Levant

It reminds me of a combination of Cerruti Image which I wore in my grad school days meets Bvlgari pour femme which I smelled and wanted it so bad during my undergrad days. I always loved this type of orange blossom scents that had some amber and white florals but still was fresh and uplifting. It took me years to try to find something similar after finding out the closest equivalent to these two had been reformulated which Clinique Happy that was so plastique smelling. These two were discontinued except for cerruti which the only version I could find was the edt which was not the same. Describing it to several perfumers was a pain in the neck. Just recently this spring an old lady who was familiar with what I wanted and every time I would go to the store will try to be frank and say nothing yet and then a nudge to go there and found this while I was about to try another one. It was a pure joyful moment, I tried it and had to go back the very next day. I tried this on my skin this past spring and summer it was not offensive and overpowering very discreet . During that time I did not get any compliments. It was not until recently in the fall when I sprayed it by accident instead of grabbing Coco from Chanel which is my colder months fragrance. I thought this perfume, Levant, was more of a warmer weather scent which is but is definitely a perfume that be a signature scent and very work friendly. I really hope it keeps in low key quiet and those who know will know.

If you dont like this fragrance, I dont know what to tell you. It's a simple fragrance. It is a bit surprising from OJ. Nice long lasting tangelo and orange. Peony is very apparent to me, a touch of rose and I can pick up lily-on-the-valley". That's a light bouquet but it lasts and mix perfectly with the fruity opening. Then finally clean musk, invisible woods and a slight ambery touch. That amber will mix with the top notes that keeps on appearing even after hours, and with the flowers carefully chosen for a zen experience. It comes out as something so common, yet, it's perfect for what it does. It's uplifting and relaxing at the same time, also refreshing and warm. Don't expect a groundbreaking formula like Elixir (my fav fragrance), but Levant is in my rotation quite often, especially during the night. Maybe it is this warmth is has... It feels cozy but you could use it during the day and get stuff done with the confidence that you just smell good wearing a quality fragrance that has no synthethic roughness whatsoever and that is perfectly balanced. It's hard to dislike. and very easy to fall in love with. Projection is poor, sillage is moderate, longevity is awesome.

From the two very hyped up scents on YT, from La Route de Soie collection I have tested, Levant has proven to be the better one. I would describe it as a beautiful fresh white floral with strong, citrusy notes in the opening. Initial impression is a that it smells like a great blend of orange blossom, jasmine, lili-of-the-valley, peonies and rose mixed with sweet, juicy tangelo, mandarin oranges and bergamot. Very pretty, fresh and mood uplifting type of scent. But Levant transforms in the next hour to a more ambery, vanilla, woody white floral. As soon as it gets to the dry down, the substantial base notes: amber, cedar and musk add warmth, potency and some sort of resinous sweetness to the floral bouquet from the heart notes! I really like how Levant smells and if over-spraying on clothing, it left a nice scent bubble around me for about 2-3 hours. I’m going to sample a few more times just to make sure of its performance, because scent wise it’s beautiful for sure, before deciding whether I need a bottle or not for my collection. I might agree with the hype Levant gets if it has a decent lasting power. For a 50 ml bottle, this is quite pricey!

Levant is one of the most beautiful fragrances I have discovered in a long time. From the first spray, it feels effortlessly elegant, uplifting, and refined. The opening is bright and sparkling, with a beautiful citrus freshness that immediately feels luxurious rather than sharp. As it develops, the floral heart emerges in a way that is soft, feminine, and incredibly sophisticated. It manages to be both radiant and understated at the same time. What I appreciate most is how polished the composition feels. Nothing is overpowering or out of place. It has that rare quality of smelling expensive without trying too hard. The scent is versatile enough for everyday wear yet special enough to receive compliments whenever I wear it. The longevity is excellent on my skin, and the fragrance leaves a delicate, elegant trail throughout the day. Levant perfectly captures the quiet luxury that many brands aim for but few achieve. A truly beautiful fragrance and a wonderful example of why Ormonde Jayne remains one of the finest niche perfume houses.

I heard somewhere that time bends on itself, that it is layered and not as linear as we think it is. Which reminds me of what Luca Turin said about scent, and how scent is actually vibration. I don’t completely understand what these metaphysical things mean. Time folding in on itself and scent being vibration. But there’s something about that that reminds me of this perfume. I feel like I am both young and old and really old at the same time, like I am transitioning in and out of different decades of my life. I’m not sure if it’s the layered citrusy makeup of this perfume that does that for me or how it feels very much like you are sitting next to layers of freshly peeled rind in a very fragrant garden. But it’s the rind that comes in and out of your experience of aroma. But isn’t that what time is like? Like skin that you can peel on and off? Anyways, it is a very beautiful scent that sits very close to the skin in an intimate way.