Purple Leather

Spicy brown leather, and sharp aromatic bergamot zest.

Initially the opening was smokey sweet or maybe it was sweet smokey, almost like a proper margarita made with mezcal. However this sweetness which gave it a nice freshness (wasn't too sweet) dissipated or rather ran and snuck under the covers of (what I can only assume) is a vetiver smokiness, upon which more green and herbal notes arise in replacement. I don't want to give a wrong impression, this isn't smoke in your eyes or camp fire smokiness, but rather someone is burning a field from afar, keeping an aromatic nature, leaning green. Several hours later (and in this case a sweaty day) I get more of a mild green woodsy vibe. The smoke is gone. By the end of the day I'm getting a vanilla extract tone. Again testing completely blind and looking at the notes now, what I'm taking for smokiness is the leather, so after another spritz to see how much influence knowing the notes has, yeah it's not that “smokey”, but it's not that "leathery" - cowhide, rawhide, or designer purse-hide - either. The cypress seems to be the green factor, with the patchouli and saffron making it “purple” I guess. At the end of the day that vanilla shadow must be the cinnamon, cardamom, and woods swirling. Projection was moderate to intimate and good longevity, but for me it just changes too much throughout the day. I honestly miss the sweetness in the opening. After the first hour the purpliness (if that's a thing) feels like it was out of here, and now I feel I have been to this field before, standing around familiar pastures, and that's fine, but I'm empty handed and I'd rather have that mezcal margarita!

I read a review about this being a "leathery Black Orchid" and recognised it, at least in the opening: the mentholated side of patchouli, some fresh soil. Add earthy-sweet cardamom, cedar chips and some smoke. A bitter leather note in the style of Bandit and Aramis, some more bitterness from the bergamot, saffron to spice it up a bit, then some black coal smoke again. Soon enough, it is more about spiced burning wood and ash than it is about leather or anything else. While in theory I enjoy this olfactive image, in reality it exhausts me too easily. It defies all ambiguity, it's too stubborn for Interpretation, it's just spiced ash too limited for a frequent use. Where did everything else go so quick? Vivid opening with a one-dimensional aftertaste.

This does not smell like Halfeti or Oud Malaki. That is Roos & Roos Smoke and mirrors. This is intriguing, but very animalistic leather in the opening. Calms down after a bit and gets quite interesting. Definitely not for everyone.