Woods in Love

In the Wood for Love

Roos & Roos 2018

After testing Oud for Love last, it was of course time for Woods for Love from the sample box. However, this time I won't play with words, but simply note that I find it nice that "in the woods for love" has slipped into the subtitle and the stuff is now called "Woods in Love." Not only because the "in the hoods for love" gag will eventually be exhausted, but also because "In Love with Woods" fits the scent much better than "Into the Underbrush to Make Love."

This is, and I was totally surprised after spraying, a wonderfully lovely fine cheerful-in-love scent and by the way, not particularly woody. The creator has managed to conjure something very playful (but still absolutely suitable for men) from actually quite well-known ingredients: citrus, violet, and woods, above all something very unusual, new, and yet classically beautiful, and nothing that makes you think, okay, great experiment, but do I want to smell like that?

What I must point out, however, is that the In Love with Woods does move into a territory where one might want to have the folks from "VroniPlag" check whether the scientific citation guidelines have been properly followed or if the fragrance needs to have its doctorate revoked. Because I wore my "Bal d'Afrique" by Byredo again the day before yesterday (my wife was once again completely smitten, and there were compliments not only from my favorite colleague but even from my boss) and when I tested this one today, I thought: This smells just as beautiful as on Friday...

A quick look at the fragrance pyramid also shows massive similarities. If you were to use jasmine instead of orange blossom, the descriptions would be almost identical. Well, if you copy (or replicate, or coincidentally come up with the same idea without knowing the original), a dreamy scent well, you end up with a dreamy scent, but the Swedes from Byredo were just there ten years earlier.

So I give an unrestricted recommendation for testing, but you "need," if one can talk about such a thing, only one of the two scents. The "Ball d'Afrique" is the original, while this one has the prettier bottle. The price is similar for both. The Byredo is even more delicate, airy, and lighter, while the Double-Roos is somewhat clearer and more contoured, and its initial citrus is noticeably stronger; this one still has a bit of "töröööö, here comes the Mandarin Express," which is somehow funny, but the Byredo doesn't need that. It is more consistent and dreams of flowers and butterflies in love from the very first second.

That was a bit sketchy, but I'm already a bit drained from the Thailand blogs today. I can't manage more now. Sleep well. And dream of violets.