11 Semma

I love this fragrance! It is one of the most interesting fragrances I've ever encountered, on my skin anyway. It's a total chameleon on my skin and it transforms so rapidly and completely into lovely and distinct scent stages. If I read the list of notes and try to match them to the stages, I can, but that's no fun. So I'm just going to describe my interpretation of what the fragrance does on my skin. At first I get bright but sweet lemon over polished dark woods. It makes me think of being in a cathedral where the faint smell of incense lingers and someone has cleaned all of the wood with citrus oils. It feels mysterious and sacred, and yes I have an overactive imagination. Almost immediately it transforms into spicy ginger and cinnamon tea with a twist of lemon. Then I get sweet pipe tobacco, then fresh carnations, then damp trees in autumn, and then mulling spices complete with a bit of apple and the slight hint of menthol that I always get from real mulling spices. Is there patchouli in this? I would almost swear that there's some (really good) patchouli coming into play at times. It eventually settles into a warm and slightly sweet blend of pipe tobacco and spice, with a hint of something fresh and woodsy bouncing in and out of focus to keep it from getting too heavy. Yum. *Updated to add: Right before the scent fades away completely it changes again, to a very soft and pretty vanilla anise. I love it! If I try to correlate my experience with the listed notes, I can, mostly. The chili pepper is there in the beginning in the form of a fresh garden scent with a spicy bite. I don't really experience any powdery notes, except in the way that myrrh is resinous and incense-powdery on me. I don't get a whole lot of carnation unless I look for it, except for the one brief stage. Overall I find it to be a beautiful, fascinating fragrance that simmers close to my skin. It feels like I'm wrapped in a warm fuzzy blanket with a hot cup of spicy tea or mulled cider, with a bit of fresh cool air and the scent of trees coming in through a slightly cracked window. I think this scent whispers Autumn, but I tend to disregard seasonal constraints so I would wear this year round.

I really enjoyed my experience with Semma. Just when I think I have smelled some strange things, another niche perfume comes along and surprises me. At first it smelled like a top note of sweet lemon mixed with a smooth amber...and a bowl of hot oatmeal. Quite literally. I am genuinely surprised there is no cereal note here. The heart notes are blended so well. I could barely distinuish individual notes. It seemed more like a texture than a scent--something thick and muggy. I honestly smell no cinnamon at all, but I can tell there is a good dose of carnation somewhere in there. The drydown smells like tonka bean mixed with [my memory of] chewing tobacco. I certainly have never chewed the stuff myself, but I have been around it. I don't know if chewing tobacco is the same thing as pipe tobacco; I am no tobacco expert. Isn't there mint flavored chewing tobacco? Or does chewing tobacco smell a bit mentholated? Because that is how Semma smells. Sillage and longevity are excellent. I love this perfume. Odin makes some seriously good sh*t. Seylon is one of my absolute favorite perfumes of all time, and I have generally been impressed with everything I have sampled from Odin.

A stunning offering from the ODIN line, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite niche fragrance brands. No 11 "Semma" opens with a light and powder floral accord with spicy undertones. The carnation flower's spicy effluvium is utilized here with its clove-like note, being perfectly matched and blended by powdery effects (most likely white musk and/or orris notes). Sandalwood's creamy lactonic facets are also noticeable here. As the fragrance evolves over time on the skin, one notices a wet pipe tobacco scent rolling in as if a layer of fog in the countryside. The expertly matched trio of cinnamon, tobacco, and tonka bean is quite a thing to behold. Tobacco's smokey honey-like richness is enriched by the vanillic sweetness of tonka bean, while cinnamon lends an all encompassing layer of spicy warmth. Myrrh sits in the background, taking a supporting role. Would make a great addition to anyone's fall-winter fragrance wardrobe. (118)

Quite special this. After paying my (not inexpensive fee), I got my ticket, which got me onto more of a rollercoaster ride than I had bargained for. A slow climb, marked by subdued myrr and a pinch of subtle chilly pepper (did not know it was possible to be subtle with this element), I was propelled downwards on a thrilling death ride of massive cinnamon and cloves.....very pronounced, but entirely integrated and fortunately nothing leaves the tracks. Nearing the end of the ride, one is left with a calming smooth sandalwood and tonka effect, with just a touch of tobacco and caramel. This goes on for an eternity (ok....6 hours, which is an eternity on my skin), which every now and then is augmented by a sparkly cinnamon shimmer. Wow, can I please get back in line for another run?

An interesting outing from ODIN a house which has produced two good fragrances so far and with the addition of this effort...a third. I'm not instantly reminded of Spicebomb as many are I find it opens like a warm spicy tobacco which is much more pronounced than V&R Spicebomb. When Semma dries down further though the aspects of spicy pepper and cinnamon become more apparent and the balance of sweetness is tipped more in the direction of Spicebomb territory. However this scent is all about the tobacco note for me which is deep and cosy with a great balance of sweetness and a hint of resin. A classy scent then and not the best tobacco I've smelled but certainly not the worst. Longevity is pretty good sillage is okay too.