Papilefiko

Papilefiko is such a weird but very likeable fragrance that I can only describe as a hidden gem in the most literal sense. it opens quite sweet, airy, a littel fresh, and very aromatic, with the only defining notes i can smell being the Cardamom, the Balsam fir (i think its that?), and citruses, however very quickly after the opening the main scent profile appears, and this is where it gets even weirder but in the best way possible. What i mainly get is a lot of Cardamom and Coriander, not enough to be spicy to the nose, but enough to give warmth without being spicy, and inviting without being imperative to those around you. Next i get on my skin is a LOT of sweet resinous styrax, as sweet as the Amyris in Amyris homme if that makes sense (they smell nothing alike, just for comparisons sake), and lastly i get some Moss to add texture and body to each whiff, along with some excellently blended lavender that merges/combines with all the other notes to the point its hard to isolate with smell alone, its very well blended and further gives this fragrance an appealing profile while staying quite unique. And it keeps this scent profile of a pleasantly weird sweet, aromatic, resinous fougere-esque scent for the rest of its wearing. As for the Blazing Mr. Sam comparisons, its been a year or 2 since I've smelt it, but it only vaguely reminds me of it in the opening, but that's about it, from what I remember Mr. Sam was a lot warmer and had tobacco in it, Papilefiko on the other hand is much more resinous and sweeter if I had to compare them As for how it wears, I get a firmly medium projection, but even the slightest bit of sweating or physical activity that warms your body up a fair amount makes this fragrance become much stronger and also even a little sweeter, so if its colder its medium, if it (or you) are warmer its quite strong but not cloying, as for you longevity on my skin i got around 10ish hours, but by the 8th hour onwards its quite hollow and not as present. as for seasons to wear it, this could be a signature scent easily, and is perfect on all days except the most blistering hot circumstances, and even now as I'm writing this in 27 degree weather with very high humidity it feels right at home. in that line of thinking this is equally good for casual and formal occasions, as it's sweet enough to be inviting (but not cloying), and intriguing and aromatic enough to not be overbearing but to let your presence be felt all the same, it leans masculine as well in my opinion, but a Lady could very much enjoy and wear this fragrance. Honestly this is very much a hidden gem within Nishane, and i personally think it MORE than deserves to be up there with Hacivat, Ani, and Wulong Cha, but in the same vein, I will happily keep this semi-gatekept, as it makes you a hidden gem in the rough when you wear it. phenomenal perfumery, and my 2nd favourite Nishane, second only to Ani X which is my favourite fragrance OAT, but if it didn't exist, Papilefiko would be an easy 1st place, and quite frankly this is comfortably in my scents for life/top 10-15 fragrances without a doubt. Easily my favourite fragrance of this genre, and has a wearing experience that makes you feel upscaled, content, and confident all at the same time. definitely worth smelling if you have not already, full marks from me as an enthusiast and fan of the house. objectively a 9-9.5/10 (in my opinion) personal 10/10 though

The way I thought this fragrance would smell based off the notes listed couldn't be further from how this fragrance actually smells. From the notes listed, I was expecting something akin to a spicier Prada Luna Rossa Homme or even a modern twist or avant garde take on a fougère fragrance. Despite reviews on Fragrantica relating this fragrance to Penhaligons Halfeti, I took those comparisons with a grain of salt as some people come here to troll compositions or review fragrances they haven’t even smelled. However, I must say, the comparisons to Halfeti is absolutely true. I’ve never smelled ‘The Blazing Mr Sam’ but I own Halfeti and the similarities are undeniable. Papilefiko smells like Halfeti with a bit of sweetness added. The sweetness is vanillic but airy and diffusive and has an almost citrus like freshness to it without smelling overtly citric. It’s done very cleverly. This vanillic sweetness is anchored by what I consider to be an almost exact re-creation of the Halfeti DNA. The distinct woody accord in Halfeti is reeled back in the Papilefiko iteration but still present which is curious considering there is no woody note listed in the note breakdown. How the perfumer was able to create this fragrance from the notes listed is very clever because I would have never guessed these notes could come together to create an ‘Halfeti-ish’ dupe, but here were are! I do really love this composition though and I’d even recommend it for a blind buy if you enjoy Halfeti. The performance is great, lasting 8+ hours on my skin, the sillage is very pleasant and sexy and the price on the gray market is very reasonable for a niche fragrance from a renowned niche house. 9/10.

Dark, Green with orange facets. Really well blended, comes across as a smoother and slightly greener version of Desir Toxic. This smells amazing. It's mature. Think 30+ and masculine leaning. Not for close encounters, though, at least not the first 30 minutes. Wife told me it was too strong for cuddling. This is a more outdoorsy or a personal scent in my opinion when you are just working in your office. The profile smells different up-close than further away. The sillage has a luxury edge to it and it smells comforting with a dose of maturity. The sillage is amazing on this. I like it for a quick meet and greet. Don't hang around with the same crowd for too long. Or a boss walking into the office to say quick hello. Most importantly, not hanging around for too long. I feel this is where the scent carries it's most power. It's alluring and its complex to figure out. Smells luxurious and comforting but could be too much for some. Mr. Sam is more youthful imho. I see this as a matured Mr. Sam. Having smelled Rouge540 about a billion times now it seems. I don't see the resemblance. Downvoting that comparison. This is more Mr. Sam/Desir Toxic and Halfeti, but definitely it's own thing! Hopefully my nose is still intact, but I am getting the same fir as Bottega Veneta Pour Homme Extreme, though that one leans more masculine soapy in the dry-down

Upon first spray on my arm and testing this against PDM Haltane, I am not getting that close of a vibe that many are comparing. Haltane has more of a sweeter vibe to it while Pap is way more dry and dusty. Read further for my thoughts on Pap... Pap is straight up dry, dusty woods. I get two images in my mind... One is at a lumber mill where boards are sawn and drying in the sun with a strong oakmoss carpeting. It's all dry and just letting all that moisture evaporate to prepare the wood for its use. The second image is that of Merlin in a dungeon surrounded by dusty, old leather bound books and scrolls that he is pouring over by candle light. The smell of old and dustiness is very present which I believe is the woods and oakmoss. I got zero citrus on my skin and it went straight up woods and oakmoss. It's a pleasant fragrance and one I would wear when I am ready for my scholarly duties as a teacher and professor. It puts me in the mindset of setting down and getting to work to exercise my brain and getting to business. This is an intellectuals fragrance for scholarly and those of higher intellect seeking answers to difficult problems. A strong work ethic. A desire to achieve what has not been done.

This is a beautiful fragrance that doesn’t get much attention like the Tero or Kredo from the same collection, but is gorgeous. It’s sophisticated and masculine. This is a fragrance that grabs the attention, not for someone who wants to go unnoticed. It does smell in the alley of Penhaligon’s Mr. Sam or Halfeti. if you have any of those perfumes it will be redundant but in the other hand you will find a better deal of this perfume on discounters sites. I bought a decant to test it, I might come back later with mi notes on the performance. Edit: I end up buying a 100ml bottle, since I felt it was a fresher side of Halfeti. I read before this perfume had bad performance but on me is nuclear it last on my skin 8+ hours, the clothes I’m wearing with it will keep on smelling like Papilefiko even after washing it, even at the next day it reactivates when Im showering. I can’t se nowhere near I can finish the 100ml bottle (same with Fan Your Flames).But this is how it behaves on my skin, I still recommend to try it before commit to a full bottle.