomes much less dry and smoother as time wears on, probably due to their contribution. Jacomo #08 wears very close to the skin, but it lasts for about 8 hours. Jacomo #08 is a light, gauzy oriental, which makes it also suitable for warmer weathers. It's actually quite spicy, but its sheer quality prevent it being aggressive. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy black tea and spices.

This is a perfect Christmas perfume for people who can’t wear strong scents. It’s the kind of perfume I’d wear when visiting my family as my mother is very sensitive to perfumes. To me, I it genuinely smells like mince pie filling! A cup of tea with a Mince pie - but no pastry so no odd biscuity smell. It’s light and fruity with Christmassy spices and a soft honeyed sweetness. The milk smooths it out but I find that the dried fruits and cinnamon are the main scent here as soon as it dried down. It’s bright and fresh but also totally winter appropriate thanks to the fruity minced pie vibe. A very easy reach for any November / December and it’s a bargain on eBay UK so although it’s not long lasting, it’s cheap enough to respray as much as you want.

I got this one and #02 at quite a cheap price (spurred by the packaging, bottle, and reviews) and this one's my favorite of the two. The reason for that is simple: I'm a tea addict and a chai lover as well (except I take my chai with no milk and sweeteners which is probably blasphemous to a number of people). This is pure unadulterated bliss for a tea/spice lover! The cardamom and clove reign supreme here, but the cinnamon, ginger and astringency and bitterness of the black tea are there as well, making for a rather masculine, but oh-so-seductive, perfume. #08 might not be very wearable, but it makes my spice/tea-loving self crave some chai (or my version of stripped chai, i.e. spiced tea).