Ayala Moriel • Espionage • Fragrances

*TOP REVIEWER* amlang on 9/29/2012 5:22:00 PM more reviews by amlang

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

A leather and tobacco scent for low-sillage days. Espionage has a beautiful progression, one that keeps me from getting anything else done because it is a tour of so many of my other favorite scents.

It opens like Lonestar Memories. Intense, tarry, like asphalt or a new pair of combat boots (back in the 80s). Notes of peaty scotch too, the kind that I can smell from across the room when Himself is sipping a little nightcap.

Tobacco comes in within a minute or two. Not smokey or ashy. This is the sweet, hay-ish, almost floral scent of tobacco leaves drying. Chergui meets Habanita.

The far drydown is snuggly, somewhat like vanilla or chocolate, though nothing at all like the mainstream scents that overdo those notes. This is more like the drydown of Musc Ravageur or Prada Benjoin parfum. Drydown lasts at least 4 hours, even when I'm outside walking around in warm-ish weather.

Cuir Ottoman is my go-to leather. I thought I needed only one. Silly of me. I need Espionage too. Perfect for days when I'm bored with flowers, impatient with citrus/greens/lavender, sick of gourmands. Also, Espionage's lower projection may be better for days when I want to keep my perfume in close.

Re-exploring my samples from natural perfume lines, I realize how I failed to appreciate them at first. They demand a little patience b/c the first few seconds or minutes can be musty or just odd. But then . . . they're creative, calming, confident but relaxed. I actually want the low sillage for times when I know I'll be in tight quarters with people who might have perfume sensitivity issues, or for times when my sense of smell is exhausted. Skipping perfume altogether isn't an option--I get bored without something to smell. So I'm thrilled to rediscover how interesting natural perfumes can be.

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givemesomescents on 4/18/2009 10:56:00 PM more reviews by givemesomescents

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Be ready to be seduced by this smooth, sexy scent. I agree with the reviewer who said this has a Shalimaresque quality, but the leather adds the intrigue. This is a skin scent and it is not overpowering, but I could still smell it on myself. I was pleased with the lasting power-About 6 hours (pretty good for a natural perfume in my experience).

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*TOP REVIEWER* reikigoddess on 10/23/2008 3:49:00 PM more reviews by reikigoddess

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I've been working my way through my 15 samples and here's my initial take on Espionage. It is very reminiscent of Shalimar, imo. I really like Shalimar but it never really worked w/my chemistry. This I am really liking. I'm going to have a hard time trying to narrow my choices down to 3 so I can buy one of her perfume oil roll-on sets.

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kallymarshall on 7/26/2008 11:30:00 AM more reviews by kallymarshall

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

The tagline from Ayala's site sums it up: "Espionage is an innovative, daring yet subtle perfume. " It is an remarkably seductive scent without being blatant, you have to get up close to experience it. Leather and tobacco are some of my favourite notes but are they are often too strong for work but Espionage is perfect. Extraordinary skin scent.


Notes: Ambrette (Musk) Seed , Bergamot , Jasmine Grandiflorum Leather Notes, Orris Root, Rose Otto (Turkey) Tabac Blond, Vanilla Absolute, Virginia Cedarwood

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Spadefoot on 11/3/2006 11:51:00 AM more reviews by Spadefoot

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal   Hair: Other   Eyes: Blue    

I adore the smoky topnotes and with they would go on and on. I’ve been wishing for years that I could find a scent that evokes the morning after a driftwood fire on the beach, and here it is. But it’s much more than that, more urban and sophisticated and feminine. Espionage develops beautifully, taking its time to spin out its story. The smoke clears and the flowers and leather come out. Way sexy! I can’t stop sniffing my arm. I find it very long lasting.

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cdvoyles on 11/2/2006 8:25:00 PM more reviews by cdvoyles

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

Buttery leather, supple and suave, captivatingly combined with musk and rose. Espionage possesses the subtle chic of classic perfumery but with the streamlined structure of modernity and a definitive aura of femme fatale. When this batch was fresh from the perfumery, it was a bit smoky on top, but time has mellowed it to perfection. I could use a gallon of this! My absolute favorite from Ayala.

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*TOP REVIEWER* purplebird on 10/3/2006 7:19:00 PM more reviews by purplebird

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Strong smoke at first. And I do not like smoke. Then, leather, at which point it is a bit masculine. Twenty minutes into its development, it turns into tobacco. Yummy tobacco. I love tobacco. But this needs to be 3 X stronger for me. Then it would be perfect. I would wait for the smoke to clear, and be set to go.

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