Sotoor Waaw

Sotoor Waaw by Rasasi is a fascinating journey through spices, woods, and soft resins, and I’ve found it to be one of the most captivating fragrances in my collection. It opens with a bang: the cardamom, cinnamon, and saffron dominate, immediately pulling me into a warm, spicy cocoon. There’s a slight nuttiness from the walnut and a peppery bite that makes the introduction vibrant and dynamic. As it settles into the heart, the gurjan balsam starts to shine, bringing a sweet, resinous depth that feels both luxurious and comforting. The lavender, though subtle, adds a clean, aromatic balance to the warmth of the spices, creating an intriguing juxtaposition. At this stage, the fragrance softens slightly, transitioning from its bold opening to something more complex and meditative. The dry-down is where Sotoor Waaw feels truly grounded. Amber, sandalwood, cedar, and guaiac wood come together in a rich, woody base with a whisper of smokiness. Vetiver adds an earthy greenness that keeps it from becoming overly sweet or heavy. This phase lasts for hours, with the woods lingering beautifully on the skin. Overall, Sotoor Waaw feels like a warm, enveloping hug. It’s bold but never overbearing, making it perfect for cooler weather or when I want to feel grounded and elegant. The longevity and sillage are impressive, making it a fantastic choice for anyone who loves oriental woody fragrances with a touch of spice. It reminds me of Penhaligon's Halfeiti Cedar a lot

Fantastic composition. It is warm, soft and semi-sweet resinous fragrance with a sense of space, air in it (is it cardamon and lavender that bring this effect?). Usually this kind of resinous compositions are somehow plain, they remind of a cozy cashmir blanket you can roll in, but this one is different. You get a place in the late July or August to rest in the shade of the cedar trees, to take a breath and to observe a valley. There is a sense of field with herbs and seaside somewhere behind hills. All this has almost therapic effect, it calms you down. Reminds me of the beautiful landscapes of Balkan countries. As the composition is rich, the accords will differ on different types of skin. This fragrance is friendly to the pale blond skin, and I can't wait to test how it would sound on the brunette skin, must be gorgeous. The sillage is quite strong, although it is so difficult to stop applying it. One-two sprays is totally enough. ps. by the way, the lable on the bottle is really not sticked properly, but it can be easily fixed :) i have ordered the second flacon of this treasure.

I think this has been reformulated. I got a decant in 2019 and finally got round to buying a bottle 8 months ago. It could just be me but there seems to be something missing from what I remember the decant being like. It's missing a slightly boozy, sweet, ambery edge. It seems more flat and almost powdery EDIT: What the hell?!?! I've not sprayed this for around 6 months. I shook the bottle, put it on a shelf and pretty much forgot about it for spring/summer. Just sprayed it now to remind myself what is different and it seems to be back to how I remember my decant smelling! Ok I'm happy now. EDIT 2: This is very nice. Like a lovely, slightly fizzy, very slightly (almost) powdery cardamon/cinnamon/saffron (somehow reminds me of loveheart sweets, but not quite) floating above a little bit boozy (kinda reminds me of brandy or rum - but soft), ambery, woody base. Vetiver has a cameo too but it doesn't jump out at all, just blends nicely into the base. Excellent stuff and an absolute bargain.

Smells very niche, and to me smells like Costume National Homme in the opening (without cloves) and then goes somewhere similar to Penhaligon's Halfeti or Chopard Oud Malaki. Great cold weather scent and well suited for nightouts. Amazing blend of spices and woods. Cedar is very toned down, so Waaw doesnt give you the carpenter shop crisp/dry woodiness, instead it gives you a warm woodsy vibe. Amber and cinnamon are main players and cedar. Maybe i get a hint of rose too, not fresh rose but very dark, sweetened rose. Will wait for performance, but these kind of frags tend to stick well and from initial 30 mins it shouts strength. Well done fragrance from Rasasi, doesn't fall short of its higher priced inspirations. IG: @talkaboutscents

Understated. Elegant. Smooth. Lovely walnut bitterness, cinnamon-cardamom heat, lavender calm.... I believe it's the gurjun balsam that tricked my brain into screaming 'masculine' at my first whiff of the opening. I looked it up and it indeed appears in one of the fragrances that my father would wear. So I tried disassociating the smell from the 'male' label and objectively appreciating it. By the third time I wore Waaw, all I perceived was the spicy-woody-warm beauty of it. Gurjun balsam smells fresh, almost peppermint sharp to me now. Masculine, you say? Hold my Cosmopolitan.