Catalyst Halston 1993 Eau de Toilette

One doesn't always have to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes it simply helps to connect something old with the present and see what comes out of it. This is what happened with Catalyst by Halston. Thanks to Pluto, I have rediscovered something I thought was forgotten. Generally speaking: The scent I never owned feels somehow familiar. After all, it has been around for 21 years, and I am already 25 for the umpteenth time. Surprised and somewhat put off by the local comments, as it was described as difficult and edgy, even called extreme by Medusa's daughter, I finally mustered the courage to test it. And it clings to me like a second skin. Classy. I wouldn't describe it as extreme, difficult, or edgy. On me, it is a densely woven, warming scent scarf with a touch of sweetness, green, fruity from bergamot and peach. I find it hard to sniff out further ingredients; I see the scent more as a total work of art that becomes woody-floral over time. The base unfolds quite sweetly. Catalyst is a heavy, complex, opulent fragrance that does not hold back. It harmonizes perfectly with gray skies and stormy autumn weather.

For me, it is extremely feminine and, when dosed in moderation, certainly has a positive effect on the environment. From a distance, it reminds me of Femme by Rochas. Catalyst contains that subtle degree of nonconformity that can characterize a person when they want to reveal their individuality through wearing a fragrance. This makes it not always pleasing, which naturally makes it all the more interesting. So, it's not a scent that one can easily blend into the crowd. That’s something one has to want. Because the sillage and longevity are good.

The overall mood of Catalyst is deep and dark. It feels comforting and somehow fitting to me. Depending on the perspective from which one views this creation, it is timeless, if not even modern. Catalyst was launched in 1993, the same year Nirvana released "In Utero." This music fits Catalyst far better than the currently omnipresent Helene Fischer. But in times of shallow pop music, various newly opened shopping centers (we have two opening at once here in Stuttgart, and I am eagerly waiting for the next one), and brain-numbing television shows, Catalyst is certainly a fragrance that has its place.