Seraglio
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

I'm not very impressed with this one: first, because I expected something different; then, because it is just too sweet. I had envisioned it smelling exotically floral and powdery – after all, a seraglio is the quarters of the members of a harem, so I don't think it's too far of a stretch to think … exotic, floral, and powdery. Apparently in this particular seraglio the women were served an awful lot of rahat loukhoum. This smells like almond loukhoum smothered in maraschino cherries. The sultan must have liked plump wives because they certainly couldn't have retained a slender figure being saturated with this much Turkish delight. Actually the loukhoum accord doesn't last through the run of the fragrance: There is a solid rose note in this one that takes over from the maraschino cherries when they subside a bit. The rose is very nice but would be better if it was supported by the sandalwood that is supposed to be there. I don't get the sandalwood, but I do get a definite nutmeg note in the drydown. Except for the fading of the almonds and cherries and the blooming of the rose, Seraglio is quite linear. It has superb longevity. There are several rahat loukhom fragrances that are much better than this, but I think that this could appeal to someone who likes ultra sweet, fruity fragrances – it does that quite well, but it isn't the kind of fragrance I like.