Ichnusa
by Profumum

Ichnusa is a scent that would certainly give the highly revered Philosykos a run for its money, especially as it’s an EDP concentration. As lizzie_j already mentioned, this is a wonderfully green aromatic, with a juicy fig accord that's not as creamy as Diptyque’s offering (which, in some ways, is a good thing). Unfortunately, the base notes become sweeter with a dominant vanilla accord emerging – much to the point that I’m often reminded of Montale’s Red Vetyver by this stage.

However, I think I’ll need to test this one again, especially when summer arrives, in order to decide if it's truly bottle-worthy. But, for now, I’ll give it a thumbs-up for providing a high quality, and longer lasting, alternative to the very short-lived Philosykos.

[Original submission date: 01 March 2009]

Quite strongly green with an emphasis on fig – the opening is a sharp, almost annoying, anonymous green that soon morphs into a cleaner, warm/cool fig leaf note. As usual, my skin gobbles up the florals so I get mostly green, making Ichnusa a unisex or even masculine fragrance. The pyramid at parfyym labels it “figtree” wood, but I get fig leaf, I get neither fig wood, nor fig fruit… only pure green that is so sharply green that I suspect there are a few drops of tomato leaf in the mix. There is also a strong fresh-cut grass note that supports the sharp fig green. The green reminds me of the beginnings of Sisley’s Eau de Campagne, but Sisley’s EdC soon changes and mellows to a more calming, richer grassy vegetal green instead of staying the sharp green as Ichnusa does. Ichnusa is also much more reticent… it becomes little more than a skin scent, and that, too, is short lasting.

Because I don’t get any florals from Khnusa, it seems uninterestingly linear and not very complex. It’s might even call it a pleasant scent, but it is not highly interesting and it doesn’t hold very long on my skin and there are several other greens that I prefer.

Exceptionally green and aromatic, Ichnusa reminds me of walking through the indoor/greenhouse section of Longwood Gardens (Pennsylvania). Vital and serene, it's an original that is perfectly wearable. Outstanding.

I'm no horticulturist, so I'm not sure about what plant exactly Ichnusa reminds me of, but it's a very truthful and exceptionally vivid rendition of it. Honeysuckle? Elder? Profvmvm list myrtle & fig tree, but there weren't any where I was born. Anyway, Inchusa transported me 30 years back to those shrubs in the park by the bay where I would hide from the tagger. Kudos for a glimpse of temps perdu, but smelling like a blooming shrub is not exactly my notion of an interesting and wearable men's scent. Too sweet, flowery and feminine.

This is the third of four Profumum scents I bought online as 1/32 oz. samples. Ichnusa starts off with some beautiful green aromas - lots of fig and balsam/resinous notes on a base of warm powder and sea air. As this dries, it becomes progressively sweeter, attaining almost a candy floss/vanillin/coconut oil note that dominates the drydown. I love the green part of this scent, but not the overwhelming vanilla at the end. Like the other two Profumum scents I've noted on, the sillage is low and the longevity is moderate.