Red

This fragrance by Sora Dora is has to be the most intricate perfume I’ve smelled recently. And I’ve smelled quite a few. Has a very, very complex blend of notes at all levels but somehow they work together very nicely. I am not going to pretend that I can easily detect all of them but what stands out the most from the very first second I’ve sprayed Red on my skin are coconut, cardamom, hazelnuts, nutmeg and a mix of citruses. In about five minutes from application I can smell easily a fig note, cloves and iris. To my disappointment I can’t get any of the exotic florals that are listed in the heart and are my absolute favourite: ylang ylang, tiare and frangipani. I can only imagine how much more amazing the overall scent would be like if these gorgeous tropical flowers would be more present. The coconut maintains its presence strong throughout the heart of the scent. I do get a hint of something green and herbal which might be the mugwort note, not sure, not seen this in other fragrances I own, but seems to be the only herb listed in the composition. Yes, it is woody in the base, a very smooth sandalwood for sure it’s easily spotted, but I am not convinced about the caramel note. Maybe in a minuscule amount for a more balanced experience, but I wouldn’t call Red a sweet perfume. Woody, coconuty, warm spicy with hints of fruits: fig first and foremost and then citruses. I am really tempted by Red, but Sora Dora is a brand that never goes on sale and it’s difficult to get in stores. And, personal pet peeve, I don’t like their designs bottle. They look masculine, industrial and clunky to me. Update: ten hours later it’s a skin scent. Not bad but I have better performing fragrances in my collection. Red might go to my to buy list!

Ohhh I want to love this one and almost did. I adore Orchidee Rouge and Mandorle and Ylop, Sora Dora house just has some intoxicating scents that I love. I received a sample and immediately smelled the bottle and thought oh wow this is amazing I'm going to love it!! The nutmeg and hazelnut and cloves and clementines and omg just everything I love.. they also put caramel and spice and everything combines to an addicting intoxicating fragrance that is warm and nutty and somehow delicious even though it's not a gourmand. Fully unisex. Here comes the problem.. which I didn't have with other Sora Dora perfumes that the dry down is sharp and spiky, and I didn't notice til after I used it liberally and it dried a bit ... it's not listed as a note, but it's one of the super-amber molecules that you're stuck with it since they last forever while the good notes are long gone. It's one of those notes that end up feeling sharp to your nostrils as it sticks to skin. I notice them often right away but sometimes you have to wear it first before it shows up, I'm disappointed I was sure this would be a full bottle when I smelled the other notes. If they released a smoother version without that I'd buy in a heart beat. Unfortunately they put this ingredient in a lot of cheaper fragrances to make them project and I love this smell in the air I would love smelling it on someone else just not on my own skin

This is so unique, interesting and addictive! When I first tested this my initial reaction was that I didn’t know what I thought, I found it a bit strange and challenging. That was just one spray on the back of my hand which I didn’t pay much attention to after my initial reaction. The next day I decided to try it out properly, oh my goodness it was love! I found myself wondering how could I have found this scent challenging? It’s so warm, fruity and sweet with a bit of spice. I know others will disagree but I think this is perfect for spring/summer. The fruitiness with the coconut and ylang ylang just gives such a summery vibe to me. I find it perfectly unisex and I get great performance from this one too. Looking at the reminds me of section, I can see why some of the fragrances have been suggested such as Gris charnel and golden Dallah however it really doesn’t smell very much like either of those. It’s way more complex than gris charnel but does share that unisex fruity/fig with sandalwood DNA. Golden Dallah has way more cardamom and goes in a more spicy floral direction than this one. These are just my thoughts incase it might help anyone out.

This is a very complex yet beautifully blended fragrance. It stays nutty on my skin throughout the wear, which I love!!! I’ve been searching for a truly hazelnut-forward scent, and this one delivers. It’s what I hoped Guidance would smell like on me, and I’m so glad I found this instead (I’m not a big fan of saffron and I’m picky about sandalwood). Red is slightly spicy, delicately sweet, with a citrus-caramel quality. The caramel and vanilla are never in-your-face and smell realistic and deep, rather than too sugary sweet. I also love how the coconut emerges and adds a soft creaminess. It’s unique, pretty, and truly unisex. This perfume deserves more hype.

Perfectly unisex for me. Shades of ELdO's Fat Electrician and Imaginary Authors' Yesterday Haze. Roundedly sweet and warmingly nutty. Cardamom and fig are prominent from the off, warmed with some pepper. A half hour in and it's seemingly lost a lot of its initial oomph. Gonna require a few more testings to formulate a real opinion. Edit: Scratch that, it performs well enough on my skin. I really can't get enough of this one! I was gonna buy Jubilation 40, but I think I'll go for this instead. It's that enjoyable to me. Hopefully, it won't prove to be too feminine after several wearings, or I'll be passing on yet another beauty to my girlfriend.