Neither of these perfumes were chosen for me by Ayala. You understand that her choices were made based on emails and my preference test and not my presence in her shop where I could, presumably, have smelled them all.

I chose them based on the sounds of the notes and also on what others had said about them. (Waving at Elena for Autumn.)

Finjan

This perfume is dedicated to the middle-eastern guest welcoming, with dark, sweet and fragrantly spiced Turkish coffee. The Turkish coffee is the inspiration for this unique blend of Middle Eastern flowers, spices and sweet balsams.

Top notes: Blood Orange, Sweet Orange, Cinnamon
Heart notes: Turkish Coffee, Rose, Jasmine
Base notes: Honey, Cloves, Tolu

I wanted to try Finjan because I like sweet orange, cinnamon, blood orange, coffee, cloves, honey, and (presumably tolu as I like a fragrance that is called that by Ormande Jayne) in fragrances. The trick for me is how much rose and what kind. I figured — try it! So I did.

This is another one, blended nicely. It is hard to distinguish the notes and not really necessary to. I get an almost dark chocolate sense to it especially in the first moments…definitely gourmand, but not in a sweet way. I think it is the coffee that adds texture to it. The honey, sweet orange and coffee are predominant in it.

I do like strong, sweet Turkish coffee, but ordinarily, I’m a tea person as far as drinking goes. I love the smell of coffee brewing, as my mother always had a pot going.

This is a scent I could definitely wear and most likely will.

Autumn
The scent of rain as it touches the dry earth. Gold and crimson fruit over-ripening in the orchard, while the first leaves are leaving the trees and kissing the ground? Autumn perfume is a sensual, fruity scent capturing the impressions of the Fall. With its soft and voluptuous mélange of dried prunes and luscious florals over an ambery Chypre base, Autumn is utterly feminine.

Top notes:Ylang Ylang, Rosewood, Cumin
Heart notes: Orris root, Rose, Jasmine
Base notes: Chypre accord, Patchouli, Sandalwood

I like Autumn, and I like autumn. I do not care for Femme on me, which also has elements of fruit (peach and plum, plus patchouli, etc. all of which I normally like, just evidently not in the combo) and is considered a chypre-fruit.

I liked Ayala’s description of the fragrance. I wondered if over-ripening fruit would remind me of Femme (no.)

I trusted Elena on this one that I would likely like it if she did. Individually I like the notes, even cumin. The trick is the rose. So, I said, try it! And I did.

I catch the aspect of rain hitting the dry earth. I love rain. I love the way the earth smells after rain. This smells like rain in an orchard, quite, quite lovely. I picture myself seated in a chaise protected from the rain but watching it fall, hearing it filter through the leaves and breathing deeply the scents of fall.

It captures fall perfectly. Where I live has no distinct fall — it is generally hot and humid, except for winter months — compared to where I grew up. I could wear this one. I might wear it to evoke fall, if I were tired of the heat. I might wait until it cooled off some and wear it in traditional fall months whether it felt cool or not. Or I might wait longer until it cooled off more. It is not unpleasant to wear it in spring.

The longer it sits on my skin, the sweeter and more deeply blended it becomes. The dryness tends to leave. (Unlike the Tauer fragrance L’air du désert marocain where the dryness lasts through it all.) It is not sugary-sweet sweetness, rather it is sweetness coming from fruits, tempered with a bit of dry leaves. It is not the artificial fruity sweetness in some so-called teenage fragrances. This is for grown ups.

Either one is a good choice.

Do you wear them?

Karin

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Ayala Moriel, Perfume review