Colonia Embrujo de Sevilla by Myrurgia

Aldehyde, Bergamot, Lemon, Neroli, Peach, Strawberry.
Carnation, Jasmine, Muguet, Orris Root, Rose, Rosewood, Ylang Ylang.
Amber, Benzoin, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Vetiver.

I recently stumbled across this bottle locally and purchased it. I knew nothing about it except it looked interesting and extremely old. I never would have believed it was from 1933 because of the condition of the bottle and the smell of the juice. The serial number is #3009.

My first reaction was amazement that this is actually a feminine fragrance. Even in extended drydown when the scent is the most vulnerable and soft, it comes off as a classic masculine from either the 60's or 70's to me.

The opening of Embrujo de Sevilla is a dark mixture of Citrus and spicy Carnation. The Carnation evokes the classic masculine aura and has a borderline after shave quality to it. I can only guess that the Neroli, Peach and Strawberry haven't survived old age too well, but one can tell Citrus is in the mix and there's no mistaking the Carnation.

In spite of this, the fragrance is as intact as it can be and with the exception of dissipated topnotes, is extremely sound and has a clear voice. I wonder if the carnation was this dominant upon release, or if it has been amplified due to the roll-off of other notes?

After about 10 minutes, Embrujo de Sevilla begins to exhibit subtle earth tones to compliment the spicy Carnation that's still going strong. There's intermittent whiffs of Rose as the wearings progress and once the scent delves into the base and drydown stages, wood finally straddles aside the spice and earth. This seems to balance out the aroma and gives it even more substance.

Extended drydown is what I deem the best part of this fragrance. It's not "quite" as masculine as it was. The addition of an oriental-woody finish seems to soften it a bit. Sillage is slightly better than moderate and longevity is surprisingly good at over 4 hours on me. Thumbs up from Aromi for this rare, Spanish gem called Embrujo de Sevilla.