CARNER
MARBELLA

2020

Bulgarian Rose
BlackCurrant
Black Pepper

Peony
Green Tea
Jasmine

Peach
Musk
Amber

While my favorite Carner at the time of writing is Sandor 70’s, the house has quite a few fresher scents that are underrated. I decided (rather randomly) to pick up a bottle of this Marbella as one of those.

Marbella takes a tart fruitiness (not unlike the one in Atelier Des Ors Pink Me Up) and mixes it with a healthy dose of rose. While I originally got a lot of peach from it (in my 2020 first impression), I now get much more of an acidic, almost wine-like blackcurrant in the opening. It’s tad heavier than the Atelier des Ors or something like Argos Pallas Athene.

I don’t necessarily pick up on the listed green tea note, but there is something watery, almost aquatic to Marbella (perhaps I’m being influenced by its blue bottle). Maybe it’s more of a shower gel quality; it’s definitely fresh and invigorating. There’s some sweetness here, but not overly so and it never overtakes the composition.

When the punch of the fruits fades away, the drydown isn’t the most exciting (musky soft florals). On the other hand, performance is good for a scent like this.