I'd never tried anything by Ella K before but their aesthetic and some of the note combinations in their offerings were calling out to me, whereas their pricing kept pushing me back with insults. Eventually I succumbed to temptation, got a few samples and was quite tickled by the bright, juicy pink colour of the juice of Rose de Pushkar. The vial kept emitting a strong fruity rose scent in the manner of some peonies, but when sprayed on skin it was markedly different with a rich but quite dry rose backed by patchouli in the mix for sure, but also volleys of warmth from pepper and incense, and a properly assertive cheese-and-leather oud. What Rose de Pushkar does very well is combine bold and punchy notes in a balanced manner, so it evokes some of the pungent vibrancy of the desert locale its name refers to without going overboard. And, curiously, its presence in a room maintains that fruity rose quality that only fringes the wearer's perception. At first I thought that it's undoubtedly lovely stuff, but for anyone whose collection is already heavy on the rose-ouds (as mine is), it may not offer enough points of difference. But subsequent wears changed that opinion: for one, the intriguing deployment of spicing in the far distance, a bazaar at the outskirts of perception; for another, an enticing darkness brooding over the entire composition, suggesting pockets waiting to be discovered, adding mystery to the rose. Rose de Pushkar is much more than what first meets the nose.
