Perfumes Similar to Adam Levine for Women

“Udbaha” means “marriage” in Bangla, and this extrait references the Bangladeshi Holud Night celebration before the wedding. The festival is decorated with marigolds, roses and tuberoses. The aromas of festival sweets and treats fill the air: sugar, nuts, cardamom and saffron, mingling with oranges, pineapple and ripe mangoes. A spicy/earthy paste of turmeric and fenugreek is applied to the bride and groom’s body, enhanced by warm amber. And summoning the ceremonial application of henna, Bengal oud and oakmoss weaves a funky green trail through the proceedings. A deep and joyful perfume.

The colors of the day are melting. In the shadows, feelings take surprising shapes. The night is calling. Softness is in the air. Silent connections form. The alchemy is real. Two shadows. One.

Sombra is a dirty shadow of tough rose and oud, spiced with saffron and nutmeg. Tolu balsam bathes the composition in a twilight effect of almost-sweet tobacco and leather, for an animalic result that purrs.

Gothic balsams: smoke of the ritual fires, quiet splashes of jasmine, moist earth, frankincense, deep woods. ​

Starring

(these fragrant materials reanacted the Dark Side of the Goddess  story):

Myrtle e.o.
Bergamot e.o.
Juniper berry CO2 extract
Frankincense e.o.
Frankincense abs
Benzoin abs
Patchouli e.o.
Cedarwood Atlas e.o.
Vetiver e.o.
Myrrh e.o.
Cassia abs
African wormwood e.o.
Nutmeg CO2 extract
Ylang-ylang e.o.
Jasmine sambac abs
Jasmine auriculatum abs
Castoreum tincture
Cinnamon e.o.
Tagetes abs

Important notice:

Anna Zworykina’s blends are olfactive smellscapes (but neither aromatherapy, nor ‘spray-and-go’ perfumes). Her blends are sensory experiences, closer to works of art created in the scented plane (rather than, say, visual or audio).

Certain essential oils and absolutes that are used in her 100% natural perfumes may potentially cause allergies in some people. Please spray Anna Zworykina’s blends on fabric (on sleeves, scarves, etc.). This said, Anna Zworykina has acquired a huge fan base over many years and people interacted with her blends for quite a while now. We are not aware of any reports of any skin reactions so far.

However, Anna advises that those who are prone to allergic reactions, pregnant and nursing women, as well as people with chronic illnesses to be extra careful. Before trying natural blends, study the list of ingredients and consult with a doctor if you are not sure or a had a history of allergies. If you do decide to put these blends on your skin (unable to resist the temptation) always test the blend on the inside part of your elbow first and wait.

Do not spray these blends liberally as a cloud in the way you would spray a conventional perfume. Anna’s smellscapes need to be… carefully applied and experienced. Be mindful that some oils can also make your skin hyper-sensitive to UV.

White is a bright and lively fragrance built around the friction between hot spices and suave florals. The cinnamon, clove and cardamom opening suggests candied red hots, which makes it all the more surprising when the melange of rose de Mai and lily of the valley softly asserts itself. The undertone of tagete, with its bitter herbalness, keeps White from getting too “pretty-pretty”.

“Hey Bitch! You smell fucking good.” In Perfume World, that’s what we call a result. Hey Bitch! raises eyebrows with its dissonance between buttery, blowsy orange blossom and tough, bitter leather. Tangy rhubarb at the top snaps its fingers in your face, before dissolving into a blur of suedey iris and milky sandalwood. The dance between bitter and sweet keeps you on your toes throughout, conjuring hints of…what? Photocopier ink? Coffee? For sure it conjures ambered black leather, Bitch!

Raíces, Spanish for roots, is a perfume that summons the force of the earth with a botanical bounce. The rain-soaked smokiness of vetiver twins with the glacial green of peppermint for a bright-eyed, vibrant persona. The persona shifts with unexpected sparks: black and pink pepper, orange blossom and ginger, rose and saffron.

Perfumer: Paul Guerlain

A mandala, Sanskrit for "circle," is a sacred geometric symbol representing the universe, wholeness and the self in Buddhism. This luminous eau de parfum opens the window to your inner garden, redolent with peachy osmanthus, crushed leaves and the apple-and-hay joy of marigold. Green mango draws you outward, and the creamy-salty notes of sun-kissed skin pulls you back into yourself. Abundant and hopeful.

In his Descriptio Montis Fracti sive Montis Pilati from 1555, the famous Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner chronicles his journey into the caves of the Alps. “At night, the moon shines into the cave so brightly the light itself seems to take form, like a mist. It gathers in the ceiling and makes the limestone stalactites glitter and gleam, dripping tears of white liquid into puddles on the rock floor that never dries. Moonmilk.”

This EdP lives up to that sublime description with a dance between conflicting textures that titillates the nose. The black tea and lime opening establishes an expectation for further crispness to come. The switcheroo comes with the appearance of Mysore sandalwood, its milky incense soft like a lover’s touch on the skin. All the elements resolve in a fresh and tender leather.

January 1618 A Japanese Galleon, the Pacific Ocean

Following a diplomatic mission to the West, a galleon carrying a delegation of samurai charges through dark ocean currents. Loaded with a rare and precious cargo, the ship’s hull is redolent of sweet-smelling tropical woods, heady Spanish leather, frankincense, fine black pepper and other exotic ground spices—the intoxicating spirit of a singular, extraordinary voyage of discovery.

A good perfume to visit if your are in a search for perfect true sandalwood,  smoky and a touch dirty. Arquiste carefully selected the companions for its sandal in this formula: tea and osmanthus, coffee, myrrh and stryrax and others to give it a dark, sensual depth.

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GQ US on Nanban:

"This is my signature scent. I wear it all the time. And let me tell you: I’ve never worn something that has gotten so many compliments—no sunglasses, no sneakers, no full-body rubber suit. People actually turn their heads and ask me what I'm wearing. And then they jot down the product name. Arquiste’s masterpiece introduces itself with Malabar black pepper and Persian saffron, gives way to coffee, sandalwood, myrrh, and Spanish leather, and embraces you all day with a blanket of frankincense, balsam, and cade juniper."

Read full review

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Financial Times' resident perfume writer Victoria Frolova on Nanban:

"... approach coffee notes creatively. Instead of mimicking nature, a perfumer instead might fashion a blend that hints at coffee’s pleasing bitterness and heady richness. Such is Arquiste’s Nanban (£160 for 100ml EDP). The composition uses a plush backdrop of woods to frame the smoky, spicy notes of myrrh and incense, with an accent of coffee to lend the composition a dark, delicious twist. It teases with its smoky, nutty warmth, but keeps its presence mellow behind layers of sandalwood and leather."

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Olive fruit absolute is an unusual material for an amber perfume, and a surprisingly appealing one. It gives a salty, animalic nuance to this sheer blend of cypress and sandalwood, rubbing up nicely against the cinnamon character of Tasmanian mountain pepper.