Firstly, I don’t have an experienced nose, which will likely become plain. Neither do I have the incredible way with words that many reviewers here do, but I am so charmed by the journey this took me on today that I wanted to write it down.
Have you ever stood in front of a fan and made noises into the spinning blades and felt the funny buzzy sensation as your voice is chopped into little pieces? (Surely not just me that liked to play this game as a child?) Or have you run your hands over a texture with a slight rasp to it that makes your fingertips tingle and buzz as it feels like every ridge of your fingerprint is dragged over it? It’s like that, but it’s happening to your nose as you smell it. A physical sensation, almost fizzy, tickly. Like smelling through those red/blue 3d glasses. The vehicle for this experience is a sweet, yet tart, bright plum. It makes for an extra layer to the ‘complicated’ feeling I get from some chypres. I found it delightful and spent the first three hours dipping my nose to my inner elbow every ten minutes.
A few hours later this had turned into something warm and woody, kind of musky, with the memory of that sweet plum just peeking around the corner. It’s like skin- but not *my skin*. I feel like an attractive man wearing a very nice aftershave. Not *me* wearing aftershave, crucially. I keep smelling myself and can’t quite believe that I smell like an entirely different person. It’s a beautiful kind of magic. I’m non binary and can’t get away from looking quite feminine (to other people, social construct etc. etc.) even when I want to, so a scent that so vividly recalls such a specific masculine (to my association, my husband doesn’t think it’s strictly masculine at all) smell is for me extremely appealing. However for other people who see that this is designed ‘for women’ and are expecting something uncomplicatedly feminine this might not be what you’re looking for!
If that kind of weird gender magic is what you’re looking for, Amber by The Cotswold Perfumery (my first ever fragrance) did this for me too.
MyPynkPeonie 1 month ago
