Sahara

Very much a white floral slightly orange citrus buttery amber. I detect possibly jasmine and magnolia but quite a bit of orange blossom with the addition of a clean sterile rose. I wish it maintained that sharp spicy saffron opening but that quickly fades as the elemi and florals take over which ultimately leans feminine. High quality blend, worth a sample if you enjoy floral ambers.

Today was my second experience with Widian and it came in the form of Sahara. Admittedly, the name itself comes with an element of expectation. That is an expectation of heat, dryness (perhaps), and a North African feel. What made me most curious is how the perfumer would portray it in a wearable way. At opening, the warm nature particularly of the Elemi resins shines. There is a sweetness that keeps it from truly going “dry”. In a large part, it's vanilla. To a lesser degree, it’s orange and the orange blossom. A rose gives it an elegant depth. Sahara is another example of Widian finding a way to make the wearer a “guest”. In this instance, the invitation is to a nomadic tent in the Sahara. For the first hour and a half, the saffron and Elemi resins give the impression that outside the tent is a mirage-inducing heat at the height of the afternoon sun. The refuge of the tent keeps them from becoming oppressive. In the tent, a “local” nomad is serving a slightly-herbal-yet-slightly-sweet tea to the wearer. While the visit never lacks sincerity, it does conveniently serve as a “riding out the hot sun” until evening. As the fragrance wears on, the parallel of the heat subsiding is provided by the resins tempering and the sweetness “waxing”. The sweetness never becomes inappropriate to the setting. It’s almost as if the textiles of/in the tent, the surrounding plants, the drink and treats of hospitality give off an evening sweat. They add a touch of moisture. The “evening” of this wearing is my favorite part and I might add that it is the most comforting. It also adds a sense of calm. Perhaps it’s the reward of withstanding the heat earlier in the day. Perhaps it’s the discovery of a friendship. One thing is for certain, Widian has mastered the art of hospitality and taking the wearer to visit different peoples and lands.

These are their new bottles, The ones with the "W" logo and "sahara II" written on it will not be produced anymore. I think that's because it became an iconic scent of the house, they don't only wanted it to just be a part of the Gold collection, but a fragrance of it's own. They told me the fragrance remains exactly the same. Absolutely stunning perfume, but it lasts less than i expected and with a moderate projection in my opinion. It's the only little complain i have on this one because every Widian i own is a strong projector, still among my favourites tho.

I haven’t smelt anything quite like this, straight away i get this sweet not candy but not far off orange and rose, it’s really bright and refreshing and i feel the resins in the background around. The orange and amber create something dusty resembling sand and the sahara , well done.I think i’ll agree that this is actually more of a spring/summer night scent than winter imo, but the star here is this orange accord it’s really unique, well done widian

Like the review below, this is the same fragrance as Gold II Sahara, it's just called Sahara now. In my honest opinion, this has to be one of the most underrated fragrances ever. I've laid my nose on a wide variety of stuff, as you can see on my profile, and never have I smelt anything like this. It's so unique, but also so pleasant. If you haven't had the pleasure of smelling this, you need try it.