Dunhuang (敦煌)

Wonderful stuff here - in a perfect sweet spot between the brute force & sheer complexity of some of the heavier hitters of Prin Lomros's catalogue and the light-floral interludes in his repertoire. Enough nuance and dark, spicy nooks and crannies to keep you interested always, but without overwhelming; enough freshness and zing from the citrus, osmanthus and tea to make it relatively gentle without being weak. The tea may seem a little bitter when first sprayed (poured?) but soon mellows to a truly fragrant, evocative but still delightfully long-lasting presence. Kumquat, mandarin and tangerine all present and correct, rather dry and spicy in style rather than juicy-splattery, and not going dirty or sweaty as some kumquat scents can do if they over-ripen. Plum is shimmery and bright, just giving some nice rounded contours rather than dominating too much. Lovely osmanthus & jasmine clean and natural. The spice rack's carefully deployed to sprinkle in extra sweetness and a little bite, but kept in balance. Civet similarly kept on a tight, short leash - it may be lending a touch of furriness, but no more; absolutely nothing dirty or sweaty anywhere here, it's civilised and urbane all the way. Perhaps tending femme if you feel limited by gender but IMHO unisex for any tea connoisseur; Opulent and eccentric - while smelling nothing like either it has the oddball charm and surprisingly approachable spirit of Lutens Mandarin Mandarine or Zoologist's Sacred Scarab. Perhaps the only aspects I do not love are the scratchy price tag and unpredictable longevity: sometimes it seems to last only 3-4h on me, although always miraculously blossoming again and for longer with a second spritz of the day, while on others it'll go the distance to 7 or 8h - and with an absolutely fantastic sillage trail, wafting out deliciously at choice moments. Truly redolent of the exotic, without lapsing into cliches - a genuine chinoiserie treasure chest indeed. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and revel in it.

If this wasn’t $160 for a measly 30ml bottle I’d buy it. This is such a complex unique evocative tea scent I cannot stop sniffing my arm and I sprayed it on yesterday. I own sweet farewell and was getting ready to buy this too bc he makes really gorgeous concoctions that man but this.... Ughhh I’m in so much pain I just cannot justify paying that much for so little. I’m already halfway through sweet farewell 30ml is barely anything. Especially with scents I want to douse myself in I’ll be done with this in no time. He’s got me in a bind

sweet yet dark and still very interesting - awesome floral animalic incense from Prissana❤️

I am notably bad at distinguishing notes, and this has a lot of them-- but it is still very beautiful. To me, it evokes simmering a pot of chai by a campfire (which might not actually be a great way to cook it but is the only way I can think to explain the scent.) It is warm, spicy, and complex, with a citrusy floral weaving itself into the heavier notes. The perfumer has miraculously succeeded at capturing his prompt in a bottle, you close your eyes and smell it upon your skin and you, too, are there, under the stars. The longevity is questionable, with the spicy scent lingering for a few hours, before you are left with the smokey-orange underneath. I found the sillage to be rather incredible, though. I don't think I would purchase a full bottle of this, even if the price was a bit more reasonable, just because I am not fond of extremely loud scents that announce their presence like this one does. Regardless, it is certainly one I will think about when I open a jar of cloves.

I bought this blind as a tea fragrance but I don't get much tea from this personally other than maybe it lending a smokiness. It's actually quite a weird one, and great for it. It's like a "clean spice". Lots of spice, definately tons of cinnamon bark, with pepper and cumin in here, a tiny bit fruity but more this really balanced out clean floral soapiness that lends this really light almost aldehyde tone to what could be a too spicy fragrance. Feels like the blending here was very skillful. Feels like it gives you something different every time you smell it but never gets out of line.