Cinnabar

Cinnabar by Estée Lauder is a feminine-leaning eau de parfum from 1978 in the designer price tier. It opens with clove, orange blossom, bergamot and peach, moves into carnation, jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose and cinnamon and dries down to patchouli, benzoin, incense, labdanum and vanilla. Expect around 11 hours of wear, and it projects very strongly.

Notes, explained

Opening

Clove Hot, dry and dental. Powerful — a little goes a long way.
Orange Blossom Sweet, soapy and sunny. Neroli's warmer sibling.
Bergamot Sharp citrus with a faint bitter edge. The opening of about half of all men's fragrances.
Peach Fuzzy, warm and slightly creamy. Soft rather than sharp.

Heart

Carnation Spicy, clove-like floral. Old-school and a bit peppery.
Jasmine Heady, sweet and slightly animal underneath. Rarely subtle.
Ylang-Ylang Banana-custard floral. Rich, tropical and slightly rubbery.
Rose Can be jammy, green, peppery or soapy depending on the type. Not one smell.
Cinnamon Sweet heat. Reads festive, sometimes to a fault.

Dry-down

Patchouli Damp earth and dark chocolate. Either you love it or it's your least favourite note.
Benzoin Sweet balsamic resin. Vanilla-adjacent but drier.
Incense Smoky, dry and meditative. Adds gravity to anything.
Labdanum Sticky, leathery resin. Dark honey and old books.
Vanilla Sweet, creamy and warm. The most comforting note in perfumery.

Smells like this

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