Nejma Three by Pascal Morabito

Arabic Rose, Bulgarian Rose, Hibiscus Blossom, Oud, Sandalwood, Ylang-Ylang.

Nejma Three by Pascal Morabito arrived in the mail yesterday. I had to contain myself with just a test spray as I planned to wear it TODAY. I wore Nejma Two yesterday and I didn't even wait to get home from the post office. I ripped the box open and whacked it on. Yes, HIGH EXCITEMENT, but I digress.........

Nejma Three starts life high on Roses straight out of the bottle. By all accounts, there are 3 types of rose present. Bulgarian, Arabian and Damask and can only assume that the Arabian must be Taifi ( aka Rose Damascena Trigintipetela ).

It's uncertain how the 30 petal damask rose initially came to Taif, a town located high in the Sarawat mountains of western Saudi Arabia. It's virtually identical to the famous Bulgarian kazanlik variety. Taif's roses may have been imported by Ottoman Turks from the Balkans, who occupied the area from the mid 14th century. However, the kazanlik rose also has roots in the Persian rose plantations around Shiraz and Kashan and these supplied fields in Syria. One legend says the rose originally came from India. It's actually quite confusing because these three roses seem to be the same thing.

Growing in different parts of the world imbues them with different characteristics. I can attest to the pristine and radiant beauty in this fragrance. The rose is simply phenomenal. "Pink Ice" would be a good way to describe their scent with its bright and crystalline aroma.

The oud is soft and sensual, complimented by creamy sandalwood and sans the "medicinal" edge. I don't get any Hibiscus apart from a welcoming "greenness" and Ylang seems more of a fixative than an actual contributor, yet there's an undeniable, tropical aspect during extended drydown. I would hesitate to state that Nejma Three is overly feminine, but that all depends on a mans fondness for roses. I find this scent triumphant and a beautiful example of the genre. I recommend this to anyone looking to experience the traditional, Arab-Rose-Oud combination.

Comments

Oriental Lounge by The Different Company

Bergamot, Curry Leaf, Pepper, Red Rose, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Satinwood. I suppose the first thing I noticed about Oriental Lounge is that as a man, this is a bit of a stretch to pull off. Since the core of Oriental Lounge is a powdery tonka and amber duo, it really does lean a bit too far feminine for me to wear. However, it would smell just as lovely on a woman and more appropriate as well. I bring this up simply because it's marketed as shared. I was wondering about the curry leaf. Actually, this "note" brought nothing to the table with the exception of possibly enhancing the pepper note just a bit. Even so, the pepper note itself was low key ( at least on me ) and both blended nicely with the citrus opening. From the onset of Oriental Lounge, it's unmistakable that this fragrance is.......well.....an oriental. From other opinions, I read some gripes about longevity, but it lasts on me quite awhile. This fragrance is uncomplicated and without much movemen...

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Paco Rabanne Pour Homme

I am reviewing the original Paco Rabanne Pour Homme ( circa 1973 ) thanks to a generous basenoter who sent it to me recently in a swap. He also sent me the current formulation in order for me to do a side by side comparison. The side by side resulted in what I had already imagined would be the case. Not that the newer formula is terrible by any means. The original version simply is better by being deeper and a bit more masculine. No......you shouldn't go to ebay searching for the vintage formula and paying stupid prices. It's simply a notch or two better than the current and noticeable by comparing the two in real time. Rabanne Pour Homme opens with a slight shimmer in conjunction with lavender, spices and a subtle woodiness. It's an old school introduction, however a good one. The lavender takes about 5 minutes to raise its volume and evolve into a soapy rendition. I dislike when a boatload of soapy lavender takes over a composition, but here it doesn't go over t...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog