Shem

EN. Shem by Nishane – My Inner Light on the Silk Road There are fragrances that you remember. And then there are others — those that whisper the stories of a thousand and one nights. Shem... belongs precisely to the latter. The very moment I felt its magic on my wrist, I didn’t sense a simple perfume — I felt inspiration. As if a candle had been lit in the depths of my soul — a quiet light in memory, in the heart — reminding me of something forgotten, yet so close, so alive. Cardamom is the first to arrive — confident, never intrusive — like the opening to a meaningful conversation. Then comes the Turkish rose: warm, velvety, never cloying. It’s not a rose to be picked — it’s one to be contemplated, endlessly. And then geranium appears, adding a cool clarity — like an essential phrase written in deep blue ink on handcrafted paper. But it’s in the heart of the fragrance that Shem truly reveals itself. There’s osmanthus — a delicate, fruity surprise with a hint of ripe apricot. It seems to melt into amber, like a spiritual embrace. Cypriol gives it depth — slightly raw, earthy — keeping the composition from slipping into banal abstraction. This is where the scent begins to sing on the skin — not loudly, but with intensity. And finally, the base — perhaps my favorite part. Vetiver, smoky and fresh at once, evokes the scent of green life in a desert oasis. The leather note sounds like an echo of lived experience — like a diary written after long wanderings along the Silk Road, from Xi’an to Rome. Elemi — resinous, balsamic, almost sacred — completes the composition, leaving a trail that isn’t boastful, yet always present, like a soft breeze. Shem is a kind of memory of something that perhaps never happened — or maybe it did, in another life. It’s a golden bridge between East and West... One day, as I wandered through the shimmering corridors of Istanbul airport, I happened to notice this fragrance — and the moment I sensed it, I knew: I wasn’t late for the encounter with something unknown, but rather something I’d been waiting to meet for years. It’s not an everyday perfume — and that’s exactly what makes it perfect. It’s a perfume for silence. For those moments when you want to remember who you are. Or simply — to stand still and listen to your own light. IT. Shem di Nishane – la mia luce interiore lungo la Via della Seta Ci sono profumi che si ricordano. E poi ce ne sono altri, quelli che ti raccontano le storie delle Mille e una notte. Shem... appartiene proprio a questi ultimi. Nel momento stesso in cui ne ho percepito la magia sul polso, non ho sentito un semplice profumo: ho sentito ispirazione. Come se in fondo all’anima si fosse accesa una candela — una luce silenziosa, nella memoria, nel cuore — che mi ha ricordato qualcosa di dimenticato, ma vicino, vivo. Il cardamomo arriva per primo — sicuro, ma mai invadente, come un’introduzione a una conversazione seria. Poi si apre la rosa turca: calda, vellutata, mai stucchevole. Non è una rosa da cogliere — è una rosa da contemplare, all’infinito. Poi arriva il geranio, che aggiunge una chiarezza fresca, come una frase essenziale scritta con inchiostro blu profondo su carta fatta a mano. Ma è nel cuore della fragranza che Shem si rivela veramente. C’è l’osmanto — una sorpresa delicata e fruttata, con una lieve sfumatura di albicocca matura. Sembra sciogliersi nell’ambra, come in un abbraccio spirituale. Il cipriolo dona profondità — leggermente grezzo, terroso — impedendo alla composizione di perdersi in un’astrazione banale. È qui che la fragranza comincia a suonare sulla pelle — non ad alta voce, ma con intensità. E infine, il fondo — forse la mia parte preferita. Il vetiver, fumoso e fresco allo stesso tempo, evoca il profumo delle piante in un’oasi nel deserto. L’accordo di cuoio risuona come un’eco del vissuto — come un diario scritto dopo lunghi pellegrinaggi lungo la Via della Seta, da Xi’an fino a Roma. L’elemi — resinoso, balsamico, quasi sacro — chiude la composizione lasciando una scia che non è pretenziosa, ma che rimane sempre, come una brezza leggera. Shem è una forma di ricordo di qualcosa che forse non è mai esistito — oppure sì, ma in un’altra vita. È un ponte d’oro tra Oriente e Occidente... Un giorno, camminando tra i corridoi scintillanti dell’aeroporto di Istanbul, ho notato per caso questo profumo — e, appena l’ho sentito, ho capito subito: non ero in ritardo all’appuntamento con qualcosa che non conoscevo, ma che aspettavo da anni. Non è un profumo da tutti i giorni — e proprio per questo è perfetto. È un profumo per il silenzio. Per quei momenti in cui vuoi ricordarti chi sei. O semplicemente — restare fermo in silenzio e ascoltare la tua luce.

SHEM by NISHANE, is the second launch of his Prestige Collection, after Nefs, SHEM is liquid gold and art. This is a fragrance with character, elegance, sexy, it has a green shining vibes, like the color of its bottle, but at the same time warm, sophisticated and refined, it reminds me of those gala dinners at night, when you want to draw attention but without screaming, because you are phenomenal in a natural way, you are already like that, this is truly a neck breaker, Shem means candle, because when you use it you shine like thousands of candles around you and you make yourself noticed and with this fragrance I feel powerful, elegant, opulent, sexy and unique, and of course, I consider this scent very unique, and obviously when you wear a scent like this one, you want to smell different and unique to those around you, and others will know it, they will know that because you’re shining on everyone around you. The flowers are giving that refined and elegant touch, its green and earthy notes that are distributed on the three levels are giving that powerful aromatic touch that together with the amber gives that warm and smooth creamy temperature that it needs to make it powerful, opulent and outstanding to finalize its leather note that It gives a soft animalistic touch but without offending, that feels so rich and makes it sexy and very unique. Regarding its performance, we are talking about an Extrait de Parfum, which is a high concentration, on my skin has lasted 12 hours, taking care in the sprays, but in general it has a decent performance of 10 hours, however if you love to overspray like me , this fragrance becomes a beast mode and you could easily reach more than 10 hours, it has a projection of 2 meters easily, in conclusion a decent performance, personally it fascinates me when a fragrance lasts more than 8 hours. I could consider it as a night fragrance, but please, use it when you want, this conveys greatness, if you feel like this and want to project it then use it, and always use the fragrances that make you happy! It is for us and to convey to others how incredible we are, just be careful with sprays in warm places.

I've gotten it! Wow it's amazing! I'm going to write more about it after I wear it a little but first impression is I love it. It's super unique. I get a little of nishanes other vetiver offering in there in the amazing fresh soft mint hue. The leather and amber are standing out to me as well. I'll get back in an hour or so. Oh and the presentation and and bottle are top notch. Update: So after a full wear I've come to the conclusion that this is a leather, amber, then floral scent. The vetiver comes from the roots giving itv that awesome gritty nutty scent that a good vetiver can give. The leather is realistic and full. Lasts throughout the entire wear. However, the perfumer does an amazing job keeping the scent light with the florals. This scent is actually a great summer scent even being leather forward. Can't wait until a see some other takes on this to see if others see it the way I do. Scent lasts forever, put it on after shower at night, was still a skin scent in the morning. Don't get too many chemicals aiding in this affect either. Knowing nishane, it's in there, but hidden well. I live the scent. Try it. If you don't love it to, @ me. Update 2- I may have to get another bottle. No one else has reviewed this yet, meaning it's most likely not doing well and will get discontinued. Yall are missing out. Nevermind the price it's an extrait around 40 percent concentration. People looooovvvveee aventus 100ml 450 and 20 percent concentration at best lasts 2 hours max and that's not in the heat

I just received my FB of Shem. I have 9 other Nishane fragrances, including Nefs, and I was very curious about Shem, so I blind bought it as I do all of my fragrances. Opens up with a spicy Turkish rose and geranium. Cardamon is giving it this sophisticated spice that leaves you with a “Wow” in the opening. The germanium takes the Turkish rose in a defined masculine direction. All at the same time you are getting a mix of Cypriol oil making it mossy and osmanthus giving you apricots, woods and some leather. This is all perfectly blended to perfection in the opening. The cypriol and osmanthus are in the mids but you smell them immediately. Ten minutes in it really starts getting magical. The amber makes its appearance along with the osmanthus and you start getting a sweet resinous accord going on all while the rose and mosey woods are still playing in the background. Leather is still with you but it’s a very refined sophisticated leather that is not animalic. I’m in heaven right now and I haven’t even got to the bottom notes of leather, elemi, and vetiver. Although leather is appearing all throughout and the elemi is resin that is spicy and piney. This is top notch. One of the best blind buys I have ever made. I give Shem a 10/10! Amazing fragrance!

This is a nice perfume, not a love for sure, but that’s because it’s not in my taste of perfumes. Very good quality and builded fragrance with good performance like a amazing performance! The scent itself: it reminded me of those Turkish bubblegums with freshness of mint. The geranium is super super strong in here for the first hour or 2. The rose starts to shine in the background but it never gets a rosy perfume to be honest which is good for me tough. The leather is dry and realistic and not artificial or more clothing leather kind of thing.. but that dry leather before you make something out of it. The base continues with that leather, softened rose and some bitterness (vetiver)?. It’s a good scent and the idea behind it is very clear, I’ll keep my bottle but I wouldn’t recommend it to buy it blind as I did.. it’s not that leather what you would expect. More of a dry oriental perfume with some floral touches and also very fresh. You can definitely wear this all your around altough during summer more in the nights and less sprays. And a little bittlee comparison to Tuscan leather... deep drydown when the rose oil has faded the leather is pretty similar. 9/10

Nishane’s Shem is a beautiful, masculine floriental fragrance centred around rose and leather, with the other notes in the composition mainly serving to flesh out these two focal points. It opens quite sweet, with the rose at its strongest, eventually fading down to become blended with the leather in the dry down. One thing that bothers me here is the price, because this smells very, very similar to Nasomatto’s Nudiflorum, which retails for roughly half the price per millilitre. I will say though, that Shem does have enough differences that it’s not merely interchangeable with Nudiflorum, in fact I prefer it, but it’s close enough that I would strongly urge anyone to sample both before committing to Shem at its high price point. That being said, you can avoid paying retail for this once it becomes more readily available, as it can be found for 50% off from grey market sellers if you keep an eye out.

Shem is a beast mode, nuclear power green frangrance. 2 sprays on the paper strip that I brought home and placed on a shelf in my office. 24h+ later I still get wifs of it at 1 meter distance. I have Interlude 53 and this is on that league pf projection. Now the scent: to me is sexy as hell, signature worthy but I love green-type profiles. Now price: 50ml for 500+ is eye watering. I’m gonna sell off 2-3 from my collection to get this one. Of course there might be other options out there I am unaware, so order a decant use it socially and share the experience with the rest of us. This is quality. Update: compared with Sultry Woods...Shem is the Louis Roderer Champagne and Sultry Woods is a very fine Frexenet spanish cava, legit comparison = same profile, but shem has higher concentration and lasts 72h on a paper strip (Sultry on paper is almost dead after 8-9 hours)

I sure know how to find them. Expensive I mean. I acidentally tried this one, completely oblivious to the price tag. And of course fell in love with it. You know when you cannot stop smelling it on your arm? Well that magic. The rose opening, the lingering amber, the dominating cardamom.. this one is really, really good. It stays on forever, even after showering. It has this boldness about it, almost fatal. Pure magic, and surely on to do list. I gave it another try because I got it decanted and.. this really is everything. A masterpiece. The greenness, the depth, the leather, the cardamom. It's a truly complex scent but so, so beautiful. I love its gentle hum of rose which lifts the green aspect of it. It's definitely not a safe blind buy, but it is unisex if you ask me. I don't usually like leather perfumes but this is really next level blending.

After having tried Nefs, I was curious about Shem. Well, these are totally different fragrances. The resembles is that they are both warm, oriental evening fragrances. Where Nefs is more extravert, open and present (even when I remove the cap of the bottle I can smell the very rich aroma), Shem is more introvert and muted. My first reaction upon spraying Shem on paper was not too good. Now I have sprayed on my wrist I like it a bit more. It is pretty sweet. I smell amber, leather, rose. It does has depth, but stays close to the skin. I will smell it a few more times before giving it a grade. edit: liking it more and more. edit: bought it! I don't think Shem is introvert anymore. Sweet, daring, syruppy, deep. I am very happy with my purchase.

I only sampled this in the store so I cant give a full breakdown of notes, but I will say this is probably the most rich, unique fragrance I have smelled to date. Like a sparkling emerald embedded in a mossy cedar. Masterful blending. Descriptions really dont do it justice, you need to smell it. And let me tell you this is a BEAST mode fragrance; it's an extrait so ONE spray will last probably 12 hours. Even the paper tester I brought home smelled for 3 days. Definitely leans more on the masculine side, and not an office-safe fragrance which should go without saying. You will smell special and you will turn heads. Absurdly over-priced; wait for a discount but even $300 is honestly fair for what they've created here.

It was a blind buy. Risky blind buy but waoww how good is this scent?! Freaking awesome. So Wicked. Different. The opening was a bit unisex vibe but the dry down on my skin at least oh my lord.. this freshness greenish leathery sweet vibe is just fantastic. What a blend Nishane.. for real I consider even better than Nefs in terms of versatility.. You can pull this off during the day.. Not right on the beach but.. yes It’s quite versatile for a $500 extrate the parfum.. Excellent! Next stop Mana’ o/

I have a sample of this from a discovery set and it’s my favourite followed by Sultan Vetiver. These smell like money!!!!! Shem is a leather bomb!!! If you love leather, which I do, you will definitely love this one. The only downside for me is that it’s too expensive I’ll have to save up for months to get a FB. I wish Nishane sold 10ml of this coz it’s potent you don’t need the full bottle for it to last. 10/10? Yes. P.S. it reminds me of a Tom Ford Tuscan leather I think

This is rather exquisite. A beautiful juxtaposition of earthy, smoky cypriol and leather, with a tart elemi and fruity osmanthus giving it an alluring sweetness. It has a rugged, crystalline texture, but there's a creaminess to it as well which speaks to the quality of its blending and natural ingredients. Like a tropical forest floor after the rain. Very alluring. I would definitely say unisex, although leaning more masculine. Mega projection and lasting power too.

From the first breath, I was utterly captivated by Shem. It unfolds with a vibrant, verdant smoothness, a texture that feels almost silken on the senses. There's a captivating brightness to it, a luminosity that hints at something alluringly sexy. Intriguingly, the initial notes carry a fleeting whisper of a sophisticated alcoholic drink, adding a unique and intriguing twist. This is undeniably a fragrance that stands apart, a truly distinctive experience.

Smells very close to Tom Ford Rose de Russie, but with too much cypriol and vetiver. It's pickley from the start and once the top notes fade it's eternal pickle juice costing more than liquid gold. Update: the cypriol is indelible, lasting on skin well into the next day after washing, and preventing the use of other perfumes. Too much! I do live the opening but I don't like what I'm left to deal with.

This is soo good and quality crafted. Not an ordinary leather scent and I never been smell similar to this. Not detected the rose here. Masculine lean and suitable for cool person. Not an uplifting scent but i will take care of your feeling and accompany you during me time. Not for everyone but full bottle worthy which i did. What a cozy creamy leathery perfume.

This is fire and not comparable to the fragrances listed above. Definitely high end and I may be getting a bottle..it’s unique with obvious quality materials..I got a bottle. Wow I’m in love. Unique as this fragrance develops...each section is better than the rest. Love it highly recommended.

Absolutely addictive scent! I never thought I could personally pull off rose but this is one I can rock. Beautifully blended with just a touch of ashy leather with that smooth rose. It slightly reminds me of Tuscan Leather with rose instead of raspberry. Longevity is outstanding.

Satisfying. I crave well balanced fragrances with unique combinations. Apricot-leaning osmanthus lends a fruity component to a subtle rose and a blend of spicy, heavier notes. Very sexy and wearable in all but summer months.

Just sprayed it after a long long time, almost forgot how much I love it. Turns any day into an occasion.

CRAAAZY fragrance, special occasion or winter. insane performance, insane quality. easy 10/10

High quality stuff. It's more wearable FM the Moon, but it has a touch of FM Promise as well

I blind bought fb preorder. I put full review after I get it. Bottle ships on the 4th

This is fire💃☺ Have already bought another x2 back ups ☺☺

This stuff is still so good...

I feel like Shem has been flying under the radar for most people. Either because of the ridiculous high price tag or the dominating rose note, I rarely to never see it mentioned. It is definitely not a fragrance for everyone; quite the contrary, the rose + cypriol combo can seem unusual and overpowering to inexperienced noses, especially the way it is done here. But to me, this whole blend is both addictive and prestigious. I like the way someone else titled his review - "Business class". I feel like that's a very fitting evocative label for Shem, for this does smell high-quality. However, I certainly did not expect it to be as sweet as it is, almost candy-like. The Turkish rose unapologetically dominates the scent right from the start, with a very rich, sweet, velvety aroma, with hints of spice, smokiness, and even a honeyed edge. It is warmed up by the cardamom accompanying it, which is also responsible for the lemony/minty undertone. It could just as well be the geranium, though, as its complex herbaceous rose-like attributes include a slightly citrusy twist. Nonetheless, the opening is intense, yet beautiful in every way. Dark, sweet, complex rose, blended with warm spices and aromatic touches. Soon, the cypriol takes on the scene, which adds this slightly smoky, spicy odor, with nuances of woodiness and earthiness. It also seems to be the one responsible for the alleged "faint cigarette smoke scent" that my dad picked upon. However, for me the osmanthus steals the show at the heart due to its impressive complexity of fruitiness and florals. It basically reminds me of peaches, but with a stronger sort of floral creaminess on top, like a mix of jasmines and orange blossom. As for the amber, it's not very pronounced, mostly warming things up while taking a step back, leaving the rest of the notes shine through. At the base, this very prominent lemony scent with balsamic and fresh, spicy qualities of the elemi resin completely overshadow the rest of the base notes. The rose, cypriol, and osmanthus, which persist for most of the wearing, aid it further in diminishing the smell of vetiver, of which I can barely pick up any, and leather, which takes it a while to properly show. And even after it shows, it is still quite mild (to me), struggling to properly identify it. I mostly get some warmth which I can associate with leather. Overall, great blending and quality - richness and depth throughout the whole wearing. But I will say it strikes as a little linear; that strong rose/osmanthus/cypriol overpower mostly everything else right from the start and through most of the wearing, so there isn't a lot of development at first glance. In terms of performance, I was expecting this to follow the lead of most other Nishanes on my skin and fade away by the 5 hour mark. But to my surprise, Shem stuck to my skin for somewhere around 9-9.5 hours. And I was also pleased to see it deliver pretty good projection and sillage, with 2+ feet for the first two hours, after which it would take a step back and form a one foot bubble around me for like 1-2 more hours. Somewhere around the 5-6 hour mark, it would turn into a skin scent. Overall, quite solid. It should be clear by now that this isn't a fragrance to be worn daily, nor to your usual getaways or at places where you have to keep it lighter (e.g. gym). This feels like it was made for special occasions, like weddings or similar dressed-up situations. And for men worrying that the rose in here might give the fragrance a more feminine lean, rest easy - this is rose done in a more masculine way. Not overly so, however; it is still definitely unisex. So in the end, you won't see why I like Shem until you try it, or maybe you won't see why it isn't talked about more until you give it a sniff. It's really a love it or hate it affair, but if you enjoy fragrances with a dark, sweet rose being the main protagonist, then it's well-worth sampling Shem. But is it worth getting a full bottle of? No, I don't think so. Its retail price of around €450-€550/50ml is simply exaggerated. And while I believe the end product is definitely high-class and rather underrated in Nishane's catalog, it's not really worth what they ask for it. But hey, if you can afford business class, I guess that this should be pocket money for you. Presentation: 9.5/10 Scent: 8/10 Longevity: 8.5/10 Projection: 7.5/10 Versatility: 6.5/10 Value for Money: 3.5/10 Overall: 7.25/10

Shem is, in a nutshell, a high-quality leather scent with excellent performance. The dominant leather accord is complemented beautifully by floral, green and earthy notes. Unisex, even masculine-leaning, this is a dry, earthy, green-tinged leather scent; neither the refined saddle-smooth leather note that features in many Hermès scents (Galop/Eau d'Hermès/Kelly Calèche etc.) nor skanky, animalic oud-rendered leather. Instead, the cypriol features prominently, adding a hazy, earthy green undertone that keeps the leather dry and smoky. Subtle florals add some balance. It reminds me of Dusita Le Sillage Blanc, as well as Grès Cabochard. Shem opens with its core leather-cypriol accord, dry and aromatic. Some geranium adds a fresh green edge, lifting the dry earthiness of the cypriol. Some velvety rose follows, complementing the leather to perfection, but it is very subtle. Some peppery spice is in there too. Shem doesn't change much as it progresses - the dry, earthy leather prevails. However, the amber accord develops with the scent, its sweetness enhanced by a hint of peach from the osmanthus note. Elemi, one of my favourite amber notes, is used here - adding honeyed, pine-tinged richness to the amber-leather accord. Vetiver adds a hint of woodiness as it dries down, but it remains an earthy leather-amber scent until final fade. Sillage is strong and longevity is eternal - it is still evident on my skin the next day. A simple but nicely-composed leather scent, Shem is made with good-quality ingredients and has excellent performance, but isn't anything unusual. However, it is a really decent example of its genre. A unisex scent that is best worn in cold weather. An elevated, more refined Cabochard. 4/5.

When fragrances do a rose and leather note together it's hard to make it right, and Nishane Shem has perfected it. First thing you notice is how damn smooth it is, you immediately assume this is an expensive fragrance. I sampled a 2ml vial of it and my goodness what a long lasting, incredibly pleasing, aroma bomb of leathers and florals. It gives off rich lady vibes, but I don't care, I'll still wear it. Shem is the epitome of what a niche fragrance should be; smooth, inviting, pleasant and divine. However upon research a 50ml goes for $400!!!! WTF.... Seems worth it to be honest, it lasts all day and smells elegant. 9/10

If only I experienced the longevity others mentioned, I would buy a bottle rather then just hang on to the sample. It was gone in a couple of hours for me. Similar to Pelargonium by Aedes de Venustas, this scent pairs cardamom with geranium ( ok those of you absolutists will tell me that pelargorium and geranium are not actually the same thing) but Shem is a lighter rosier take on the greens and spice. Rose and I don't always get along yet this Turkish rose roughened up with a bit of amber and leather makes me dream of a library opening up to a rose filled courtyard on the sort of day you wish to sit outside and read.

This piece is for the longevity and sillage lovers . Otherwise ... the smell is not so good , haha. Green , green , green . Cypriol bomb , dirty,nasty cypriol bomb first 30-40 min . After 1 hour i start to notice the turkish rose and the scent become more wearable. Huge concentration of perfume oil ( guess 40 at least ) . The prestige collcetion is a true adventure for the nose . Lol . If you like Promise from FM , Shem is your type of scent . You will love it .

Beautiful but also quite challenging - lots of somewhat bitter spices and very dark and intense base. Strong leather note but with lots of saffron and some smokiness as well. Too much for me but I would love to smell it on someone else though. My ig: scent.guide

Not a rose fan, but this fragrance is good. I like the interplay with leather, it reminds me a bit of some rose-oud combos I have encountered in the past. Heavy, potent, spicy, mature. 7/10

@Eric Rosetti this page is for Shem, not for Nefs.

An undeniably high quality yet undeniably repetitive jammy rose/leather combo. Opens up with jammy and sweet Turkish Rose, fruity and floral osmanthus, and sharp and minty geranium. As it dries down this thick, slightly animalic leather mixes with an overdose of woody Cypriol and vetiver to make this pseudo oud accord that contrasts well against the high quality rose. The quality of the oils used here are phenomenal, definite top shelf, natural stuff. The opening is amazing as it strikes the line between the rose, osmanthus, and geranium quite well. Unfortunately, they’re used in a very color-by-numbers way in the dry down that doesn’t get me super excited and wanting to drop over $600 on this for a 50 mL. If you’ve smelled a bunch of Oud/Rose fragrances, this is yet another rendition of those with a slight focus on the more leathery aspects that can come from that combo. Leans ever so slightly masculine and mature to my nose, but wear what you want. What this perfume lacks in originality it makes up for in performance and projection. Lasting more than 48 hours on my skin and projecting strongly for the first 18. 6.5/10. Song vibe - 25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago TLDR - A pleasant rose/pseudo oud combo that focuses more on the animalic and smoky aspects that oud can have through the accord created by the leather and Cypriol oil used in the blend. A bit boring if you’ve smelled a fair bit of rose/oud frags, but undeniably high quality. Ridiculously overpriced for what it is.

Herbal Beast. Shem is impossible to ignore; she’s always present. Cypriol takes the lead here, unmistakably and unapologetically. The opening greets me with an intense, sharp leafy accord paired briefly with cardamom. The cardamom fades almost instantly, making way for rose, which steps in without softening the composition. Vetiver and leather remain in the background like steady backing vocals, grounding the scent with an earthy, slightly rugged character. The overall effect is green, dry, and assertive rather than floral or romantic. I think it’s very successful within its own lane, but ultimately not my personal preference. This is a fragrance that demands an appreciation for plants like cypriol or papyrus; without that affinity, Shem will be difficult to love. Tag(s): cypriol, papyrus, herbal, earthy, leathery, dry green

Lovely but redundant Floriental centered around a rich Turkish rose. The perfume opens with the beautiful rose surrounded by hints of cardamom and geranium. The heart has cypriol, amber and osmanthus. The perfume settles on a bed of elemi resin and vetiver with slight hints of leather. The unisex scent has moderate to strong projection and excellent longevity. Overall very pleasing and even addictive, but not ground breaking and overpriced for what it offers. Enjoy!

Someone mentioned vietnamese peanut sauce and it really kinda smells like that. High quality naturals and insane performance. Smell profile is not for me, mostly Rose, Cypriol, vetiver and some leather on my skin. There probably is someone who loves rose and green dnas and will adore this. Price tag is high but not overpriced IMO, could be a all year signature for someone.

This could have been an Amouage fragrance, high quality but hard to wear, luckily I bought a sample. For the first 30 min I was thinking about buying a full bottle but after that the magic disappeared, from smelling premium to smelling dry, woody with a little rose in the background, this fragrence had so much potential. I love Nefs by the way.

Creamy cardamom and rose. Abn overdose of cypriol that leaves the fragrance imbalanced. Elemi, vetiver and a cloying amber accord. The vetiver comes with a really nice, fresh green tinge that's present during the opening but dissipates all too quickly. What you're left with is a musky perfume. Masculine lean, but way flamboyant.

I hope you LOVE this fragrance, because it's NEVER, and I mean NEVER coming off. It's not terrible. It's very leathery to me. I smell no rose at all. Test on paper b4 you wear this.

So Nishane (hailing from Turkey) nailed the scent in terms of evoking nostalgic feelings about our beloved, still holding traditional values Balkan region, which I respect, but we're still a tiny piece of the world, so I doubt people will resonate with this fragrance. I can easily describe this as smelling 97% like my grandpa & grandma's closet attic during my childhood years, when we went to visit them (they lived in the mountain pretty much), because that's more or less how it smelled around there. So while I appreciate the creation, I would never want to smell like that, ever in my life and I'm not that young either. This belongs as a poutpourri or as a candle, not a men's fragrance (yes, I say men, because if a woman can pull this off - my hats are off to you) Way overpriced without a doubt.

I understand why some people like it. I do not. I think it's just my personal taste, but the aromatic is almost bitter. After it sits for an hour or two it softens and becomes a bit more wearable but my God. It's just simply too much CIPRIOL! If any of you have ever smelled The Promise from Frederic Malle you understand what I'm trying to say.

500 eur (600 usd) for a 50ml (1.7oz)? Is this an early April fools joke? I like Nishane as much as anyone, but that's just greedy.

Nope, this is Not for me. I wish i had more of the history and inspiration behind it, so i could understand what it's trying to portray. It's obviously high quality and loaded with naturals. But it's not a good scent to my nose. Could be skin chemistry, but this just doesn't appeal to me. I get a lot of Rose. And it's a good rose. But it's surrounded by a sour, almost fruity scent that makes me recoil when i smell it. I smell the Geranium and cardamom too. But i'm struggling to find any leather. I'm not familiar enough with Elemi to say if i can pick it up or not. But it could be part of that "sour fruit note" i'm getting overwhelmed by. I would Never wear this. Not even if i got it for free. It's not really any kind of attractive to my nose. I have a decant, and it will never be used by me again. (maybe to spray on a buddy, to annoy him😅) Score: 3/10 Top marks for quality and presentation. But an Epic fail when it comes to price and scent.

100% masculine! This smells like a fragrant forest fire. Or like a sheet that's been washed in industrial detergent. It's the geranium. Unless you love geranium, I would say, give this a hard pass.

The cypriol ruin this one. It’s one nasty smelling “perfume”. Nefs is the absolute best of the two. I have NEFS on now and it’s still going strong. Beautiful fragrance

I apologise for this horrible review but smelly armpit comes to mind when I sample this offering. Oh dear. Scrub scrub! Please try before you buy.

I truly believe Shem carries a very distinct Amouage DNA. And honestly, I’m not surprised. The creator behind this masterpiece is also responsible for several iconic Amouage compositions — including Ciel Pour Femme, Jubilation 25 Woman, Reflection 45 Man and Reflection Man. So yes — it makes perfect sense that out of all Nishane pieces, I was naturally drawn to this one. I’m an Amouage girl, after all. Now, let’s be clear — this is nuclear. The performance is on another level: insane longevity, massive sillage... but not just loud — expensive. This is the kind of scent that creates a presence. It smells like wealth, like power, like you walked into the room and everyone noticed. The leather here is stunning. Deep, refined, slightly dark — but what makes it special is that it doesn’t fall into a predictable “rose + leather” cliché. It actually smells quite unexpected for this genre. There’s something green running through it — maybe geranium, maybe cypriol — giving it a sharp, fresh edge that keeps it from becoming heavy or flat. That said, for me personally... it’s too much. I’ve had it for a few days and I already know — in my collection, I won’t reach for it often. Not because it’s not incredible, but because it’s intense. Still — it’s an amazing scent. Truly. And if anyone is looking for a bottle — I have it with an official receipt, purchased at the original Nishane boutique in Istanbul. I can ship from Sweden. Just message me.

It's crazy how many other fragrances this reminds people of! Not very unique then, that's a given, but there is a subtle balance hidden within the strength, in this perfume. Tones of menthol like greenness come and go in the initial stages, probably the cypriol oil making its presence known, cardamom geranium with a jammy tart rose mixing with the vetiver-elemi and leather seemingly, giving out that cannabis accord. The osmanthus floral feels a bit like guaiac-saffron here, the peachy apricot pop doesn't really come prominently here, it's subtle. This is a fine blend, might remind you of a toned down version of Kajal's Warek, the suede from Tom Ford's Ombre Leather/Tuscan Leather, heck even a little bit of Mancera's Black Gold! Minus the lavender blast in it, like someone mentioned below. As it dries down this becomes more and more green and dry. The story and the idea behind Shem is intriguing, attempt at trying to bring to life the character of a man, or of a region, of ancient Abrahamic origin. Nishane as a brand is moving in the right direction IMO.

Was really dissapointing the first few wears but is has grown in me A kind of minty start, then leather/suede-forward scent with some cypriol. I dont get much rose in this. A little smoky green suede with pretty good longevity Its my least fav of the prestige collection (havent tried hacivat and dont plan to, dont like the original) 1. Mana 10/10 (the best in the ombre nomade like genre) 2. Nefs 8.5/10 3. Shem 7.5/10 Im glad they are all really different from each other, so easy to switch them up for some variation Update; Love this one now, the whole Prestige Series is top tier (hacivat excluded) I would really only need the Prestige Collection and Frederic Malles - Desert Gems Series, then Im a happy fragrance camper for life probably. A BDC Parfum for the more inoffensive moments