Eva Kant fragrance notes
- grapefruit, lavender, woods, myrrh, sandalwood, ginger, magnolia ylang ylang, chamomile, cardamom, vanilla, benzoin
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Latest Reviews of Eva Kant


Still, it is the first time i see Angelo creating a scent that even if it's sold as genderless has such a very direct portrait of feminility. And as the character itself demands, Eva Kant is a complex scent, one that has to be able to show different aspects since we are talking about a master of disguises. So her scent is made to change and evolve its characteristics while you are wearing it and it does deliver what it promises as Eva Kant passes through different olfactory facets you would find in a perfume.
The fragrance starts very hot and sexy, with a proeminent use of what seems like cinnamon and pepper to form a contrast between cold and hot spices. Then, you notice that this is anchored in a bright and lemon like citrus impression, the first moment that alludes to its Italian roots suggesting a secondary mediterrean aura. This is reinforced mainly with a good fresh, slightly soapy and floral green magnolia, which is contrasted by one of the flowers that Angelo uses a lot in his creations, the voluptous and versatile ylang. It is time for another change with Eva Kant showing it's more maternal side with a very creamy vanilla that makes me think of baked goods filled with vanilla cream. The sandalwood is used here to give a woody nuance and a final contemplative aura to Eva Kant.
In a time where mainstream feminine scents seems to focus its identity more on the advertising trying to appeal many woman with fragrances without a strong personality, Angelo offers an interesting ode to a woman that might have started it's life on comics as the partner of a brilliant criminal mind but a woman that with time gained its respect, freedom and space. Eva Kant migh be an anti-heroine, but she is true to herself and not boring or incongruous. It's an interesting take on pop comic art and on the duality of the timeless and always changing soul of the modern woman.
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So, I was gifted multiple samples from a lovely basenoter, Purecaramel, and his love for art has invigorated my love for art once more (sometimes I allow the mundane to overwhelm). The day the samples arrived from Italy was like Christmas morning! The Clown wraps his art so well, and I appreciated it and smiled a lot!
Eva Kant opens with fresh meadows. Peaceful in springtime. Then it moves into fall, where there is warmth, and wooded walks. I can still smell the meadow nearby every now and then, but the spice of the darker season is more prevalent. This scent is such a juxtaposition for me regarding the packaging and the juice; how can something smell so relaxing with a bottle that prepares me for futuristic death?
There is something "days past" that this juice has going on...not vintage...but a reminder of such. It has a classic feel. I really like it.

A resins and spice combination which has the pleasing moreishness of a skilfully made milky desert (something Indian maybe with lots of ground cardamom and just a touch of ginger), it feels comfortable, relaxed and at home on my skin. Gentle myrrh and dusty vanilla are also prominent in the central theme and they blend right in. A rather traditional citrus and lavender combo injects air and space through the opening stages, while not detracting from the after-dinner feel, and a hint of something like raw, split wood adds a pleasing contrast. The wood changes subtly, getting waxier and more prominent over the course of the wear, but doesn't unbalance the other elements.
While Eva Kant is a fine thing, I find it (like its projection and longevity) a touch too measured, inspiring little by way of passion. An occasional visit will do me.


But this particular bridge is rickety. Eva Kant is a scent that doesn't quite come together in the way that Pregoni's past work has. Even though a clear attempt was made to align the elements, they just don't cohere in a way that's either daring or complimentary. On the one hand, it's as if the scent wants to do something blindingly original but is afraid to get its feet wet; yet, on the other hand, it's too ugly to aesthetically redeem itself in any meaningful way. For me, the combination of savory / herbal with gourmand-ish aspects was similarly botched in Piguet's Oud as well as MiN's Botanist, and while it's tamer here, it's just as displeasing. After a while, this smells like a rough draft of Armani's nasty saccharine-bomb, Myrrh Impériale, that's been soaking in the kitchen sink with a bunch of unwashed dishes for a few days. It's not the worst thing I've ever smelled from Pregoni (the guy was very prolific early on and made some real clunkers), but it's somewhere in the bottom 30% or so. If you're curious about this line, look back to scents like Allegradonna, JMT, and Lalfeogrigio to get a better sense of what he can do.

I get lavender, citrus, a doughy note on a soft woods held together with a cement note. Sounds weird as I've described it, but it is a beauty of an opening. In the mid phase flowers and a gentle vanilla become evident, and the play-doh note morphs into something more approximating band-aids, a la the presently unavailable Skin Graft. In fact, if I were forced to pigeon hole this one, I'd call it a skin scent, but categories are only misleading when applied to a scent as unique as this one. EK dries down as a gentle band-aid/vanilla blend, as goofy as that sounds. The drydown is delightful.
EK never screams. It barely makes moderate silage, but has excellent longevity (18hrs). At the risk of horrifying its creator, EK also is great for office wear. Two thumbs up.

9/10


The open to Eva Kant is probably the most recognizable aspect of the composition, tying it loosely to many O'driu compositions of the past and present. The culinary herbal aspects are there, as is the tremendous castoreum laden dulled rose and geranium accord that is found in some of Pregoni's best work. Where Eva Kant really goes in a different direction is when the ylang ylang and magnolia come into the picture with the dusty powdery facets of the composition really kicking in. The late dry-down in particular is quite pleasant with the powder softening, smoothed by relatively dry sandalwood in the base. The whole composition comes together rather nicely, though some may be put off if they are highly powder-averse. The bottom line is the 150 Euro per 50ml bottle Eva Kant resides around the middle of the O'driu pack. That said, "middle of the pack" from a great nose like Angelo Orazio Pregoni still means very good, with the composition earning a solid 3.5 stars out of 5.

Over Eva's progression the focus shifts from the bitter side to the soft base. But things never feel entirely harmonious, their is an interesting interplay between the two at all times almost a combination of avant and classical. If we're talking music think Walk This Way by Run DMC and Aerosmith. Very late drydown turns mostly to vanilla. Projection is moderate/good and longevity +8 hours. After a few wears now I'm liking this very much.