Arso by Profumum Roma

I didn’t like it at all. It smells like pine (even though the official website lists cedar, pine needles aren’t an official note, but whatever…). It doesn’t matter because they’re conifers and the scent is very similar. It smells too masculine (no matter how virile you are, I don’t think that’s positive, because it smells a bit outdated), reminding me of pine car air fresheners or your grandfather’s legendary wild pine. There’s also a noticeable smell of smoke, or rather, of burning fir branches in a fireplace. It’s fun for a while, but not worth spending €250 to smell like that, which I find super weird.

Nothing for me. Smells like pine (though the official website lists cedar leaf, the needles aren’t a note, but it doesn’t matter). Whenever there are conifers, the scent is very similar: too masculine, a bit dated, like pine air freshener for cars or your grandfather’s legendary wild pine. You can smell smoke, like burnt fir branches in the fireplace. Fun for a while, but not worth spending €250 on something that smells super weird to me.

Arso is a very green pine forest with a smoky incense touch. It’s an absolutely foresty perfume with a very realistic smokiness. It evokes fire consuming wood with a warm, soft, and enveloping smoke without losing the pine resin. Reminds me of burning sandalwood pieces but with greener, resinous wood. A perfect green incense for autumn, from one of the best Italian houses for its fidelity to aromatic ideas.

I like it. Woody opening with incense-dusted pine, slightly sweetened, with a leather and cedar base. It transports you to a forest. It has a pleasant resinous-smoky blend, but it hasn’t fully captivated me. Performance is very good for autumn and winter and for night. Longevity is extremely long-lasting, moderate trail.

The word ‘Arso’ in Italian means ‘burnt’. It’s a spectacular perfume, adult, enveloping, slightly smoky, and high quality, seducing from the start, warm and cozy. It evokes a dark, dense forest—not for romantic strolls but supremely attractive. It blends pine, cedar, incense, and leather with a sweet touch on my skin due to the resinous texture. Perfect for sitting by a fireplace with sweet company now that the cold has reached the whole peninsula, making sunny days a distant memory. Performance is high, as is the price, its only drawback. A great aroma discovered thanks to Rafasant.

Arso is an original and bold proposal from Profumum Roma. It starts sweet, bordering on gourmand like a traditional artisan bakery (reminds me of almond, walnut, anise, and sugar cake fillings). Then it smolders with incense, becoming woodier with pine and balsam fir, alongside birch that gives a vegetal leather note, nothing animal. It all creates the sensation of a fireplace burning resinous wood on a cold winter night. It becomes darker yet warmer and cozier, floating like a smoky mist with that almond touch and background facets of lilac and narcissus due to the terpineol-resin effect that never disappears. The dry down is more resinous and incense-heavy, skirting the effect of a church, spiritual, and zen. It’s calming, soothing, and reflective. The resinous notes are potent and opulent but not heavy, like a cloud floating alongside the incense. I love Arso; it’s almost monolithic, modern, abstract, complex, suggestive, well-made, and has a calming, homey effect. Excellent longevity, good projection without being excessive, and exceptional quality. Rating: 9.1

Ideal for those who love pine. In my opinion, it’s the dominant note, though incense and resins are also noticeable. That resin reminds me of what’s in pine trunks. At first, the pine comes out on top, along with incense and a very subtle background leather. The resins aren’t very noticeable at the start, but gradually they gain strength and the perfume becomes darker and denser, though not overwhelming, since the potency isn’t excessive on my skin, or perhaps it’s due to a reformulation. The image it gives me is walking through a pine forest. At the end, the incense lingers in the background, just like the pine, and the resins seem a bit sweeter, but always balanced. Longevity is good; it lasts quite a while, but the projection is moderate; it doesn’t smell as strong as I’ve read in other reviews of the English version, perhaps due to my skin or that possible reformulation. It seems more suited for cold climates and men, since I associate pine with men’s perfumes. It’s a good perfume with quality ingredients that I’d recommend to incense and pine lovers, but I don’t enjoy it since pine isn’t my favorite note. I was a bit disappointed by its lack of potency, though others might like it. Finally, the price isn’t cheap, which is another negative point.

It has a lot of personality; it’s stately, warm, and woody. It creates an olfactory addiction. Highly recommended for lovers of perfumes with ‘woody and spicy’ notes.