Kolonya

Kolonya is one of the best releases of 2018, it's an absolute masterpiece and nowadays I find it harder and harder to be truly intrigued by a perfume. After reading Luca Turin's review I was exicted to smell "iris bergamot" and there are facets of iris in this, but I think it is a disservice to label it so simply because this creation is a delicate, glass windchime with dozens of points of refraction. I'm most impressed with how Rasei mastered the use of plum in his work, wielding it as a fencer would their sword, and extension of themselves. It's an icy edge to the plum: it reminds me of smelling the icicles hanging off the bushes in our backyard, evergreen mixing with the frozen elements. Crisp through and through. There's an illusion of cherry wood as well, the rosewood and tobacco coming together to smell of an old pipe on a dusty mantle - a grandfather's - that hasn't been touched in years but still recalls the embers that once burnt that sweet tobacco in the pit of the wooden chalice. Kolonya feels sincere in an age where perfume has started to feel exploitative once more.

Kolonya is very much a Fort&Manle fragrance. I know it is Rasei's side-project and quite personal due to this being an homage to his grandpa, however it could easily be in the main lineup as I can detect the F&M DNA of woody-fruitiness. Personally, I would call this an 'upside-down' fragrance as it starts very woody and smokey with a pinch of bitter petitgrain, a bit of bergamot and some green notes. After about half an hour it really mellows down and that is where the real magic starts. The plum just bursts out into the forefront making the composition quite a bit sweeter, rounder and... nostalgic. I love it because it reminds me of my own grandparents garden which has many fruits growing in it, plums being one of them (they are some of my favourites). I guess I share a similar image with Rasei, which makes Kolonya so special to me. I get great longevity of 7-8 hours with above average to moderate projection for the first 4 hours, and then a skin scent for the rest of it's life. Do yourself a favour and take a trip down memory lane, I know I will continue doing so.

It starts with a lipstick kiss, humid pipe tobacco, and fragmented memories of petitgrain cologne. But this is a whole world at once; it somersaults through moods and evocations—sometimes super femme floral, sometimes masc darkness, all until it lands on this sweet comforting plum with a pepper nuance. I’m not one who believes in perfume progressions—I don’t need a distinct top, heart, and middle—but it sure is magical here. It wears light, as you’d expect of a cologne, but it lasts, and it certainly doesn’t feel weak or diluted; it casts an aura. There’s a vintage vibe to it, but it’s not at all stuffy. In short, I think it might be amazing. My sample is used up; a bottle is on order. This is one I want to have around. PS: One of my favorite parts about this perfume is that it happens to linger on my watch band for days after I wear it. It's an impression and a ghost at once, constantly being recalled. Just beautiful.

I have yet to try any Fort and Manle scents so I was unsure of what to expect going into this. I was pleasantly surprised. Kolonya opens with a beautifully natural petitgrain note, a cozy and slightly sweet tobacco base, and a wonderful rich iris note (I'm still shocked that it's not listed). Every time I've worn this so far, it's gone a completely different direction after this point. In the heat, its been very fruity and almost juicy, with the plum note becoming the focal point. In cooler settings it has gone almost subtly gourmand, reminiscent of TF Noir Extreme's nutty opening. Some days its green and fresh, luxuriously soap-like, other days its heavily woody and rooty, deep and almost vintage developing a mossy shade of modern chypre... A bucolic brown-green nostalgia bomb. Unique yet somehow comfortingly familiar. Exceedingly pleasing yet deceptively complex. 9/10

This is a masterpiece! It is supremely masculine and a dynamic fragrance that will change with the season and on your body. Since it is splash only, it must be worn on skin and is potentially the only intended weakness(since most of us love sprays). The other weakness is it doesn't project like others. But, the strengths far outweigh the weaknesses and should be sampled by all perfume aficionados. The smell itself is both simple and complicated; with a waxy, sweet, citrusy blend. It is both a contemporary and classic fougere with over 40 ingredients. Rasei made this in honour of his grandfather's remembered scent. For me, It is best layered as its quality enhances most other frag's. 9/10