Jezebel by Anka Kuş

 

Let me start by saying that finding a photo of this perfume that could be cropped sixteen to nine was a challenge in itself. From the beginning, I wanted a layout for every post that was the same in regards to photo size and colour scheme, however, Jezebel by Anka Kuş was not the first fragrance to challenge me, but it is the first that might have defeated me!

The perfume house of Anka Kuş is dark, rebellious and graphic, and the first perfume that I have tried from them is just that too.
I get my niche perfumes from an online perfumery abroad and I always sneak in some samples that have caught my interest. Last time, a little sample of Jezebel was given to me even though I had not added it myself - what a risky perfume to give blindly!

Jezebel is nothing like what you might think...

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Wauw, a punching, realistic scent of smoke you'll only find in niche houses. Jezebel opens with a strong smoky and sweet combination, but also with a hint of barn with hay. 
I imagine myself in the early morning entering a barn, which had caught fire during a rainy night. The fire has been put out and you are left with only small twigs burning here and there, the smell of horses still lingers in the air.
This fragrance is not one I could wear, but it is definitely an olfactory experience.

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Jezebel calms down, it becomes more light and the scent of smoke only lingers as a match burned out.

One hour in, the fragrance has become a floral and sweet scent with just the memory of something burnt.

It is very pleasant at this stage and I would recommend it to those who are daring enough to smell of strong smoke the first hour or so. You cannot compare it to the wearable smokiness such as the one in Memoirs of a Trespasser by Imaginary Authors. You have been warned.

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On paper, Jezebel is much lighter, it almost doesn't smell of smoke at all. It is a heavy floral, like patchouli, which matches the described notes more than that of the reaction it has on my skin.

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What surprises me the most, is the note combination.
Jezebel's top notes are chocolate and pear; middle notes are damask rose, vanilla, cashmere and moroccan jasmine; the base notes are osmanthus, sandalwood, madagascar vanilla, tonka bean and amber.

What a surprise! I do not detect any of those notes, just a similar sweetness to vanilla and tonka, and similar floral notes of rose.

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Jezebel is a nice-to-have fragrance. Its uniqueness and beautiful change during oxidation is an experience in itself.

Wood Sage & Sea Salt by Jo Malone

 

I thought about a stronger come-back after the summer holidays, but as I looked down at a continuously growing collection of perfume samples I figured maybe I should just pick at random.

A little glass vial with grey font fell out of my fist full of samples. It was Wood Sage & Sea Salt by Jo Malone. I was excited, because I have yet to find a salt perfume where I can actually smell the salt.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed yet again.

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Wood Sage & Sea Salt opens as a quite masculine cologne fragrance. It smells green and fresh with a hint of citrus. It is light, airy and a little bit aquatic. The notes are quite indistinguishable and I am really missing the characteristic note of sage. To my dismay, I do not smell sea salt either.

This fragrance has a soap characteristic that I do not like. It lingers, and reminds me of scented candles labeled as 'sea breeze' more than a perfume. 
Dare I even say that this is more of a bathroom spray fragrance? I think I do.

After oxidation, I smell a faint hint of sage. The fragrance becomes more woody, but this is by no means an oud fragrance. When looking up the notes, I was quite surprised.

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Sea salt, sage, grapefruit, ambrette and seaweed. Really?
The lack of sage and sea salt does not have to be discussed further. The charismatic smell of grapefruit is nowhere to be found other than a generic smell of undisclosed citrus. A faint whiff of ambrette is not enough to give this fragrance depth, which it so dearly needs. Being an avid lover of seaweed, not only nori, but dulse, kombu, irish moss and more, I am craving more from Wood Sage & Sea Salt by Jo Malone rather than an aquatic scented candle fragrance.

On paper, rather than skin, Wood Sage & Sea Salt promises more with its fresher, more realistic grapefruit scent. However, the longevity is poor on both skin and paper. 

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Believe it or not, this was my first experience with Jo Malone.
I have heard about this fragrance house many times and I was interested in smelling some of their fragrances, but I had never had the chance.
I will not end the acquaintance here, but I am hoping for something much better next time. This is a pass for me.