Mysterious ShadowSpicy Woody Extrait de Parfum

Mysterious Shadow by Karakash is a spicy, woody, powdery unisex perfume extract, created by Laure-Leta Jacquet. Cumin in the top notes, the most divisive ingredient in perfumery.

Twelve fragrances, seven perfumers, one single year

Karakash Perfume is a Turkish haute parfumerie house, and its history is unique in that all twelve of its fragrances were launched in the same year, 2023 — a complete collection from the outset. Even rarer: these twelve creations are the work of seven different noses — Mohammad Tammam Mando, Jean-Michel Santorini, Amandine Galliano, Marc Zini, Marie Huguenot, Laure-Leta Jacquet and Émilie Bouge. The bottles are sculptural, and the house's ethos revolves around self-preparation and confidence.

An opening of cumin, cloves and cinnamon

Pink pepper opens with its bright berry, then cloves, cumin and cinnamon establish a warm, dry spice. Cumin dominates: an ingredient with a skin-like scent, it frankly divides those who love it and those who avoid it.

A heart of davana, iris and osmanthus

Davana, a fruity, anise-like Indian plant, reacts to the chemistry of the skin to the point of smelling different from one person to another. Iris brings a cool powderiness, osmanthus its apricot and leather flower, nutmeg the spice.

A base of patchouli and styrax

Patchouli brings damp earth, cedarwood and vetiver woody dryness, and styrax its smoky, slightly leathery resin. The base darkens without weighing down.

The house's approach

Two risky ingredients in the same bottle. Cumin evokes skin and the body, which makes it deliberately divisive; davana, meanwhile, never produces the same result twice depending on the wearer. Bringing them together means accepting that the fragrance partially escapes its creator — a rare choice, consistent with a name that speaks of shadow.

For whom, for what occasions?

Spicy, woody and powdery, this extract is for those who love powdery spices and are already familiar with cumin in perfumery. From autumn to winter, for evening wear. It is the most divisive of the twelve.

With Mysterious Shadow Karakash, the fragrance partially escapes the woman who composed it.