Dark Ride Xyrena 2015

i'm a bit sad, as i expected this fragrance to be more chlorine/bromine forward, and less mildew-y. after all, when riding a dark ride, the mildew is a light scent, is it not? perhaps mildew is a strong note, because it overpowers every other scent in this fragrance. it's also lightly spicy. maybe spicy is the wrong word. zingy? startling? i don't know, but it's fizzy somehow, which isn't what i expected. this scent is pretty linearly focused on mildew, and for about 2 hours you will smell like a rotting, flooded house. after that, you'll (barely) smell of chlorine if you absolutely shove your face into your skin and take a deep whiff. i don't think this is horribly off from what i expected, but it doesn't seem like the best execution, and frankly, i regret buying this.

with all this being said, performance is OK aside from the intimate sillage. this will last a while on your skin. it also came in the best packaging ever, hands down. great concept, ok execution, but fantastic presentation.

It’s musty as heck, and I say that with love in my heart. This is a musty basement, a little bit of moss, a little bit of plastic, and a little bit of chlorine. Anything trying to smell like chlorine is going to be on my must have list.

Very realistic to its namesake. It smells like a water park, and it makes me happy every time I smell it. It reminds me of childhood vacations and standing in line to get on a waterslide.

Not something I see myself wearing out a lot, but I appreciate it very much.

I purchased a decant of this. It is *very* strong and opens with a really harsh chemical note with a bit of burning plastic. After drying a bit it becomes predominately fog machine and brominated water. Having family living an hour out of Anaheim means I went to Disneyland a number of times as a kid, and Xyrena really captured the smell of the Pirates water! I really like it, honestly - I enjoy chemical and plasticky smells (sometimes) and the bromine-sweetness I'm sure evokes mildew for some but is really comforting to me. Maybe it's the nostalgia. It also makes me think of going to a rave held in an underground cavern. I'd wear it around the house if it wasn't a bit much for my wife.

You either love it or hate it.
I love this scent because of the idea and the great execution, but some will find it repulsive and say it smells like a dentist's office, so it's only partially suitable for everyday wear and more for home and special occasions.

But yes, it really does smell like a Dark Ride and that's fantastic!
You get the typical smells of a Dark Ride that you love, such as bromine, stagnant water, dust, old fabric, aging animatronics, mildew... just the wonderful mustiness that prevails in Dark Rides.
If you're missing that certain kick, definitely layer it with Cosmic Woods!