Poppy Soma

I’m looking for a way to start. Usually I begin a review in some clever manner, but it’s not forthcoming this time. Nor needed, I believe. I was very unsure of what to expect with this scent, as a lover of the poppy, in all forms, I’ve experienced so many perfumes claiming any association, and almost always with some disappointment. Not that classic Opium is in any way a failure, but it’s not what I associate with the poppy. I must admit I love the concept of this whole line, the poisonous flower. Beauty and death, a duality which I enjoy, especially as an eccentric gardener.. But, onward. This sample, holographic label, vivid blue, how does it all fit? What is the vision that pulls this all together? It seemed disjointed at first for me. Have you ever smelled the poppy flower? The beautiful, neon red-orange sweetness, strangely gentle, against the hot, vivid, too-blue summer sky? Almost fruity, but heady. The alluring, and mysterious black center, surrounded by enigmatic color.. I always enjoyed the feel of the paper soft petals against my cheek. Oh so fleeting. This is the beginning of Poppy Soma. Soft, as beguilingly beautiful as youth, soft, downy cheeks, carefree hair, perfect lines, and potential. Where will it lead? I was unsure, whether this imagined “fruitiness” (for there is no true fruit here, just a “juicy” imagined accord) would develop into something sadly basic, as so may are these days, or whether it would grow into something more and deliver what I crave. Now, the scent progresses, hours in, it holds its own, still strong, but more alluring, more rich. As youth blossoms into lush beauty, Poppy Soma captivates in its progression, from lovely, dewy potential into satisfying maturity. Green sapiness, gives way to a textural, sensual, heated, and heady fragrance. It rose each time my body temperature warmed. Like witnessing a lover, on multiple waves of ecstasy, it seemed a beauty to behold. Flushed again, & again. As in it’s namesake, for me, it delivered in narcotic intensity, and the desire for more. More, of the technicolor neon red-orange, too perfect to be without enhancement, the too intense blue of narcotic sky.. the drift beneath clouds, and sun on heated skin.. this is the Poppy which I’ve always wished for in scent. Which somehow delivers, oh so richly, but leaves me wanting more. I am absolutely enamoured of it. I see why it has been acclaimed so highly. It leaves me craving the brush of that perfectly, profanely, beautiful petal. Against soul and skin.

Poppy Soma smells like you've taken some white flower nectar and reduced it to a thick, gloopy syrup, added some warm spices and resins, and then using the compound as incense. It's sweet, spicy, smokey and with a gorgeous, sensual, heady floral note that truly feels both toxic and intoxicating at the same time. In the opening I can detect something that feels a bit green and fruity, that lifts the scent and gives it an almost edible quality. But overall this fragrance doesn't develop that much. It smells pretty much the same from the opening until the end, it just gets softer and a bit smoother along the way. And the flower notes fades a little. I already own and love YSL Opium (which is built around the same idea as Poppy Soma), and I must say that Poppy Soma smells more like opium than Opium. Opium is basically a spice bomb with nuclear strength, and Poppy Soma has a hot, spicy feeling as well. But, as I've said, it also has a lot more pronounced floral, syrupy and incensy nuances that kind of takes it to a whole 'nother level when it comes to smelling like poppies and opium. And it feels a little sheerer and a tad more airy than YSL Opium, which makes it stand out as a more true incense smoke, floating in the air, type of smell. It's simply stunning! Poppy Soma definitely takes me to a 19th century opium den, but because of its spicy, incensy quality I'm also getting associations to old temples , with priestesses guarding a holy flame and burning incense as an oblation to the gods. Or maybe even to the oracle of Delphi, who got her visions of the future from inhaling sacred fumes in the heart of the temple. This scent has won a price, as far as I know. And I have no problem understanding why. It's a fantastic creation. Longevity is strong, on my skin I can faintly smell it after 10-11 hours. Sillage starts strong and dries down to a solid medium.

Nowadays, when I have a substantial collection of fragrances - both designer and niche, both likeable and challenging - it happens very rarely that a fragrance knocks me off my feet, so much that I decide to buy it on the spot. Yet, this is exactly what happened with Poppy Soma by Parfums Quartana. This American brand is relatively hard to find in Europe, as there are only a few stockists, scattered all over the continent. I'm in Ljubljana for a few days, and imagine my surprise when I found the entire Parfums Quartana collection in a new boutique perfumery in the old town. Oh yesss, I said, and the testing began. I ended up being most impressed with Poppy Soma and Bloodflower. (Please read my review of Bloodflower on its own page). Poppy Soma is a gorgeous dusty, spicy, resinous, oriental, sweetish floral fragrance. The imaginary poppy accord actually consists of rose, tuberose and jasmine. These are laid down on a smoky resinous blend of styrax, incense and labdanum. Although honey and animalic notes (except for musk) are not listed in the scent pyramid, this resinous component reminds me very much of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Absolue Pour Le Soir, especially of its honeyed musky incensey drydown. The third element of Poppy Soma - warm spicy (with red pepper, sichuan pepper and curry leaf) isn't so prominent - it is there just to make this fragrance a bit more interesting and to balance it out, by preventing the floral and resinous elements from becoming too dusty and cloying. Poppy Soma projects outstandingly and lasts up to 8 hours. It is a bit of a shape-shifter, but the incense dominates throughout its development. This is clearly a niche fragrance and not exactly a crowd-pleaser, so not something that should be bought blindly, unless you're a lover of heavy oriental florals, in which case you will find it absolutely enchanting.

O god, I can not belive I forgot to review this one... This is a masterpiece, not for everyone, but unbelievable. It is intense, hypnotic, alluring & smooth. Very smokey & very poppy/opium. It is the ultimate evenig-night perfume. It is perfectly blended and it has a smokiness that is completely different from what you can usually find, it is sweet, but in an modern, milky way. It it not to be considered a sweet perfume, but there is a warming sensation to it. Longevity is beast mode, but the silage is just right. Moderate and clear, if it was more it would have been overwhelming I feel, as it really lasts forever... On scarfs you can smell it for weeks. Poppy Soma has a story to tell and I love that in perfumes. Whenever I smell it I can find a twist to it. I find this to be the perfume for the contemporary femme fatale. Having said that it is completely unisex. Can not really say there are any clear flowers in here for me, it's a bouquet drenched in ecstasy, high on opium. It is more of a milky incense dance that evolves and lure you into the unknown. Probably not a safe blind buy. Although if you love dark, misterious orientals this should be for you and if you know Slumberhouse than give this definetely a go. Warning: Your nose has to be very well accustomed to incense for this one. EDIT: I have been using this for more than 6 months now. I love it, it doesn't have a season I feel. Also because for me this is my night choice, but with the colder months ahead I might try it as a day perfume as well. Truly unique. I would love to smell it on a man.

I am really digging Poppy Soma. I can't even put my finger on exactly why because it is so unique. I can't compare to anything else, and that's a good thing once you've sampled thousands of perfumes because they all start to smell the same.... First I will say it's very well-balanced on my skin. You'd expect peppery spices and white florals to overwhelm a fragrance, but that's not the case here. The white florals smell very natural, therefore not headache-inducing. In the top notes, I noticed a sweetness that was fruity, yet unrecognizable. Fruit mixed with vanilla? This caught me off-guard because there is no fruit listed. But this sweetness lasts the whole time, gradually becoming more subtle. After about 20 minutes, I noticed a vegetal spiciness that was incredibly pleasant. My car window was cracked, and I looked outside to see if someone was trimming shrubbery or something as, coincidentally, I was driving past the botanical gardens. But not close enough to smell the gardens! It was Poppy Soma. It was like herbs with just a hint of green bell pepper, crisp, aromatic, and fresh. The spice blend develops more thoroughly as the perfume dries down, as if each individual spice is slowly harmonizing with the others. It's a fantastic spice blend coupled with a smooth ambery, resinous base. The drydown is mysteriously sexy. Delicately Oriental in nature. I envision a gorgeous Asian woman with long black hair who has just bathed and wrapped herself in a silk kimono. Maybe reminiscent of a Geisha? Sexy but not sexual. I think Poppy Soma is beautiful.