Ishtar

I had to acquire Ishtar. This smells like absolutely nothing else in my entire collection. On top of that it is so intense, warm and comforting. A gum-resin/incense based fragrance that is completely and unapologetically rich in sappiness, spiciness, sweetness, and soapiness. Just a fantastic honest and powerful offering that I will reserve for the fall, winter and spring. Why will I reserve it for these seasons? Because Ishtar smells like a Yankee Candle store (or any artisanal candle store of your choice). The gum resins in this are so rich that they have a waxy texture to them balanced by a sweet and festive soapiness provided by the sandalwood and lily. It is also incredibly spicy with intense lift and projection. This offering from Rogue Perfumery has a feeling, a temperature, of heat or intense warmth. Sweet potpourri, lit candles, firewood, a lit fireplace, sand, a hot sun beaming on a woodland landscape are the smells I receive from Ishtar. I said Mousse Illuminee reminds me of an environment this reminds me of one as well. A quaint campsite in the middle of fall where spiced tea and hot chocolate are being shared. I also think of sitting on the porch of a cabin watching the sunset from a mountaintop. The scent itself carries an aridness within it however that makes me imagine the sweltering hot landscape of the American West or the African Savanna which is why I believe the juxtaposition of a hot tempered perfume would satisfy in a cool or temperate environment. The only downside with Ishtar is that it has no transition from the initial smell upon application. It is a linear scent profile which could become boring if you're not committed to the scent. It is a realistic and potent resin dominant scent through and through meaning it uses notes commonly found as base notes so expect any transformations or scent transitions to be non-existent throughout your wearing or incredibly slow if you are patient. It starts spicy, soapy, and aromatic like an artisanal candle and remains this way becoming more intense and realistic as it dries-down and mingles with the air around you. I look forward to wearing this in freezing temperatures where I feel the scent will help to warm me up. Ishtar is the name of the Mesopotamian goddess of love, beauty, sex, war, justice and political power which goes perfectly with the intense heat and character that this perfume holds. This scent character carries an arid smokiness that also perfectly resembles some of the environments found in the Middle East. I am transported back to my visit to Turkey walking down the streets with the hot sun beaming and reflecting off of the ancient cobblestone roads, the smells of spicy kebabs and shawarmas from restaurants to the side of the road. I have finally made my way to a local spice market. That is Ishtar. 9.5/10

Firstly, damn!!! In two senses, firstly the fragrance itself, and secondly the fact that it appears it may have been discontinued already before I could get a bottle without having to pay $95 for shipping to the UK (N.B. I am not paying $95 for shipping to the UK) This is beautifully natural smelling, original, old-school, clean, fresh and interesting. The opening is a burst of leafy greenness with wonderfully woody undertones, a gorgeous fresh incense smell, and slightly soft resinous background that supports the fragrance but never seems to come to the fore. Think lighting fresh incense in almost (but not quite) dry woodland in early spring just before the bluebells flower and when there is still a sticky residue of leaked winter sap on the trunks of some of the trees, having taken a long bath with a very traditional natural-smelling soap first thing in the morning, then walking a few yards away and lying on the grassy ground and enjoying the surroundings. That's the overall sense I get from this fragrance. The dry down (which is pretty long lasting for me) retains most of the greenness and soapiness, but goes slightly more woody, although for me the resinous myrhh remains in the background until right at the very end of the fragrance life. Truly a beautiful scent, and one I am glad I've been able to at least order a couple of decent-sized samples of before it disappears for good.

Received this direct as part of the choose your own sample set. Immediately sets itself apart from pretty much everything in the Rogue lineup as there is neither Oakmoss nor Tuberose, which are staples of Cross’ work. The first time I put this on skin it was an instant love. The myrrh and benzoin are huge but not in an overpowering way, they’re just the most present. This is a very well blended scent, make no mistake. It tends toward cooler weather but if you live in a moderate climate I could *almost* see this being year round with my only trepidations being the hottest days of the year in your locale. Anything 70s F or below this would play in. I get decent projection a few feet off of my body and pretty good longevity. It will die down and sit closer to you after a few hours but the dry down is almost as enjoyable as the initial blast of an opening. A very well executed fragrance and an interesting new direction for Mr Cross that is welcome. Has not unseated Mousse Illuminee which has one of the best and most extensive drydowns in modern perfumery, but definitely full bottle worthy.

'Ishtar Ishtar is a perfect example, that shows Rogue’s dedication to exquisite natural materials. Originally conceived as an aromatic fresh scent with a woodsy base, it turned out quite a bit different than what originally planned, as Manuel Cross found that two of the notes meant for the background; a smoky/silvery frankincense and a sweet/resinous benzoin kept rising to the top of the composition. Luckily the result turned to be a dynamic, gorgeous incense scent with a wonderfully fresh sweetness. Juniper and lily, perhaps the biggest players in a different fragrance, go to work here intensifying the brightest and cleanest aspects of the frankincense, helping shape the fragrance into something greener, fresher, and more lively and energetic rather than cold, churchy starkness. Similarly, the benzoin blends perfectly with sweet, woodsy myrrh and a spot of sandalwood. I do believe this fragrance is no longer being made which is sad to know.

I’m not sure what kind or sorcery is in this bottle, I just know I love it. Resins and incense and sweet wood, Ishtar is gorgeous and another Rogue that I want in my collection. Projection is just a few feet, but longevity is better than average on my perfume eating skin. I love this brand. Everything smells like quality. And the label art and design is really well done, with a kind of vintage folk art aesthetic. I own Chypre-Siam and Jasmin Antique. So far I want Champs Lunaire, Derviche and now Ishtar. It is a much better deal to buy two bottles from Mr. Cross’s Etsy shop. There you’ll get 10% off when you purchase two perfumes and the updated square bottles.

This is amazing and like nothing else. It’s soapy and fresh, whilst also managing to be both sharply tangy but smoothly creamy. It’s like a lively gin & tonic that’s been made into a creamy, luxury soap. I get no incense, on me it’s simply a spunky resinous juniper. I’m smelling so fresh and clean but also so uplifted and zesty. I love it. Very unisex, ingeniously blended BUT longevity isn’t great. It projects loudly at first but then it doesn’t last long against skin (on fabric it’s better) but it sadly doesn’t last your 8 hour work shift or an 8 hour sleep.

This could be the sixth entry in the Comme des Garçons Incense Series. Given the name Ishtar perhaps one could say that it represents Gnosticism.

Fresh, soapy, balsamic incense. As it evolves, becomes less soapy and you can feel the green - earthy juniper. Lovely. 7/10

Hmm...this one is interesting. On my skin, I get incense, churchy and Avignon-esque. Unfortunately, the juniper sticks out like a sore thumb the entire length of the fragrance. I think it's fantastic, especially regarding sillage and longevity. I just wish it had some more notes to combat the juniper on my skin. Something I noticed was that in Manuel's fragrances, he never uses Patchouli. *UPDATE* Bon Monsieur uses patchouli* most his fragrances don't feature it and I feel like this fragrance would benefit from some patchouli, vetiver, or Cedar; something to make it fully rounded. That's my skin however, and I think I'll add some patchouli oil, vetiver, or cedar to my skin and layer Ishtar over it; see what works best. I already found that layering Patchouli by Reminiscence with Mousse Illuminee wasn't too smart; too sweet and became a bit too Polo like for my liking, although missing that leather tobacco combo. Now that I think about it, if you add patchouli, tobacco from Tabac Vert, and leather from Derviche to Mousse Illuminee you'd have Polo exactly. I digress, this is about Ishtar. I like it but I think it's missing something to anchor the juniper down, least for my skin. Thank you Manuel for all you do. I will buy anything you produce, you're a master of your craft. Flos Mortis, Mousse Illuminee, and Bon Monsieur are perfection. By the way, Fragrantica, where is Bon Monsieur in the database from Rogue Perfumery? It's an excellent new release.

I think this is a fantastic fragrance, even though it’s not something I would wear myself. To me it smells like a traditional men’s aftershave with a strong note of frankincense that sticks out in the top notes. The frankincense calms down a little but never entirely disappears. It’s a clean scent, and it’s not as dark as I was guessing it would be. I grew up Catholic, and I am a total frankincense hoarder, but I would not lump this frag into the pile with Full Incense, Incense Extreme, Cardinal, etc., etc. It’s not a straight up frankincense fragrance and isn’t all basenotes like those are. Nor would I put it into the pile that includes Relique d’Amour or even Lavs, which have more floweryness. This is all it’s own monster. If Mousse Illuminé is an 80’s men’s fougère, this is an 80’s generic aftershave with a frankincense note that stands way out. And that’s not to bash it, as it smells of really high quality, especially the frankincense! And I think there’s a need for good niche frags that harken those older men’s fragrances in the way that people are seeking “modern-vintage” women’s fragrances. Highly recommended for anybody who desires a great gentleman’s fragrance. My gender-bending tastes just lean more towards Mousse Illuminé.

So, apparently, this is being discontinued, which is such a disappointment! This comes across as an aldehydic & coniferous take on incense. I initially get a blast of what I thought was aldehydes, but I'm pretty sure it's just a soapy myrrh giving that effect. The juniper in this is also quite noticeable. Although this does have incense, I don't get a large "churchy" vibe; it's very subtle and in the background. The drydown reminds me of a classic/old school men's shaving cream combined with soap. This fragrance has a soapy aspect from start to finish. I find this to be unisex, leaning more masculine as it dries down. Performance on this is OUTSTANDING- this lasts all day.

One of my friends used to say she didn't like men to smell like perfume but like unscented soap; this would be the perfect thing to give her husband. Ishtar smells cool, silvery, and soapy in the best possible way. It opens with some smokiness (I assume from the myrrh) and some juniper, which quickly dissipates, and there's some lily below, but it mostly smells clean and fresh and slippery. This doesn't seem to be one of Manuel Cross's more retro scents, but like everything he does it's big and powerful, and has genuine longevity. I would be judicious in applying it because of this, but it also means you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Opens as a deep smoky amber. Very opulent, like walking into a Catholic cathedral lit only by a massive wall of candles in the back. Quickly, the candles are snuffed as the smoke mostly dissipates to reveal a slightly soapy candlewax. And that's where it stays, a soapy amber wax. Very waxy, slightly soapy, a hint of smoke remaining. Kinda sterile, like walking through a big candle store and every shelf is filled with just this one clean, vaguely sweet scented candle. Soft-moderate projection for 2-3hr, longevity 6-8hr.

While I get some of the resinous notes of the frankincense and benzoin, I agree with other reviewers that this is a very light, sweet, soapy scent. I think I was hoping for a little more smoky temple incense type of vibe, but I'm happy with this very clean, fresh fragrance. It starts out strong but pretty quickly fades to a skin scent--but that lasts for hours.

this starts with intense lily and juniper...not a combination that i thought i'd necessarily like, but it's gorgeous! a few minutes later it's grounded by frankincense and a hint of musk. later on the other notes come through, but this is primarily a juniper perfume with a hint of floral sweetness and frankincense.

Very solid gym fragrance - clean, silvery, masculine, and, thanks to the strongly present juniper and olibanum, not your run-of-the-mill guy's bodywash scent. Think an almost "arabian nights" direction. Church incense, clean clothes, and luxury soap. 8/10

Starts off with junniper and myrrh and mellows to a really nice frankincense amber. Not as complex as others in the line but very wearable. Good quality ingredients and execution.

Smells like a sort of an old Camay soap from my childhood, lost on a shelf with many, many fresh & newly washed laundries... :) Good performances for a "warm season" fragrance!

I absolutely adore the brand, and in general I consider Manuel's perfumes safe for blind buy if you loved one of them, you're probably going to love the others as well. Enter Ishtar. It's not bad but not groundbreakingly interesting either, an aldehydic clean incense, silvery indeed as someone else before me put it. So silvery, that it reminds me of aluminium foil, freshly cleaned swimming pool with a hint of damp towel. It's not a safe blind buy, especially not if you would buy it because you love Rogue.

I have a sample from the discovery set and I will not use it all. It is not very interesting and fairly off-putting to me. Too rough around the edges. And by the way it is not ambery at all. So I take issue with the scent pyramid above...

Oh, Ishtar. I tried her last out of the four lil bitty rollerball samples I got from Rogue, and I am so glad I saved her for last. I have fallen head over heels, even though Ishtar is not what I'd normally go for. My first impression is "forbidden candy," because there's a sweetness that's paired with an equally compelling astringency, which I assume is from the resin-pine combination. Golly. She's gorgeous. All of the Rogue samples I tested (Mousse Illuminee, Fougere L'Aube, and Cypre-Siam) were very well-blended, intoxicatingly evocative, and pretty unique for someone who's mostly ever used modern perfumes. Ishtar is a whole other animal, because she's also very well-made, but there's something that's neither vintage nor modern about her; she's just THERE, smelling amazing, and lifting me up. She's not the misty forest clearing of Mousse, nor is she the sunlit, dewy overgrown garden of Fougere, and she's definitely not the haunting Jazz-era graveyard of Cypre-Siam. Ishtar is magnificent, almost overpowering, yet subtly blended. The musk especially sneaks up on me a little, but I like it and I definitely think it was smart to add to the composition. I was already very impressed by Rogue, but Ishtar just puts it over the top for me. I think I see a FB of Ishtar in my future, and while I couldn't rock it every day or in every climate situation, but it would definitely have an important place in my wardrobe. I would say that Ishtar, in spite of the very feminine name and imagery of the goddess, is pretty unisex and could be worn by a lot of different people. This would be my ultimate femme fatale "I could kill you, but I won't FOR NOW" scent. Kudos, Manuel, you knocked this straight out of the park.

There is a highly-vibrating molecular cha-cha going on from first spray. It brings to my mind the imagery of an operatic diva singing in such a high register the glass quivers and may shatter, creating mayhem. This quivering molecule is the almost acidic note I inhale immediately; a combination of crystal-clear orange juice and aromatic juniper... a combination unique to Ishtar and a masterpiece of invention. Mellow resins are in the background and create a visual effect like golden light pouring in through high stained-glass windows; beautiful... glorious, even... but atmosphere rather than substance. The core of Ishtar is that quivering molecular beauty still singing full-throttle an hour into the journey and detected throughout the long life of Ishtar on my skin. It's a marvel. Unfortunately for me, this perfume is loathed by my husband who told me my one spray fills the house and affects his nose in a strange way (that quivering top note, I bet) and then asked me how much of it I have. When he learnt I only have a 1ml sample, he suggested I buy more when I want to punish him. No Ishtar for me, then, despite my fascination; but bravo Manuel Cross! Your Ishtar is a wonder. Distillation: husband on the run a molecular cha-cha sets dust motes dancing

Ishtar is a brand new fragrance by Manuel Cross of the Rogue Perfumery fame. I was lucky to receive the sample set (which included Ishtar) before Etsy cancelled international deliveries. As its name suggests, Ishtar (named after the Assyro-Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, storms, and war) is a proper oriental-resinous fragrance. It is very strong, unique and well executed. The strongest notes are olibanum, benzoin and myrrh - all three of them very realistic and enchanting. As a woman who was raised in Orthodox Christian faith, I associate this smell with church holidays, various Orthodox rites and such. The perfume is freshened by juniper, sandalwood and some faint floral notes. Previously, the only 'church' fragrance that I had was MFK Absolue Pour Le Soir; however, APLS is much sweeter, smokier and definitely more animalic than Ishtar. APLS smells like burning candles and honey/beeswax, while Ishtar is simultaneously fresher and more 'exotic'. Obviously, this is a niche fragrance, as far from mainstream perfumery as can be. Highly recommended to those who enjoy adventurous, evocative scents.

Smells very similar to how I remember Crabtree & Evelyn's "Sea Shell" soap, which is why i bought a full bottle. Also I'm crazy for anything with Olibanum (Frankincence) in it. The other resins. with the lily, and the sandalwood base.....its utter perfection. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Bravo Manuel Cross ! also the juniper, its very uplifting during the opening. Some musks just don't register for me, and in this scent, it is not detectable to my nose. All combined, it's not like a church incense, its more soapy, clean, rather like a "sports" scent. If you have an aversion to showering or bathing, this is your ticket....everyone will think you just got out of the shower. Yes, its somewhat linear. Update: Sadly this has been discontinued. I have taken a liking to Rogue's "Bon Monsieur" which is also a very CLEAN, SOAPY offering, but not resin-based, its an aromatic fougere.

Wow, this is strong stuff. Definitely sample first, which Mr. Cross makes easy and affordable. I may have an issue with olibanum in high concentrations. But to me, this brings the same feeling as when there's a broken bottle of some sort of cleaning fluid in the freight at work, and it has soaked a bunch of cardboard, and the smell is everywhere for hours. It is sharp, intense, needles to the brain. By way of context, the 3 Tauers I've tried are all too much for me as well. Those are LAdDM, Incense Rose, and Incense Extreme. I found those a bit more tolerable but still not wearable for me. I'm a big, big fan of Rogue's Mousse Illuminee, Derviche, and Jasmin Antique. My test of Ishtar ended up with a wardrobe change for me because I couldn't take one small spray to the arm after an hour or so.

this fragrance spoke to me more in poetic abstract impressions than as a fragrance blend or as literal singular notes i kept getting the impression of clean smokey glass it's like you dug up minerals out of the ground, crushed & molded them using heat & pressure & during this process other bits of organic material made its way in & you get this aromatic concoction that hits your nose the material becomes stained glass for a church smokey incense & resins burn & smolder at an altar, displays of flowers grieving mourning & loss all cleaned up just to sit in silence with tears & smoke the flowers are pretty but for the time being life is unbearable (this is still a really beautiful & unusual scent, recommend you try :))

I like the top notes best in this perfume. It's the most interesting part, IMO. The fresher aromatic notes are mingled with a warmer floral note, and even smells chewy/oily/leathery at one point, and a little bitter. It quickly evolves into a colder frankincense, with maybe a hint of birch tar or leather.. Reminds me of the cold marble church of the Cire Trudon Spiritus Sancti candle, which I love as an atmospheric scent. Or maybe even of CT Mortel perfume, but slightly less dry and woody. Smells like quality ingredients. I think hard-core incense fans, especially of the more churchy or outdoorsy variety, would like this. I may dilute my sample in a spray bottle and use as a room scent!

I like Rogue Perfumery, but this is perhaps their least interesting fragrance. I also found the performance poor. Now its interesting that some reviews suggest the sillage and longevity as strong, so maybe I got a reformulated version or just a bad bottle. Now amber scents can all feel sort of similar and thats one of the problems with Ishtar. Its not bad, its just rather typical. Reminded me a bit of Ormande Jayne's Ambre Royal. Its also very linear. There is clear sandalwood bottom running throughout and I get the juniper at the start. But it all sort of faded for me and even if performance had been better I found nothing particularly unique or compelling.

Ishtar smells like an expensive men’s aftershave with frankincense, but that doesn’t portray quite how intoxicating and sexy this scent is. I can’t stop smelling my arm when I dab my sample, even though I’d prefer smelling this on a man as this is a clean, linear, very manly scent. I don’t sense anything dirty or rough around the edges here, I can only picture a gentleman wearing this fresh out of the shower.

Smells like hopping out of the shower and throwing on a jacket you wore to a boyscout campfire the night before, and you're also a catholic alter boy. Your parents don't really watch the news. You are 8 years old and nothing bad is going to happen.

This is not my cup of tea. It is very opulent. Bitter and sweet at the same time. Lots of resins. It is heavy. Nevertheless, at some moments, I can smell something that vaguely reminds me of YSL Opium pour homme which I like.

The initial incense and amber quickly fades, and I mostly smell clean, soapy juniper. Reminds me of a good quality body wash. It seems masculine on my skin, and something I would enjoy on my husband, but not on myself.

Ishtar is a wonderful fragrance with good projection and longevity. The frankincense and benzoin combination provides radiance. I don't smell amber, nor do I smell church incense. It's clean, fresh and soapy.

This is how the alcoholic secretly smells. He who secretly customs on the gin bottle . I appreciated the opening with forest and incense anyway. I should give it a few more chances in any case.