Varanasi

Meo Fusciuni's daring, evocative creation is a visceral journey into the inner sanctum of the soul. Inspired by his journey to India in 2017, this perfume reflects the artist's meditations on life, death and the divine aspects of human nature. The simplistic, yet elegant flacon lets the scent itself tell the story. And what a story it is... Opulent incense smoke blended with enveloping cardamom, ethereal saffron and pungent nutmeg transport the soul into an arcane, sacred place. The wearer is led into a temple of purification permeated with mystical mantras murmoured in shadowy alcoves. There is, indeed, something primordial in this fragrance, the dark, animallic aspects of Hindi oud and complex and aquatic ambergris embrace and intertwine on the skin like the soft waves of the Ganges in its perennial ebb and flow. Nagarmotha and ambrette build the steady rhythm, while the entranced florals and oud spin to the beat of their drum. The ambery undercurrent tells of secret yearnings and memories buried deeply, waiting to surface. Carnal rose and ephemeral jasmine become one with the animalic notes in this fragrant mandala – the eternal circle of love and death told through sacred waters and lambent flames. Varanasi is the highest form of mystery – that which is revealed to those willing to die and be reborn. It is the unravelling, the laying bare of the heart and soul in a ritualistic sacrifice to the higher self. In its truest nature, Varanasi is a story of contrasts: sacred and sensual, fire and water, life and death, ancient and new, visceral and spiritual. As the perfume dries down, the warm Shamama-like amber accord blended with rose tells of rebirth and a new spiritual journey ahead. Yet the animalic notes never fade away entirely, but remain as reminders that we are all in equal parts fire and water, spirit and animal, transcendent and mortal. What sets this unique masterpiece apart from similar fragrances is the perfect equilibrium between those stark contrasts. The ghost of Varanasi remains on clothes for days, stalking the wearer with soft, sultry echoes that command attention and demand re-application. All in all, one of my favourite perfumes of all time and a true masterpiece.

This was love at first sniff. Not to worry, I was only joking. The opening is if you put your nose straight into it quite challenging and in "your face". The fecal observations stand true. But wait what happened? The fragrance died down after ten minutes. Is that even possible? Yes, very much so, only to come back swinging with all its might. From that moment on (the dry down phase included), I found myself in a scent bubble, that kept consistently pushing for roughly ten plus hours, albeit in a very non offensive way, much to my amazement! What I got from Varanasi was loads of incense, ambergris, thick somewhat oily musk with hints of saffron and nutmeg. And yes, there's also this animalic note in the background throughout it's whole lifespan. All these notes work surprisingly well together, which I first found hard to believe, having heard all sorts of horror stories/comments. This perfume is perfectly blended. Projection and sillage is also very good, but not in a "knocking down doors" kind of a way. It has got some "real" presence and you will get noticed and much surprisingly in a good way. Who'd thought! And yes, I purchased a "full bottle" today, having tried it some days before that. This is not something that you should blind buy, let me make that clear. But I would ask you to meet Varanasi with an open mind and who knows? It might just be the fragrance that you've been looking for. That's exactly what happened to me.

Having tried a handful of Meo Fusciuni's creations (and be thoroughly unimpressed by it), I came to Varanasi expected nothing. Short version: Incredibly similar to Leather Oud from Dior. Big bold florals, fecal musk, crazy incense. Don't come here expecting flower rings and soft Buddist incense sticks. Long version: The amount of story telling they can fit in this fragrance is insane. Varanasi hides its true self after a veil of floral chypre, at least, that is what she feels like on me. I get roses, jasmines, big and bold, front and centre, just like their undeniable importance in Hinduism. After a while, those big floral fades, and at the same time, a huge rush of smoke and a fatty, slimy musk starts appearing. Varanasi now feels like a constantly burning fire, burning through the sacrificial florals right into where the body lays, in the most straightforward way these amount of ingredients can do. As it develops, the smoke starts fading and what you are left with is a tar-like, dry and fecal-ish musk. It feels like the cycle of life wrapped up in this little bottle of liquid. So fascinating, but complete unwearable. But I can't say I don't love it! Not for the faint hearted. 9/10.

This is why you should always sample yourself. Reviews are great. But if I would have gone on the reviews for this perfume I would have never have tried it. For me, this is not that dirty disgusting scent others have felt it is. It’s so incredibly rich and addictive. No scary poo smell I do not get that at all, it’s dark - of course it is as it Meo Fusciuni!! The drydown is just so warm, and whenever I am picking up the scent as I move around - I just have to smell my arm again to remind myself that yes that is me that smells that good. This was an instant love, top five of my favourite Meo Fusciuni scents. Totally full bottle worthy. Edit: after showering the animal notes come through for me, but it’s not the fecal note I was expecting from the reviews, It’s a warm animal notes the kind that is a delight to keep sniffing. The perfume could still be picked up on my skin the next day even though I showered. This is clearly the strongest of the Meo scents.

I've been enchanted with the description of this fragrance and a basenotes user was kind enough to send me a sprayed strip of it, so I "blindbought" it. Varanasi is quite hard to pin down because how much it changes on my skin and with the weather. It starts with a blast of Oud and very animalic leather and then the very grey ambergris shows up. Some days I get a lot of the animalic/woody, others it's almost like a garden of lovely florals and the green side with a very tame animalic side and others I get almost a bazaar of spices with the ever present oud backbone. It's almost as if the fragrance is the city itself and you discover new areas of it with every wear. Performance is unreal, I clocked over 15 hours on a warm weather (~25 C) with very good projection/sillage! An absolute joy in my collection and I can't recommend this enough for those who love bold scents and want to be mesmerized with each wear!

Step into the witch’s hovel- a crumbling shack built into the very base of the oldest tree in the woods (by the sight of the witch, you think she must be just as old herself). The place is lit by a hundred candles, wax pooling on top of centuries old wax. The shelves are lined with dusty old books and jars full of spices, herbs and offal. Skulls and bones you pray belonged to animals. You catch a slightly sweet, almost putrid whiff of something coming from the fire burning in the corner - a potion bubbling in the cauldron. It’s foul yet intoxicating. She tells you it’s a potion of death, a potion of life. A potion of love and of loathing, of fervor and decrepitness. Of everything that’s been and everything yet to be. It is something primordial she’s been brewing since the Beginning, and it is up to those who dare stomach it to determine its true purpose. She beckons you closer, enticing you to take a sip...

Smoke - feet - ass - smoke - ass - feet + Gold bond foot powder - shalini jardin nocturne - incense - incredibly pleasant blend. Things start to get interesting and intriguing around the Goldbond foot powder stage and is a delight from there on out ( I would say about 35-40 minutes in). This is a long-lasting fragrance and continues to develop for a good long time. It truly is like a journey and I totally get the inspiration for this fragrance. I bought the fragrance after sampling it in the sample set. I have blind bought almost my entire fragrance collection---at least 95% and I'm happy to have this. I would only wear this outside of the home if it's a 2-3 hours old minimum.

Incredible sensory olfactory experience. An astonishing, imaginary journey to India, on the banks of the Ganges: at dawn the lifeless bodies of the Hindu faithful, wrapped in colorful silk saris covered with flowers and perfumed spices, are burnt in huge burning pyres until they are totally absorbed by the murky sacred waters of the mystical river. The air is acrid, animalic, with ferocious, disturbing, almost faecal peaks, one remains dumbfounded, but irreparably attracted by this fragrance which has an amazing temporal evolution towards amber, leathery, warm spicy. Surprisingly reassured and subdued over time. I consider it a masterpiece for very demanding noses.

Perfect. 10/10. UPDATE: I can’t believe that this fragrance exists. It’s so beautiful and dirty. I always think I like very animalic perfumes because I love this so much. But it really is unlike any other animalic perfume. It’s not skanky like most barnyard ouds, instead it’s like a literal barnyard. Like horse manure. But gentle. And while the manure note is present throughout the entire life of the fragrance, it’s beautifully blended with incense, spices and balsams delivering one of the most unique, warm, comforting and truly remarkable perfumes I’ve ever worn. Meo Fusciuni is an absolute beast. Nothing holds a candle to this. It’s absolutely perfect.

Varanasi: The Italian class in creating their own things and things of others is represented here by the formulation of this perfume which is an explicit journey to the East, without the noise of brands that make everything sold out. Varanasi is a beautiful balance of essences that makes those who love animalic, floral, spicy and balsamic scents happy. A juice that will make your day better but also that of those who meet you by chance. The star is strong and animalic but does not last long, and here begins a melody of all the notes declared and the trip to India. absolutely unisex. Great! 10/10

Not surprised this would be a challenging fragrance to a lot of Westerners, but as a fan of incense of the Far East and SE, this is an expertly crafted creation. Spice, incense, ambrette and a deep, pungent and animalic aloeswood are presented as they are commonly found in India and I love how the perfumer let them stand as they are instead of toning them down for more mass market acceptance. Recommended, but train your nose first or be warned. Even better, explore India! Then come back and revisit Varanasi. There is an olfactory sincerity to this fragrance that is endearing.

Varinasi reminds me of another scent. A more animalic version of Ermenegildo Zegna Golden Myrrh. I think it is the incense that is present here that does this. Myrrh would have been a good note to add.to Varinasi. On my skin the incense just pops right out. Definitely unique and more challenging than Black Afgano, Golden Myrrh, Matiere Premiere Encense Suave etc. Addendum: I received a compliment from a man and a woman. They both loved the scent. This was about 20m after I sprayed it. I do not pick up any fecal notes at all. Nor do other people

This perfume truly got a kick out of me, smells just what it wants to portray and it's genuinely done masterfully. It's supposed to smell like Varanasi, India and It truly feels that way. Reminds me of dirty floral water from the Ganges, smoky incense mixed in with spice and tons of animalic oud reminiscent of manure. Smells warm, dirty, and challenging. However, you can tell this was made with quality.

I can’t get enough of Varanasi. It is evocative, engulfing, enigmatic. Just extraordinary. Long lasting on the skin, and is a rare scent that even as it dries down remains complex and captivating. I have many scents that I love and enjoy, but Varanasi is more than this, it envelops me and holds my attention the entire time it is on my skin (almost 24 hours sometimes).

This is really quite nice. If it first it strikes you as another saffron leather Oud, give it some time and the pop of spices up top and ambergris and Ambrette in the heart will lend the whole thing an air of something you might find at an apothecary in a hidden alley. This feels like a very personal and private win. Hard to say exactly why but this just works.

Wow just wow, what an amazing scent it really gives you this warm feeling but also fills you up with a little bit of dread. It smells exactly like it describes in the name. Every time you smell it you will be transported to another place, the spices and leathery accords mixed with the more flowery smells are just heaven together.

Medieval - passing through the gates of a castle on horseback, heavy shadows and tarnished armor. Opens thick, animalic, brash and almost violent; transforms into a warm embrace, radiant amber and wood, a vision of comfort.

Lovely cheesey, aldehydic oud, like Oud Khol but with more authentic oud smell and more complexity.

The way Giuseppe conveys personal experiences from his travels, and emotions likewise, through his works, is quite admirable. With Varanasi, he not only communicates his memories of the Spiritual Capital of India, but does it justice to such an extent that one can feel the energy of the city by experiencing the fragrance. He also portrays a lesser “advertised” face of India. It is not as pretty and colorful as you might encounter with most olfactory compositions or see in postcards and travel magazines. He shows the wild parts, the unfiltered bits that are purposefully omitted. By now, you can contour an idea of what this fragrance smells like. Spiritual, spicy, dirty in a visceral and natural way (that developed countries forgot about). He offers glimpses of the agreeable: a shy jasmine and rose duet, some warm, sweet cardamom, enough to remind you of the beautiful parts. But make no mistake, this perfume is ultimately dark, sober, and quite dirty. Another fascinating thing is how the incense accord feels. It’s a “wet incense.” I can’t shake that damp quality off. Imagine Varanasi at night during the religious ritual of Asthi Visarjan. This is when people come to immerse the ashes of their deceased into the Ganges. How would that smell? He conveys that imagery through this scent. Indeed, the perfume is very earthy. Damp earth. I get plenty of the spikenard, but also the cypriol and the oakmoss. There is a slight minerality from the ambergris. The saffron and the musks help create a leather-like accord. It is both smooth and subhuman. The spices hit hard in the opening, mostly nutmeg and cardamom, and stick throughout. Above everything, the incense reigns supreme. It feels more like wood being burnt for incense rather than resins. The effect is quite dry and devoid of sweetness, slightly ashy. The damp quality sticks all along, making it stand out among other incense-themed perfumes. Truthfully, I find Varanasi rather unique. If I were to draw a parallel, I could name Tom Ford’s London. However, while London is bone dry and akin to the capital at night during Victorian England, Meo’s creation travels many miles to the East to tackle a more profound and religious approach to that same spicy-dirty-incense theme. IG:@memory.of.scents

This is not a fragrance. It's art for the sake of art and a teleportation device. Now, I have never been to Varanasi but as it's a famous place of India , I have read and watched documentaries about it. I have some idea of what it would smell like. The fragrance starts of smelling like ashy dirty water accompanied by incense in the air. If I wouldn't know that the fragrance is about Varanasi I would say it smells like an antiseptic bandaid but I get what Imprezzabile wanted to achieve here. The incense is not the sweet kind like in CdG Avignon or the aromatic kind like most of the Amouages have. It's dry but no devoid of soul. After 1-2h it's starts getting some sweetness but it's not distinct to anything from the note breakdown. That dirtiness and incense still linger. The dry-down is the most beautiful part of the fragrance. It's clearly some oudh as it's getting skankier and skankier along with some saltiness from the ambergris most likely. This is my #1 "don't buy for compliments or to impress" fragrance. It's just a picture of Varanasi that Imprezzabile pained with his nose not with his hands. Performance is massive, I still get the ambergris and oudh blend after 12-14h easy. In fact, I showered after this period and the heat made it come alive again. 100% try before buying, multiple times and if you like it ...get a teleportation device to Varanasi for around $200.

Very Nice But.... I was quite impressed with Varanasi. Opening is a bit poopy but only for a very short while (few minutes). It then blossoms into an awesome animalic/spicy/resin-y/woody scent. Quite a low-balls-hanging masculine fragrance. I couldn't help but think it smelled similar to a fragrance I already had. Upon further scanning my collection, I hit on it - Varuek. So I compared both with a single spray of each on the back of opposite hands and sure enough, there is a basic similarity. As far as accords go, I'd say Varuek pumps up the woody accord slightly more than Varanasi. Other than that, Varuek just strikes me as a much richer and deeper fragrance which I'm glad to have. I'll pass on Varanasi. Longevity for Varanasi was very good while projection was more moderate.

An interesting slightly animalic woody spicy Oriental scent that actually manages to capture the essence of the city that is the seat of Hindu spiritualism . The perfume opens with spicy notes of heavy saffron, nutmeg, cardamom along with incense. The very brief heart has rose, jasmine, cypriol and musk mallow. The perfume settles on a powdery musky bed of leathery animalic notes, vetiver, Oud and Jatamansi (spikenard). Although not hugely unique, this is an interesting and well blended masculine scent that has moderate to strong projection and very good longevity. As someone who has been to Varanasi many times I believe the perfumer has captured the olfactory essence of the holy city. Enjoy!

Mostly smoky oud in the top and animalic leather in the base. That is pretty much all. It is done with high quality ingredients for sure, but is it well blended? I might agree with the previous reviewer that it might not be. It's loud, but there's some depth/complexity missing, and it's already smelt before. Now... I might be somewhat neat picking, but with a price tag of $275 I think I should be. I would have recommended it around $150, but at the current price tag, it's just a like for me.

IT. Tanto Oud e una leggera nota di cuoio. Ho veramente un’enorme difficoltà di trovare tutte le altre note dichiarate. Per me questo profumo va benissimo, perché Oud mi piace e qui questo ingrediente è quasi nello stato puro. EN. Lots of Oud and a light note of leather. I really have an enormous difficulty in finding all the other declared notes. For me this perfume is OK, because I like Oud and here this ingredient is almost in its pure state.

چاره ای نیست که هر آن چه از خود بویی تولید می کند را مُعطر ننامیم و عطر خطاب اش نکنیم اما،هر ماده ی مِعطری الزاما خوش بو نیست وارانازی،نمایشی از علاقه انسان به خودآزاری یا مازوخیست می باشد که به ورطه عطر و عطربازی هم کشیده شده و علاقه مندان خاص خودش رو پیدا کرده وارانازی شبیه به حبس شدن در اتاق ای می ماند که جای نَفَس برایتان نمی گذارد و افکارتان با برخورد به دیواره ها،محکم به صورتتان می خورد فریاد بلند ای ندارد و از هاله شما دور نمی شود؛زیرا تنها مخاطب اش خودت هستی تلفیقی از فضای چرک و چرمی و انیمالیک که با چاشنی یک شیرینی بیمارگونه و عجیب وارد می شود و ورودی بسیار جدی و خشن دارد تغییرات عطر بسیار آهسته رُخ می دهد و مثل یک بیماری لاعلاج به آرامی در بدن شما خانه می کند شاید شما را دچار تنش و اضطراب کند اما مِثل کندن سِله ی زخم کهنه و لذت بردن از این بیماری،دوباره و دوباره دستتون رو می بویید تست هیجان انگیز ای بود و یک میل کافی :) **************** scent:6.5/10 longevity:8/10 sillage:6.5/10 purchase value:3/10 ******* overall:6/10

We are close to Christmas and this for me evokes a ... nativity scene. I have stables, camels, frankincense, myrrh... Not an easy perfume to wear, but it works well.. I have mainly animalic leather tuned with spices, dark with steaming rubber, filled with spikenard, sweet and sour candy rose, fermented woods and beautiful dirty jasmine that emerge more in the soft but always animalic and free-range finish. This is dark like Nocturne, strong, still unisex, hardy, good in cold weather and well planned for wear.

Something You find familiar. Not as a scent but as a smell. Smell of old 6 floor builiding in old European City. Here somebody grows flowers, somebody washed the floor, somebody hanged his clothes outside the window, ect. A nice, dry, woody, spicy, deep scent. Nicest and easiest from the house. Direction similar to Le Labo Patchouli or few from Azman. Niche as hell.

I spend a lot of time in the city Varanasi and respect what the Perfumer/Meo has tried to achieve. I get a lot of incense, and like a previous reviewer mentioned, the oud seems low in quality. The perfume is missing a little of the boldness and animalic'ness. Instead, I get an 'oily' texture feeling from this perfume - something that I dislike. It smells a lot like Nishane Afrika Olifant. From this house, Little Song is a beauty.

Oh, Varanasi scared me. From blotter it sounded raw and rough, but interested. After I put it on my skin something strange happened - I started to sweat, become nervous and anxious. Can imagine I would have similar mood if I'd be at real Varanasi. So image is perfect, but nit possible to ear for me.

Tante note dichiarate, tanto intrigo, tanti elementi. Sono però tutte "frequenze" sconnesse, prive di amalgama, cacofoniche e ridondanti. Un profumo elaborato senza nessuna logica della differenziazione. Estremamente persistente ma manchevole di quid.

تست امشب . نمی‌دونم باید از کجاش بگم . جسمم تسخیر شده روحم اورگاسم میتونم براش داستان بنویسم . چشمه خیالاتم لبریز از احساسات شده . چه معجونی . چه اثری چقدر زیبا . چقدر خواستنی . واژه ها از ذهنم پرواز می‌کنند و اون چیزی که دلم میخواد بگم از من پنهان میشند . وارانازی مئو فوشونی . این ایتالیایی ها دو سو دارند تو هنر عطرسازی یا از دیوار ترکیبات سیتروسی ساده و سبک مدیترانه ای پیروی میکنند یا از کتب خطی قدیمی ورد و جمل و جادو رو تبدیل میکنند به عطر . نیش . اگزوتیک . آرتستیک . هرآنچه که فکرش رو بکنید . در نهایت زیبایی . ی فرمول زیبا . ی بلند زیباتر وارانازی اولین ره آورد استنشاقش اینه که تمام حواس شما رو به خودش جلب می‌کنه و کر و کورت می‌کنه . دماغت میشه همه وجودت . ذهنت میشه راوی انفجاری از بوی انیمالیک . چرک و چغر و سنگین . بوی جنگل سوخته . بوی درختان سبزی که طعمه آتش شدند و صمغ و عطر وجودشون با حرارت آتش میسوزه . بوی دود . چه پارادوکسی داره این عطر . ی وجهش گل بو و سبز و تازست مثل بهشت . ی وجهش تاریک و تلخ مثل جهنم . وارانازی چیه ؟ کجاست ؟ مثل برزخه از بوی شاخه گل رز فرو رفته تو جسم مردار و سوخته وسط جنگل میترسم . از بوی جنگل کاج . سرده .... مثل بوی عطر فی سرج لوتنس . پر از سکوت و تاریکیه . احساس میکنم تو سکوت شب . وسط ی قبرستونم . زیر درخت‌های کاج . چقدر سرده اینجا . مثل برزخی تو . مثل بوی مرگی . لعنت بهت تمام روحمو تسخیر کردی . تمرکزم ندارم . شاید . شاید عطر شیطانی تو ... . من ی سررسید دارم . وقتی عطرهارو تست میکنم تو قسمت اول سر رسید اگه موردی باشه که دلم بخواد داشته باشمش اونجا تو لیست اضافه میکنم . وارانازی رو نوشتم اون بالا . اصولاً من اینجوریم عطرهای انیمالیک و اگزجره روحمو نوازش میدند . شاید نشه این سگ بوهای هار رو هرجایی پوشید چون بدجوری پاچه میگیرند . ولی خب .جون میده تو خلوت خودت ی پاف بزنی رو مچ دستت . قلاده اش رو ول کنی و روحتو زخم کنی . شاید هم بشه لییر کرد . اره میشه ولی پاف برای زیر سازی آقا ... وارانازی نمیزاره بگم ازش . هی میرم رو خط . هی میزنم بیرون خط گفتم که ... شروعش بمب آکورد انیمالیکه . حیوانی و کثیف مثل سیویت . امبر گریس بوی تعفنش بیداد می‌کنه . وجه چرک و سنگین عود داغونت می‌کنه . بوی دودش ... بوی خاکش . بوی چرب و سبز و سنگین وتیورش . بوی شدید صمغ و درخت کاج . مثل یاتاگان مثل افیونه ... لعنتی نمیزاره تمرکز داشته باشم . از عطرهای سنگین و انیمالیک لذت میبرید ؟ بسم الله این شما و این وارانازی یکی از بهترین‌هایی که تا امروز شناختم . اگر هم اهلش نیستید و سبکتون نیست . سمتش نرید . مثل سگ هار پارتون می‌کنه .

🔥 Crematorium on the Ganges 🕉️ Early morning, I descend to the river. The fog hasn't lifted yet, but the air is already thick with smoke. Bodies burn on wooden pyres – wrapped in white cloth, covered with flowers. This isn't a funeral. This is moksha – liberation of the soul. The first breath is incense – not sweet, church incense, but raw, bitter, like olibanum on burning coals. Beside it saffron and nutmeg – spices sprinkled on the body before cremation. A dense, suffocating cloud settles on the skin like sticky sweat. After several minutes, a rose emerges from the smoke – not fresh, but withered, like petals thrown onto a burning pyre. Jasmine sweet and heavy, marked by smoke. The flowers here don't smell like a garden – they smell like sacrifice. Ambrette adds something milky, as if someone poured clarified butter onto the pyre. And then it appears – oud. Not polite, perfumery oud – real, dirty, animalic oud. It smells like burnt skin, wet wood, and something else – something we don't speak of out loud. Ambergris and cypriol add moisture. Leather and animalic notes create something primitive, almost repulsive. I sit on the stone bank. Smoke rises into the air, and the scent will remain on my skin for many hours more. Spikenard and vetiver smell like wet clay, like roots returning to earth. Varanasi isn't a perfume for people who want to smell nice. This is the scent of a place where death is a passage. Where smoke mingles with flowers, and the Ganges carries ashes and rose petals. Either you run after the first sniff, or you come back every morning @the.scent.files

To say that Varanasi is bold would be an understatement. Varanasi is dark, like the blackest of nights. It has death and decay built into it. The incense and balsams here are laid bare, at once austere yet pithy. This is a rare western take on Incense where it is showcased as it really is, instead of being diffused or sweetened to serve overly civilized noses. Varanasi is Incense, naked; earthy, smoky, dry, rubbery, resinous with hints of wet concrete and some Amber. Cue religious connotations. But also cue satanic connotations. In Varanasi, it isn't all deities and sunshine, there is also something sinister and malevolent. It is as much wicked stuff as it is worship stuff. The focus on a sole natural material is not to imply that that it is lacking in nuance and alchemy. The construction of Varanasi is sophisticated, with sweet, spicy and floral tidbits from Saffron, Rose, Cardamom, etc. adding decor, but they kowtow to the power of Incense here, accomodating and easing its harsher edges, rather than being on the fore. To unassuming noses, they might as well be imperceptible. Varanasi is not easy to wear, and it is far from anything versatile. It's suited best for those with sombre demeanors and mean streaks. I myself wear it sparsely, when the weather is just cool enough and the colours bleak enough to fan my megalomania. Those days are not as frequent, fortunately, and jumping from a 2ml sample to a 10ml decant should be abundant for me till the end of the year. @bigbusynose of Instagram fame

Varanasi is an interesting one for me. On one hand I really dislike the first impressions because it reminded of other fragrances done way better. It felt like your average ultra low quality, overly barnyard feces laced commercial Oud oil with the standard rose/incense treatment building it up and trying to hide how disgustingly low quality the Oud is. One subsequent wearings the Oud still smells like hot garbage but more of the surrounding elements are making sense. The incense accord is a bit more forward and the whole wearing reminds me of Bahkoor that I’d get from Zakir bhai of Agarwood Assam fame when he still made and sold Bahkoor. With that being said the Oud oil used in this is trash. Like it’s just bad. Nothing will change that. However the fragrance itself isn’t bad. So make of that what you will. Oudh Infini reminds me of a much better, more fleshed out, and more interesting Varanasi. If you want something better than both of those I’d highly recommend Requiem from Sultan Pasha as it’s a superior composition to this on all fronts and sticks within the same realm of Smokey Bahkoor and spices.

A polarizing fragrance in every possible way. The opening is dense with incense, animalic leather, spices and faint traces of rubbery smoke. This explodes with some roughness and stays that way for some time. As the scent evolves you get a sense of its complexity. Different shades of woods emerge and with time a stunningly gorgeous musk develops making the scent almost skin like. Perhaps it is the ambergris. The previous notes mentioned in the opening are still there, but they are distant and drowned in a sea of salty skin musk that radiates beautifully for the rest of the life of the perfume. Challenging, but magical stuff. Recommend for those who enjoy dense animalic fragrances and appreciate the art of perfumery. It is a fragrance the requires time to fully appreciate. Sample before buying. No issues with longevity (above average) and projection (intimate in the dry down). Highly recommended to those who don't care about smelling good. 😉

I never understood why fragrances are described as “fecal”, even as someone who owns and continues to explore countless animalic scents. Varanasi, however, was the first time those descriptions truly clicked. For a brief moment, the opening is unmistakably animalic, almost excrement like, reminiscent of wet cow manure. Strangely and unexpectedly, it is pleasant. Not in an edgy or provocative way, but in a genuinely well constructed perfume way. Once past that opening, the fragrance reveals a solid backbone. Warm, sexy, and quietly sophisticated. As with most animalics, the real magic lies in the sillage. It is far more compelling in the air than up close, leaving behind a soft, sensual trail rather than demanding attention. This is without question the scent that impressed me the most from everything I have tried by Meo Fusciuni.

Too thick and dark for me. The comment below me was funny to read, that’s how my boyfriend felt. And I understand, I was all no with this one. The opening is similar to an essential oil perfume I have called XOXO by Eden’s Garden. A kind of animalics and jasmine fragrance. But this heads into smoky leathery territory and is complex and lived in. One of my favorite perfumers just bought a full size bottle of this so I had to give it a go. Sadly, saffron pulls latex like on me so this isn’t gonna be for me anyway, but I’m glad I tried it and if I was to say what it reminds me most of it’s if I woke up in a stable in pitch black that smelled of horse saddles and I couldn’t see where I am. A little unsettled, a little out of sorts, and inside a complete mystery moment.

first impressions: woody spicy and floral on me. rose and ambrette. maybe it's just my skin. it's rather pretty. sort of like a bright painting where the varnish has worn, and there's a layer of grime from many years. it's not a worse painting for its age, just different. this too smells developed, with all its layers. a statement, but i've had some friends smell this and so far it's a crowd pleaser. like a leather coat i buy at the thrift store that burns nag champa. when i went to the perfume store i asked for something stinky... this is all too wearable, imo. more wearable than another oud forward fragrance, Ruade, which i too enjoy but actually find less wearable for day-to-day. or rather, night-to-night. idk, i'll come back to it.

I ordered this after spending a month living in Varanasi. The opening is resinous, loud, and dry. (photo realistic in a way that I like) As it dries down it smells just like temple incense. After the incense settles a bit you begin to get some of the nutmeg and pleasant spices. So far the dry down is comprised mainly of soft leather and incense. It is intense but also airy and has a skin like muskiness. I am a fan of amber Kiso by ds and Durga which has a similar leather thing going on but dries down quite sharp which is not my favorite. I don't get much of the animalic smell in this one besides the leather. It actually gets quite soft and does a pleasant warm incense-skin thing which I really like. Overall I get a lovely temple smell.

There is dark, there is obscure, there is bleak and there is Varanasi by Meo Fusciumi. This reminds me of walking into an incense shop and smelling the intoxicating combination of hundreds of resins, herbs and spices. The note I really love in here is oudh hindi, very well done. As someone who wears dark fragrances only, I must say that this one is my favourite fragrance and has become my signature. Total and unforgiving darkness in a bottle, with a slight aquatic tone, like a deep, dark river. And I adore the way it interprets funerary rites of the Hindus. Pure masterpiece for the select few who dare wear it.

After tryin every single offering from the house, I finally found something that is near and dear to my heart. Very few scents create this narcotic buzz for me and Varanasi is one of the best in this regard. It’s intoxicating, sophisticated and very invigorating. The oud and ambergris here are top notch. I enjoy every step of development of this scent. Very balsamic with very strong base. Opening is incense dominant with great spice layering. Floral aspect is very complex and blending is phenomenal. Don’t judge from just the blotter. It thrives on my skin and I am really happy with it.

There are many 'challenging' perfumes, which I find perfectly fine to wear. I have & I love - A City On Fire, But Not Today, Lao Oud, Amber Kiso, etc etc, which are apparently tagged as polarizing. They are beautiful to me. But there's something about Varanasi from this house, I couldn't come to terms with. I just can't have it on. There's something nauseating, may be some animalics, I'm not used to. My 10 ml decant will be redundant. While I admire the art of capturing the essence of a place in this perfume, it's one I won't wear. IG : @scentclouds YouTube : @scentclouds

This is such a beautiful perfume but not for everyone. Dark, animalic, incens galore and musky. It has a spiritual vibe and the name Varanasi in quite right on this one. Funny thing, the first time i wore it ( the first 5 minutes) i had the eerie impression that i was in a orthodox church at a funeral with all the incense burning around the deceased and the priests singing chants. I simply love it! Performance wise, it's lasting for ages so be careful on the trigger. It"s a great scent if you love something more spiritual/meditative.

A cold, misty morning in India. the spice merchants have already opened their stalls, the street bazaars unroll animal hides, and the scent of incense drifts through the haze. Life moves slowly, yet never stops. A perfectly orchestrated, animalic fragrance that lingers like a living presence on the skin. The oud hums quietly beneath layers of jammy rose and bittersweet incense, creating an aura both sacred and feral — a meditation wrapped in smoke and spice.

An animal, yes, but not a stable of horses, nor a mammal that sweats through its tongue, but rather the salty sweat of a skin that has traveled and has been impregnated with environmental odors, incense, withered jasmine, mixed spices. Imprecise, diffuse, dark, like a silhouette that you cannot distinguish well in the night. Beautiful in a cold context, with too much temperature it can suffocate

I want to like this frag, if I could smell it. From the Sillage chart I was expecting an intimate scent bubble but no. This behaves like a skin scent on me. What a pity as I love the opening and the long complex development over the dry down. If anyone would be so kind as to recommend an animalic / incense based parfum with outstanding performance I would be truly grateful. Stolat

Really like it. Bought a sample, now I have a bottle. Really reminds me of Varanasi. A protective bottle. An old journey that protects the present. Glad I found this bottle....at the discounters! Lucked out! This bottle only wear for special occasions or times when needed.

یه ترکیب سمی. یه دوای انیمالیک با رگه های قوی کلاسیک و اغراق شده با تاپ نوت لیمو عمانی قدرتمند. ساخته یک ذهن پریشان و یاغی. پاس. ---------- Scent & Quality: 7/10 Longevity: 9/10 Sillage: 9/10 Creativity & Uniqueness: 8/10 Affordability: 1/10 ----------- Overall: 6.8/10

I somehow convinced myself this was my thing based on smelling on card in a Florence boutique. Buy it spray on skin and discover it is unwearable. The concoction of notes just don’t belong together especially the saffron and incense I think.

It reminds me of a softer version of Hard Leather by Laurent Mazzone, this one lacks the strong character but they are very similar, sweetened oud with animal notes with the addition of more spices; Varanasi feels more translucent.