What a beautiful fresh scent that fits the story well!
Opens with a massive hit of tart, bitter grapefruit. Black pepper adds a dry, aromatic spice. The saffron adds a metallic hit that is reminiscent of Ganymede.
The rum isn't overwhelming at all, but rather adds a sweet warmth.
Drying down, the grapefruit and pepper are more rounded but still prominent while the vetiver adds a dry woodiness and the amber and cashmere wood add a soft and clean warmth.
Update : 12 hours, and 1 shower later. I can still smell it on my arm. It’s a dry, peppery dream, soft and warm with aromatic and soft woods. I fear this sample may have just cost me money 😫
Update 2: full bottle arrived today 🤣
Best
This is a bright lemon wedge in a cup of tea that dries to a light woody ginger. It's lovely but lasts less than two hours.
Warm, smooth, soft, and floral, floral, floral!
Bright white florals with creamy indolic floral.
If you are a floral lover, this is for you!
A cucumber and butter sandwich with a pickle on the side, bathing under a waterfall, then a 12 hour hike through the fog.
A potent opening of medicinal and smoky birch tar. Once this settles this fragrance is a gorgeous dark and rich plum with rich smoky roses. If MFK Oud Satin Mood and Ombré Nomade had a baby and you sprinkled in a very dialed back wearable version of T Rex from Zoologist - that should give you an idea of what to expect (in my opinion of course ). My favourite from the discovery set so far.
Actually quite a tough scent to describe as it's well blended and there's no crazy discerning peaks of notes for me.
After a couple of hours it's close to the skin. It's a little sweet with the white chocolate subtly noticible and creamy, with woody depth.
It's a pleasant scent. Worth trying from the discovery set.
30/9/26 - wearing again today and it hit me what it reminds me of - Bal D’Afrique. At least initially. It opens with that dry, woody, aromatic blast, but definitely a bit sweeter.
It’s one of the brand’s most recognisable fragrances, rich, sensual, and enveloping. A multi layered, perfectly balanced composition where rose, oud, amber, and saffron take centre stage. It settles on the skin like a warm, golden aura, elegant, deep, yet never overwhelming. The scent is distinctive while maintaining a sense of refinement and calm, it draws people in rather than dominate. Longevity is very good, as is characteristic of Roja Dove. The projection is noticeable for the first few hours, gradually softening into a closer, more intimate presence.
It's a lovely fragrance but it's very close to BR540 with tonnes of pepper. Good price for a niche house though.
Update: they released a travel size so bought that. It's very moreish and the black pepper leaves such a sent trail.
This is arguably the best cherry fragrance out there! It’s beautiful. I would say all aspects of this fragrance is perfectly balanced. The smokiness gives it just enough masculinity, but the amber gives it that feminine touch to balance it out. And when it comes to the cherry aspect, I can’t explain it. Rouge Smoking Extrate from BDK is about 85% simulator and I like it, well enough that I bought a bottle, but Houbigant Paris Ambre Rubis blows it out of the water, by the smell, and performance. On Rouge Smoking Extrate , the cherry aspect fades away, but it stays with Ambre Rubis. This one is on my wish list, and I will be getting it!
Naturalistic, smooth floral holding hands with yellow citrus. This is simply elegant and wonderful. Doesn't smell powdery to me. Lasts 8+ hours.
A composition with a floral oriental character. It opens with a citrus freshness that smoothly transitions into an elegant floral heart. On my skin, geranium stands out in particular, slightly green and subtly cool. The base is resinous and woody, with a delicate touch of coriander that adds an unexpected, gently spicy nuance. Longevity is around five hours, with a rather intimate projection. It’s a quiet fragrance, yet refined in its details, like soft light reflecting off polished wood.
Sunny, uplifting, sparkly citrus, like drinking bubbly water outside a European cafe, underlaid by an effortless chypre.
Such a beautiful fragrance. I love it.
A composition with a distinct vintage vibe. A fruity, sparkling opening, more dry than sweet, like a freshly opened bottle of bubbly. Rose and violet quickly follow, adding a powdery floral elegance. The fragrance settles into a patchouli base. Longevity is around 6 hours with moderate projection. Perfect for lovers of more mature, classic compositions.
This is a zesty, slightly spicy, realistic citron fruit that just fell off the tree.
At first spray, it tempts with juicy, sparkling lychee, red apple and a delicate hint of blackcurrant. It feels fresh, lightly fruity and incredibly mouth watering. Florals linger softly in the background, and before long the composition melts into a sweeter, cocooning base of vanilla and woods with a subtle touch of amber. Longevity is around three hours, with projection initially at arm’s length before quickly settling into a more intimate, skin-close scent.
A beautiful cool-toned and not overly sweet oriental vanilla.
The cinnamon (or it's cousin) is gentle and warming with the vanilla 'caviar' which is the inside of the vanilla pod. The labdanum, balsam, and vanilla create a cosy amber accord which is balanced by the subtle sweetness of cacao.
There is a nice subtle depth and delicate floral fact here too.
This is another scent profile similar to Althaïr from PDM. A really beautiful mature vanilla.
On my skin it opens with a very aromatic, woody citrus. The vetiver and musk are prominent before leading into fruity green florals.
It's quite a dry scent, both light and with body, and pleasent for everyday use.
It's great in its simplicity. Warm, spicy pepper paired with a not too overpowering incense, and a lovely ambery leathery dry down. I like ambroxan so it's a winner for me!
Rich, decadent condensed milk, sweet creamy caramel, and a rich almost nutty couramin. My nose detects cinnamon although not listed. It reminds me of a richer and sweeter Althaïr from PDM.
On my skin, this opens sharp, salty, metallic, slightly sweet, and quickly turns very green. The fig comes through clearly and you get both the soft sweetness of the fruit and the milky, leafy side as it settles. The salty note gives it a fresh, sea breeze feel, and the dry down leans more aquatic, almost like cucumber with a pinch of salt.
Overall it's really bright and fresh with light florals and I'm sure I detected a faint nutty note.
It’s not a gourmand, but it has that sweet-and-savoury, slightly mouthwatering quality. Very fresh, very summery.
Definitely not for everyone!
This is one you really need to smell to understand if it's for you. It opens with a very bitter orange peel, then turns into a rich, buttery caramel with vanilla underneath, however on my skin, the bitter orange remains prominent.
It smells like a warm bakery, like crepes, butter, sugar, and a bit of orange liqueur. There’s a light spice in the background too, but nothing too strong.
It’s very gourmand, so you’d need to like sweet, dessert-like scents to enjoy it.
Only downside is the projection isn’t amazing for the price. And honestly, while it smells great, for the right person, there are cheaper fragrances that give a similar vibe.
I have spent a lot of money on perfumes, but I don't think anything can warrant being £1000 a bottle.
This is one of my favourites by Jo Malone. The blend of red poppy and tonka bean creates a very feminine, warm, and easy to wear composition. Unfortunately, like most fragrances from the brand, it doesn’t excel in longevity. It’s a subtle scent, like a quiet compliment you only notice when someone is very close. It lasts up to around four hours and becomes skin scent fairly quickly.
