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Initio Mystic Experience Eau de Parfum opens with sweet mixed red fruits that became more like bitter black coffee mixed with equally dark cocoa powder, although there was a musky quality (possibly with hints of amber at the beginning) that made it less photorealistic than that description may sound. The addition of sandalwood with the intensification of amber and musk resulted in a more animalistic, slightly fruitier (but less red) scent that dried to a soft, slightly spicy and sweet musky woody fuzz.
Mystical Notes of Experience
It is described as a “combination of musk and coffee”. The notes are listed by the brand as “coffee, musk, vanilla, and patchouli,” but retailers have also listed sandalwood, amber, and oakmoss.
What does mystical experience smell like?
It was characterized by sweet, red fruit for the first 30 seconds, slowly dipped in black coffee with hints of dark, bitter cocoa. It wasn’t as fruity anymore and was darker, deeper and headier with a very round body that wasn’t a photorealistic coffee scent (which isn’t pros or cons, just trying to set the stage) that was a warm, nutty coffee , kissed by a mix of amber and musk, slightly sweet and musky without being terribly animalistic or powdery (where musk tends to get to my nose).
The sandalwood crept in and, after half an hour of development on my skin, added a smooth, woody facet beneath amber, musk and vanilla (with a dash of more amorphous coffee in the background). The remainder of the fragrance’s wear was more linear, with amber and musk alternating, which came out more prominently (musk eventually wins), whether it was woodier, slightly spicy and golden in its sweetness, or slightly more animalistic and musky (but never overly animalistic).
The musk took over after two hours and it was sweet, animalistic if not pungent, with hints of abstract fruitiness over a smooth, woody base with vanilla warmth. From the second to the sixth hour, mystical experience was largely linear. What remained was a sweeter musk with an overripe fruity quality coupled with a sweetness with vanilla and a slightly drier woody base in the drydown.
longevity
It took three hours before it was a skin odor and about 12 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were on the lighter side, although noticeable up close for much longer than I expected.
personal notes
It was less assertive, smoother and more blended – not necessarily in a good or bad way, just more diffuse and less pronounced in its note structure – to Nasomotto’s Black Afgano. It was a pleasant scent, probably not something worth buying, but the lack of longevity was the biggest deal-breaker for me personally, especially given the price point.
These are more subjective feelings based on what I like (or dislike) about a perfume as well as looking at the scent in comparison to other perfumes I own and love.
test methodology
For testing I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed on the bottom and top of my wrist. I used an unscented moisturizer before applying the scent as I found the scent didn’t linger well otherwise.
I bought my sample in January 2022; Fragrances are known to be reformulated throughout their lifetime. So remember when a review was created, e.g. B. a review from 2010 may not reflect how the perfume of the same name smells in 2022.
Availability
mystical experience is available for $300/90ml.
If possible I highly recommend trying a scent before buying a full bottle as the scent can feel different just based on skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can affect not only a fragrance’s longevity, but also which notes stand out and which are hidden.
Mystical examples of experience
We recommend the following retailers for purchasing decanted samples (typically 0.7mL to 2mL in size). This is a more complete list, so individual availability may depend on inventory.