Bambus (Parfüm) J. G. Mouson & Co. 1930

...was apparently the bottle of the cologne that I owned as a child in preschool. I don’t know where my mother got it. Neither of us knew back then that it was a men's fragrance. However, I am surprised to learn that the scent was conceived in the 1930s.

As a child, I could make little sense of the scent...yet out of nostalgia, I have repurchased the cologne and also managed to get a mini of the extrait. While the cologne is already weakening, the extrait does transport me back to my childhood in an instant.

Freshness in this perfume is only present in a dark, peculiar way. It’s not really spicy or woody either. In any case, it is absolutely unsweet. I can only guess what fragrance notes are used here...leather perhaps? “Bamboo” doesn’t smell typically like leather - but I have come to know this note as extremely multifaceted. A bit of patchouli? The scent feels a little earthy. As it develops, it also becomes slightly soapy. Aldehydes?

Overall, my impression is: cold, dark, and slightly earthy - a bit like a garden in winter, but without the snow covering nature's wounds.

“Bamboo” is still not quite “my scent” today - yet it has a certain sympathy bonus because of the time we shared in my childhood.