Finjan (2003)
by Ayala Moriel

I have enjoyed this scent who has dark sweet coffee and cinnamon notes of very good quality; after a couple of hours I find that this nice experience has come to an end...


I am reviewing again this scent today after trying it for the second time.

I have to admit that the scent is unique and beautifully crafted and deserves a very big thumbs up...!!!

Well done Miss Moriel...!!! Ole!!!

5th November, 2010. (Last Edited: 6th January, 2011.)

Finjan opens up thick, dark, and sweet, a lot like molasses. Culinary spice notes, especially nutmeg and cinnamon, join in, followed by a very clear, intense coffee note. The heart is pure gourmand; a rich dessert with a viscous sauce, all warm and dripping with caramel. There are just enough balsamic notes to keep Finjan from becoming impossibly sweet, but it treads very close to the line.

The drydown is luxurious, with bitter coffee and honey wrapping the remaining spices in a heavy mantle. Not my style, but worth investigating for gourmand fragrance fans who find A*Men and its ilk too sweet and bombastic.

23rd December, 2009.

This is a lovely composition. I love the coffee note - it's not over the top, just subtly sweet and black - and I have an impression of salty black licorice too, though it's not listed in the notes. I think I need to layer this over an unscented lotion because it fades too quickly on my skin. But it's the dry skin season, so maybe that's why. I'm so glad I got to sample this. It's delicious. I'm looking forward to trying more Ayala Moriel fragrances.

10th December, 2008.

Lovely coffee with plenty of sugar, and booze. The boozy aspect sneaks in during drydown, and dominates toward the end. An unusual but compelling fragrance. I’d give it 41/2 stars out of five.

20th December, 2007.

Coffee, tastefully light-handed, with cinnamon and a touch of orange and clove, all of which smells just right in the cool weather. I am not the right person to review gourmand scents because I do not wear them. I have a terrible sweet tooth. They make me too hungry. I literally had to get up and fix myself a cup of hot, spiced coffee, this is so realistic.

5th December, 2006.