Poka by Pernoire

On skin, it opens like almond cookie or Jijona nougat with a salty twist, yielding to sweet vanilla citrus notes. While I can still smell apple an hour later, the popcorn and cake aspects become vague. It’s a perfect gourmand for cold weather and lasts eight hours, but I’d test it first on skin because the notes settle all at once rather than unfolding in stages. In the end, it leaves a toasted, vanilla trail reminiscent of Parfums de Marly. It’s unisex, though it varies by gender, but the price doesn’t justify the content; there are better unisex popcorn options like ELO’s La fin du monde or THO’s What About Pop, and better apple notes in Theodoros Kalotinis’ Apple Pie. If you’re not a collector, test before buying blind.

A gorgeous gourmand where caramel and tonka bean dominate, with a milky touch even though there’s no milk. Cinnamon and apricot are noticeable, but the popcorn, nuts, and apple pie vanish in seconds. On my skin, it turns into a warm, tasty apricot custard. It’s more feminine, autumnal, and daytime, but the performance is mediocre. Is it worth the price? No. The market has better options like Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 71, THO’s What About Pop, or Calaj’s Delizia Oscura Gold.

It’s getting harder to surprise me with perfumes, and this isn’t the exception. It smells great if you’re just looking for something that simply ‘smells good,’ but artistically and considering the price, it falls short. I expected a gourmand bomb with an apple tart and cinnamon base that would bring something new, but it doesn’t. The best part is the opening, where the apple tart and popcorn add an original touch, but it doesn’t last. Then comes the heart, basically tonka bean with woods and nuts. With so many niche and designer scents based on this note, I don’t see the point of spending so much on something repetitive. It’s only worth it if you’re looking for something like this and don’t already own a similar scent. The longevity is medium-low, about 5-6 hours on skin, with moderate projection that fades to skin-level after an hour.

I stumbled upon a really interesting perfume: it smells like a masculine base with an original twist toward edible notes and smoky touches. The result is unisex, leaning slightly masculine, and very pleasant. At first, I detect popcorn. Then it settles into a warm, sweet fragrance blending cinnamon, apple, dried cherries, and hazelnuts with cedar, vanilla, labdanum, and tonka in the base. I think it’s the cedar and labdanum—bold, classic masculine notes—that make me think of my dad’s classic scent mixed with something gourmand. After about 4 hours, the dry down leaves a spiced vanilla that lingers until the end. It has moderate-to-notable sillage and lasts 6-7 hours on my skin. Personally, I found it purposeful, elegant, and interesting, though a bit modest in longevity for its price. Unfortunately, it’s very expensive. That said, who could resist buying a decant? Scent 7.5/10, Longevity 6.5/10, Sillage 7/10, Value 3/10, Packaging 4/10. Would I buy again? Yes.