Green Bubble Jusbox 2018

I could go on again with the old story of why I have never taken a single puff from a cigarette in my unfortunately not-so-young life. Not that there haven't been enough opportunities; I have been offered more than enough cigarettes, and there have certainly been more than enough stressful occasions where it would have been more than just appropriate to take a deep inhale. But I have remained steadfast so far and do not regret it. And so it happens that on one occasion or another, a bag has made its rounds past my nose. I won’t claim that I find the smell particularly appealing, so I also believe that I haven't missed out on anything. I can giggle for hours just fine without it - unfortunately, I just didn't have the opportunity to do so at the last Parfumo meetings.

At the last Parfumo meeting, instead, I received a sample with a purchase. The friendly perfume saleswoman called it a counterpoint to my purchase "Wild Cherry" by Mancera. Well, the lady should keep her word.

The bottles from Jusbox stand out a bit from the often dreary assortment. A clear square glass with a very solid base and colorful accents that make the entire bottle shine, topped with a black knob on which a stylized vinyl record rests. All packaged in a voluminous and beautifully printed box. Very appealing design that runs from A to Z - I like that! For this perfume, a strong green has been chosen, which suits it very well, whimsically named "Green Bubble." Unfortunately, I can't think of any images that justify this name so far - an Allen key, bacon dumplings, a Tempo-30 zone, or daisies would be similarly misleading.

With the first spray, however, associations with another heavily hyped fragrance immediately arise, and a voice inside me groans in annoyance: "Oh, no!" I really can't deal with that musty marijuana smell at all. If it weren't for a very faint hint of a slightly sour yet sweet citrus fruit, which initially kept me from ritual washings. Not that anything is being softened here; it rather underlines, brightens up, and creates friendly moments. And just as Alfons Schubeck always has his buddy, chili, in tow, the spicy smoky essence is followed by dark and dry woods as well as incense and patchouli. Fortunately, all of this forms a dense cloud, and sometimes one element wafts to the forefront, sometimes another. While the initial wave is still very strong, the scent noticeably softens after about a quarter of an hour, but then settles like a fog and keeps you captivated throughout the day. A scent with staying power, then.

You have to like this kind of thing, and you have to be able to use this scent purposefully. Either as a provocation or as an accentuation of your personality or a situation. Although the scent has a very masculine quality in its entirety, I can easily think of a few women who would not only love this scent but would also wear it very well. And that, even though the scent has no feminine moments for me.

I have been with Parfumo long enough, yet I have not been able to fully understand the idol-like reverence for various Nasomatto fragrances and their elevation in the form of Black Afghano. Now I have a scent in front of me that again combines a cannabis note with dirty woods, but this time I am not so averse. Perhaps because it is not so in-your-face, not so vehement, not so screaming. Yet again, nothing here is calling me "Buy me!" I guess I better stick with my "Wild Cherry," as that scent is very much liked by my floating peach blossom.