Sampling D.S. & Durga – Crush Balls, a 2023 release from this Brooklyn-based house that is inspired, in part, by the scent of tennis balls, grass, and the other natural and manmade elements that comprise a tennis court or general environment. I find it immediately to be a stimulating and interesting fresh scent, accessible but with some innovation, a bit of sharpness and natural floral, citrus, and grassy elements but also something vaguely industrial and environmental, contributing to the “hard court” base note and preventing the blend from being overly grassy or floral. I do not feel that it smells strongly of a tennis ball or tennis court, though it conjures being outdoors in a tennis-like environment or park, with the suggestion of a tennis ball scent in the particular type of grassy notes that are put together. Overall, though, I feel that it is quite pleasant and fresh while still being interesting, making me want to smell more.
Crush Balls is EDP concentration with retail pricing of $250 for 50ml, which tends to be the standard pricing for “studio juice” that at least nominally a limited edition and somewhat exclusive, even though sometimes they are more widespread and available for years. Crush Balls in particular is sold in the US via the house website and great boutiques like Olfactif (from which I ordered my sample) and Ministry of Scent. The pricing feels a little steep considering that the performance is not very strong for an EDP and, while innovative, is not super unique, as there are other green fresh grassy fragrances that approximate it, but I quite like the scent.
