Kismet

Prada l’eau ambrée fans beware! The opening of this perfume is an abstract and weird blend of citruses, it doesnt feel sharp or zingy but it doesnt feel juicy either. It feels like a medicinal tea with some form leatheriness (probably from the bergamot). Sounds exactly like Shalimar, but its nothing like Shalimar at all to me. Shalimar’s opening is bergamot heavy to the point where the first minute basically smells of bergamot extract with lightly spicy touches. Kismet however opens exactly like the opening of the discontinued l’eau ambrée... which isn’t shocking, as theyre both citrus rose opoponax fragrances. It is warm but not too warm, it is resinous yet sheer and translucent and it is medicinal without being green. And there is 0 spiciness and 0 sweetness. Very different from other ambers. Kismet starts off like l’eau ambrée, but that perfume lacked depth and layers. L’EA quickly becomes a thin and sheer skin scent and fades quickly too. Kismet however decides that it’s time to give the underrated resin opoponax some love. Resins like benzoin or frankincense are rather common in perfume for different reasons. Benzoin is more caramel vanilla-y, with sometimes a hint of funk that only i seem to pick up on. But it is used in a lot of modern perfumes because of vanilla’s popularity. It is also a rather simple note. It blends really well with other things and that is beautiful as well, just less special than opoponax. Frankincense is a typical church incense which tends to be more cold and bitter smelling. It works in a lot of green perfumes but also typical churchy incense forward perfumes. Who even uses opoponax anymore? It isn’t an easy note to cram into note pyramids because of its duality. I find that opoponax blends the sweetness/warmth of benzoin and bitterness/spirituality of frankincense amazingly, striking a perfect balance of something powdery vanillic but also medicinal and bitter. And that is exactly what kismet focuses on. The opoponax in here is opoponax in its fullest; a warm medicinal resin that is never too sweet but also never too dry. It is strong, powdery and elegant. But never overbearing. This is a very transparent amber, which doesn’t mean that its not noticeable or that the longevity is bad. On the contrary, its one of the most longest lasting things i’ve smelled. But it behaves like a veil of amber. A golden brown sunset on a late summer night. And i’m very happy about that. I have been searching for an opoponax perfume that actually focuses on opoponax instead of using it solely as a base note or an addition to something else. The opoponax here is indeed supported by a rose in the beginning, but they’re not separate notes. I dont smell rose + opoponax. I smell opoponax with a rosiness. The vanilla is not sugary sweet or really that present, it once again blesses the opoponax. It really reminds me of the diptyque opoponax candle, which is a good thing as i’ve been looking for something that smells like it. Shalimar???? I dont find these two similar at all. Shalimar is elegant and sparkling but also bold and edgy. The opoponax is only there in the far drydown and the texture is much more grainy. Kismet is much more spiritual... maybe even cerebral... and ancient. Without being overly complicated or high brow. Kismet is far more airy for sure and definitely has no strong bergamot opening or leathery smoky animal nuances like Shalimar. Less complex maybe, but still exactly what im looking for. Might even be my favorite perfume of this year. We’ll see! One of my favorite perfume YouTubers(Eloise scents) said that kismet might be redundant for someone who owns shalimar, but I think theyre different enough to warrant owning both. Or maybe layer them if you wanna he an opoponax bomb!

Kismet is well named, at least as far as my own experience with it is concerned: based on the note list I never would have picked it out for myself, and when I got my sample I was quite ready to place it in the category "good, but not my thing" - but instead it ended up broadening my definition of "my thing", because I really fell in love with it. Reading this page of reviews, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, because it seems like I'm far from the only one who feels this way about it. It's such a wonderful, warm scent, at the same time super comfortable and wearable, and very complex and elegant. It's very much an oriental fragrance to my nose, which is a category that usually leaves me cold, but Kismet is exceptional in every sense. Opoponax and labdanum are prominent from the very start; at first they're joined by rather bitter citrus notes, which is nice, but the magic starts to happen a little later on when the vanilla joins the party. It settles down deliciously powdery and sweet, but in a balanced way - the resins make sure of that, and this combination is really a match made in heaven, and executed to perfection. This balanced character makes it very versatile as well; I can imagine wearing this in almost any situation and even any type of weather except high summer, and never getting tired of it. It also projects just right, and lasts all day. For me, it falls into the category of scents I could imagine having as a signature if I were still that kind of perfume wearer. So I've found a new indisputable love - I mean to get a bigger amount of this as soon as I can, and I definitely see a full bottle of Kismet somewhere in my future. This is my second sample from Lubin, and the second one that's a big hit with me; I have to dive deeper into this house as soon as possible! Also, I've never given Shalimar much thought, but if it's anywhere in the vicinity of this one, I guess I'll have to remedy that...

TFW you order $75 worth of samples from luckyscent and a wild card turns out to be a love. I have already ordered a bottle. I thought I didn’t like opoponax, but it turns out I just hadn’t met the right opoponax because I love it in Kismet. Kismet opens with sparkling lemon & bergamot. Next, a creamy vanilla & deep opoponax accord with a touch of herbal patchouli, with the citrus top notes in the background. It’s really beautiful. As the top notes fade, the vanilla becomes powdery. I don’t really get that much rose, maybe just enough to round things out. Edit: I have a white blush rose called Earth Angel in my garden that has just begun blooming. Earth Angel has a fresh lemony scent, and I can now see the rose in Kismet’s pyramid. Kismet reminds me of Sublime Vanille by Creed, but so much better! Kismet is more complex, has superior longevity and sillage, and doesn’t cost as much as down payment on a house. I see also comparison to Shalimar...I haven’t smelled Shalimar in a million years, but I remember it being leather and incense laden, and so to me the two are very different. It’s like people who point out that Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin are both British bands that originated around the same time, both playing doomy blues rock. Yes they are contemporaries in a similar style, but they are still very different. Speaking of longevity and sillage, I sprayed my sample onto a T-shirt yesterday. Tonight, my boyfriend smelled it from a couple feet away and told me he loved it, that it was sexy. Did I mention I’ve already ordered a large bottle? ;) Update: although a lot of folks feel the opoponax resin & vanilla accord of Kismet denotes winter time, I have been wearing this in late May and don’t plan to stop until I can’t stand it. Kismet hasn’t turned heavy or cloying, and the citrus is seasonally appropriate.

I LOOOOOOOOVE this perfume. I meant to write a review last time I wore this; I'm not wearing it at the moment so can't really do it justice. However... Having drifted to this page, I felt compelled to mention that Kismet is stunningly beautiful. Fragrantica editors have allocated this to the "Floral" category; if you buy it on the basis that it's a floral perfume, you are going to be desperately disappointed. Kismet is an Oriental. It DOES bear similarities to Shalimar (allocated to the Oriental Spicy category); they also smell as if they're from the same era. It may even be that the original Kismet helped inspire Jacques Guerlain's Shalimar, as it predates it by four years or so. This Kismet is more "user friendly" than the current Shalimar. I'd love to get my hands on the original in that gorgeous bottle, to compare it to its current formulation. Finally, I do wish people wouldn't think that "Reminds me of..." = Dupe. Unless a company (Alexandria, DUA, La Rive, Armaf etc) is going out of its way to produce a dupe, the designer and niche houses strive to bring something new to the market, albeit in line with current trends. Niche houses - obviously - are often more experimental. Producing dupes of other fragrances (in the same price range as the original) would soon force companies out of business. For example, no one would be interested in buying the same fragrance from Dior when it was available from YSL for the same price. The reason Armaf etc are thriving is because they produce - what are often - very good quality dupes of high end products at a fraction of the £££$$$$£££.

This is Shalimar-esque-- most resembling the eau de cologne version-- but I find Kismet to be slightly better. There’s not so much vanilla or incense, so it comes across more harmonious and citric. Opening is clear bergamot, like earl grey tea, then dries down to a powdery scent. I’m at a point in amber sampling where most feel more sour and spicy than sweet, and opoponax is the lime to benzoin’s lemon. The rose being listed here surprises me, because this doesn't have a distinct rose note, instead having some rosy qualities: cosmetic, fresh and delightful, if a little dated. The more modern twist here is a lack of animalics, setting it apart from similar scents like Musc Ravageur or Labdanum 18. Personally, I can’t get enough of this soft sweet citrus, and it makes me want to try more on the gourmand side of the aisle.

I purchased a sample of this beauty from Lucky Scent and what a delight she is. The breezy crisp opening blossoms into an unusual and luscious combined note of lemon and petitegrain. Very different from a Guerlain accord. Then the deepest, spiciest blood red roses emerge in a bed of patchouli. And it gets even better with a haunting but warm base of labdanum entangled with a restrained vanilla. Very complex, rich and satisfying. Longevity is 10- 16 hours on me with moderate to enormous sillage. I can't compare Kismet to Shalimar - Shalimar is cloyingly sweet and powdery on me, while Kismet is surprising at every turn; fresh, crisp, spicy, velvety rather than powdery with that stunning labdanum drydown. Nothing compares to it - the closest relative to Kismet is probably Papillon's Salome. Perhaps her darker sister?

What a elegant one this is. The first 10 minute are nice. But after that Magnificent. A king may wear this. This is unisexy. This starts cordial classy. Then midway attreactive and more and more prestigious. This is a universal beauty. The kind thats beauty doesnt fade It could easily be the royal kin to my beloved Shalimar. Yet very different with glimpses of some how resemble. The opening has a few moments that reminds me of Creed.but wayyy better. Then neither Shalimar nor Creed. Even Chanel Exclusive lind but Better. this is a low key extremely anytime appropriate perfume. Its very lovely. Would i buy this. I hope so. this is really easy for someone to get attached and never tire. 10/10

I've loved Shalimar for a few decades now and also own opus 1144. I feel I should comment as Kismet has only very vague similarities with the afore mentioned beauties. I own all three and they are like the three graces. Lovely and each unique. Kismet is very much centered on the lush resinous oppopanax note. Shalimar is more bergamot, vanilla and leather. Opus is like a journey back through time to the great scents of the early 20th century. Shalimar briefly appears then l heure bleu. It's quite an olfactory ride. So please, do try Kismet. She's a beauty in her own right and not just a copy of other great classics.

Definitely shalimaresque, and the version this reminds me of the most right off the bat is the new Millesime iris, but much better and minus the overly synthetic touches. Lasts all day and keeps getting better- I am encountering the sillage and swooning as I move and re-enter a room. Liking this is a first- most scents that do this are far too potent or synthetic for me to enjoy. As someone comments below, I also find this is somehow both fairly present and projecting but soft and quiet at the same time. The dry down is divine. This is gorgeous, I may need it. Now I must smell everything else from the brand.

Immediately I’m picking up vanilla and citrus. I like Kismet even though it’s behaving unexpectedly on my skin. Opoponax is reminding me of leather in the opening, and like another reviewer, concrete in the drydown. Powdery and soft is the end result of the combination of rose and patchouli... at least that’s what I think is going on. Kismet is much more luminous and complex compared to Shalimar. It’s comforting and easy to wear. I have space in my perfume wardrobe for Kismet, it’s quite lovely. PS: Projecting softly in the first phase, my partner loves this one, so full bottle worthy.

There is definitely a resemblance to Shalimar but this is of course minus the leather and is more warm, approachable and resinous. It bears some similarity with The Shalimar of my youth in the 80s. The labdanum is now very evident along with some rose after half an hour. If Shalimar is too strong and too leathery for you then you should love this. This is an easy fragrance to love. Warm and sweet resins which smells natural. A very warm fragrance that would be perfect on a chilly day. Moderate silage with very good longevity.

This is divine! I was so surprised by this! Unfortunately, Shalimar is not for me so I was a little worried about the comparisons, but I needn't have. They are similar but so different. This is soft and womanly and very ethereal to me. I fell in love with it at once and asked for it at the next holiday. I get the citruses, vanilla, opoponax, petitgrain and labdanum. It lasts 8+ hours on me and this is Signature Worthy! I didn't think they made perfumes like this anymore. GORGEOUS.

This could be a Shalimar flanker. So of course, I love it. If I were blind testing it, I would think it was one of the newer versions of Shalimar with all of the aspects some people find difficult toned down. This perfume really shines in the dry down as it gets warmer and richer and the Labdanum takes center stage. It was a very thoughtful gift since I'm a Shalimar lover and I'm so grateful to have it as it is not something I would have purchased for myself.

oh wow, this is beautiful from the beginning! i get some citruses, vanilla and resins. it doesn't seem to change much over time, though the vanilla becomes a bit less pronounced and the resins become stronger. i believe i get a hint of rose, but it's not a strong or sweet rose. i don't seem to get much patchouli from this, but maybe that's a skin chemistry thin. it's a rich, gorgeous, soft, deep, warm scent. immediately shot to the top of my want list.

The initial spray kind of slapped me in the face, but a few minutes later it dried down to a warm, inviting scent that I can’t stop sniffing. I’d imagine anyone who hugged me while I was wearing this wouldn’t let go right away. I don’t remember what Shalimar smells like, so I can’t agree or disagree with the comparison. I’m probably going to use this sample up rather quickly and go in search of a full bottle.

At first, I thought I was going to hate it because it smelled like old-fashioned aftershave. But it quickly shifts to a powdery, feminine, ozonic fragrance. Honestly, it doesn’t stay just one thing. Sometimes it’s floral and herbal. I could have sworn I smelled heliotrope at some point, and now I’m mainly getting powdery, ozonic iris. It doesn’t know what it wants to be, and maybe that’s part of its appeal.

This smells like the gourmand parts of Shalimar without the funky leather bag note. Smooth, powdery vanilla and opoponax, warm, rich and intoxicating. The lemon and verbena lifts it into the nose where the balmy sweetness disperses and lingers gently. No rough edges here, all soft and diffused. Very lady-like and charming.

It was just amazing, especially if you like vintage Shalimar. To me this is a superior version of Shalimar. Thomas Fontaine did a really good job to re-orchestra this 1921 oriental fragrance. The base was so beautiful. Hardly any fragrance excites me these days. Kismet is the one after Puredistance M.

The most luminous, magical amber that glows around you like diffused light. So well blended, I can only really pick out the bergamot, opoponax and vanilla - I can’t perceive rose or patchouli at all. Light and airy yet rich and warm, I’m in awe of this creation.

That’s what it smells like a much much better Shalimar!