Resina

Resina is a rich, heady cocktail of fine, dark ingredients. It can be rather overwhelming if you let yourself drown in it. It's like standing by a bonfire, becoming mesmerized by the flames and before you know it, you've fallen in. The first time I tried this, it was too much. Now, I can say I'm a fan and a little addicted. Coffee, dark and thick and a heavy infusion of star anise -- woody, sweet and spiced, a little medicinal the way herbal licorice might be. The balsams and resins are all equally balanced and rich, like golden molasses with full body and a little bitterness. The tea note is quite apparent too and lightens the olfactory load a little, but it's still heavy, dark, and indeed a rich red brew of rooibos (one of my favorite teas). It eventually overwhelms the coffee note. I'm a little confused as to why there is both coffee and tea in this perfume. Perhaps selected for the poetic value of addictive brews. The flame tree note: this is not to be confused at all with anything related to Christmas in the Americas. There is no pine-like note here -- the aromatics are all attributed to star anise and smooth nutmeg. Where I was born and raised in Western Australia, these flame trees were so magnificent in their red glory. For all the 26 years I lived there, I can't even remember what they smelled like, and if anything it was really subtle. The summer blooms were always way above my head and out of reach, and yes, during the hot Downunder Christmastime. Stimulating to open and narcotically paralyzing to finish, Resina can easily throw you into a hallucinatory trip, a heavy one. Absolutely artful and full praiseworthy.

Resina is a gorgeous blend of all things resinous - elemi and myrrh on the front stage to my nose. Weirdly enough, the glowing, sparkling, and smoldering scent makes me think something I could eat - perhaps very smooth artisan licorice - and strange things would happen after that, maybe I'd gain a superpower or two... However, Resina is by no means a gourmand. It just happens to have a tactile, smooth, and velvety presence with an extremely understated level of sweetness and smokiness. There are smooth aromatic, slightly medicinal and spicy dimensions, adorning the experience in a best possible way. Resina is lasting and present, but by no means suffocating or loud. It's warm - and when used with a light hand, it works perfectly even for casual occasions. Even though there is some exciting, almost ceremonial poise in it. Can't really compare it to anything else, with my experience it's a fairly unique potion - and I do love it. BTW, Oliver & CO discovery set = extremely good value for money!

A soft, spicy aromatic, more appropriate for warmer weather because it’s a little too gentle for cold weather. Everything is mixed with a light touch. I love it. There’s no single dominant note; just a beautiful, super light resinous scent with vanilla (though it’s not listed). Uniquely, there is a very pretty Jasmine that peeks out from the covers during the dry down. I think Resina would be a beautiful perfume to wear at bedtime. And I agree with Andy (directly below my review), this is overpriced at the Luckyscent site, but better on the Avant-Garden Lab site with updated packaging. My sample is a Luckyscent dauber and I wish I could experience the spray, which in my mind would make it ethereal. What this perfume lacks in oomph it makes up with good longevity, about 5 hours which surprised me. If anyone is looking to sell their used bottle, please contact me.

I got interested in this scent after reading a post from Ana y el perfume on FB about it and other Oliver & Co creations. She got me curious and there I was with a sample. To begin with, I love synthetic, medicinal scents and this one won me. From the first sniff I got its earthy essence mixed with spice and benzoin. It's really warm and comforting like a gentle hug which make you want to surrender to its warmth. I find it unisex. Bitter sweet and quite unique. Not a great projection but not a problem for me . Its longevity remains to be seen . Worth trying it .

Out of all the resin based fragrances I've owned, this is my favorite. Oliver & Co's Jose Manuel Hortelano did something spectacular with this one. It's so easy to appreciate, and yet it is complex. So much going on, while drawing you in with its semi-sweet smoky resins. And yet, it's all blended so well, it's hard to pick out individual notes without first looking them up. To me, that's mastering of perfumery. Fragrance: 9.8/10.