Meant To Be Seen

Jordi Fernandez I love you. This is a unisex fragrance but it is a very different to anything else I own. I wasn't going to buy it but it is too interesting not to. The opening salvo is sweet. I get marzipan and violet right out of the gate and it is very sweet. I don't really get on with uber-sweet fragrances but this transformed on my skin into something truly fascinating. It is niche and I think if we ponder the meaning of the term; that is to say a fragrance that is different to other things another places and other situations and works in different ways, then this is as niche as niche gets. I don't know why I love this as much as I do, but the accords here are incredibly unique. The drydown is where the magic happens and again, we are in serious niche territory here. It is a compliment beast and neither of the strangers who complimented me on it could tell me why they liked it, only that they do. Let's get the 850 pound gorilla out of the room here - this is feminine. It leans feminine but it is undeniably unisex for the right guy. I would say it has a wider appeal to women and is - there is that word again - niche for guys. For niche guys! If you're looking for a chemical breakdown and an analysis of the accords and notes here, then I'm not sure I can help you. Without wishing to sound like the uneducated urk I clearly am, but I haven't got a clue what any of the middle accords here are. No idea. But I like them. And I like that I doing understand why. It is just so different. The bottle is pink and feminine and it dares a guy like me - almost six foot tall, thick viking beard, muscles, covered in tattoos - to take an interest. You put it on just after your shower in the morning and I think just on the chest. Max two sprays. This is a powerful thing and is the sort of frag where an overspray is really deleterious to the overall experience. Guys like me shouldn't be afraid of floral frags and this is a floral frag that works well for a guy, as long as you don't overdo it. Where would I wear this? It is not an office daily, but for chino shorts and a polo shirt on a warm day in the Marina here in Dubai, yeah I could see that. Is it a brunch frag? Yes, I think it is. It is whimsical and carries an interest. There are no gourmand notes here. It is a minerally kind of floral thing but the amber and sandalwood anchor it masterfully. Pink or lavender shirt, nice jeans, slip-on loafers and Wayfarers? Yeah, I could see that. I wouldn't wear it on a big night out or for a formal office thing, as it is a bit too out-there for that but imagine you are going out for a work dinner with clients you know well to a nice restaurant where the cocktails are better than the food, where you know it is going to be a relaxed, fun evening but probably not a very late night. This might work for that too. I can already tell that many reviewers are going to hate this, and I can see why as it isnt going to be a crowdpleaser and it does require a certain bravery and confidence in oneself to carry it off as a guy. For those of us who can, I think it has the potential to go on to be one of those iconic smells that have a cult following and smells like nothing else. Maybe this is a niche fragrance that is is pushing open a new niche? I'm new to haute perfumery and niche olfactory adventures but Ive never, ever in my life smelt anything like this before, on many, woman or beast. It is like nothing else I have ever encountered and those that like this kind of thing, will absolutely love it, if that makes sense. I continue to be astounded and beguiled in equal measure by Jordi Fernandez's work and this is another of his masterpieces in my nascent collection. I just love the way he smells the world. This is him in indulgent, off-the-leash expressive mode and you have the sense he enjoyed this one. It is wonderful stuff. Even if I only wear it three or four times a year, it is wonderful stuff. Trust me, the drydown is absolutely astonishing. You need to smell this one. Scent - 7/10 Sillage - 7/10 Drydown - 10/10 Packaging/bottle - 8/10 Performance - 9/10 41/50.

I think I might be the very first to give this fragrance a proper review on this site. It’s a soft, clean, cocooning powdery musk : love at first sniff. Like a veil of pure, delicate silk. My experience with it is still very new, but I’ll share an update in a few days as I spend more time with it. Given the bottle’s color and the presence of animalic notes listed, I wasn’t expecting something this clean, serene and peaceful. Yet what I found was an innocent, angelic, sensual beauty. Here’s what I perceived: - The opening gives me a citrusy musk; gentle, not sharp or sour, more of a lively brightness to lift the start. - This is quickly followed by a thick, creamy orris . I get this luxurious creamy texture in some Nishane creations, and it’s definitely here too. - Then comes a soft, yet bold woodiness - I’m not entirely sure, but as it approaches the drydown I catch a hint of sesame. It’s much more subtle here compared to fragrances where sesame is more prominent. - Tried it on my hair as well; airier, more powdery, an orris with a touch of vintage lipstick aura. It feels as if someone cast a spell to create the most tender, enveloping, clean, yet profoundly human warmth of musk. The color this fragrance evokes in me is somewhere between blush pink and cream, because everything about it feels innocent, angelic, and baby-soft. So far, it’s been wonderful. If it continues this way, it may very well become my third bottle.... For those curious about the sweetness level: I’m very sensitive to it, and I can no longer tolerate cloying, sugary fragrances. Here, the sweetness is minimal; just a balanced, fleeting whisper of softness that lingers like. I’ve smelled so many truly animalic fragrances that, by comparison, the animalic aspect here feels very subtle (almost non existent). To me, it’s only there to support the scent with a touch of intimacy and sensuality close to the skin. I just looked into the notes, and I should mention; I’m one of those who always pick up violet as sour, and I usually don’t get along with it. Here though, it’s more of a quiet companion to the iris/orris. Still, it’s not that familiar “iris–violet combo” we all know; that one has become far too classic. Edit (Day 2): Still deeply satisfying, though this time new facets begin to reveal themselves; like “doll head” and “futuristic skin musk”. Everyone loves to draw comparisons. This one, too, has echoes of those groundbreaking new-generation musks, yet it feels more refined; almost as if it has distilled that spirit into something closer to perfection. Edit (Day 3): Time to talk about longevity and projection: it wears close to the skin. At first I thought it wasn’t lasting, yet even after 12 hours I could still catch its scent. On skin it feels beautiful, on hair it takes on another charm altogether. Edit (1 month later): It doesn’t share the FdP DNA at all, and with Ella K it only overlaps for the first 10 seconds. This one stays much, much more powdery-woody by comparison. Edit (4 months later): I still love it a lot, but I've gradually started finding similarities with Ella K. At first it was just the opening, and now as I've used it more, I've come to the conclusion that they're similar in feel too. Rarely, but the big molecule woody base can get tiring, though I found the fix with a single spray. Final verdict: It feels truly meant to be worn . Tag(s): baby soft musk, powdery, creamy, luxurious lotion vibes, doll, soft woody

I read the comments below; one says this smells like a generic lobby, another says it is an expensive laundry scent. Well, yes. I do get all of that. The common words associated with this fragrance are: clean, purple, soft, and velvety. This perfume has a quality I treasure in perfumery: it is reminiscent of things we smelled before, but we can't always name. It materializes a concept. A friend of yours might be checking in at a boutique hotel on the other side of the world, and he will think of you. Your partner might be away for work, sleeping on sheets that smell expensive, and he/she'll think of you. Those are moments that take us by surprise due to their simplicity, nostalgia, and comfort, just like this fragrance. Objectively speaking, this smells like pencil shavings that evolve into a shiny iris. This iris is velvety (not powdery), and it fades until the composition turns woodier. It does have a "molecular" feeling (whatever that means to you), but it's not overly synthetic. The purple sweetness from the iris stays throughout the scent's life, and it's addictive. It never turns candy-like. Unlike other reviewers, I get a decent bubble scent for at least 3 hrs. I love this scent; I love its nostalgia, its simplicity.

This is the best Iris scent I've ever smelled. And I disagree that there are no skin aspects. It has the best, non-nauseating whisper of skin I've ever smelled. I usually get extremely grossed out by skin-esque notes but this is warm and wonderful. I don't pick up any of the animalic notes, and there's nothing remotely dirty about this fragrance; the sesame is very faint, like the smell you get from toasting them in a pan or smelling them ontop of fresh bread - it's exceptionally well blended. In fact I get more of a light almond-y, marzipan touch. It smells NOTHING like Glossier You, which I thought smelled cheap and nasty when I tried it. It's just a warm, woody, iris that feels so cosy and warm on skin. On my list of full bottles to save up for. If you're an Iris stan, you'll love this. I don't think it smells anything like Fleur de Peau - I find that exceptionally boring. In fact I don't find it smells like anything in the "smells like" section, except that it has the same vibe as Sur tes Levres, but I think this is way better with much better performance and softer around the edges. Another 10/10 from Jordi Fernandez; and honestly, signature scent worthy for me.

When I first smelled this perfume, I knew I had to own it. Its opening reminds me of the powdery character of Chanel No 19 Poudre, but in a softer, less green way. The powder in Meant To Be Seen feels delicate from the very first moment and makes you want to follow where it goes. On my clothes, the powdery effect lasts longer, but after a while, a soft sweetness emerges on my skin with iris and a delicate touch of sesame. You can feel that the sesame is there, but you do not smell it directly. Instead, it completes the fragrance, just like an elegant necklace you add around your neck on a day when you have carefully gotten ready. As it starts to dry down, the skin scent feeling becomes more noticeable, and it moves into a woody base. Like people who do not talk much, but whose words stay with you when they do, it does not try to draw attention, yet it still makes its presence felt. Among skin scents, this has been one of the strongest performers for me in terms of projection. The longevity was also quite strong on my skin. I could still smell it even after 10 hours.