Intense Noir

I owe a big heavy bottle of this fragrance to dear Pluto, which has been slumbering in my collection for a little while now, but with which I have never really engaged extensively. There was always a new scent, a promising sample in between, no time, no desire - you know how it goes. However, after rummaging through my collection for possible candidates for a change of ownership, "Gold" came back into my hands, and I resolved: you won't leave until I've taken a closer look at you! The bottle is, like the containers of many other fragrances from the Arab world, rather … well, let’s say, not quite aligned with the design preferences of the Central European eye. With "Wisal," one of the design princes already resides with me, but since in that case a truly wonderful scent was hidden in a terrifying shell, I won’t dwell on the golden plastic casing and the gold flecks in the fragrance for long and will sniff to see if a pleasant surprise awaits me here as well. It is indeed a surprise, although initially more of the unpleasant kind. Right after spraying, I am enveloped by the unmistakably penetrating and sharp smell of vinegar cleaner. Could the fragrance have already gone off despite being stored cool and dark? My fears do not come true, as the vinegar dissipates in less than a minute, making way for a whole bowl of ripe, sweet oranges with a few lemons mixed in. Leather, cardamom, anise - I smell no trace of them and, since leather often develops an unpleasant intensity on me, I’m not upset about it. Instead, the orangey-fruity freshness with a pleasant sweetness remains for the next three to four hours, enveloped by warm, ambered wood notes with a hint of patchouli. After that, the fruits also say goodbye, leaving a very pleasant, friendly fragrance blend of woods and amber, underpinned by the vanilla-like balsamic sweetness of tolu balsam. Therefore, "Gold" is quite a fitting name for this fragrance in my opinion. It certainly has the potential to become one of my favorites in my collection, if it didn't weaken so incredibly, so for now I can only give it 70%. After just under half an hour, the fragrance retreats far too much into skin proximity for my taste, even an above-average number of sprays on skin, hair, and clothing, which would be considered a violation of the Geneva Conventions with other fragrances, yields only a somewhat satisfactory result for me. But perhaps the saying holds true that orientals need warmth to develop properly - spring can come, and maybe then I’ll be holding 24-carat gold in my hands, who knows! Edit on 12.05.2015: Warmth definitely does the fragrance good! The longevity doubles, and "Gold" is also significantly louder in projection. It may not be 24 carats, but it has earned 80% on my personal appreciation scale.

The description and the ingredients of Gold appealed to me, and the price did the rest. So, Jaipur Homme, Oud al Mukhabar, and Gold were ordered together; after all, shipping costs should be worth it, one must keep an eye on prices. Gold, how does it smell? It's difficult to describe because it seems quite linear in my perception. So, I'll tackle it from the back and start with the simplest part, the bottle. Hmm, a matter of taste, like everything. It's not for me. When you shake the bottle, little golden flakes tumble through the perfume, like in snow globes. Well, to each their own. It is well-made, very heavy and bulky, making it more than unwieldy for women's hands. I can't safely operate the sprayer with one hand. I wonder, who created something like this? Someone who doesn't wear perfume? But I also ask myself that in other situations, e.g., when I ride the tram. They are designed by people who never ride it, that's as certain as Amen in church. And now to the scent. The opening has a sharp freshness; I can only faintly sense lemon and orange. My nose smells wood, wood, and more wood; I’m not refined enough to identify which type it is. And I also perceive a slight mustiness. This is already the cardamom, but moderate and not unpleasant, without a sweaty note. I briefly notice a similarity to Busaina and think of an aftershave or men's shower gel. I can't detect leather and anise, just a herbal spiciness. Unisex, but definitely a masculine scent. The word Gold implies warmth, which is lacking in the fragrance. Silver would have been a better name. This is not meant to be derogatory; I also like earthy scents without sweetness. Gold is cool, woody, dry, and straightforward, not playful, without sensuality or oriental frills, which I mistakenly expected from a fragrance from the United Arab Emirates. I would rate the sillage and longevity as average. Will I wear Gold? No, probably not; I don't suit it. My husband's arm had to serve yesterday as well, and I liked Gold better there; the scent development wasn't much different, but I found it appealing on men's skin. My beloved now has two new fragrances with Jaipur Homme :o)

We're among ourselves, so I can be completely honest. My personal dream is to find a niche fragrance that isn't a niche fragrance just because it's rare or super expensive, but because it's rarely worn (due to being from a little-known brand) and smells super expensive without actually being so. I want to find the greatest, most delicious, and wearable scent of all time for under twenty euros, for which people will be at my feet in admiration. Or they'll wrinkle their noses in disgust, saying "I would never wear something so cheap!" while secretly going out to buy the fragrance and being annoyed that they didn't think of it themselves. So, now you know my secret and I can tell you something about the scent: Palisander meets herbs and citrus, the fragrance comes across as woody, radiant, fresh, and slightly bitter. Somehow almost objective. Very pleasant, I thought it would be good for the office. Then the scent clung to my skin and tobacco and musk emerged, along with a bit of leather and amber, and my new signature scent was complete. No longer objective, but warm-fresh, balsamic, and a little mysterious. What a beautiful, unobtrusive, and stylish fragrance! Like a sunny day in a herb garden right next to a pile of freshly chopped wood. The sillage is moderate, the longevity is quite good at 8-10 hours, and even a shower hardly affects the scent. I find the fragrance equally suitable for men and women, it practically highlights the gender characteristics. Somewhere in the forum, I read that some people long for a scent like that of Schauma herbal shampoo - well, it doesn't smell like that, but the character is similar, the same bitter-sweet freshness that you can't go wrong with in summer or winter. Oh yes, there are small gold flakes swimming in the bottle. So come on - I want to see you at my feet!