2012/13 Winter Spotlight Fragrances January: Profumum Arso Discussion Thread

[maxman]

2012/13 Winter Spotlight Fragrances January: Profumum Arso

A smoky leather scent from Profumum Roma. Some say reminiscent of a camp fire.
Definitely a nice treat for a cold winter day.
Notes include: Leather, Incense, resin, cedar and pine.

Settle in next to the fire with a warm mug and enjoy!​

 

[Franziskaner]

Okay, I'll give it a try (kindly consider my extreme noobishness with frags...).

Profumum Arso: initial application comes on strong...and reminds me of freshly rolled asphalt. After 30-40 minutes I'm smelling more like my fireplace when it needs to have the old ashes and coals cleaned out. Now that it's been more than an hour the scent is much more restrained; the smoky notes are still there but there's a hint of woody and even slightly floral scent starting to balance things out. There's pine in the background, too.

This one is very interesting. Much more complicated than the sandalwood aftershave splash I've been using!

 

[p.m.a.]

Tried Arso for the first time today. Honestly I was a disappointed, but I think this one requires a few more wearings to be sure. Not enough development in the scent for me. Starts off very stark, with solely a burnt wood (burn pencils, really). Deeper in I get a subtle sweetness which may be its saving grace. The wife did like it on me so I can't argue with that. She thought it smelled like a campfire.

 

[tehtimmeh]

Smells like a big pile of burning leaves to me. Very "fall". Thumbs up.

 

[joshmpdx]

This one is stunning. It feels a a bit like it's very simple but, it's so rich and opulent. 10/10.

 

[p.m.a.]

This one is stunning. It feels a a bit like it's very simple but, it's so rich and opulent. 10/10.

Hi Josh - I definitely need to give this one another try, especially in light of your endorsement. Arso is pretty much what I expected Lonestar Memories to smell like, but Lonestar was a total let down for me. Lonestar has an overriding dated "old man" smell that I just can't get past. I think I was so surprised by the simplicity of Arso that my expectations were smashed. My only other experience with Profumum is Eccelso which is overtly opulent to my nose and spreads out into different directions.

I also have a small sample of Fumidus. I did a little swipe test on the back of my hand and it is equally stark and simple as Arso, reminding me of the harshness of a pure vetiver eo that I own. I need to give this one a full wearing as well, but will likely wait until the weekend.

 

[mheusler]

Love the Arso. This is real Fall cologne. Anyone who really likes this should rush out and get a bottle of Diptyque's limited edition Galliano, which is this on the next tier. I really like this. I wouldn't buy a bottle for $240, but I'll greatly miss my sample when it's done. It will be used very sparingly.

 

[joshmpdx]

Love the Arso. This is real Fall cologne. Anyone who really likes this should rush out and get a bottle of Diptyque's limited edition Galliano, which is this on the next tier. I really like this. I wouldn't buy a bottle for $240, but I'll greatly miss my sample when it's done. It will be used very sparingly.

Wow, very good to know.

I hadn't heard of the Galliano, where is it for sale??

 

[mdevine]

I wore Arso for the first time and was quite impressed. Its opening immediately calls to mind a campfire, with undertones of pine and incense. Although not listed, I would swear it had the light maple syrup note of immortelle. The drydown retains the campfire smell, but becomes sweeter. Overall, I found it a very comforting scent that reminded me strongly of Parfumerie Generale's Coze 02. It's definitely a Fall and Winter fragrance. I could see wearing it while wearing a thick sweater, snuggling next to the fireplace on a cold winter evening with the one you love. It wears a little close to the skin, and has excellent longevity. If I didn't already have Coze, it would be on my short list for a full bottle. I look forward to using it again.

Mike

 

[wagstaff]

I wish I didn't love this. It's out of my price range. I have the 4ml decant in order to participate in this project of monthly scents. This is freaking spectacular. I love this.

I love (within limits) the Diptyque Philosykos, which is very green-leafy. (I think that an extra spray of that stuff ruins it, but within quantities, it's beautiful). THIS reminds me of that ... after the fire, I guess. But it still isn't like charred, 'smokey". Just the leaves have been burning and giving off a beautiful incense.

OK, I suck at this. I don't have scent-vocabulary, or scent-distinctions, down. Not like people who are very articulate about this stuff. But so far this is an instant favorite. I wish it weren't, but... it is.

 

[BillC]

A few hours into my first wear: the burning leaves description is dead on for me - absolutely reminds me of when I was a kid and people raked up their leaves and set them on fire. When I first put it on I got a hit of burnt sugar - there's some sweetness underlying this that takes a bit of the edge off the smoke. Projection is good - it's not nuclear but it's present. I bought a 10ml decant - will be interesting to see how this sits after a few wears: I really like it but not yet sure how often I'll want to smell like burning leaves

 

[Obsessed]

I really like it but not yet sure how often I'll want to smell like burning leaves

It would be perfect for dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh. Or for after skiing. Or

while wearing a thick sweater, snuggling next to the fireplace on a cold winter evening with the one you love.

I'm not trying it as part of the spotlight thing, but when I sampled it a while back I really liked it. By far the best of the Profumums I've tried. I do agree, though, that it's hard to imagine wearing it on a regular basis.

 

[mheusler]

Josh,

Galliano was a limited edition by Diptyque intended to be a room spray. I know Barney's had it when it was available (that's where I got my bottle).

Wagstaff,

don't sell yourself short. 90% of the people who use all the 'fragrance' terms are full of **** and are just trying to sound sophisticated. It's the same thing with wine. Often, putting it into layman terms, is the best way to describe something. I have the Arso and think you're description is pretty dead on. I also heard someone say that the Arso smells like pencil to them and nothing more, there's some truth to that. I don't really see an evolution to this scent. It lacks the complexity that some of the big boy scents have. But even that initial blast is pretty damn pleasant. I like it a lot. More and more as I smell it.

But what I like A lot more is February's scent, what came in that Penhaligon's little bottle. Wish I had copped a 10ml of that bad boy. I can't wait to talk about that.

 

[wagstaff]

After 2 days of the Arso...I can see wearing it often. Maybe not every day, but... maybe even daily if varying number of sprays. And if it were less pricey.
Anyway I won't do a third consecutive day. I'll try the Sartorial maybe, sneak peak like.

 

[BillC]

Longevity on this is quite good, 12 hours in and it's still projecting well. The burning leaves has mellowed a bit and a sweet amber is coming through. I'm liking this more and more - looking forward to wearing it again.

 

[wagstaff]

Third wearing... I like it more each time. I totally get if you don't want to smell like "burnt leaves" too often, you might want to skip this for those times. Because that's totally right. I'm not sure what "amber" really smells like, being a tyro at this stuff, but I have a buddy who picked that out immediately; and when "sweet amber" is mentioned above, I wonder if that's what the sweetness is. I relate to the 'burnt sugar" comment, something like burnt sugar, a bit syrupy, underneath the leaves . And *that* comes more to the fore as the hours go by, and the "wood" (as opposed to the "leaves") does, too. So I think this stuff changes quite nicely over time, if not particularly dramatically. Projection is good, I find one two three sprays on the chest all work really nicely... I tend toward a "less is more" approach, but with some things (like the Sartorial) one is just plain too little. Not with this stuff.

I continue to love it. It's like nothing else I've tried -- though I've only tried relatively few -- and I don't at all think "department store" with this stuff. (Even if it *is* that, I don't know)

 

[p.m.a.]

Tried this one again yesterday, bigger dose this time, and had a pleasant experience. I did get the development described by wagstaff above. Decent stuff to sample, but I agree with the comments that I wouldn't want to smell this very often.

 

[joshmpdx]

Tried this one again yesterday, bigger dose this time, and had a pleasant experience. I did get the development described by wagstaff above. Decent stuff to sample, but I agree with the comments that I wouldn't want to smell this very often.

I'm surprised to hear you say that, I would have thought this would have been a 10/10 from you.

 

[p.m.a.]

I'm surprised to hear you say that, I would have thought this would have been a 10/10 from you.

Well, I've got one or two more wearings left in my vial, so there's hope for me yet! I did enjoy the scent much more on the second wearing, so maybe I will have done a 180-degree turn by the time I finish - wouldn't be the first time. Although I couldn't see myself wearing this to work, I could see this as a very good weekend option. Seems best suited for chilly Fall weather to me.

 

[joshmpdx]

i'm wearing ARSO today, It's been 6 months or so since my last wearing and it's still very pleasing. I agree completely that it's best suited for fall.

It's pretty austere, but still, I love the idea of this on a weekend.

I'm getting the pine as 'Fir balsam' in the opening, and hints of vanilla throughout. It's woodier than I remembered and a tad sweet likely from the vanilla.

Really, really wonderful stuff.