Shaal Nur (1997)
by Etro

An instantaneous favorite from this house. It smells luxurious and sincere, of good materials expertly assembled, and it has the sumptousness of a classic perfume, as opposed to so many niches which offer an olfactory equivalent to the anemic adolescents populating the catwalks thes days. Citrus-herbal top meets spicy resinous oriental base, allusions to barbershop masculinity wonderfully blend with echoes of Shalimar. Together with the quirkier, more off-beat Messe de Minuit, this is probably Etro's finest.

The full pyramid:
lemon, bergamot, grapefruit, rosewood, coriander
rosemary, tarragon, rose, karo karounde, pomegranate, thyme
cedar, labdanum, nutmeg, frankincense, oppoponax, amber, patchouli, vetiver, musk

Not a promising start: Shaal Nur lands on the skin clothed in alcohol fumes and a harsh citrus accord. Luckily, this opening lasts only a minute or so before it’s engulfed in a cloud of incense smoke, resins, and sweet spices that firmly aligns Shaal Nur with dark oriental scents like L’Air du Desert Marocain, Fumerie Turque, and Jubilation XXV. Prominent vanilla and opopanax bring to mind Shalimar as well, but Shaal Nur is at once dryer and less animalic than Guerlain’s archetypical classic. Lack of civet and conspicuous doses of cedar and frankincense may account for the differences.

Shaal Nur projects well but never to the point of being distracting or oppressive. It grows more powdery as it develops, and eventually settles into a very soft-textured vanilla, opopanax, and cedar drydown. The composition and development are very conventional examples of the spicy oriental genre, but where Shaal Nur excels is in its delicately tuned balance and well-judged proportions. Nothing is out of place, nothing grates, and nothing is garish. (The latter a great danger in this sort of scent – think Opium.) My only criticism is that in a family of scents known for persistence, Shaal Nur is surprisingly fleet in fading. Perhaps a limited lifespan is the cost of avoiding gaudy excess in so rich an oriental.

I find this scent very pleasant on my skin. It is warm with just the right amount of spice. It is certainly an exotic and very wearable for men. It does not present itself as being feminine. I agree that it is best for evening wear and cold weather. I will keep wearing this scent on appropriate occasions for as long as it is available. My one regret about this fragrance is that it does not have longevity for me - between two to three hours. Nothing like the longevity of Gendarme EDP, which seems to last all day.

Notes: ctrus, florals (rose, narcissus, karo karounde, jonquil), incense, spices (coriander, rosemary), vanilla and amber
The name suggests an oriental, and that’s exactly what this is. It is a typical oriental, with spices on an ambery-vanilla base. I wish the spices were better developed, the florals more prominent – and the amber-vanilla greatly reduced. The amber announces itself immediately, retreats for a while, and then returns in strength. In the middle, the incense and spice are excellent: dark, smoky and exotic. But the sweet amber and vanilla are too strong for me. Others may like it, but I can only give it a sideways rating.

Have loved this for years, but always thought it was too feminine for me and actually after wearing it isn't at all -- once you get through the topnotes. SN is sweet, spicy, incensey and quite musky imo. The KK note is in here -- appears in Timbuktu also I think. The sillage and longevity are both good, wouldn't wear in the summer though.

Powdery opoponax, touches of Shalimar and its exotic vanilla-laden goodness and the citrus crispness of Eau du Coq, or perhaps another early, unisex toilet water. There's just enough cedar here to balance things out without making the whole affair too woody.

Completely suitable for men and women alike.
A wonderfully tailored fragrance. One of Etro's very best -- no doubt about it.