CYCLE 002

This reminds me of my trip to Oman. To me this is comfort and peace in a bottle. I enjoy the bitter and fresh notes and on my skin Incense and Elemi stand out the most. Fortunately, I don’t get cumin at all. Perfectly unisex in my opinion. I had a sample of this a while ago and my mind just keep coming back to it. Just ordered a full bottle.

I mostly get run-of-the-mill cedar and guaiac but with this beautifully put together spicy, warm, incensey accord next to it that makes the whole thing feel a lot more luxurious than it really is. I love the cumin in this which is a big part of that warmth along with incense and labdanum. It’s really really yummy. 4 out of 5.

Personal: 7.5/10 – It’s definitely good, but there’s a sharpness on the fresh spice that Spicebomb doesn’t have that makes me like Spicebomb a bit more, since I gravitate towards warm spices over fresh spices. Mass appeal: 8.5/10 – It’s honestly really nice for Christmas time, or cold winter. It feels cozy, and others will appreciate it. Performance: 7/10 – Pretty average, but not poor. Value: 6.5/10 – It’s hard to find, but I saw a full size going for $125, so definitely more expensive than some of its winter competition. If you love it, it’s not unattainable. Uniqueness: 6/10 – Close enough to Spicebomb that it risks redundancy. SCORE: 71/100 Full bottle buy? NO, I don’t find it unique enough to warrant a full bottle. Blind buy? YES, it’s fairly safe, though it does have that spicy DNA that some may not love. Recommend? YES, if it wouldn’t be redundant in your collection. Date night? YES, especially in the colder months, it gives warm, cozy vibes. Office safe? YES, but apply lightly—spicy sharpness can be a bit much. Pros: A cozy, spicy, pleasant Christmas/winter fragrance that makes you feel good. Not hideously pricey and fairly mass appealing. Cons: Difficult to find, and not unique enough to warrant owning this on top of Spicebomb, Spicebomb Extreme, or other spicy winter fragrances. For my seventh review, we’ll take a look at something that, despite what I expected, smells just like Spicebomb. It’s sweet, fragrant, and Christmassy. I like it a lot, though it’s a bit sharp on opening. As compared to the original Spicebomb, this one is a bit more woods forward as opposed to spiciness forward, at least to my nose. It lacks some of the freshness the original Spicebomb exhibits, but also maintains a bit more of a sharpness to its fresh spicy side that’s more rounded out in Spicebomb. It’s not bad at all, but if you own Spicebomb or other cozy winter fragrances, I think it may be a bit redundant. Hard to find, but gives a slightly different take on the wintery spice sector. Some may love it, but I definitely don’t need it. Review #7 in my fragrance journey – this fragrance I own as a decant

There's something in this that I really don't like. It's like half of it I love, half of it smells like this woody, musty, cumin(?), spice-cabinet kind of thing. I guess it smells like your wooden kitchen drawer with all your spices in it, but not in a good way. There's something fresh and woody in this that is trying to rise above the mustiness, but can't quite make it out. Like the odor of all the pleasant aromatic spices in your drawer that are fighting to be heard over the cumin. I'm starting to feel like I'm trapped in there with them...

I bought a sample from the manufacturer. I'm a bit dissapointed, as on my skin it's only incense and resin.

Because I really liked Cycle 001, I blind-bought Cycle 002 this time, which was created by perfumer Nathalie Lorson for the entire Legacy Collection. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with the scent this time. It's not unpleasant, but rather uninteresting, with a noticeable spicy woody style that can be sensed from the fragrance notes. The initial spray reveals a prominent citrus lemon scent, quickly transitioning into a spicy aroma, especially with what feels like a hint of Indian curry on me. It's not overwhelmingly intense, but you can detect a subtle curry-like note, which gradually fades after an hour or two. It then evolves into a relatively warm and comforting woody incense scent, making it suitable for the autumn and winter seasons. Although it's inspired by the desert atmosphere of a distant kingdom, I personally didn't get that vibe, which is a bit of a letdown.

Cumin dominates the top and mid section but finally in the later stages it gives way to a nice woody drydown. If you're like me and find cumin to have a BO smell this is a pass.

Spicebomb with cumin added to it ! Don't buy if you dislike cumin, it's quite strong in this one.