Perfume Review: Isfarkand by Ormonde Jayne
November 15th, 2006
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
Entry Filed under: Perfume Reviews
17 Comments Add your own
1. Patty | November 16th, 2006 at 7:15 am
This is my husband’s great love, and I agree with him. I hadn’t ever associated it with Christmas, but I do agree with you, it does seem to go with it! Beautiful review.
2. Leopoldo | November 16th, 2006 at 7:32 am
I really like this, but enjoy wearing Ormonde man so much more.
But i’m now going to give it another sniff, once what I’m wearing today - something VERY special - wears off.
3. Elle | November 16th, 2006 at 8:09 am
I SO wanted this one to work on me, but it didn’t. “High pitched citrus notes” - that pretty much explains why I didn’t like the opening, but in general I don’t do well w/ scents that are “sparkling” and “efervescent” and this one really never lost it’s sparkle on my skin. Sigh. But your imagery was so fab I almost had myself convinced that I needed this. Sadly suggestible mind.
4. Marina | November 16th, 2006 at 8:33 am
Isfarkand is lovely, but your review is lovelier.
5. greeneyes | November 16th, 2006 at 10:30 am
I bought this for my husband after he stole away my sample spray. He loves it, and it smells so good on him!
6. Twibbet | November 16th, 2006 at 11:51 am
My husband adores this one, he says it makes him really happy. (He also says it smells like pencil shavings - why he likes that I don’t know). I don’t get holiday associations from it at all, but I do from Ormonde Woman, which is what I’m wearing today - I can’t wait to wear it when we go to cut our Christmas tree!
7. Tom | November 16th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
Good God- you’ve done what I have previously thought impossible: made me pine for a Midwest winter (Must remember what a pain it was to shovel and how you longed for a heated steering wheel….)
8. Judith | November 16th, 2006 at 2:11 pm
Love the review; need to try the scent again (I have a sample somewhere). But I fear the “high pitched citrus”–it probably will be better on DH; he’s a big Ormonde Man fan (or, as he mistakenly called it with his penchant for perfume malapropisms, “Promenade Man” [it took me quite a while to figure out what scent he was referring to; it seemed like such an *unlikely* name:)])
9. Ina | November 17th, 2006 at 12:53 am
Thanks, Patty! I’m going to have to try it on my man.
10. Ina | November 17th, 2006 at 12:54 am
Leo, Ormonde Man is another favorite of mine. But what exactly are you wearing that’s so special?
11. Ina | November 17th, 2006 at 12:55 am
Elle, the sparkling top notes do subside on my skin. You should give it another try.
12. Ina | November 17th, 2006 at 12:55 am
Thanks, Marinchik!
13. Ina | November 17th, 2006 at 12:56 am
Greeneyes, I can just about imagine!
14. Ina | November 17th, 2006 at 12:56 am
Twibbet, the cedar note is probably what accounts for pencil shavings.
I plan to write about Ormonde Man soon, too.
15. Ina | November 17th, 2006 at 12:57 am
Tom, well, lucky you! You don’t actually have to live it.
16. Ina | November 17th, 2006 at 12:58 am
Judith, LOL at the Promenade Man! Brilliant! My guess is he’ll also like Isfarkand. Wonder if he’ll come up with a new name here?
17. Laura | May 7th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Tried Isfarkand last month and because it was ‘pour homme’ I didn’t think of buying it at first. However I was so taken with the moss and bergamot I had to have it. I’m a very womanly when it comes to perfumes and style, and always opt for sweet, fruity floral scents, but this has altered my thinking. I’m a bit addicted to it, in fact.
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed