Wakening Woods of Scandinavia 4711 2019

I must admit that I was taken primarily by the name of Wakening Woods of Scandinavia and its romantic connotations, but in the back of mine I already kinda knew that it wouldn't be a particularly soulful scent. I compulsively blind bought it, and sure enough, I was right. It's delightful and elevated, much because of the vibrancy of Iso E Super, accented with some rosiness, and reads as a conifer version of Terre d'Hermes.

However, I quickly lost interest, it languished in storage for too long and I sold it to someone who would get more appreciation out of it. It's nice, but as I've learned to be more scrupulous about what I purchase, and have become more fastidious in my tastes, it really isn't a moving experience for me. Be that as it may, it would certainly have value to others, especially those who can appreciate Geza Schoen's minimalist approach a la Escentric Molecules in this "spritely enchanted fir forest" context.

This one is one of the best 4711 I ever smelled, beside the legendary Kölnisch Wasser. But here the performance is surprisingly good for 4711 standard. I am not saying long lasting, but at least last longer than Kölnisch Wasser, which basically gone in less than 1 hour.

The vibe? It reminds me of forest after rain. Unlike Lalique Encre Noire, which also give the vibe of forest after rain. But this Awakening bla bla (damn I hate the long name) gives forest rain but bright, while Encre Noire is like forest rain in dark.

The opening starts with quite fresh orangy with kinda herbal. But not medicinal herbal. Them it settle down with beautiful pine needle scent, which is quite calming. I often wear it as an option for my afternoon respray for refreshing at the office.

It is unisex but slightly toward masculine, not by much. Price is also decent to good. In Germany it is in 20-ish Euro. So long story short, it is worth to try if green fragrance is your taste.

Refreshes not just for a short time,
No, even after hours you are ready.
Oh Isobaum, oh Limobaum,
Can you please me very much?
Such an evergreen can also be sung off-season. And this fir scent, in my opinion, fits much better in the warmer season. With its slightly sweet coriander-lemon-lime green notes, this truly special 4711 lacks any Christmas spice warmth in my nose.

After its completely successful, fine nutmeg-lime and its year-round cologne with zesty mandarins over cardamom & synthetic wood, this forest scent is the third etude by avant-garde perfumer Geza Schön for the traditional house 4711. To get straight to the point: In my nose, this sounds more like Czerny than Chopin. Because the scent is pleasant but shows little development. Interesting and solid, original and wearable. No one needs to kneel here.

Without moss, nothing happens, is the complaint of countless forest lovers who react allergically to the (anti-allergenic) oak moss bans of the IFRA. There is definitely no moss in here. So what's going on instead?

The awakening of the forest begins with a sweet-green fanfare, in which only subtly bitter orange (and for me, no noticeable pepper) resonates. However, this opening already exudes a cheerful lemon mist: a well-chilled Fanta, spiced with a pinch of coriander, right in the Black Forest. It feels sporty, not old-fashioned. So rather a nice blueberry pancake at the green hut than Grandhotel Bühlerhöhe or Traube in Tonbach. The scent feels young and has NOTHING in common with the original 4711.

When you go deeper into the forest, green scents usually become mossy, earthy, shady; possibly slightly musty, vetiver-rooty. In any case: heavy. But here, none of that happens. Everything remains very bright, light, like a sun-drenched plantation of young fir trees, whose minimal resinousness is constantly overshadowed by sweet, floral orange soda.

With some certainty, there are also likely no small amounts of Iso E Super contributing to this silvery bright, quite long-lasting, iridescent underpinning of the orange fir. Especially during sports, on steaming skin, this fir scent reminds me of this all-purpose weapon of modern aroma chemistry, which gives fragrances aura and radiance.

The (quite muscular) overall package seems to me quite original. This kind of cologne has probably not existed at 4711 or anywhere else - as far as I can see. It is undoubtedly refreshing. And definitely modern, because somehow still recognizably synthetic; yet by no means unpleasantly plastic-like. In this sense, the 4711 Wakening Woods occupies a niche in the realm of refreshing waters.

Moreover, it lasts significantly longer than a classic cologne, which definitely justifies the designation Colonia Intense (6-8 hours). After all, these 'Awakening Scandinavian Forests' have significantly more ingredients on the list than the other, more slender 4711. While I can still slightly sense coriander; rose, osmanthus, and jasmine, however, can hardly be perceived as such, but at best as a thin veil of floral notes. The same applies to any possibly subliminal, homeopathically contributing clouds of incense.

Due to a certain one-dimensionality in the scent development and the aforementioned artificiality, it will probably be used rather rarely by me despite its fir cologne uniqueness. However, I wouldn't want to miss it in my collection.
To also let the last stanza of the popular Christmas song sound:

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
your dress wants to teach me something!
Hope and constancy
give comfort and strength at all times!

We want to attest to its endurance. Its sillage is strong for a cologne, moderate for a full perfume. Yes, one spray gives strength through freshness. Hope and comfort? For cuddling, I find it too fresh and superficial. No grand forest symphony resonates in my ears here, but a cheerfully late-modern arrangement of 'Oh Tannenbaum, Iso Superbaum' rounded off with a twig of coriander and a few flowers.

Geza Schön's third piece for the Cologne traditional colognists may well have the potential to become a classic of synth-pop. In any case, I look forward to further modernization experiments from the house of 4711 with eager anticipation, in an Advent spirit.

They ran barefoot through the deep, dark Scandinavian needle forest when it started to rain.

They hadn't studied the weather report; they were too spontaneous and carefree for that. It was Thursday evening, and he had finished work early to surprise her. He wanted to show her the recently discovered surprise in a picturesque setting that had successfully hidden from any tourist excursions until now. A hidden natural gem.

A long hike brought them to the enchantingly small forest lake with crystal-clear water, reflecting the sky in the most beautiful blue-green tones. She was in awe.
They could only enjoy the coolness of the water briefly. Gray clouds rolled in, and a thunderstorm broke over them. Before the rain poured down on them, they grabbed their clothes and ran. It felt like several kilometers to their car.

“Ouch!” she grimaced and stopped. The pine needles on the ground pricked her bare feet.
He turned around. His white T-shirt was completely soaked, his muscular body outlined beneath it. The dark, dripping curls hung almost to his shoulders, and his turquoise-blue sparkling eyes enchanted her again and again, as if the clear forest lake was still reflecting in them. He pulled her close and gave her a passionate kiss. They forgot the world around them in the downpour. The warm steam of the dark green forest rose through the soft moss of the earthy forest floor, hiding the two lovers from the curious eyes of the animals...

The scent starts aquatically fresh with bergamot, like a leap into cool water, surrounded by the dense greenery of the forest. Patchouli brings in the earthy note. The dark needles of the pine are dominant, and woods can be sensed. The nuances of green tones are diverse. I can only detect rose in the scented candle in the set; not so much in the Eau de Cologne, nor jasmine.
The longevity is typical of a cologne, like a short but intense rain shower that slowly fades away. A balsamic resinous scent rises through the warm ground like steam, thanks to the gentle frankincense.

It suits anyone who appreciates green fresh scents. I find it light and unobtrusive, suitable for all occasions and times of day. It is neither sweet nor bitter, as the freshness of the forest needs no further ingredients but works beautifully on its own in the beauty of nature.

“Wakening Woods of Scandinavia” is an apt description for a pleasant, calming scent that doesn’t clash or necessarily smell perfumed. I have certainly fallen for its needle forest magic.

I confess, I like 4711. It comes from my hometown and these 4 numbers have accompanied me throughout my life. I never thought I would one day wear a little fragrance from this house myself. The humiliating moments when great-aunts and honorary aunts bent down to me as a little kid with their 4711-soaked, lace-trimmed handkerchiefs to wipe away some smudge that had stuck to my face are still too vivid. Brrrrrrrrrrrr. Well, several years later, one day I was standing so nicely waiting in Kaufhof on the ground floor, waiting and waiting. That day, as an adult man, I had my first contact with 4711. It was Pink Pepper & Grapefruit that really got me back then. I still remember thinking, "this smells so honest."

Now to the Wakening Woods of Scandinavia. I like woody, needle-like fragrances when they don't swing the axe too aggressively. WWoS is definitely needle-like. It doesn't annoy me but rather clears my mind, makes it broader, purer. The top note is fresh and invigorating (my God, does that sound 4711-ish... invigorating & fresh) well, it is what it is. Modern and cool, coriander and pink pepper are always a good mix, which doesn’t have to be bad. Soon after, the rustling of the forests begins. The image of wandering barefoot on mossy ground through a foggy fir forest in the morning involuntarily comes to mind. This image is not complex, multi-layered, or thought-provoking. No, it has something simple, straightforward about it, just as Nordic as the Christmas tree that is currently standing in our living room. Clear, recognizable, and unembellished. So it fits quite well with one side of me. And so I let the Nordic woods rest on my skin. They sway a bit back and forth, but not much happens there now. After hours, my mother comes by for coffee, takes me in her arms, and says, "Boy, you smell good" - I have never heard that from my mother before. But these 4 words express everything. The boy "fragrances" today not like some crazy niche fragrance that no one knows, NO, the boy just smells good. And that’s exactly what I appreciate about WWoS and also a couple of others from the Colonia line of 4711. You just smell good. It’s more of a scent than a perfume. A scent that accompanies you, that you perceive and that is perceived, but rather fits and stays with you like a good pair of jeans or a great T-shirt. And I am surprisingly often told that I smell good when I wear this "scent." WWoS stays with me and is always there. Like a good friend from childhood. Well, in a way, it’s a bit like that with me and the 4711.