FRAGRANCE | Issara Extrait de Parfum by Parfums Dusita: A soft and delicate beauty

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Issara is my introduction to Parfums Dusita, one of the many houses I've been meaning to try for so long. The presentation sticks out and establishes that important (at least for me) first impression. The black, lacquered box with inside cushioning projects an elegance befitting the fragrance's price tag. The bottle is fairly simple in its design but the engraved cap elevates it for me.

Issara starts fresh with a few seconds of sharpness before a feathery tobacco slowly builds up. It's not dried or burnt like the tobacco in Slumberhouse's Jeke. It's not necessarily green either; more like tobacco leaves that are starting to turn brown but are still mostly yellow. In this case, Aramis Havana comes to mind, only way softer. It also feels soaked but not in vanilla and rum like Penhaligon's Roaring Radcliff. It just feels soaked, period.

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After some minutes, only then did I recognize that the freshness is pine in nature. It's not a standout note in this composition and I had to dig my nose deep into where I sprayed. On other days that I wore this, I easily forgot about the pine. Moreover, I'm sure there are a host of other things at play but I just can't pick out individually. 

After a few more minutes, there's something hay-like that comes up, along with a very mild sweetness. The scent remains dry and with nothing weighing it down, it keeps a generally fresh profile. The scent later develops a soft, powdery trait, with the mild sweetness like an underground stream running right below it in parallel. Except for its filtered focus on tobacco, Issara is such a delicate blend that values the whole than the sum of its parts. 

When I first sprayed Issara, I could hardly smell it, which had me worried. Much to my relief, though, it started picking up strength sometime between the 15 to 30 minute mark. Projection is still practically soft but noticeable. I guess that's how it's meant to be after all—an intimate scent—and I can't fault Dusita for that, especially since it lasts for hours on my skin. Tobacco may be normally associated with masculine fragrances but the way it's given this beautifully wispy treatment makes Issara downright unisex. As long as you're not after anything beastly, this is something worth sampling.

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