Signatures No. IV Eau de Parfum 50ml

Buchu is not a material most people have met, and its presence at the top of Maison Alhambra Signatures No. IV Eau de Parfum 50ml is the most interesting thing about the opening.

It is a herb, pungent and green with a sharp sulphurous edge that reads as a tart greenness to most noses, and it makes the first minutes bracing rather than comfortable. Green lilac sits beside it, cool and slightly soapy, while leather runs dry and firm underneath and toffee supplies a sticky, burnt sweetness. Sharp, floral, dry and sweet all at once, which is a great deal to put in a top note. Nothing about the opening is designed to be liked immediately.

The heart settles the argument in favour of richness. Amber brings a warm resinous glow, black cherry is deep and faintly syrupy, and siam benzoin adds a balsamic sweetness that binds the two. This is the most straightforwardly pleasant stretch of the wear.

The base then does something unexpected and turns aromatic. Clary sage and rosemary are dry and herbal, damascus rose supplies a full, slightly jammy floral depth, and freesia and geranium add a peppery green lift. Ending a sweet composition on herbs and flowers rather than resins keeps it from becoming heavy over a long day. It is an unusual decision and it is why the fragrance stays interesting past the second hour.

In eau de parfum strength and at 50ml, it is a bottle for cold weather and for evenings, with good longevity and a trail that stays noticeable for the first couple of hours. It reads as unisex, and it is a composition with a lot going on that rewards paying attention to it. The brand behind it is Maison Alhambra, which Lattafa Perfumes Ind. LLC of Sharjah owns.