ANOMALIA
SHAMAN
2023
black pepper
water lily
MAGNOLIA
juniper
leather
guaiac wood
iris
‘The dark side of the Moon, shamanic dances, drum leather, stretched string and dizzying smoke. The Shaman comes to open the doors of perception and consciousness to something new, solid and undoubtedly beautiful. ‘The title is an ironic reference to Emanuel Swedenborg’s theological work Heaven and Hell. This work provides a detailed description of the afterlife and owes its popular appeal to its subject matter: the connection between earthly life and life after death.’ – Anomalia
I recently tried the entire Anomalia line-up, with several great fragrances in them, my favorite being Narcotic Bohemic. Their brand new release, Shaman, is perhaps their biggest statement maker so far. Here’s why:
Smoke! Straight from the opening you’re met with a huge blast of smokiness. Ever so slightly barbecue-birch tar-esque, charred (guaiac) wood and this smokiness slowly gets less loud, but sticks around for the entire wear.
Underneath it, I mostly get leather. For a moment I get more of the woodiness, or more particularly, a hay like quality. It takes you to a farm land, with leather saddles. That hay vibe goes away, leaving an even more leather-centric scent for most of the wear.
Shaman is one of the more realistic leather scents that I’ve come across, especially when it’s a bit more subdued (and best with 1-2 sprays for me personally). It feels natural and multifaceted (leather, smoky, woody, dusty, smooth).
As it dries, it’s not nearly as daring as the opening minutes implied and it becomes a rather classy leather fragrance that I enjoyed wearing more than I expected.
I can appreciate Shaman a lot and I’d say it’s another one from this house that’s really well done; arguably their best work. Leather is probably my favorite scent that I don’t love to wear as perfume, as the wears can feel a bit demanding. In this case, it’s a lot more manageable than I initially thought, although still not something I’d casually reach for often. However, if you like a realistic smoky leather, Shaman should be on your radar.
