DalilaB

When I started my perfume journey, I actively avoided iris. Prada infusion d’iris and Prada femme were my silver bullets. I loved white flowers but adored rose based perfume. Fast forward few years, I own few iris perfumes and live a good iris fragrance. Ibitira opens up very fresh, though it’s hard to tell what notes I am smelling. Then, it moves to a super floral, creamy centre where iris is the main note (to my nose). I get a clean soapy vibe from the fragrance and it feels quite light, airy and refreshing. I can hardly smell the vanilla so I would definitely recommend this if gourmands are not your cup of tea. Finally, It is reminiscent of Irisss from the 17/17 collection without the price tag.

As I have few chances to sample fragrances, I tend to make a note of fragrances to watch/ try. Then once a month, I make a bee line for them and binge sniff! On one such occasion, I managed to try most of the initios offerings. I disliked none of them but few of them stood out for me. Absolute aphrodisiac was simply a win, it ticked all the boxes. It was a balsamic, creamy amber to my nose. It smelled somehow familiar though I couldn’t recall what it reminded me of. I did struggle with castoreum in other fragrances but it didn’t bother me this time. It is a very inviting and intimate perfume and I would highly recommend it for balsamic fragrance lovers.

My love story for this fragrance is rather complicated. I loved it at first sniff on a friend, but this is quite unfair because he is one of these people who smell great whatever perfume they chose to wear. I was still a newbie in the fragrance world and this was my first introduction to xerjoff.
I quickly got myself 10 ml and my first wearing of it, I felt that it overpowered me. Maybe not the best fragrance to wear in an office?

But it was glorious in that crisp winter morning. I could smell it all day and before I could dissect the layers of this new perfume, a colleague came into the office and asked who was wearing a strong cologne! Cologne!? Then another colleague from China asked me if I was on medication because it smelled like something medicinal. Needless to say, I never wore MTW to work. It became my evening perfume or my « me time » perfume. I still enjoy it a lot, but I do love it on other people more than I love it on me.

I can smell a little similarity with Armani Rose d’Arabie, with the added sweetness of dried fruits. Obviously, I prefer more than words or I wouldn’t be writing this.

I had both versions of this fragrance before and after the change in bottle shapes and I am afraid I cannot detect the subtle changes of anything I find the new formulation easier to wear. It’s a beautiful take on Oud & Rose and it always be in and out of my collection until I figure it out :)

Oud satin mood was a love for me from the first spray, it is my desert island fragrance or my signature scent if I believed in a single signature scent.

I discovered it accidentally on nose, in my quest for the perfect scent that would suit my personality yadi yada.. yes I have said I don’t believe in signatures scents but back then I kind of did and I was just beginning my trip down the rabbit hole :)

I filled out the form on the website describing perfumes that I enjoyed and notes that I didn’t like so much. At the end I had 3 recommendations, none of which I knew before. The first one was oud satin mood extrait and I don’t remember the other two!

Oud satin mood felt smoky and had this smooth, creamy cocoon almost like a scarf that enveloped me. One or two sprays were enough to last a whole day and I was transported into a beautiful dreamy world. I particularly loved the fact that I could smell it all day, even though I couldn’t pick the individual notes I could smell the rose which was sweet and jammy. I could get hints of a very subdued oud, mainly in my sillage or if I re-enter the room after I had sprayed it. It was glorious on winter nights but I have also worn it in hot humid weather and it was equally beautiful.

Five years on and it is still my number one.

This was the first niche fragrance I bought back when I was still chasing the « one » or the « signature perfume » .
I met one of my best friends on that journey for which I am forever grateful. I told him I am looking for a rose scent! He came with lots of samples all about rose and kept his favourite portrait of a lady for last. I sprayed it on a peace of paper and turned my nose up! This is weird! I don’t know if I like it or not, it is different from the usual rose I go for. It’s got a lot of character, it’s a rose with a little masculine vibe. I learnt after that, that it was the patchouli I was smelling. The more I sprayed it the more I loved it!
It felt like an autumn rose, simply special and elusive. Whenever I wear it I am transported to that beautiful Scottish autumn day sipping hot beverages with my best friend Misan. Cheers