2015 - I open the mailbox and sift through the mail. I am in my early 20s and have so far "only" Douglas fragrances like Boss Bottled Eau de Toilette and Blue Jeans in my repertoire. I had ordered a free sample from a relatively new men's grooming brand via Facebook.
"The Woods" sounded very appealing to me as a man who loves the forest. The 1.5ml brown travel spray looks high-quality, and I spray the contents with two gentle sprays.
The scent grabs me from the very beginning! Spicy, woody, yet fresh and masculine. A wonderful composition that I would have loved to own. At that time, however, the investment felt too high, and I quickly forgot about the idea.
Time jump +7 years - 2022 - Black Friday deals everywhere you look. Everything is given away for free - long live consumer society! I swipe through my Instagram feed during my lunch break. -25% on Brooklyn Soap Company. I scroll back. Brooklyn Soa...what was that again? Oh right! The Woods!
Before I open the website, I check Parfumo. Hm...mediocre ratings, but the scent still seems to be good. What?! Reformulation and changes in the top notes...But the price is a steal. Well, with 15% fragrance oil, you can't expect a mega sillage.
Now I hold it in my hands 7 years later, "The Woods". Right at the unboxing, the first disappointment - a transparent glass bottle? What happened to the dark brown bottle that looked so elegant? Is this now just a 5-minute shaving cologne?
The scent opens similarly (not the same!) as it did back then. Mandarin, a bit of pepper (softer than before), then the transition to the absinthe-nutmeg note comes quite quickly (+4min), and shortly after (+10min) you also have the cashmere wood (flat and soft) on your skin.
And that's it. Let me paint you a picture: You were really keen on that one drink when you were younger, but your parents didn't buy it for you. 7 years later, you go shopping yourself and buy one of those bottles, new design, with a big label that reads "Improved Formula!". You take a sip, and no emotion comes up anymore.
Exactly that happened here. I was looking forward to a memory and unfortunately got a "post-workout" scent. Just under 50€ is still worth this "fun" to me. Nostalgia.
To be more precise, it's not just the scent's fault. A look at my collection reveals that there are some heavyweights in there that have taught my nose! And my nose has learned over the past 7 years! This probably explains the disappointment. However, the scent remains rather close to the skin and personal in this concentration.
Floyd 3 years ago