WHAT I SMELL: Atacama opens with warmed saline infused earth that feels unmeasured in its vastness. It’s serene right from the beginning with just the perfect mix of dew and salt. Slowly, a mix of florals enters to add an additional measure of softness along with just a hint of caramel buttered creaminess. The perfume retains its salt of the earth feel as it begins to grow with an woodiness that can only be described as remnants left by a hard rain on the ocean mixed with the driftwood that has been swept up on the shore surrounded by flowers glistening in the sun. In the end, Atacama is soft and beautiful lightly salty and sweetened uniquely personal perfume.
From the Atlaia website:
True love waits: in South America lies Atacama, the highest desert on earth, a majestic extension of salt and sands which changes colour according to the seasons. Rain is scarce but it just takes a few drops to awaken the seeds which abide underground and turn it pink with flowers. A beautiful metaphor for Love patiently awaiting the kiss that kindles it.
Notes: Salt Grains, Freesia, Jasmine, Clary Sage, Tonka Bean, Cashmere Wood
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Sun kissed pink salty sand that’s been touched by the rain.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ATACAMA: fresh, personal, infinite
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ATACAMA: Colognoisseur
BOTTOM LINE: Atacama is a hard perfume for me to put into words. It changes and morphs depending on the heat and humidity of the day. At times it gravitates towards the sea and the salt and at other times is moves towards the light florals. But in any shape or form, Atacama is a beautifully executed perfume that is easy to wear. And as an added bonus, the bottle and packaging are gorgeous.
- Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
- Nose: Fabrice Pellegrin
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: $230 for 100 ml eau de parfum at Beautyhabit.
Sample provided by Beautyhabit.
WHAT I SMELL: Fanfare opens with an inviting bergamot and a very Lemon Pledge-like lemon that shines bright then retreats quickly to make way for some soft and demure florals. Fanfare is welcoming right from first spritz and I like the fact that it’s so approachable. After short time, hints of herbs seem to come up from below the citrus and florals. But in short order again, the herbal makes way for a buttery and creamy swath of juniper which is quite unexpected as juniper is typically in the sharper and dryer vein. But the cream ends quite quickly and a dry and smoky vetiver joins the juniper and becomes front and center which turns the perfume to the more masculine. Here the perfume melds juniper, vetiver and a vanilla’d musk to create a very handsome and sexy perfume that is very easy to like.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The quintessential English pub…from day to night.
WHAT I SMELL: Warda Al Oud opens with a thick and heady osmanthus that feels as if it’s dripping off the skin. It’s big, bold, rich and completely overwhelming but in the best possible way. While the main star is the osmanthus, jasmine begins its ascent to the osmanthus mountain by adding hints of the light and bright. After a bit, a buttery note makes its way in making it feel more like a lotion than a perfume. I don’t want to call it pretty at this point, instead it’s beautiful in a seductively exotic, erotic and carnal way. Here the perfume resides for quite some time, it’s rounded and voluptuous and it’s hard to believe that there’s any oud in it because it’s so smooth and just slightly earthy. As the perfume slowly continues to develop, the jasmine and a slightly soapy metallic rose dance intertwined in a lilting manner off of the skin. In the end, Warda Al Oud exquisitely embraces the wearer and anyone lucky enough to be near them.
The Scented Hound 