Kamasurabhi
Lorenzo Villoresi (2015)

Every accord in Kamasurabhi EDT has oxygen but also is on the precipice of humidity and perspiration, refreshing as these cooler summer days after a long stretch of stifling thick air and hot temperatures. It opens with a flourish of florals: orange blossom, jasmine, all lucid yet with that twang in their backbone, ever so slightly indolic and on the verge, but not quite over that ledge.

The florals plateau on what to my nose seems like plumeria and champaca in a grove of sandalwood. This sandalwood is the fulcrum of the composition, where it all centers, and the yellow florals rally around it as a chorus, singing the praises of 80s and 90s amber florals with modern arrangements.

Villoresi took this time test-approach, incorporated his lovely base for which I am hooked, and elevated innovative floral elements with woody and fresh components. I am really, really pleased with the end product. It's another dazzler from a favorite perfumer.

I have the perfume oil. To me this is the incense and flowers I always sought and could never find. Careful - it is strong, with a gentle dry down. There are his old powdery tricks in the background, but this mostly feels like new territory from his older fragrances (at least if you forgive all formulations having hints of the orient). This is a hard wear, but also my favorite.

Leda and the Swan by Leonardo da Vinci c.1505-1510

The first sniff was beautiful Hawaiian ginger flower (not to be confused with ginger spice)

When I tried it on the back of my hand it faded to a nondescript floral -- maybe the narcissus combined with ylang ylang -- that lasted forever in grandma perfumey glory. I occasionally got a bit of amber, but the floral was dominant.

However, I decided to just wear it today and it was better. The ginger shifted to tuberose, which changed to the floral, but this time it changed again. It got spicy, like a soldly good carnation note. That gave way to a sandalwood or amber that is too powdery for my taste, but fortunately the patchouli stepped in and gave it a darker edge. I might get vanilla, but that might just be my skin doing it's thing.

I didn't get the leather I was hoping for, but this time around it was mostly pleasant. Six hours in and it is mostly faded.

As suggested by the notes, this is quite floral uptop, but it soon settles down to a solid leather and amber fragrance. A resinous leather is really all I can smell in the drydown. Not too versatile but very nice.

There are 3 versions, EDT, EDP and Pure Parfum.

This is the EDP and it is very strong and tenacious