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rodion22 – :
I thought I was tired of rose and oud combinations but somehow PG wins me over all of the time. I’m really starting to gravitate towards this house, all of the different lines are just so interesting. Isparta didn’t impress me with the initial spray- it’s a flash of candied fruits and rose that seemed all too familiar. The real show develops after about an hour, with an incredible earthy patchouli and unapologetically bold resins. Lovely stuff.
damkini – :
Reading reviews I was so stunned that people are saying it is sweet and rose perfume.
For me is this is pure woody, medicine and earthy perfume. I get a very dirty oud scent out of that frag, which is not sweet (and I get a rose scent only from sniffing the sample vial, but none on my skin).
I have very hard relationships with the oud, being totally convinced this it is more masculine scent, and not feminine at all, so this is for me very contradictory perfume – one part of me can’t stop sniffing my hand, another part thinking, if I would like to smell like a dirt after the rain?
For me this is like a couple of vampires walking down the graveyard in the woods after the rain. Very dark =)
But what stopping me to pay a fortune for this frag is a projection: it is very poor. 5 sprays and the scent is very close to skin and lasts only 4 hours.
Vladdd457 – :
very sweet i dont smell any citrus is very syrupy !?……i just , i mean is ok it reminds me of killian playing with the devil in the sense that is almost like a fruit punch sweetened with a ton of molasses .
timurtoleuov – :
Oh my this is beautiful. I have seen it compared to POAL, and while I own that and love it, I actually like this one much better. This will be my next full bottle purchase. I didn’t even think I was a ‘rose perfume’ person, but apparently if it’s done well, I am.
The berries, the rose, the benzoin, the spiciness-everything is done to perfection here. I cannot think of any way to change this perfume to make it better. It smells like someone poured their heart and soul into this.
jrj088elipseskism – :
Incredible;-)
matvey1602 – :
These last few months I’ve been doing a lot of sampling, and I’ve found a lot of great scents, but Isparta is the first sample in a while that I’ve used all the way up – I just kept thinking about it and reaching for it in the morning until there was nothing left; I’m wearing the last of it today. So it goes without saying that I like it very much!
It’s an interesting fragrance, with lots going on, and always evolving. It starts off with a blast of pure patchouli, damp to the point of smelling just a little mildewy, but not in a bad way. This is an accord that I can take or leave personally, but I admire it for its for its daring – so dirty and green at the same time! For me, it starts to get really good about half an hour in, when the rose starts coming out. Isparta did immediately remind me of Portrait of a Lady, which I also love, especially at this point when the patchouli is on the way down but still strong. But this one is more wearable: softer, a little sweeter, a lot less strong. I guess its because of the berry note, which together with the rose beautifully balances out the sharper notes. The oud’s also very nice here, but then again I haven’t really tested many rose/oud combinations, and haven’t had a chance to get sick of them like another reviewer mentioned: I really like it! The drydown is also nice: a dustier aspect of the bittersweet combination from before, closer to the skin, but lasting all day.
I’m starting to think PG might be one of my favourite houses – I’ve been enthousiastic aboutic almost everything of theirs I’ve tested so far. This one is going straight to my wish list as well.
Gary724 – :
PG26 features rose from the Isparta region in Turkey. This variety has an intense sweet somewhat fruity odor profile. Naturally the perfumer highlights those nuances with oud, candied fruit and patchouli and dark resins in the drydown. This is the one for lovers of florientals.
timebandite – :
My first try from Parfumerie Generale, Isparta came highly recommended from the online fragrance community.
Rose is the predominant aspect of both the opening and dry down, and it’s pleasant, and sweetly accompanied by the red berries in the opening that color it well without giving it a dessert- or jammy-like sweetness. It’s a fruity yet reserved sweetness.
I’m fortunate to not to be overwhelmed by the patchouli in the dry down, as I mainly get a combination of benzoin, incense, and balsam. So the overall experience, while rose-dominant, is characterized by the red berry mix at the opening, as the note breakdown indicates, followed by a resinous, woody dry down for the most part. Isparta cleverly walks the line between sophisticated and playful, as I might enjoying wearing this out to a party as much as I would sitting around the house.
At $150 for 50ml, this is a nice fragrance but I’m not sure it’s completely worthwhile, given that its performance is very good on longevity but not so much on projection, though for that reason, it has yearround wearability. Isparta is also pretty much a unisex fragrance, with redeeming elements that work for men and women alike.
A clear winner, with the only variable holding me back from proverbially “adding it to my list” being the performance:price ratio.
8 out of 10
disnei – :
this comes across a bit like frapin’s ‘nevermore’, with the sickly sweet rose with a metalic undertone. it’s not girly or manly or anything like that, it’s just not me.
the accord created is one of a cold, metallic harshness, of sorts. it’s too much for me, in that i can’t hack it. but on someone else it’d smell heavenly…
Annet1989 – :
Hello rose-oud bomb number,,, ?
From my vial, I wasn’t impressed; I received a big, Western oud note with the obligatory rose and maybe some balm in a deep, resonating mix.
But on spraying, I was nearly blown away; sweet raspberries or some red fruit came racing out along with a very agreeable rose.
It was bright, sweet and powdery, with a crazy wisp of frankinsencey oud.
Sadly, this stage remained all but for 10 minutes as the real beast started to rise; the oud. And it’s a big big oud.
It grows to become an totally overwhelming bomb of the substance and the testing came full circle and the scent from the stopper was reborn again.
The other baslams or resins also join in, the scent on the whole is not ‘sweet’ as a syrup but ‘oud sweet’, like a very slightly sweetened band-aid (bandages with sweet rose droplets).
Another rose-oud sadly. For me, I need high octane sweetness, unperturbed vanillin and gourmandy cocoa vibes.
Had the oud been replaced by cocoa or even vanilla instead, this would probably have been my new signature scent but sadly,they had to put that oud in there again.
I’ll make no mistake in stating that PG produce some of the highest Quality juice around however; the materials here could surpass the best Creeds pretty easily.
I hope to find one of their flavors that are more agreeable for me.
My rating: 5/10.
Scent Quality: 10/10.
Rainskygazer – :
I love the description of this as a drunken rose on damp stones below, that’s a great representation.
To me it’s a very patch heavy opening with a cold, raspberry-tart rose, joined by a tangy oud/moss combo for the feel of mold. A certain cold moldiness I enjoy, like an overly ripened rose. It’s past its prime but still so full of life as it begins to decay at the edges, giving a boozy impression as the sugars ferment. I picture a full raspberry-colored rose (a hybrid fruit flower) fallen on cobble stones in the rain with moss growing between each stone, a dark sky above.
Somber, refreshingly cold with tart sweetness, a perfect blend of lushness and decay.
ETA: I can’t get over how rich & complex this is, in every type of weather. True love.
блэкер – :
This is a drunken rose that’s fallen on damp stones.
I like it enough, it’s interesting and transformative. The opening is lush and heavy, and as it rounds out I get more patchouli. I agree with others that it’s a feminine, evening scent worn bast in the fall or winter.
But I smell damp, cold stones. And the mood that I get is too heavy; almost reclusive. I want it to be more inviting. To ‘lift’ from the stones and not hover.
So not a buy, but an enjoyable sample.
rifmontazh – :
Isparta was an instant love and want item. It has got a complete yin/yang of soothing and sexy, innocent and carnal. To me it is a very feminine scent, more appropriate for the evening in the summer or spring, when you wear something light and aerial. Main notes I get: damscus rose, litchi (although not listed), red berries, and patchouli. Cannot smell any oud no matter how hard I tried and I am typically not anosmic to it. A must for a rose lover!
Archangel-85 – :
Sacred rose’s marmalade.
It could be described like that.
Mainly is an incense and resins guaiac/oud based fragrance, bitter, ebony, metallic, that wins the fight with Ambroxan and Benjoin, but it remains tied with the berries.
After a rose, that last maybe less than 10 minutes, and a shocking raspberry syrup that envelop the fragrance from beginning and fading almost until the end, the incense-oud-guaiac-resin-patchouly-woods takes quickly the prominent place.
I do not understand why people here declares to feel the rose so much.
It is not a real rose which radiate, but it is the fizzy gourmand rose-like of the raspberry to stay here all the time.
Maybe people confuse the two fresh notes. Anyway actually the two notes are fused togheter so..
It is a pity this “eclipse of the roses” It is like to call Maria Callas into an Opera and ask her to leave the theatre after a brief song.
This creations is a nice game of contrasts, cold and warm notes, vintage amber and “rose” vs young berries, old resins and new oud/cypriol.
The cold metallic vintage “incenses wood balm and resins” in the background gives a dark and scaring temple of Shiva impressions.
Blood and Human sacrifices and similar things are in the mood with this fragrance, especially in the based notes that as said immediately dominate the scent and reminds me Bois Noir by Piguet and a frag of the 80s I cant find yet… a bit Rumba in the rose fruity side perhaps.
Well probably is a bit far to be a perfume made carefully or extremely unic (cause of the oud sound also, because as I say “where oud is, is there a parfum that speak oudish”) but this is a sort of cubism art.
I like.
Modern spot of colours like Guillaume does.
Inebriant for sure, sensual spiritual with sparks of innocence and joy.
A Virgin Priestess with a roses crown and an old sacred coat in gems fur and symbols on.
Nice choice for a magic summer sunset and night.
.. and that is unisex at all!
I find this fragrance more modern niche than vintage.
But a friend of mine said to me (with prejudice because he knows about my preference for vintage 20s 80s frags) while I was wearing Isparta “where does this perfume come from: 1945?” lol.
B_P_V – :
This is a work of fragrant art that truly defies description…at least with words!
I initially tried a sample at Lucky Scent and was captured by the combination of rose, berry, resin, patchouli and warmth. It envelops the wearer with a gorgeous cloud of sensuality and it lasts forever!
I was so fortunate to purchase a bottle from a wonderful Fragrantica member and I don’t think I could ever do without a bottle ever!
It is worth the price tag in every way. My clothes smell lovely and I want to hug myself every time I wear it. So little is needed due to its potency and if you love a smooth rose patchouli this is for you.
reitoerve – :
This is another outstanding creation by Pierre Guillaume! Is this guy married and even somewhat attractive? I am in love with him I think….
I definitely thought of Portrait of a Lady upon smelling this on my skin. It’s the rose and patchouli combo. Yet they are distinctly different too. While I find POAL to be a little too patch-heavy, rough around the edges, a little raw or unpolished, and a sillage monster, I find Isparta 26 to be tamer, (ironically) more lady-like, smoother, and sweeter.
The rose is somewhat ethereal and subdued in this creation. The patch is not the dry and dusty kind, but the dank and mildewy kind–my fave! Rather than jammy rose, I smell extremely realistic sun-ripened raspberries, so full of juice that they easily stain your hands when you pick them. They have not been refridgerated, and they have begun to mold a bit. The raspberry note does not smell like cold medicine like it does in every other perfume I have ever smelled that had raspberry in it. Amen to that!
The drydown is totally different from any other rose/patch perfume I have tried. Must be the sweetness of benzoin, for there is a vanilla-amber creaminess to it that is so nice. Sometimes I think there is something green about it too, but extremely subtle.
The perfume is not my favorite type to wear, I find the rose/patch combo just ok, but I can not stop sniffing myself when wearing this.
Mr. Guillaume, if by any chance you are out there reading this, PM me. I worship you!
heergeNoili – :
You know, Pierre Guillaume has not made a fragrance that I don’t like. I think I’m just limiting my collection of PG fragrances to the ones that I love. Enter 26 Isparta.
Just when I began to get tired of oud, here comes PG. My skin loves Isparta. Rose is done sweet justice in this composition. Only Pierre could take the rose/patch and rose/oud themes and make something truly special. The game changers are peru balsam, olibanum and the red berries. As soon as I tested it, I knew that I had to have it.
First, I fell for 13 Brulure de Rose, now there’s 26 Isparta. Hopefully, I won’t have to wait for 39 to see what else Pierre Guillaume does with roses.
a.zaicev – :
Isparta is very pretty. It starts with some roses and loads of berries. Later on the oud becomes more present along with a blend of green notes (peru balsam, patch, moss). The berries disappear but the roses stay as a supportive role to the base notes at the end.
A very nice rose-oud frag. It does not smell like all the other perfume of the same style. The interesting green notes along with the oud and rose make it unique.
guzev1965 – :
Bright, sweet, roses float over a velvety chypre base. The patchouli and oud add a sense of depth and darkness to the composition. As with several other PG scents I’ve tried, this perfume is cozy – like being wrapped in a warm, velvety blanket. Although the description above describes this as a fragrance for women, I think this is perfectly unisex and would work great for a man. The dry down strikes me as more masculine than feminine.
fsu608intitytek – :
It puzzles me that many people compare this one to Portait of a Lady, to me they share no similarity at all.
When I 1st hear about this fragrance, I’m quite disappointed. I’m afraid that Pierre Guillaume – one of very few perfumers who is still making fragrances creatively instead of cloning or copying other creations – will follow the oud trend and make one of those smell-a-like cliché oud fragrances (PoaL being one of them).
But thankfully this is not the case. Isparta 26 is all about dusty, slightly metallic, jammy roses. The oud in this one (if there is any) is far far far in the background where it should be. If I have to compare then this rose remind me slightly, just slightly, of the treatment of rose in Acteur by Azzaro.
I would like to think this one is Pierre Guillaume’s answer to the cliché oud trend, an answer with a smirk.
GOOD-INKOGNITO – :
Wow, this is fantastic! Rose and red berries…patchouli and moss…peru balsam (earthy cinnamon)…..ambroxan (velvety amber)…a touch of oud and a little musk…all done right. Juicy without being too sweet, everything is nice and balanced. Almost like a slightly sweeter Portrait of a Lady “light”. By no means is it a dupe of POAL (which is a masterpiece and POTENT) but it is a more affordable alternative with a similar vibe. Isparta is over $100 less for 50 ml and you get a similar feel. I have been trying a ton of rose fragrances for a few months and Isparta is one of my favorites. I am a sucker for a jammy rose with patchouli or oud. Just beautiful. Longevity is incredible and sillage must be also because I got a compliment from a stranger while shopping. Unisex for sure. One of my new favorites!
* * * * * *
Edit: In response, the reason why many people compare Isparta to Portrait of a Lady is obvious, they share many of the same notes: Turkish rose, patchouli, red fruit, ambroxan, benzoin, cinnamon, incense, “oud” (POAL is just oud-ish and not actually oud), etc. It puzzles me how so many people do not understand that “reminds me of” is subjective and individual. Just because a scent doesn’t remind one person of something doesn’t mean that it doesn’t for someone else.
It is easy to see why Isparta could remind some of POAL. Please understand that a “reminder” does not mean “total dupe”. Ever see someone who reminds you of someone else? Does that mean they are twins? No…it just means a reminder is there.
Nastiu – :
Incredible how this perfume morphs. The opening is amazing – spicy rose and tart red berries, unfortunately these disappear and after about half an hour you’re left with a dry combination of oud, patchouli and sweet wood notes. It might work better for men.
blilarern – :
Isparta is the Rose city of TURKEY..
mavr7754 – :
Très proche de Portrait of A Lady en ouverture, il en devient une version plus calme, moins envahissante par la suite, plus accentuée sur le benjoin.
Il a une bonne tenue, c’est à noter pour un PG!