Okay, honestly I bought this one and a few others in this yule/winter collection because of its theme. I love sunrises and sunsets and was hoping this fragrance would capture it. I had no idea what it would smell like based on notes and found it hard to imagine a combination of oud and chamomile. And vetiver is usually terrible on my skin so I approached with caution.
But: this is very nice. It's very different from the type of scents I usually buy and therefore super unique in my wardrobe. It's very evocative of watching an actual sunrise which is exactly what I bought it for. The chamomile note and the oud together is something I couldn't imagine before but actually pairs quite well. It's a similar chamomile as in Rome, but instead of green and rose undertones, it has smoky, dark, undertones. As I mentioned, vetiver usually doesn't work for me but it does here. I think if I approached this just as a fragrance I might feel differently, but this is more like an experience of sunrise in a bottle to me. It's dark with brightness poking through, the sun beginning to dye the morning sky colors as the night fades. It brings back memories of staying up all night and watching the sun begin to rise. It's relaxing and comforting in a similar way. Blood orange isn't a note in this but I smell the color, not the fruit, blood orange from this bottle, intertwined with the colors of the sunrise.
This does have a lot of vetiver though, so vetiver lovers rejoice and vetiver haters beware.
I don't imagine that this will become a super, super popular BPAL but I think for people who like atmospheric, contemplative, introverted scents, that are a little dark and a little relaxing and bright at the same time, and unique in that juxtaposition would like it a lot.
I'll keep it because it definitely has a unique place in my wardrobe. I don't own anything else like this. I don't need a backup because again, this is very much about the atmosphere than something I'd wear to a dinner out or a date whenever this pandemic ends. No, this is something I'd wear when alone, watching the sunrise in the morning because I stayed up way too late again and want the perfect scent to capture the feeling of that time of day. This does that well.
