AURA OF KAZAKHSTAN
PULSE OF ASTANA

2020

PERFUMER
Sarah McCartney

Aldehydes
Rain Notes
Grass
blackcurrant

Metallic notes
Rose
Pink Pepper

cedarwood
woody notes
White Musk

One of the most underrated benefits of brand collaborations is choosing fragrances that I might otherwise overlook. In the case of Aura Of Kazakhstan I saw some familiar note breakdowns and opted instead for something that I don’t smell often. As of half of the Aura Of Kazakhstan line, it’s nose is the ever-lovely Sarah McCartney, so that was also a reason to go for it.

Pulse Of Astana lists rain notes, blackcurrant, metallic notes, rose, aldehydes and more. I was hoping for a fresh, dewy scent, without being too green (the brand description talks about a ‘modern city of glass and metal’) and that’s exactly what I get here. It’s a lovely clean, abstract, watery scent with a blackcurrant tinge.

Interestingly, the opening clearly smells like anise and liquorice to me. Ricard was always the liquor of choice in my family and even though I don’t drink, I’ve always loved the smell; this comes quite close. There’s a hint of grassy green, but to my pleasure, it’s a faint, watered down, transparent green. In general the fragrance is on the subtle side, which works in favor of the freshness.

As it dries down, I get more of a woodiness coming through, but it’s still fresh. I definitely get the ‘wet metal and glass’ as much as ‘dewy grass’. There’s a subtle phantom rose note that pops up in some wafts, but it’s not overly floral.

Again, this is a style that I would never opt for in a blind-buy, but I loved it. I think it’s perfectly unisex and probably best suited for Spring.