Enigma of Taif

I am a certified rose hater. I don't blind anything that has got a note of rose in it. But I took a risk with Enigma of Taif because I absolutely love everything I got from the Cities Collection and all I heard were good things about it. This was a gamble that paid off. Yes, it's very rose leaning, but it's not your typical grandma rose. This one is youthful, sparkling and addictive. It's almost intoxicating and definitely makes a statement. I get some violet and pleasant saffron too, not much plum. There's also spicy pepper, elemi and cardamom in the opening which all work beautifully with the rose. Somehow Enigma of Taif screams spring to me, but she'll absolutely work in Autumn and Winter as well. Maybe it's got bit too much going on for hot summer day, but in the evening? Absolutely! Overall, it smells amazing and I can't get enough of it! Leaning feminine, but I imagine it'd be great for a male too. Performance is great, beautiful presentation too. Another stunning fragrance from the Cities Collection. Very tempting to get them all!

I agree with Nycswervo, there is something oudy in here. But that's not at all the first thing that I get from this one. The taif rose is distinctively recognizable, and takes center stage. It is accompanied by a swirl of notes of cardamom, saffron, and the various incense notes. Unlike in many rose-incense fragrances, here the incense doesn't choke the rose, it gently wafts around her. And yes, a woody note is present throughout. This is very beautiful, subtle fragrance with many facets. It comes with a little note warning about the high concentration of oils, and it definitely is very oily on the skin. In my book that's a good thing and a sign of quality, natural ingredients. I only just received mine today, so I'll update this review in a few days when I'll have had more time to test it out.

This is just amazing, I like this type of well blended not mass appealing fragrances. For sure, initial sprays are somewhat off, too much happening at once. Leave it to maturate for a couple of weeks, then the magic happens and all the ingredients merge. This is not your typical rose fragrance, i haven't smell anything like it, this is definitely masculine profile. Performance is very good, i get up to 10hrs on skin, strong projection in the first 4hrs, on clothes i can smell it even the next day. If you are looking for a unique fragrance, that has character and depth, get this. But, i do recommend sample first. This could be worn in many instances if you enjoy it, but in the heat can get cloying and also for the office don't go more than 5 sprays. 10/10.

Enigma of Taif is unique but also familiar at the same time. It has a lot of nuances that oriental fragrances typically have but at the same time it is it's own thing. As I sprayed it I immediately thought I have something like this in my collection and some fragrances like Montale's Infinity or Arabians Tonka and Ignite Oud came to my mind but it's only facets of those that are present here, it's not redundant. It's definitely not for everyone but at the same time trained and even untrained noses will appreciate this one. It doesn't seem to be too loud but the quality is there, the longevity is there and the complexity is there. This is a solid 9/10 for me.

Coming back to add a second review two months after purchasing. I have never been a believer in "maceration". But I do have to admit that in this case, the change is undeniable. After a few wears, I had left it aside, just because I have so many other perfumes I wanted to wear this winter, and only ended up using it again today. I am blown away by how much the longevity has increased. I used to get 6-8 hours out of this when I first bought it, which was already solid. Today, I sprayed at 10am, and tonight at 10pm I'm still getting whiffs of this beautiful perfume. Changing my "like" vote to a "love"! Absolutely fantastic fragrance!