Reviews of Afire (2007)
by Neil Morris Fragrances

Does not agree with me at all! The burning sensation gets to me and the very very fizzy citrus note is too much. Then it turns into a fizzy milky berry and praline like accord. The feeling of sour apples cannot leave my skin for this. From NM's website, this is the scent of passion... I'd be turned off my someone wearing this.

Afire is one of the most intriguing, irresistible perfumes I have smelled in a long time. It has top notes of orange and cinnamon which are reminiscent of the smell of really good homemade Christmas potpourri containing masses of dried orange peel. Then, the luscious buttery, salty caramel notes appear and I am reminded, of all things, of Diorama which is a fruity chypre. My guinea pig boyfriend took the obligatory sniff and said "incense" which I don't get at all, but frankincense is one of the listed notes so maybe the boyfriend is on to something. Last of all, the sillage is outstanding. I sprayed Afire on a scent strip and found it in my purse 3 days later with a very recognizable smell. I am enjoying Afire so much that I want to eat my wrist (and coming from an avowed non-gourmand, this should tell you something)!

Here are Afire's notes, per Neil Morris' website: Citrus, berries, caramel, frankincense, wood.

Afire is an exquisite fragrance. Incense and Wood, lightly sweetened with Vanilla and Caramel. It is somewhat reminiscent of Guerlain’s Bois D’Armenie or Heeley’s Cardinal, but it has a stronger, deeper presence. The fire, to me, refers to the depth and complexity of the incense – it is not spicy, like for instance, H.O.T. Always by Bond No. 9. Not a silage monster, neither is it a skin scent; it will be appreciated by you and those at a close interpersonal distance. As it is a parfum, the fragrance last and lasts.
Neil Morris fragrances are a real find, expertly made and easily comparable with the best there is out there.

Maybe it’s the slight burning in the nose at the first sniff; it does kind of burn my eyes when I get close enough to sniff it right after spraying; or maybe the incense from the base kind of explodes as soon as soon as it hits my skin: But I really have trouble accounting for the name… I simply don’t get anything related to fire in this fragrance. The incense of the opening doesn’t come across as pure incense; it presents itself as a mixed incense / semi-sweet fruity accord – an accord that strongly reminds me of a more transparent version of some of the better (and now discontinued) works of Donna Karan. But I don’t think of it as fire. Perhaps I have a different standard of the fires of passion, but I don’t find Afire very fiery or very passionate: Maybe a case of selective anosmia: I often can’t smell red pepper in fragrances that are supposed to have it. Or maybe its just plain exhausted, depleted libido. I’m not saying that I don’t like this scent; in fact, I enjoy it – it is totally admirable and wonderfully sniffable. I get the excellent citrus / berry opening – light, sweet, and delightful. And I get the caramel, and that accord is very yummy, but I’m not getting any sultriness or vibrancy or fires of passion or seduction. I’m probably way too old ...