Written by Kristina Kybartaite-Damule

A British perfume house Electimuss recently released a new fragrance called Spice D'Arno, the first in the Explorer collection. This soothing spicy vanilla scent honors the river Arno, one of Italy’s most important waterways in Roman times.

Electimuss, founded in 2015, is a brand inspired "by Ancient Rome and the Romans’ obsession for perfume." I discovered the brand a few years ago, and their creations impressed me with their unique scents, top-notch presentation, and high quality in general. This should not surprise, knowing that the original Founding Director and Brand Manager of the well-known brand Boadicea the Victorious and the original Creative Director of Thameen had their creative touch in this house.

From the very lovable luxurious floral bouquet in Vixere, to the fabulous vanilla in Imperium, to the slightly challenging and unique marine accord in Black Caviar - the DNA of the brand is clear in these creations. The new Spice D'Arno is no exception; it is a beautiful addition to the collection.

The fragrance opens with a blast of fresh spices: cool and almost bitter cardamom and pink pepper. They are joined by elemi resin, which also smells spicy, piney, and just slightly citrusy. This opening instantly catches the attention and sparks curiosity - what comes next?

Next, the scent develops a soft, almost suede-like leathery facet, beautifully complemented by powdery, a little dusty iris. In the background, playful sparks of citruses give the scent brightness and mysterious joyousness.

After a lively performance, the scent calms down, with deep myrrh and vanilla in the base. It's very warm and cocooning, like a soft blanket on the shoulders when a summer evening turns chilly after an intense sunny day. It is a really pleasant experience, smelling this scent.

To me, spices, leather, and vanilla are the main stars in Spice D'Arno. I think composing dusty leathery notes with sweet vanilla ones is not often done, especially not that successfully. A picture of BDK Parfums Vanille Leather comes to my mind. That one sadly didn't work on my skin - the sweetness of suede and vanilla was not contained and was just too much for me. Meanwhile, Spice D'Arno found a perfect balance between deep resins, spices, dustiness, and the sweetness of vanilla. A true diamond of this style.

[sample gifted by a friend]