Art Collection #08 (2010)
by Jacomo

The sweet smells of India...

What a beautiful fragrance! I love to be surprised when I try something new... and Jacomo Art Collection #8 was a lovely surprise for me.

This one is inspired by the wonderful smells of Indian spices... green cardamom, cinnamon, hot ginger, and spicy indian black tea (called "masala chai"). If you have ever been in a spice market somewhere like in India, North Africa or the Middle East, you can find the "sweet" section where you can see dried fruits, fresh aromatic spices like dried cloves, raw cinnamon, spicy cardamom, coriander, nutmeg etc etc. This takes me back to those places (which I have been lucky to experience), and the aroma is fantastic!

I think this one will appeal to many people because it is quite light. If it was any heavier than this it would be similar to a Serge Lutens fragrance, this is almost like a "lighter" version of a Serge Lutens. The floral note of freesia gives this an air-like quality that stops it being to heavy. To me this also reminds me a lot of the "real" spiced Indian ginger tea I used to receive when I visited a Buddhist monastery. It's so green and refreshing with a hint of spice!

This can work in summer as it is light and not too heavy, but in my opinion this would be great in cold weather (in winter... by the warm fire). It has a very "warm" quality to it which is very nice... Like a cup of hot tea! Well done Jacomo!

Trying Jacomo #08 today, and honestly i expected more from it. What i get seems more a mixture of inspirations than something at its own. The idea is not bad, a spicy, fresh, slightly milky tea aroma, but it`s not so original. It reminds me some aspects of Declaration Cartier, Kenzo Jungle Homme and Tea For Two by L'Artisan Parfumeur. It opens with a cardamom-cumin like aroma that reminds me some aspects of Declaration (more of declaration essence i think). There is a certain spicy greeness of it that makes me think of Jungle Homme too. The dark tea and spices makes it distantly related to Tea For Two, but without the exotic aura of tea for two.
I don`t like how the scent evolutes. It doesn`t sustain the idea, fading to a skinscent after a short period of 2 hours. What comes next is uninspiring, washed musky ambered accord that retains a hint of the milk aspect. It`s not what i expected from it, in my opinion both #9 and #2 are far better constructed.

No. 8 turned out to be my favorite of the Art Collection series. It smells exactly like a spicy masala tea I drank in India (which is the drink we call "chai" in the U.S.)

I get none of the fruits or flowers. The tea, spices (ooh! lots of cardamom!) and plenty of milk and honey present an olfactory delight. I find some similarity between No. 8, L'Artisan's Tea for Two and Fendi Theorema. It is a gourmand, but not overpoweringly sweet. No. 8 gets a little more dry and woody as it goes, and lasts all day long. Nice one for the cooler weather.

SPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICY!!! Starts off like mulled wine or similar to Guerlains Winter Delice. Thankfully (for my nose) the comparison does'nt last long and the spices fade into the back ground allowing the milky fruits, honey and amber to come through making this a beutiful autumn/winter fragrance.

I have to give Jacomo credit for trying something a little different and I would it works! You do really have to give a good skin test before you buy!