Hawa Mahal is situated at Badi Choupad, Pink City of Jaipur, and is also known as "Palace of Breeze." It was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the grandson of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, who was the founder of Jaipur. It has 953 windows on the outside walls and is made with the red and pink sandstone. The honeycomb-shaped and beautifully carved windows allow the zephyr to blow through the palace and make it a perfect summer palace. Can you fancy a gentle breeze smelling like Jaïpur Homme that caresses you like a lullaby? Yeah, I guess I can.
I was lucky enough to find both Jaïpur Homme and Boucheron pour Homme on an online site at a ridiculous price. I had been keeping an eye on them for some time, but I always wavered, having never had the opportunity to try them. Years ago I thought it smelled very oldfashioned and I didn't care for them. But in the end, I took them blindly. To begin with, Jaïpur Homme is a spicy oriental cologne that exists in both EDT and EDP concentrations, and today I'm going to review the EDT one. It is a precious little gem, and the cap represents a famous Boucheron ring named Boucheron Paris Jaipur Lapis Lazuli Cabachon 18k Gold Ring. It smells dusty, powdery, sweetish spicy, woody, and resinous. However, there is no one dominant spice you get but a beautiful mix of them all. The scent is perfect, especially for those who like colognes that are rich in spices. A hidden gem indeed. Not many people know about this masterpiece.
The opening is hot and sweet, but not cloying in any means, aspect, or style. There is an exciting addition for the leading note cinnamon, and you can smell cinnamon powder in this one, which completely spices this jewel fantasy. It greats you with a royal cardamon, plenty of heliotropes, light citrus that last as a blink of an eye. The overall accord is somehow reminiscent of Givenchy PI, neither a clone nor a rip-off, merely sharing the same vibe and opening. Hence, a costly citrus-bergamot starting with cinnamon, nutmeg, and heliotrope, playing a remarkable role.
The woody accord is gorgeous, majestic in every aspect of the word. After the start, the fragrance is a benzoin-centric strong poison. It grows on your skin and gets better and better hour after hour. The dustiness and powderiness are nostalgic of mama's Felce Azzurra talcum powder, for those who were accustomed to it. One will also find carnation, and I believe that in this fragrance is what gives it it's superior qualities. Moist, innocent, and sweet, the rose makes up for many other notes rudeness without turning this scent into an opulent Emirate rosy perfume.
It goes down to the skin scent territory in about three hours, ain't vanilla cake. Yet, a vanilla powder maybe thanks to benzoin pairing. The dry-down is warm, sensual, and somewhat bitter. It turns to be delightfully powdery and woody with a consistent dose of vanilla, or tonka, according to the roaster, that's perfectly balanced and orchestrated never to become overwhelming or even dominant. Very rich, tremendously long-lasting, and even a bit loud but masterfully executed.
Reminiscent of Ghivency PI, subtle powdery, and soft vanilla. Jaïpur Homme brought to my nose that familiar nice powdery, smooth, and the sweet vanilla note of PI, but the similarities ended there. The sophisticated and elegant structure, rich spices with comforting sweet notes, and bold projection make Jaïpur Homme perhaps one of the best examples of the male Orientals. But the similarities do not end here, cause Jaïpur Homme has that barbershop fill akin to Brut by Fabergé. Under some aspects, you might be reminded of Habit Rouge and Shalimar by Guerlain, and even Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin. Jaïpur Homme is sharing more than one similarity with the latter. Still, while the first turns to a dominant vanilla dry-down and the second surely exceeds in the gourmand aspect, it is perfectly balanced by the clever use of heliotrope. It has a little of each but is not equal to anyone.
Jaïpur Homme is a Fall for the EDT, but I feel that early Spring is also an option. In contrast, Winter is for the EDP since it is more luxurious and slightly spicer. I wouldn't wear it in the heat since I tent to choose sweet fragrances this time of year (e.g., it's middle Winter now in Italy) and fresh ones in the warmer days. This fragrance can be worn day or evening, and I think it is more suitable for casual wear. This scent is relaxing and suits weekend downtime.
Overall, I think if you are someone who considers themselves a nobleman, you should check Jaïpur Homme out. An excellent oriental composition in almost every sense of the word, it's woody without being vexatious, and spicy without muting the other notes. Annick Menardo mastered it, smooth as silk, not regal enough to be a dress-up only fragrance, and too well made to be a strictly casual creation.
-Elysium
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Elysium
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