Perfume Review: Isfarkand by Ormonde Jayne
It’s been getting rather cold in Chicago, with fall pretty much saying good-bye, and the first apparent threats of winter in the air, i.e., the harsh winds and general damp chilliness (it’s often windy in Chicago but this is definitely winter winds I’m talking about). My natural tendency is to reach for scents heavy on spice, woods, and amber. Surprisingly so, today’s scent for review is none of the above. Isfarkand by Ormonde Jayne is categorized as an “effervescent” and “sparkling” scent for men. As a side note, Ormonde Jayne is a small niche perfumery in London with a stunning collection of fragrances and bath & body products. I strongly admire all of their scents, my favorite being Orris Noir, followed closely by Tolu and Ta’if. There’re only two men’s scents in the line, although unisex would be a better way to put it.
Isfarkand features the notes of lime, mandarin, bergamot, pink pepper, cedar, vetiver, and moss. It starts out very vibrant, with high-pitched citrus notes, the stage that also explains my desire to review the scent now instead of summer where it would be seemingly more appropriate. Isfarkand is evocative of Christmas or New Year’s (I’m referring mainly to the calendar days as I didn’t grow up celebrating Christmas). This citrusy stage very much reminds me of tangerines and oranges our house would always smell of at New Year’s time. The cedar note brings back memories of freshly cut New Year’s tree. The pink pepper sparkles like Christmas lights. The drydown is a quiet, regal snowy winter evening, with vetiver and moss sobering the composition, and traces of the merriness still lingering. It is a serene, smooth scent. Here I am again, waxing poetic (sort of) and talking about winter holidays when it’s still over a month away. Pardon me for this - I’m not really a fan of winter neither am I looking forward to it. Blame it all on Isfarkand.
Isfarkand can be purchased directly from the Ormonde Jayne shop online.
Image source: www.ormondejayne.com
17 comments November 15th, 2006