perfume review: indalo

indalo - the scent of africa

a couple of years ago on my first trip to cape town, i grabbed this cologne called indalo in the airport on my way out. it used to have a really neat little beady thing around the lid, but sabin appropriated it long ago for some doll or other. it's actually a men's cologne, but i loved the deep, naturey, woodsiness of it and it has a spicy, nearly cinnamony warm undertone. although i ostensibly bought it for husband, i keep it on my shelf so he forgets about it, because i love it.

i save it for occasions when i have a meeting or other occasion for which i want to feel strong, capable, invincible and perhaps just a tad masculine. so i've been wearing it all week to psyche up for that interview at my old workplace (i'm interviewing someone, i'm not trying to go back there, let's be clear on that!). i've also been known to wear it to occasions where husband's ex-wife will be present, because i always feel i need a little extra strength on those occasions.

i don't think it smells masculine on me at all, it's warm and spicy and doesn't at all give one visions of cleft chins and strong male jawlines that classic men's colognes tend to do. i think that psychologically, knowing it's a man's cologne is what does it for me. if i didn't know that, i would probably think it was just fine for women, tho' it's not a girly perfume in the least.

it's actually exactly the right balance as a unisex perfume--not at all flowery or powdery, more to the spicy side, not too heavy-handed with the musk and definitely not bright. it lingers well and mellows in a good way as you wear it throughout the day. by evening, just the warmest woody cinnamon lingers on your skin, reminding you of the strength it gave you when you needed it.

they say that the name, indalo, is a xhosa word meaning "natural" or "of the earth." and i learned as well that there is a symbol of a man holding a rainbow from a petroglyph (we know i love those) in a cave in spain that's called the indalo man as well. that indalo is a good luck charm and i guess that's a bit how i look upon this cologne--using it to give me strength and luck on occasions when i feel i need a bit of extra, but i love the notion that it's natural and of the earth as well.

i don't know if it's available outside of africa, but if you're passing through the duty free in capetown, i do recommend picking up a bottle. you can pretend it's for the man in your life like i did, but you can wear it with confidence yourself. i find it goes very well with my hugo boss suit.