Taino

Doing a proper sampling of Taino, one of the most recent releases from RDZ Parfums released earlier this year (after Playa Crash Boat but before Freedom), and another very interesting fresh blend that further deepens the house’s catalogue. When I first smelled it a week and a half ago at Perfumology, I felt it was a bit fruity, in a vein of El Coqui or P fkn R, but spraying it today, it’s much more clearly a blended expression of sweets, florals, and a bit of fruit, though coconut is the only listed fruit note. It has a peculiar milkshake note that does seem accurate in tying together the main notes of rose, coconut, pepper, musk, blended fruits, and woods. It comes together as a unisex freshie that is unsurprisingly dense and rich, as the house has become synonymous with outstanding performance in its fragrances, and Taino is no exception to that. I enjoy the use of rose, which seems to distinguish it from most of the house’s other entries, and perhaps makes it the most feminine, albeit still quite unisex and versatile, of the house’s now dozen or so offerings. I quite like it but do not find it as special on my skin as the other recent releases, Playa Crash Boat and Freedom, which I connected with a bit more immediately. Still, this is a great release and I recommend that everyone try it or order a sample. As with the rest of the catalogue, Taino is extrait concentration, and as with most of the house, the pricing is very reasonably $160 for 100ml, sold at Perfumology and on the house website. It performs very well (particularly for a freshie) and is a multifaceted, interesting fragrance that one could easily get a lot of use out of. 7 out of 10