Chai lovers, here is a fragrance for you! Every fall I crave spicy, chai tea like fragrances; fragrances heavy on cardamom, rich spices, and sweet honey. This fall/winter, I have a new obsession: Jacoma #08. This is a fragrance from Jacomo The Art Collection. To make a long story short, Jacomo is finally doing fragrance again. Each of the fragrances in The Art Collection is based on an “aromatic illustration”. #08 is spicy, amber fragrance inspired by an illustration by Egnéus of Ganesha (pictured in the post below).

At first, #08 is a “chai bomb”. It’s green cardamom and masala spice (ginger, cinnamon, black pepper). It’s a very gourmand, spicy fragrance. I’m in love with it. But, wait! I get smoky dried black tea. Sniffing Jacomo #08 is like sniffing chai tea that hasn’t been brewed yet (no milk). It’s a spicy, warm, comforting fragrance. Tea fragrance lovers should love #08. I love chai tea but I admit that can be a bit of a boring sounding inspiration for a fragrance. #08 begins to get creamier, the milk has been steamed and added to the chai. There’s a sweet, raisin and sticky prune fruitiness added to this cup of chai. At this stage I get milky chai, prunes, and clove mixed with creamy sherry and cognac/whisky. This fragrance now reminds me of rich, sweet pipe tobacco. #08 begins to smell like  being in a humidor. It smells like cigars with a bit of ozone. It took me a few wears to “get” where the fresh air like accord was coming from in #08. I thought it was a “cool” lily of some sort. No, it’s freesia: lovely, feminine, spicy, but still cool and powdery. This is a genius addition to this chai fragrance! I usually avoid freesia, not anymore! I just haven’t experienced freesia used in a way I like. It is a natural compliment to this spicy, amber fragrance! Jacomo #08 always has a smokiness to it. Not from resins or incense but from rich, black tea. It’s that kind of smokiness you sniff in Bvlgari Black (no rubber, leather). This fragrance wears for a long time. The dry down is spicy, creamy, frothy. It’s cinnamon honey and creamy amber. The honey isn’t very animalic. It’s creamy. The amber is almost milky. I imagine a frothy combo with a steamy milk base. This isn’t your typical milk froth. This milk has cinnamon, amber, and a little bit of honey. Almost sounds delicious, huh?

Jacomo #08 has been the fragrance that I have worn the most this fall. I love spicy amber fragrances. I like tobacco fragrances. I also find tea fragrances very comforting. This is the most comforting fragrance that I’ve experienced in many, many years. This isn’t a “complicated” fragrances. I know many of us have experienced and liked many chai fragrance, tobacco fragrances, spicy ambers. But, this one is everything I want. It wears amazingly on me. This is something I want to wear because it is so “me”. I rarely get compliments on fragrance. The first day I wore it, I got like 3 which is very unusual. I’m still trying to rationalize this 🙂 Jacomo is marketing this fragrance for women which I wish they wouldn’t. This perfume is easily unisex, leaning more towards the masculine end of the fragrance spectrum because of the spices and tobacco quality despite the sweeter base. I know many women won’t find this fragrance to be “feminine” enough.

Notes listed include: cardamom, ginger, black tea, freesia, milky accord, dried fruits, cinnamon, honey, and amber.

Try Jacomo #08 if you like chai fragrances, spicy ambers, tobacco fragrances or fragrances like Bvlgari Black EDT, Bvgalri Omnia EDP, Tom Ford  Private Collection Tobacco Vanille EDP, Parfums des Beaux Arts by DSH Mahjoun EdP, Philip B Chai Latte Body Wash, L’Artisan Parfumeur Dzongkha EDT, Kilian Back to Black EDP, Santa Maria Novella Tobacco Toscano Cologne, and/or Le Sirenuese Bois d’Ombrie EDP.

Jacomo Art Collection is sold at Indie Scents. The 1.7 oz EDP spray retails for $69 and the 3.4 oz. for $89. I really think this is an awesome price for this fragrance. I would of paid much more! (I shouldn’t say that, right?) This seriously smells like it could be a Kilian or another super “niche, luxury” perfume. You can also find it at discounters like Fragrancenet.

And if you know of any more chai scents, please leave a comment. I know that many people desire chai scents and don’t know where to start!

Want more info? Check out…

The Scented Salamander

Fragrantica (member reviews, list of notes)

*Disclaimer – A sample of this product was provided by Jacomo. I am not financially compensated for this review or any others. My opinions are my own. Fragrancenet is an affiliate link. Thanks!