Cinabre

A powerful and compelling scent. The opening is a thick and velvety witch's brew: a concoction of rose petals, ginger, and opoponax (lending a little earthy quality, though never smelling like dirt at all). Warmth flows through this blend - Cinabre is not overtly spicy, though it definitely heats you from within. As it dries, I smell rose and amber in a powdery way. I'm reminded a bit of Burlesque, also by MCG, in its powderiness and mature femininity. I also smell similarities to Nanshe by Nishane in the texture of the scent, which is thick and powdery and velvety. The opening is quite strong but I'd say the lasting power and sillage are moderate after the first hour.

Questo profumo per me è stato amore e passione appena sentito. Comprato nel 2012,è una fragranza affascinante,piccante e pungente inizialmente,un odore stregato,mistico e insolito,crepuscolare,cremoso in alcuni momenti,dorato e rosato. Non so come altro descriverlo perchè non sta bene su chiunque,ma su di me è fantastico. Come un drago rosso del medioevo,un lavoro di alchimia,stregoneria e magia rossa.

No words to describe the beauty of this Scent... Thank you Maria Candida for what you do!!

I was slightly dreading unboxing my latest sample from MCG, fearing that it might be too female-leaning for my taste, but I need not have worried. Cinabre is perfectly unisex and has convinced me that "rose" or "floral" scents need not be excluded from my fragrance shelf. I am a keen gardener and there is a parallel here to my relationship with rose plants themselves. I have always found them difficult to grow - too thorny, too straggly, too demanding etc. Then, one day in summer, a neglected rose tree sends forth arrestingly beautiful blooms and, after exposure to a day's heat, their fragrance lingers on the air, with warm, heady notes, softened with a dash of sweetness. That's the impression Cinabre has made upon me. Having neglected this for too long, I now find myself returning to it and wanting to prolong its musky sweetness. Unexpectedly lovely. Unfortunately my partner took a dislike to Cinabre and stirred up my original fears ("It's an old lady's fragrance"), so I will try to temper/masculinise it when I wear it next time, with Gérald Ghislain's excellent Olibanum range. Or just wear it anyway!

Surprising, because the opening is very old-style rose plus pepper, and I thought oh no, then it morphed into a really lovely vanilla benzoin scent, I just wish the drydown was stronger for longer. Not my type of rose (think Floris) but the composition becomes really beautiful after the opening blast of rose. I was expecting cinnamon and thankfully, it's not sharp like that. So altogether a great surprise. 8/10 x