Top Notes 
Wild lavender
Bergamot
Orange
Heart Notes 
Champaca absolute
Lavender absolute
Orange blossom concrete
Base Notes 
Choya Nakh
Tonka bean
Oakmoss
Ambrette
Meggi
1018 Reviews
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Meggi
Top Review
24
Cooked together for rationalization reasons
From a waxy, natural base, the shell-like scent immediately emerges, which I first encountered in the fine 'Limestone' from the equally nature-scented house Thorn & Bloom. Back then as now, I have the impression that I don't necessarily need the "roasted" aspect. "Shells" is simply fine, stony-maritime. Sweet-sour orange accompanies it, and from it, lavender develops. Orange blossom is also plausible.
Hmpf, and there it is again. A (presumably) champaca aroma mixes very strangely with the scratchy shell notes. Additionally, I sense a rather sweet (tonka?) coumarin contribution in this context. After just 2 hours, the entire scent has become quite sweet.
By late morning, the dam finally breaks. The tonka sweetness melts into shell flour, resulting in (to check off!)
a) tonka, b) shell, c) lavender/champaca, d) orange, e) everything together
a diffuse
sweet(a)-stony(b)-scratchy(c)-floral(c)-fruity(d)-musty(e) mixture. This pushes 'Foret de la Mer' further into brackish territory than any other maritime-scented natural fragrance I know - an unfortunately unfortunate top spot. Strained guessing allows… well, just to guess that each of the ingredients may be fine or at least decent on its own, but together they are too much of a good thing.
I am reminded of a passage from "Asterix the Legionary": The two heroes have voluntarily enlisted in the Roman army in search of Tragicomix and are just traveling with a colorful group of recruits when they are served a meal that is hard to swallow during a break. When asked what it is, the superior replies: "Grain, bacon, and cheese - cooked together for rationalization reasons."
Surprisingly, the brackishness fades over the course of the afternoon. It becomes creamy-sweet, not without a certain lightness, underpinned by stony-floral notes. But there is also a hint of freshness, perhaps a slight coumarin tingle. And a trace of candy. I am pleasantly surprised. And when 'Foret de la Mer' rises to a waxy-resinous, almost animalistic form in the evening, to which a late-inspired orange blossom likely contributes, I am somewhat reconciled.
Thus, as far as I can see now, today’s scent is my first test candidate to find its way out of the brackish trap. Not back to its old form, but at least to a respectable conclusion. Being a natural fragrance was probably helpful for this - I find it hard to imagine such a thing with DIY store artificial wood.
I thank Naimie54 for the sample.
Hmpf, and there it is again. A (presumably) champaca aroma mixes very strangely with the scratchy shell notes. Additionally, I sense a rather sweet (tonka?) coumarin contribution in this context. After just 2 hours, the entire scent has become quite sweet.
By late morning, the dam finally breaks. The tonka sweetness melts into shell flour, resulting in (to check off!)
a) tonka, b) shell, c) lavender/champaca, d) orange, e) everything together
a diffuse
sweet(a)-stony(b)-scratchy(c)-floral(c)-fruity(d)-musty(e) mixture. This pushes 'Foret de la Mer' further into brackish territory than any other maritime-scented natural fragrance I know - an unfortunately unfortunate top spot. Strained guessing allows… well, just to guess that each of the ingredients may be fine or at least decent on its own, but together they are too much of a good thing.
I am reminded of a passage from "Asterix the Legionary": The two heroes have voluntarily enlisted in the Roman army in search of Tragicomix and are just traveling with a colorful group of recruits when they are served a meal that is hard to swallow during a break. When asked what it is, the superior replies: "Grain, bacon, and cheese - cooked together for rationalization reasons."
Surprisingly, the brackishness fades over the course of the afternoon. It becomes creamy-sweet, not without a certain lightness, underpinned by stony-floral notes. But there is also a hint of freshness, perhaps a slight coumarin tingle. And a trace of candy. I am pleasantly surprised. And when 'Foret de la Mer' rises to a waxy-resinous, almost animalistic form in the evening, to which a late-inspired orange blossom likely contributes, I am somewhat reconciled.
Thus, as far as I can see now, today’s scent is my first test candidate to find its way out of the brackish trap. Not back to its old form, but at least to a respectable conclusion. Being a natural fragrance was probably helpful for this - I find it hard to imagine such a thing with DIY store artificial wood.
I thank Naimie54 for the sample.
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