D:SOL MMXVI
SOMBRA
2023
PERFUMER
Marie Le Febvre
yuzu
clementine
mandarin
pink pepper
timut pepper
geranium
turkish rose absolute
saffron
nutmeg
laos oud
tolu balsam
vetiver
leather
Sombra was reformulated and made less challenging with Sombra 24 (2024).
‘The colors of the day are melting. The sun’s in hiding. In the shadows, feelings take surprising shapes. Softness is in the air. Slowly surrendering to the forceful call of the night. Silent connections form. The alchemy is real. Its magic boomerangs from soul to soul. Two shadows. One. The intoxicating appeal of the oud blurs every line.’ – D:SOL MMXVI
When I sampled Sombra last year, I had no clue what I was smelling. And I still don’t. One of the most unique releases of the year and a surprisingly daring one. My thoughts on Sombra change every wear so far, but here’s an impression:
From the opening I get a pungent animalic tinge. It’s mostly leather, but with a floral side. Smoky rose and spices come to mind. When I first tried Sombra, I mostly got citrus first, now that’s a bit more overpowered in the opening minutes and the fruity relief comes through a tad delayed.
It is rather eccentric, animalic and challenging. Sombra has a Laotian oud; it doesn’t instantly remind me of the ouds I know and I don’t find it overly woody overall. Something in this composition definitely reminds me of indols and skatole, meaning it’s this almost bitter, palpable skank, which merges into more of a floral leather.
I get orange hues from citrus, but I get less of the juiciness, the acidity. Some wafts it’s there, but other times, my nose is probably too busy to catch on. More so, I get a herbal, almost medicinal tinge along with it. There’s green freshness coming through that I can’t really place. At one point it reminded me of bamboo.
What I especially get more of on my 3rd and 4th time wearing it, is sweetness. I get much more vanillic resins. It, along with the fruitiness, provides a much needed cozy ‘distraction’ from the more daring facets.
The animalic aspect of the leather fades over time and Sombra turns into a softer, sweeter, but still very carnal and smoky feeling leather scent. Never becoming just leather, with the fruitiness, florals, spices, green touches keeping Sombra complex and feeling very much ‘in touch with nature’.
When I think of what ‘niche’ is; this is it. An outlier, even within D:SOL’s own line-up and one of the more interesting releases for 2023. I think Gallivant Accra is up there as well and it’s in the same wide realm, but I can’t think of a good reference point for Sombra. It’s one you’ll have to try for yourself and probably more than once. Not the easiest wear, but a big thumbs up.
