Six Scents Series Three 4 Rad Hourani: Ascent

ok, I was very intrigued to try this perfume, the concept, the description the limited edition , everything seemed so inviting, so I bought it on ebay at a huge discount (60 eur) comparing to usual price of 160-180$. The first notes of whatever they are go away in 3-5 minutes after application, and all that stays is pure and only incense, the one I smell in the church (olibanum), maybe its the wrong time of the year (spring +20) but, I am a bit disappointed at how simple this projects on my skin, its like its the only note thats in there. Sure its nice to have one of 3000 something edition bottle, but I was hoping to love the unique scent :( Update: day 2, i didnt wanna give up on this fragrance easily so i sprayed a bit in the back of my head and forgot all about it....at some point during the day i kept on smelling something very nice...what a surprise it was when i realized that it was actually my Rad Hourani...so a change of mind, it is a very nice perfume, but you have to find that perfect spot and just give it a little time to set in.

My third sampling of the “Essentials” from Six Scents re-releases, Ascent, originally released in 2010 as “Series Three #4 by Rad Hourani,” a fresh, sharp, floral that does feel rather like an airy ascent. It has some powder but not to the point that it smells like potpourri or more stereotypical, mature, feminine perfume. Note-wise, I certainly get the floral mix (violent, ylang ylang, white rose), a bit of leather, a lot of musk, and, vaguely, the tonka/benzoin mix, though on my skin the blend is only very subtly sweet in the way that mostly-spicy or mostly-powdery fragrances sometimes are. Overall, it’s a very effective conjuring of air, very clean, while not obtrusively powdery, and familiar, but not at all repetitive with fragrances that I’ve smelled before. Like the others in the Essentials group, Ascent is surely worth trying, though I give the edge to both #087 and Urban Tropiclia over Ascent. Ascent is priced at $58 for 30ml (in EDT concentration), unusually reasonable in niche perfumery nowadays. 7 out of 10

I won a bottle of Ascent a few months ago. It didn't make much of an impression on me then- not offensive and a feel of being freshly showered, reminded me of certain nice hotel soaps, just not really my style. I tried it out again today, after a couple of months and it is so much more enticing. The amber and powder are really lovely and cozy together. I'm still reminded of the hotel soap and clean hotel sheets, which isn't a bad thing, but now it's like I just stepped out of the shower to take a walk on a dirt road after a thunderstorm. I don't know what changed for me, but the whole thing is coming together so much better for me now. The musk isn't oppressive, the violet and ylang-ylang are just right and the benzoin is subtle, which I like. For those of you who like the doll-head note, you might like the dry down on this. Also, recommended for people who have a soft spot for Love's Baby Soft.