Souk by Essentially Me

Are you going to Scarborough Souk? Yes that's right, the green-herbal elements in this unisex beauty balance the balsamic-spice so as to create an English oriental, the two fragrant worlds coming together nicely in the rose, which is, after all, so quintessential to both. A pleasing alternative to the French orient smarting under the syrupy heel of that charming despot Serge Lutens.

This was my 2nd favorite (Tango was the first). It comes on strong for 15 minutes- leather? Patchouli? I couldn't pin point it, but it was strong! Has an Indian name and Indian strength at the beginning, but it goes away and turns into something quiet for awhile until a few hours goes by and it's rich and beautiful. Incense was prominent. I put a lot on my cotton clothes so when my body heats up, the cotton holds it for a longer time than just putting it on my skin. After about 5 hours of wearing this, it morphed into something rich and beautiful. Whatever it was, it fully developed and I was thoroughly enjoying it. This one takes a while to develop and it's worth waiting for and I like that sweet richness. I'd like to own this one.

Probably my favorite of the Essentially Me fragrances, but I really dont see it as an exotic Middle Eastern scent ok, maybe I could call it a bit edgy Souk is the first of the EM fragrances that I dont find dominated by an aromatic atmosphere. This one has the most solid note-and-accord-presentation of the EM fragrances Ive experienced so far: I get a strong wood opening. I get an elegant spicy rose accord in the heart notes, which seems to extend into and become the base. I do not get the resinousness that I expected in the base, but what I do get is very unique, interesting, and highly wearable. At the skin level, Souk does not seem to be overly strong, but it does present an unique sillage that is long lasting and that moves in the direction of exotic.

One of my favorite things is walking into a local spice shop and being overcome with the multitude of pungent aromas. As pleasant as I find the experience, however, there always seems to be a sort of tension in the air, with all the different spices fighting for dominance. I was a bit hesitant when I read that Souk was meant to evoke Indian spice markets, but to my relief the fragrance captures the beauty of the spices and leaves out the chaos. Souk captures for me the feeling of walking into a spice shop, but in a much different way than I expected. Rather than being a literal recreation, Souk captures both the exotic and comfortable feelings of the spices. The woods and incense hint at something mysterious, piquing my interest in the same way that I find exotic spices alluring, while the florals create a pillow of softness, evoking the same feeling as moms baking spices wafting through the house. Depending on how you look at it, either Souk livens up a soft floral with woods and spice or it mellows out woody spices with a gentle rose.

Lovely creation which starts with zesty top notes, followed by rose and spices and then settles down with woody notes and lingering spices...

I prefer the scent Classique to Souk bearing in mind that they have very similar notes; Classique also lasts on my skin a lot longer...

Big thumbs up...!!!

*Notes of citrus, herbs, spices, rose maroc, orris, jasmine, neroli, sandalwood, cedar, frankincense, opoponax, precious woods

The marketing blurb compares it to scents encountered in Indian or Middle Eastern spice markets. For once, it wasn't just some marketing bullshit. SOUK is indeed a delightful symphony of citrus, dry herbs, roses, spices & resinous notes - scents that are reminiscent of Indian spice stalls, with an exotic vibe that recalls Xerjoff's Dhofar albeit with less sparkle. Diptyque's Eau Lente could even be its sweeter and louder cousin.

As a concept, SOUK has much to be admired. But as a wearable fragrance I'll have to give it a pass for now, at least until cooler weather prevails. High humidity & tropical climate simply brings out the 'masala effect' and I ended up smelling as though I'd just left Muthu's Curry house. But I shouldn't worry really - the fragrance structure fell apart within an hour leaving behind a soft, but not unpleasant 'aftertaste'.