Isfarkand (2005)
by Ormonde Jayne

i have to say, i don't get it! but then again, i find most ormonde jayne perfumes a bit strange. i am quite lucky in the sense that i work just around the corner from her boutique on old bond street and the shop assistants know me well after buying 'orris noir' for my wife following a 2hrs assault on the shop assistant's knowledge. i do go in from time to time and they are kind enough to offer me samples but i can never get my head around their perfumes. firstly, i find even the so called 'male' perfumes that ormonde jayne has to offer more on the 'unisex' side. maybe i'm a bit more traditional like that but i think they smell much better on women. isfarkand on me smells a bit like rubber and plastic, just behind the bergamot and vetiver notes. i'm wearing it right now, it's a warm, 21C, sunny london afternoon (i know, shocking) and even though it's wearable and it has a good longevity (sprayed about 4hrs ago), i cannot make my mind about it. i'm inside the house in my pyjamas, maybe that's why, maybe i should wear a suit or some 'elegant' clothes and be 'out and about' or maybe it's the weather. i'll give it another try tomorrow when surely it will be raining.

9th October, 2011.

On my skin, this fragrance does not seem to evolve much. From start to finish (and that's quite an amazingly long time - it lasts easily the whole day on your skin, not to talk about what it does on your clothes...) I get pepper, pepper and then again pepper. Thankfullly, of the sort that I like, more thick than sharp.

A very good scent I suggest one should wear once in a while, perhaps to break the routine of other more conventional, sweeter smelling fragrances.

Thumbs definitely up.

10th May, 2011. (Last Edited: 10th June, 2011.)

This is the third Ormande Jayne sample I've tried along with Man and Zizan and I must say I find them all pretty similar in realisation and concept.

Like the others, this one starts out with a nice, fresh blast of citrus notes that thin out too rapidly leaving a weak cedar impression and the same irritating (for me) peppery vetiver trail. There's really nothing here of any distinguished character or note... and certainly nothing to justify the high price.

I really wanted to like Ormande Jayne fragrances after reading positive reviews and visiting their shop with helpful staff. Unfortunately I've found it difficult to enthuse about these peppery, rather ordinary scents as they seem to offer little in the way of surprise or innovation.

17th April, 2011.

Beautiful masculine scent...truly magical...

Am I reminded of Terre d`Hermes...?

Perhaps...

Big thumbs up...!!!

1st April, 2011.

Oh my, this is a peppery scent. It starts with a smell of freshly-ground pepper, combined with some bright citrus notes. Dusty, dusky, even haunting... I like it so far. The scent profile grows a bit, and develops woody notes and a slight toasty-smoke character. Vetiver comes down the chute, with grassy-woody notes. The vetiver combines well with the previous notes. Last to appear is the cedar, in a quiet and classy way. It winds up as a lovely dry woody scent.
This is an austere, minimalist scent; and it is pretty good. But it is quite low-key. I wrestle whether it is bottle-worthy, given the price. I'll have to try it more times.

1st January, 2011.

With a name like "Isfarkand," I expect a rich, evocative oriental scent, but that’s not what Ormonde Jayne delivers here. Isfarkand starts out with a peppery kick, immediately followed by brisk, tart citrus. These top notes are bolstered by a bone dry cedar and spice accord that evokes parched dunes and scorching sun. The citrus notes fade after several minutes, as citrus notes are wont to do, leaving the spare spiced cedar accord in stark isolation. Isfarkand continues in this manner for most of its duration, and as I wear it, it’s simple structure begins to strike me as familiar. As I perceive it, Isfarkand parallels other dry cedar-dominated scents like Diptyque’s Tam Dao and Satellite’s Padparadscha. (Both of which, as far as I’m aware, are cheaper.)

Is it good? Absolutely. But it doesn’t strike me as original. Try it if you like this sort of thing, but I can’t work up too much enthusiasm for it.

17th December, 2009.