Mistero
Calé (2008)

All things need the right balance!

The disposable that has characterized the '60s has unaccustomed people to perceive and preserve the real value of material objects that surround us.
The old time, however, was characterized by actions and thoughts which affected strongly the sense of "beauty".

This perfume is certainly a great example of "disposable"! In the sense that once you've bought it, you spray it and then you throw it away as a natural consequence.
In reality, if you will throw it away you'll be doing good to the niche perfumery.

In Italy most of the current brands are inventions of prominent distributors. In fact if you are the number one in the Italian market with a scent of success (for example, Creed) and all the retailers want this one, you just have to invent your own brand and you will have already included a lot of shops! If you want to eat good and sweet cakes, before you have to drink even the bad medicine!

Talking about this brand: there are two creators, Cerrizza and Buxton: the first one is a poorly used perfumer, the second is a perfumer poorly used.
In this perfumes collection you can smell everything and anything with a sense!

Reading an interview to Silvio Levi (the brand owner) about this perfume: “I created this fragrance thinking of Barry Trost, American chemist at Stanford University, and the Nose Guy Robert father of perfumes such Equipage, Caleche by Hermes, Madame Rochas by Rochas and Dioressence by Dior. Two great persons that have impressed me for their humility and humanity and who have been able to raise me believing in me. A perfume dedicated to those who are rich in their inner and not need to boast, whose keynotes are: oudh and basmati rice!” (http://icon.panorama.it/beauty/made-in-italy-cale-fragranze-dautore/)

Basically, if you're rich inside, you can put on a scent with a traditional Thai dish smell! And your sex appeal would be a Mistero.

It starts off smelling like an oil painter's pallete of turpintine and paint. This is definitely due to the pimento. Pepper tends to make other green scents chalky smelling. The basmati rice and oak appear pretty quickly. The oak is very recognizable much like smelling oaked wine. The mint gives it a freshness and the rhubarb hides itself well in the mix. It's definitely not fruity. This is a very dry scent and saffron nicely moves atop of it. The price is good for the scent and would be a good comparison with Timbuktu, and Tauer's L'Air du desert Marocain since I feel it's as good. It's like Timbuktu without berries and mango and a more dry woody character with a similar matte quality. The agarwood and musk are round out the base and the staying power is pretty decent. Timbuktu is a bit stronger in impact because of the fruit but both drum on for awhile. Very unique nonetheless. If you wanted to pay more I would choose L'Air du desert Marocain and Timbuktu over this, but for the price and if you want something more subtle this would be a better choice.

Mistero is my first encounter with this brand, which I was fairly skeptical about given that its founder, Silvio Levi, is the person behind Milan's perfume trade "Esxence" (and boy, it's just my opinion, but I don't like tradeshows at all...). Well, I'm still skeptical about tradeshows, but this scent is unexpectedly nice. Mistero opens with a fairly unusual and charming accord comprising a vibrant balsamic and aromatic wood note (cedar, oak), a "culinary" spicy accord rich and nuanced (saffron, chili), rhubarb, a sort of mellow, sweet and brownish note which reminds me of tobacco and citrus-green-menthol notes on top. On the drydown Mistero becomes warmer and sweeter, perhaps thanks to the elemi note with its peculiar sort of "candied" resinous touch: also the woody note remains still great and rich, just more on the sandalwood side (sweeter, "creamier"), plus a nice warm and balsamic feel which again, reminds me of tobacco a bit. The scent is undoubtedly pleasant, with prominent notes of woods (surprisingly good and, well, "woody") and rhubarb: an unusual and evocative aromatic scent which kind of reminds me more of North Africa or the Mediterranean area. The notes smell nice and well crafted, rich and nuanced, much aromatic and without smelling (too) artificial, especially the woods (sorry for insisting on woods but despite they're featured in almost every scent on Earth, they're rarely rendered with proper care). The only weakness of Mistero is that after a compelling bold start, it soon becomes quite light and close to skin, with also an unacceptably short persistence. It's a common problem with contemporary niche, still I will never accept to get used to it. Other than that, it's a nice scent.

7/10

Cale' Fragranze d'Autore Mistero is one of those fragrances which I've found shocking for the surprising impact on my. I didn't expect it, this fragrance is simply amazing and I have to say it has easily jumped in a while in my "wish list top 5". Mistero is the third amazing Cale' I've the pleasure "to savour" after Preludio d'Oriente and Fulgor. An amazing boozy-spicy accord of oud (absolutely subtle and masterly appointed), standout saffron and liquorous rhubarb with a core rich of spiciness, aromatic patterns and subtle floral notes and a dry down absolutely mossy and woody with a subtle vetiver presence. The Maurizio Cerizza's masterwork is an olfactory poetry full of elegy and mystery. I use to crave for the note of rhubarb which is in this case masterly combined in to a boozy-spicy and barely minty accord full of exoticism and performing in a surprisingly balanced and delicate way despite the plenty of spices, resins and deep moss. There is an astonishing subtle floral-woody sophistication in the air which is something of indescribable beauty. It seems the basmati rice joined with soft musk and "creamy" (figgy-like) woods provide a touch of soapy/woody "cosmetical" enlightening modern undertone which is anyway paired (and joined) by a mysterious old floral/mossy chypre subtle undertone (old Fendi, V&A, Krizia and vintage pearls hidden in the past jump on mind). I don't detect smokiness while detect mild rounding tobacco combined with rum, rhubarb, realistic purified vetiver, woods (guaiac wood?) and mint in to a sort of exotic olfactory woody magic. I see the Idole's (and also Etro Sandalo's and Fissore's Cashmere for Men) vibe but while the Lubin's creation is more leaning over the richly spicy/leathery/burnt sugar side Mistero is softer, woodier and more finally mossy boise. I just can recommend to anybody loving woodiness, boozy exoticism and romanticism to purchase this hidden gem from a brand that is astonishing me more and more.

I got this mostly for the rhubarb note, which I only detect for a second straight upon application. From the list of notes, this sounds like a pretty common fruity fresh modern masculine fragrance (rum and rhubarb, haven't we been there before?). However, it turns out intriguingly smoky and savory, a bit like a really smoky vetiver with the added warmth and sweetness of tonka bean adding an almost barbeque air. None of these notes are present according to the list though. I suppose the smoky-savory effect might be a result of the spices, woods and musk but I can't pick out individual notes except for a hint of mint that's slightly less fleeting than the millisecond appearance of rhubarb.

This smells a lot like Coeur de Vetiver Sacré but with less of the metallic vetiver/tea note, instead this smells more like rice powder. I can't detect any single note here though, it's all mashed together in one smoky powdery cloud. I like the way it reads but
the outcome of it all is boring and unpleasant IMO. It doesn't "go" anywhere. The first sniff is not impressing and the development of doesn't reveal anything captivating, it just literally dries down. If one could actually smell rum and mint it would be much nicer.