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PAVELZA – :
I wish I could have met Wazamba earlier,close to Christmas time…
It is that much sought by me fir sap and resin along with cypress and myrrh, that I adore.
I whinged and whined and moaned for years, that Christmas trees nowadays are lacking that sap-smell, as they used to be in childhood. They all smell like perfect plastic nowadays, whether they are from Garden Centre direct or been cut in the forest. So, like majority of us, I ended up with forever-artificial-tree, trying to buy all sorts of candles/diffusers in Festive time, that supposed to smell like fir, pine, spices, but never succeeded to bring me anything like that, apart of disappointment.
Wazamba didn’t disappoint me, it is all those natural winter resins, that illustrated Christmas in my books of memory. Is is rich, woody, natural brew, directly from winter forest.
Again, do not get much incense of it, even though it has similarity with Jovoy’s Liturgie, – it is a joyful scent, not melodramatic one. Loving it.
Lettruc – :
Starts with a strong opening of coniferous/resinous notes and a candied fruit note. The cypress is quite noticeable in its green-sappy presence, but I think I detected the fir as well, buzzing drily along in the background. The fruit notes provide a sweet undertone, but the fragrance as a whole is never one I’d describe as sweet. From about hours 2 through 4, something created a strange metallic edge, although I think that was mainly only noticeable when smelled up close, and could just be a reaction with my skin chemistry. After about 4 hours, the fruit notes dissipated, leaving behind a pleasant conifer/incense dry-down.
It has a very autumnal feel to me: the brownish/dark green woods, the incense, the dried/candied fruits. Interesting, evocative scent worth trying by anyone exploring conifer or incense perfumes.
Rating: 7/10
krab2011 – :
خاص و متفاوت به معنی حقیقی کلمه و عجیب ترین عطر کلکسیون من
———–
Scent & Qualiy: 10/10
Longevity: 9/10
Sillage: 8/10
Creativity & Uniqueness: 10/10
Affordability: 6/10
———–
Overall: 8.6 + 0.5= 9.1/10
svj59 – :
@trabuquera “WaZAMbaaaaaa!” is exactly how I respond to this perfume, too. I adore it!
ZacharyqQW – :
WaZAMbaaaaaa! Not for everyone, but very definitely a favourite for me. It’s a very distinctive woody / resin/ spicy scent which completely avoids some of the usual pitfalls for me (no nauseating vetiver, no excessive rankness or bitterness). I teetered along the love/repulsion line for a day or two and then fell for it completely.
It’s extremely aromatic, lots of gummy resiny plenty woody stuff. On top of that, it’s GOOD wood – quality timber, not just any old aromachemical that smells a bit like any old wood – although the pine / conifer / fir top note is strong and lasting, there are more interesting things going on underneath. I tested this when looking for a good Tam-Dao like sandalwood, and it’s definitely NOT THAT – it is far more complex and more mixed up with more angular, more outdoorsy wood. It’s infinitely fresher than Tam Dao, less sweet, with no cuddly cinnamon and less spiciness overall. Yes, it does have a few notes in common with Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles (which I also adore) but it’s not at all fruity or syrupy either: it has nothing of the mulled-wine deep-red feeling of FeA. There is certainly a sour-apple note in there too, which sounds horrible, but really isn’t – it just blends in beautifully with all the tree sap. There’s a tiny undertone of smoke, too, but not much.
If this were furniture it would be a beautiful raw-wood piece of freshly hewn timber, not a deep comfy padded upholstered couch like Fille.
If it did have a colour my guess is it would be a light, beech wood tone – really an unusual sense of freshness for a woody scent. Lasts well for me – up to 8-10h, unusual for so airy-seeming a fragrance, though it does settle close to the skin. It’s unusual but in my view really, really worth trying.
ETA: every single time I wear this one, I wonder why I don’t wear it more; my love of it only deepens. It survives cold weather just fine, and magically becomes light and aromatic enough to work even on hotter days. And every other person I’ve pressed a sample of this on to, ended up liking (and in most cases loving) it too, which is well above average. An absolutely solid performer.
papaseaman – :
It is very dark,bitter,rich and so personal scent.
It is similar to piece of art than fragrance.It is the best fragrance for isolation.
I love it so much but it is not very easy wear.
10/10
sniper1958 – :
I bought a small vial decant of this thinking this would be interesting to try due to the fragrance notes.
I don’t like this fragrance at all. Not only does it not smell good on me but I think it stinks. It has this toilet pee opening that doesn’t go away very much. The drydown does get a little better for me, but not by much.
I’ve tried several other incense or balsamic fragrances and I like those, but not this one. This seems more tailored for men than women, IMO.
Andrey171 – :
Loved the drydown (incense and resins with some similarities to the CDG Incense series) but hated the opening (vick’s vapo rub and cherry cough syrup). Fortunately, the opening only lasts 20-30 minutes. Dry down lasts the rest of the day with modest projection. Worthy of a small decant because it has some unique features but not full bottle worthy.
bortnic – :
You can detect golpar (Persian hogweed) scent for 30 minute after spay. A kind of astringent sense is in Wazamba for this 30 minute. After that, smoke is added to previous scent.
This fragrance has very complex scent changing. I tasted many fragrance till now, but this one is so complex against other fragrances that i smelled.
As I said earlier, Persian hogweed is in the start of fragrance and after 30 minute, smoky scent added. After 3 hours, it becomes so similar to Gray Vetiver of Tom Ford, but at this time, you can detect smoky scent too. (Imagine that you added some smoke to Gray Vetiver in this step). After 5 hours, fragrance become a little sweet, because of Sandal wood. The sense of astringent become vanished in this step.
Some peoples compare this fragrance with Fille en Aiguilles Serge Lutens. I think that the base note of Wazamba is similar to Fille en Aiguilles Serge Lutens because of sandal wood, but these two perfumes don’t have any common similarity in others notes.
Sillage is good and longevity is very long…
عطری است نسبتا تلخ که در نیم ساعت اول استفاده از آن؛ بوییکه کاملا حس میشه ولی درنتهای عطر اصلا وجود نداره؛ رایحه ی گلپر هست. این بو در نیم ساعت اول عمر عطر بسیار محسوسه و شما حس گیاهی و کمی گس گلپر رو کاملا حس میکنید. بعد از نیم ساعت بوی دود کم کم به عطر اضافه میشه. این عطر تغییرات بوی بسیار متنوع و پیچیده ای داره. به شخصه با تست کردن صدها عطر؛ عطری به تنوع تغییر در نتهای بویایی همچون این عطر ندیدم. همونطور که گفتم اولش بوی گیاهی؛ کمی تلخ و گس داره که بعدش بوی دودی ملایم و دوست داشتنی به عطر اضافه میشه. بعد از حدود ۳ ساعت خیلی شبیه گری وتیور از برند تام فورد میشه که البته بوی دود اون رو همراهی میکنه. یعنی در نظر بگیرین عطر گری وتیور رو که دود ملایمی هم به اون افزوده شده. بعد از گذر از این مرحله؛ عطر تلخی اولیه اش رو از دست میده و یکم به سمت شیرین شدن حرکت میکنه. یه بوی صندل مانند و بسیار کم شیرین و بسیار گیرا که در این مرحله از نت بویایی؛ در حدود ۵ ساعت که از عمر عطر میگذره . در این مرحله عطر دیگه حس گس اولیه رو همراه نداره. تغییرات نت عطر بعد از گذشت ۵ ساعت به بعد دیگه محسوس نیست و عطر با همین تم بویایی قید شده به سمت پایان عمر بویایی زیبا و پیچیده ی خودش گام برمیداره…..
پخش بوی قابل قبولی داره و طول عمر عطر طولانی هست.
بعضی از کاربرها این عطر رو با
fille en aiguilles, Serge lutens
مقایسه کرده اند.در حالیکه به نظرم من این عطردر مجموع تلخ هست و سرج لوتنز ته بوی شیرینی داره البته یک نکته ی ریز هم به نظر من هست و اون اینکه علتی که بعضی اشخاص این عطر رو شبیه فیله سرج لوتنز میدونند در نت پایانی عطر وازامبا هست. عطر وازامبا در نت انتهاییش به علت کم شدن رایحه تلخ و اضافه شدن صندل و در نتیجه شیفت کردن بو به سمت شیرینی ملایم؛ شبیه فیله سرج لوتنز میشه. البته فقط در این نت پایانی و به هیچ وجه در نت اولیه و نت میانی این دو عطر به نظر من شبیه به هم نیستند و این عطر بمراتب پیچیده تر از فیله سرج لوتنز هست.
briedsAdheste – :
I love this beautiful incensey, resiny, herby, woody perfume. It’s gorgeous. Very strong and long lasting. My husband wears it and loves it too, and it is more masculine and piney on him, but on me it’s more resinous, balmy and incensey. There’s a lovely mint smell too. It’s lovely. Soothing and comforting, especially on a cold day, when it seems a lot warmer, and helps me to keep warm. It’s a very deep and interesting perfume, and I think it’s beautiful.
Fabregas_Alex – :
I got a sample of Wazamba and unfortunately it’s not for me. On my skin the apple steals the show almost completely and the overall result is rather weird and messy. It’s simultaneously sweet and sour, metallic and almost rancid; it reminds me of apple cider vinegar. Quite unique, but not very pleasant.
Remarkable longevity, moderate sillage.
Opporkilareep – :
Unique perfume from P. de E.
The opening is to my taste the most striking of Wazamba, here the sweet note of the apple is mixed with the note of cypress and incense giving a sparkling combo even with nuances like lemon candies, both very balsamic by the resins Which rise to the opening and a very smoky point that holds until the end of drying.Immediately that great note of entrance low being the resins, woods and the smoked notes, until the final drying, in this phase everything feels less interesting if we compare it with the game.Wazamba evokes Africa and its ancient culture, I do not know why, I only find lemon candies with incense.
Caution!! It does not seem to me a bad fragrance, but, I do not find what the author wants to reflect on any side, and above does not seem to me a very versatile fragrance.
Rating: 6.5
bonol066 – :
Simply great
Resins mixed with smoky incense and some woods attacking your nose.
It’s dark, smoky and extremely heavy in resinous part.
The resinous smell is not like the resins on the body of the tree that smell smooth and slightly woody.
Initially a rush of smoky,incense commingling with the Christmas tree aroma of balsam fir. At once, one is immersed in the resinous warmth of a lively incense coupled with the somewhat minty The enhanced resins flow to the receptive base. A gentle sandalwood, with its buttery and softly sweet woodiness, lifts the resinous, incense concoction. A soothing cypress infuses its pine-like woodiness with an ambergris nuance.
The base is a musky woody smoky scent with some sweetness in the background and it’s very smooth against the opening and mid.
Projection is good (above average) and longevity is around 6-8 hours on my skin.
A great fragrance from the brand.Nice winter scent with good longevity
iri919 – :
Nice but hardly like SL Fille en Arguilles which is in my top 10 fragrances. Waz has lots of wonderful resin and incense notes but none of the sun warmed sweetness of FeA. The opopanax note is heavy on me. Waz is a tad sharper with the cypress. Very nice but I will stick to my FeA. FeA instantly transports me to a sunny day amongst the fir trees of Siberia. Magic!
I also have Aziyade which is more or less gourmand and this is no gourmand. This is all about incense and more importantly resins. There is some labdanum but the oppopanax and myrrh rule here. It is not as sweet as either FeA or Aziyade. The fruit notes dont get a look in!
dimanarius77 – :
How much do I adore this perfume…
I’m afraid I’ll tire of it so sometimes I put it away for a while just so when I next spray it I can have that first-time experience all over again.
This is the first scent my partner said he wanted to try on himself. He thinks it’s quite masculine but I think it’s just that it isn’t flowery or sweet, so not solely masculine but not girly.
To me, it’s a whole new thing. Dry, spicy, dusty, a bit of light dried fruit sweetness combined with astringent bitter spice, warm, but also the scent of sun smelled from the shade.
It doesn’t show up in the notes but I often get a whiff of curry leaf and/or turmeric at a middle stage in its evolution. Even after the full drydown Wazamba doesn’t smell stale or faded, it goes clean and a little soapy.
Without wishing to be completely over the top, this scent combines a kind of ascetic quality with a quiet joy in useful things. This is not a story about leather and brocade, wealth and privilege but more about sunshine and shade, fragrant food, clean clothes, deep breaths, beauty in simplicity.
Ufooo – :
Beautiful incense fragrance with a slight sweet tinge. My favorite is still incense pure by Sonoma scent studio, but this is right behind it. I wish it was a little stronger and projection was a little better but great house with some great offers. Winner!
Edit: update: full bottle is here
Man, I am not sure what it is about having a full bottle but it smells even better. I think it’s the atomizer and it’s equal distribution of spray. Anyways ..I use to not care for incense but it’s frags like this that totally change my outlook on the genre. Perfect balance all the way. Quality at its finest especially at this price point. I stumbled on this house when I came across Ambre russe which I also own now by the way. I need Cuir ottoman and I’ll have the best three from the house. Great quality to price in the niche game.
tanusha_fly – :
Another wonderful fragrance from the house of Parfum d’Empire. My favourite is Ambre Russe, but this one comes a very close second.
Wazamba is another Heart of Darkness perfume (the other one for me being the infamous Tropic of Capricorn by Olympic Orchids, although there is no resemblance in the two fragrancewise), that manages to balance on the razor’s edge between appealing and slightly menacing. I find Wazamba less disconcerting though, in spite of the pitch black sticky darkness at the heart of this perfume.
It is redolent with balsams, resins, almost caramelised apple (but the sugar here is burnt dark brown), with frankincense and labdanum (to my nose) in the leading roles, plus that weird metallinc tang: a high pitched note that prevents the composition from being unbearably sticky, dense and opressing. I really enjoy the tension this knife-like metallic element brings in this perfume, although it also reminds me of blood, which adds even more to the ambiguity of this fragrance. The apple note helps to balance the composition towards more friendly and warm, yet it never really gets there. Somehow Wazamba has the general atmosphere of “licking honey from a razor’s edge”, which I find extremely fascinating and intriguing.
Wazamba is one of those perfumes that has a very expressed texture beside “just smelling”. It is almost tangibly sticky, like raw labdanum resin.
Wazamba called Piguet’s Casbah to mind, but Casbah is much more austere and drier than Wazamba.
Wonderful quality, just the righ sillage, not a monster but will get noticed. Longevity is OK, 5-6 hours, but after about 3 hours it will quiet down to a skin scent.
asdasd – :
Harsh opening but a lovely dry down. Sweet and smoky with a slightly dirty/earthy feel to it. Myrrh,resins and incense work in perfect harmony. I am glad that the perfumer did not overuse olibanum which would have made this a very dark scent. A few months ago I was stuck between this and Etro Messe De Minuit. I chose MDM and sold it as it sat too close to the skin. This won’t fill a room but has moderate sillage and good longevity. Worth checking out at least and is on my buy list once my decant runs out.
jnvjnjr – :
On other people, this stuff smells GREAT: incense with a dash of tart sweetness; the apple note comes out strong, then makes way for some plum and resinous warmth. I know somebody who wears this and it lasts on them for hours, smelling fabulous.
On me, this…opens like pee. I know a lot of people make those “it smells like pee” comments on any scent they don’t like, but it honestly smelt like a dirty bathroom on me for a good hour. I was SO upset, because again, Wazamba is a fruity incense when I smell it on other people! What gives?!
After that first hour, the scent calms down to a powdery incense on my skin. It’s nice, and it’s definitely an improvement over the first hour, but nothing to write home about. I’ll get about 6 hours of wear out of this on my skin, with moderate sillage.
PAKER – :
Wazamba opens with a whiff of fir, a cloud of dark smoke and some dried fruit notes. The fruits become stronger and some sharp metallic notes appear, the smoke and fir are still strong. The fir becomes acidic on my skin and the metallic notes become stronger and stronger. I no longer smell the fruits and the resins, just a metallic and acrid fir note that slowly fades away.
Something is obviously going very wrong here, I was hoping for a smoky and mysterious incense scent but this clearly doesn’t work out well on my skin. No fruits, no resins. Such a shame, still looking for a nice incense scent.
Sillage is moderate to heavy.
brodyaga55 – :
A peppery, cinnamic, resinous scent with a dominant myrrh note that creates the image of a somewhat exotic, desiccated landscape. The root beer stewed fruits from Aziyade make an appearance, spinning the scent down a weird fizzy incense avenue, but one that’s shaded by fir balsam. At its core, it’s a wood fragrance—sandalwood and cedar, I think—with a smooth, balsamic finish.
It’s an unusual smell, but it’s not challenging or even that surprising. I’d recommend putting it on the radar when shopping for myrrh scents as that’s what stands out the most. It feels hot to me in a spicy “Red Hots” candy kind of way, and that keeps it from being my thing (I’m not a cinnamon fan, although I suspect what I’m smelling is allspice). But as far as resinous scents go, at least it’s doing something to distinguish itself from the rest of what’s on the incense shelf. Intriguing, but I’d rather wear Aziyade myself.
zmc777elipseskism – :
Melodic incense drenched wood with fruity undertones. This is an exotic friendly scent. You can imagine faraway markets bustling with vendors selling fruits and spices under the hot sun. I like it, although the dry down has a musty undercurrent that prevents it from being a love for me. Sillage about arms length and longevity all day.
Merif878bedyWelty – :
Wazamba was, upon application and for 2 hours, one of the most gorgeous scents I’ve tried. It is a good thing I didn’t rush to my computer and purchase a FB. On me, it turns into the smell of hashish, or strong cannibis. Which is weird, because at first, it was glorious, dates, woods, incense, plum… just what I was looking for! My DH came home and said “I smell Pot.” And sure enough, it was my arms. 🙁 Not that I have anything against that smell, but I don’t want to personally smell like that. Sigh… back to the drawing board.
IvAshkIn – :
Plummy Incense…
This is almost an all-beautiful fragrance. I love its woody, resinous, and incense smell, but the plum spoils it a bit for me. The plum adds too much sweetness to the composition. Whoever has had plum wine can tell you it is very sweet. All the other notes are nice and alluring.
Really, who puts plum in on church incense to burn along? The plum gives this overly sweet smell to the incense that is not compatible in my opinion, a forced marriage that so far is not of my full liking…it smells like something concocted by Bath and Body at times. A couple of hours later the plum note tones down a little, then Wazamba turns into all I’d like it to be…but you need to wait a long while before getting there, so my recommendation is to put this one earlier than anticipated to let the plum sweetness tone down if you find it cloying.
Parfum D’Empire, if you ever reformulate this one, please tone down the plum note!
Sergio_71 – :
Blindly bought a 50ml flacon from an on-line merchant and have been wearing it about every week or so for about a month now and am liking it more & more each time. Can definitely pick up the apple & plum notes and it’s probably these two combined that are leading some people to pick up a burnt or slightly rotten fruit smell. I was initially a little put off by the smell but with each wearing appreciate it more and more. It is also very much an incense/smoky fragrance, but not in the dark churchy vein, but in a more subtle campfire-ish way. On me, sillage is heavy & longevity is very long lasting (10+ hours). The dry down is particularly enjoyable as it’s a little bit fruity, smoky, and woodsy. I am starting to really fancy this marvellously unique fragrance from Parfum d’Empire. Will probably buy the 100ml flacon as I can definitely foresee this being a fall/winter favourite.
Sillage: moderate
Longevity: very long lasting (10+ hrs)
Ulriht – :
Its smells like 1000 years of Africa s history mixed in one 100 ml bottle you can smell carved African ebony wood, Raisin burnt by hot sun radiating its smell in to desert, and its all clashed with smell of dirty sweaty leather making it perfect fragrance for ppl willing to mark there Area with there dominant Aura
+ its tad similar to Incense Norma Kamali for men but not so intensiv
valjek – :
This review is based on their sample. Opening is a little sharp with very nice resinous labdanum/amber but soon overpowers by smoky cypress+apple then dries down to Church incense. It’s unique but a bit odd for my taste. It has moderate projection and good longevity on my skin.
Kosepor – :
This is the opposite of Kindergarten. Make yourself comfortable in grandma’s home.
Nothing ordinary and definitely something for the advanced taste.
Resin dominates accompanied by incense. The other listed notes are there but they function in the background.
I’m gonna give this sample to my mum as I find it more suitable for a woman.
Oxibiadig – :
SMOKIN’ CYPRESS
Initially, that is. Maybe an hour or so in the smokiness disappears and I’m left with mostly cypress.
Reminds me of Sycomore – that kind of smoky pine/green.
if you really like a strong, long lasting smokey green, sample Slumberhouse Nome. It’s this X 10.
I think I’d rather smell this as a candle in winter than on me.
Temca – :
wazamba mi è piaciuto quasi da subito, anche se ho notato una nota forse troppo presente di pino/ abete freddo che si presenta a intermittenza come una folata di vento e che ricorda un detersivo per la casa.. ma in ogni caso è molto profondo e ricorda la legna che arde nel camino, gli incensi che bruciano nel braciere e fumo sacro…
kinfolk – :
What I appreciate so much by Parfum d’Empire perfumes is their targeting and concentration on the idea of each single scent. If you take Ambre Russe – it’s an Amber dream, Cuir Ottoman – a Cuir par excellence, Wazamba – a 100% resinous myrrhy wood without unnecessary bits and pieces. Scents sit very compact on skin, without distance depending variability (dear Serge if you could manage this as well?), making the sillage and perception so gorgeouse.
As one of peviouse reviewers has mentioned Wazamba is more an ambiance then a perfume. For me Wazamba is a cosy chair besides the fireplace and a glass of porto in the hand. Not sure I could ware it, probably a touch too masculine and heavy for my taste.
sergej7pik – :
207) Shaman Couture
Les notes de tête sont confuses mais très vite les choses se mettent très bien en place. J’aurais envie de résumer ce parfum à ce que j’imagine pourrait donner Serge Lutens qui décide de prendre un bain de vapeur rituel dans une hutte à sudation avec ses amis Sioux Lakotas (non! je ne parle pas d’une grosse orgie !).
Un peu de forêt du Nord Dakota et un peu de confiture française. Le résultat est à se damner.
The top notes are confused but soon things fall well in place. I would like to summarize this perfume to what I imagine could give Serge Lutens who decides to take a ritual steam bath in a sweat lodge with his friends Sioux Lakota (no! I’m not talking about a big orgy!).
A little bit of North Dakota forest and a little bit of French jam. The result is to die for.
aleksander007 – :
Foresty, but very masculine and spicy. The wood here is very thick and dark for my taste. This would smell very nice on a guy, methinks!
vadiml55 – :
I love how this opens, with a fantastic blend of incense and cypress, sweetened just the right amount (is that the apple note woven in there?). It quickly settles in to become a quiet but persuasive scent, immensely comforting to me, and as time goes on it picks up a sort of smoky spice melange–someone below mentioned turmeric, and it’s in there, softly, along with cinnamon. As the drydown arrives, the opoponax and labdanum create a lovely warm, resinous cushion for the brighter topnotes to disappear into.
For me, the sweetness is at just the right level to make the incense note more relaxed, warm, not as austere as many other incense perfumes I’ve tried. Wazamba is casual to just the right degree, and very wearable. I believe there’s a bottle of this in my future.
Duepainee – :
If you desperately miss the forest, Wazamba is the perfect fragrance for you. Wazamba opens with warm resinous dark green pine needles. I can see where the sap has hardened and turned opaque on the bark of the trunk, and where it still drips, fresh and potent.
As it warms up, the warm, dry and smoky authentic church incense and hints of fresh apple emerge to join along with the pine forming an absolutely gorgeous synergy. As it dries down, the almost peppery, woody incense takes the stage in all of its smoky sacred glory, along with occasional appearances of cypress. The final notes on me are a mild fruitiness and labdanum with the last traces of smoke..
Wazamba is welcoming, simmering and wearable. It projects decently but definitely is not a sillage monster. Will have to try again in summer.
I wouldn’t hesitate to wear Wazamba year round as it contains many of my favorite notes and is not too heavy. It has great longevity.
If you are the least bit reluctant to smell like a coniferous forest, you might consider this as an alternative means of scenting your home (as other reviewers have suggested), because it is so warm, natural, and inviting-smelling.
It’s also much less messy than moving all of your furniture into a cathedral and then covering the floor with pine needles.
kenshi – :
Ooh, this is so gorgeous. I love the woodsy smokiness and the dry almost-bitterness of it. Anyone else smell turmeric?
I’ve been wearing this for a few months now. The first sniff was a bit meh, but I always like wood and smoke, so even if I didn’t exactly love it, it was nice enough. I took my sample on what turned out to be a fantastic camping holiday – is that why it grew on me? – and ended up finishing it and buying another, larger one while I debated whether I preferred Wazamba or Fille en Aiguilles.
Somehow Wazamba manages to be all kinds of lovely things at once. It’s like a hot, bright day in a cool, dark forest. It is dry and bitter but with a touch of fruity sweetness. It has astringency, smokiness and rounded woodiness. So far it has suited summer wear perfectly but with the smoke and pine I can see it as a winter frag as well.
Aside from woody/resinous essential oils – sandalwood, cedarwood, patch – I have always been a white/yellow flowers girl, so I’m surprised at the hold Wazamba has on me. I’ve bought a bottle of Fille, but I think I need this one too.
marina_feo – :
I totally respect this scent for a quality nowadays rare to find: it is absolutely unique. At least I have never ever smelt anything even similar. I was given a sample and tested it yesterday. As I am a big fan of incense and woody notes this seemed right up my street. However I cannot wrap my nose around the huge fir or pine forest that gets in the way. Where is my incense? Well, it may still be in the making…. the trees are being cut, the needles are crushed, the woodshavings, some sap runs from the stem. It reminds me also of some medicinal bathfoams we have back in Europe, sort of Dr Kneipp mountain pine bath oil or something similar. This is no doubt a beautiful creation and I do not find it unpleasant, but I cannot see myself wearing it. A wonderful room scent it would be. I wouldn’t mind being in the sauna and inhaling it either !
Conclusion: don’t expect smokey type incense here, the incense is well embedded in a forest that hasn’t gone up in smoke yet…
halyava_37 – :
Wazamba Versus Jeke SlumberHouse
One of the Jeke reviews suggested Wazamba was similar to and preferable to Jeke. So I thought I try a sample
Wazamba is warm, smooth, slightly sweet even almost floral.
My preference is for the church incense. Wazamba has church notes but in a very weak form.
Jeke church notes are pronounced and for me very good but is too smoke / woody to be used every day.
Wazamba doesn’t suffer from the smoky problem. At the risk of repetition, the church incense notes are too light.
How Wazamba smells on me seems to be different to what I’m reading about it. So I agree that this fragrance needs to be tried before committing.
There is nothing wrong with it but Wazamba is not for me.
dimon2069 – :
I have had my sample of Wazamba for some time, and I keep going back to it just to make sure I’m still not getting it. I’m not.
On me, Wazamba has a very weird opening that I do not like. It is definitely apple, but it is not fresh, crisp, and juicy. It’s an old dried apple, and a bit charred, at that. I don’t know how to describe it, but to my nose, it actually has a texture. It smells the way dried fruit feels: kind of spongy, fleshy, with a chewy darkened skin? And, again to my nose, this opening smells more masculine than feminine.
When it finally starts to dry down, it smells very similar to CdG’s Kyoto or 10 Corso Como. Sadly, all three come off as pure Comet cleaner on me. That would be the resinous incense–it just doesn’t do well on me no matter how hard I wish or try to force them on myself.
Judging by other reviews, Wazamba acts differently on everyone, so I would definitely recommend trying it before buying it. If you are nuts about Kyoto or 10, though, you will probably be nuts about Wazamba, too. The opening is different enough from them to spice up your routine, and Parfums d’Empire consistently puts out lovely, high quality stuff that has excellent longevity.
TymnRattcam – :
First sniff in bottle: acrid pine. Upon application, incense, cypress, and amber… each completely and assertively identifiable. Apple, plum, and labdanum keep the myrrh and opoponax from devouring composition. Sandalwood also lends a hand in taming the initial snarl of acridity down to a watchful calm, but never a purr. I agree with previous reviews that attribute this as to being more on the masculine side. It is reminiscent of a sedate and contemplative winter forest for sure, but lacks the exuberance a Yuletide spruce.
edubreflupe – :
Received a sample today. No, I will not buy. While the scent is not bad by itself, and would be great as a candle or a room fragrance, I cannot wear this as a perfume. I love incense and myrrh in general but dislike Wazamba.
subbochev – :
Wazamba by Parfum d’Empire – Initially, one is treated to a rush of smoky, colophony incense commingling with the Christmas tree aroma of balsam fir. At once, one is immersed in the resinous warmth of a lively incense coupled with the somewhat minty coolness of fir, creating an illusion of a forest floor with crushed needles and embers from a dying fire. A sweep of aldehyde provides a fizzy greenness. And, a faint backdrop of a slightly tart and clean apple also presents. Transitioning to the heart, the incense is relegated to the background while a cool and medicinal myrrh vies with a warm and sweet opopanax. And, an odoriferous labdanum imparts its warm and sweet, ambergris character. The enhanced resins flow to the receptive base. A gentle sandalwood, with its buttery and softly sweet woodine