SORA DORA
RED

2024

PERFUMER
Margaux Le Paih Guerin

bergamot
coconut
cardamom
mandarin
clementine
mandora
pink berry

jasmine
ylang-ylang
clove
frangipani tree
tiare
mugwort
fig
iris
nutmeg
hazelnut

caramel
woody notes
sandalwood
musk

‘It’s in the dark that Red ignites for the first time. Born of a night. At the bar, the crystal of clinking glasses is tinted with selected spirits. Sora Dora celebrates its first anniversary that evening. The olfactory idea is already conceived; the harmonies remain to be composed. Amidst the persistent music of the club, the outlines of a major scent are sketched in three-time sketches: bergamot, jasmine, and sandalwood. Offline, Red is reserved for the initiated.’ – SORA DORA

‘RED was born out of the desire to create an addictive, voluptuous fragrance that would initially revolve around travel. A long process then began, first with Quentin and then with Francois. Travel gradually gave way to this word, this colour – the symbol of passion – RED. The creative work was fascinating, full of surprises and changes of direction, to give life to this fiery, non-conformist and terribly sensual fragrance.’ – Margaux Le Paih Guerin

Red was launched as an exclusive to Jovoy. It has a note breakdown with a lot of potential to be great for my taste, but I found most of what I wanted from Red only in the drydown. It takes a while for me to enjoy it.

The opening is much harsher than I’d like. There’s a clear roasted quality. This type of roasted, cookie, cereal, (burnt) coconut, (burnt) rice gourmand seems to be trendy in 2023/2024 and Red reminded me of several other fragrances initially; most prominently of another contemporary Jovoy introducé, Soul Of Makeen Harran.

I’m not a big fan of the harsher styling; I much prefer softer, creamier or cozier gourmands. This is not helped by a texture that I can only describe as rough and airy at the same time; like a hairspray. Red introduces spices and some brightness to contradict the sweetness. I’d say that cardamom, which has that fresher, sharper edge, is overly prominent to my taste.

So for a while, Red was not up my alley. However, after that first… maybe hour? Red smooths out a lot and the nutty gourmand comes back to the forefront in a much more enjoyable way. More of a smooth woody backbone, a nicer texture and the better sides of the gourmand facet stick around. And luckily, that drydown lasts long enough to enjoy plenty of Red throughout a day.

That being said, not quite a favorite of mine. I’d prefer Jany for a Sora Dora gourmand by the same perfumer for example.