Ozkan

I decided to sample the orange blossom line again. I deleted my review of Ozkan because for some reason the dislike emoji was here, but I don't remember hitting that because I enjoyed this whole line and thought out of all 3 lines the orange blossom line made the most sense. I enjoy all of them, but Ozkan was my favorite. I love a romantic story and or inspiration behind a fragrance and this one has a good one. Ozkan is softly romantic and enveloping, like a gentle yet sensual caress from a lover. The leather in here is more of a suede bag. Very soft and powdery not rough and masculine, so for me this perfume leans feminine, but a man could wear Ozkan if so inclined. I prefer feminine leaning fragrances on men, and I know quite a few women who feel the same way. The cherry pie nuances of heliotrope are quite strong here giving the composition a sweetness, but everything is blended so perfectly that it is seamless. Like a well-made and expensive pair of suede gloves that cost a fortune. Ozkan and Dovana (from the musk line) were hard for me to get out of my mind so I suppose I will have to buy them. Both are soft, sensual but subtle. Dovana is more of a bedtime scent or a daytime perfume for the office. It is clean, feminine but safe. Ozkan is a date night perfume. Nothing is overtly sexual in Ozkan. It reads like a tender sensuality to me, like the lingering aftermath of a first kiss from a newly discovered love. A gentle, slow burning romance that takes its time, there is no rush.

Now that I'm through all the vanillas I'm moving on to the orange pack and Ozkan is first in line. It starts off very citrusy, floral and sweet - basically sunshine in a bottle, and it's very pleasant -- fit for a spring or summer day. At this stage it's a total crowd-pleaser in its rather linear simplicity, but it has more up its sleeve. Over time it evolves and becomes more complex, and to me much more interesting. The base notes move in but they never take over so you you retain some of that pretty opening, which mixes with the patchouli, tonka and leather, and it's a great combination. This starts out uber-feminine but lands, feet firmly planted, in unisex territory. I find this has a very vague resemblance to Chance EdT though the notes are not similar. This might be going on my FB list.

Bergamot patchouli tonka bean bitter orange peel opening. Deep and spicy, but still orange fruit, not flowers. Cashmere sweater perfume. I think the hay note from the immortelle makes it smell a little sexy, but not in a musky way—sexy-sexy. Someone else said it reminded them a little of Shalimar, and I was happy to read it because that was among my first impressions of it. It doesn’t smell like Shalimar, but it feels like a Guerlain. The orange blossom is supporting, but it does come through. Once it settles, the flowers emerge, and I get more heliotrope than citrus, and oh, I think it’s the saffron at the base that is again a very feminine, sexy smell. I love this more the more it fades. It's close but lingering on me. I enjoyed it all day, like a juicy little secret.

ozkan opens like fizzy, ‘Refresher’ or ‘Love Hearts’ sweets, chalky, effervescent and saccharine sweet. Somehow still bearable and wearable especially when you start to smell what’s at the core. Experience told me I could smell it in the opening and this would be a chameleon but it’s so funny how much of a 180 this does. I get Tonka and very reminiscent general ‘accords’ from Guerlain’s L’Art et la Matiere line, Cuir Beluga creamy and almost almond like and with the delicate touch of Iris ganache...loads of the good ones basically. This is very indulgent and well put together the orange blossom is there but somewhat second fiddle to a stunning base. I love it, and the sweetie opening is fun and interesting. The best one from this Orange blossom collection for me.

The opening is an odd mix of powdered Tang and a leather couch. Based on past experience, I assumed Ozkan would be a pass because leather is not one of my preferred notes. About an hour later I smelled something fizzy and beautiful. I could not figure out where it was coming from. That’s when I realized it was me—and I couldn’t get enough of Ozkan. A good performer with light projection, this is not an orange blossom scent on me. Ozkan is a blended cocktail of leather, floral and gourmand notes. I really like it, minus the strange opening. Gotta give this one time to open, then you’ll smell the beauty, at least that’s how it works on me.