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I have passed by Stora Skuggan quite a few times now. Hexensalbe and also Silphium and Moonmilk have all appealed to me, but no bottle has found its way into my collection yet. Why has that changed now?

Well, there was another great discount promotion at my trusted perfumery in the fragrance Bermuda Triangle of Munich's city center, and so I found myself once again in front of the Stora Skuggan shelf. Visually, I have always found the bottle of Pine quite nice. However, I lacked the right image in my mind for this scent. I often need that to make a purchasing decision. Perhaps you know this feeling as well. When the images form into emotions in your mind and I can also feel the scent besides smelling it. I missed that here when I last tested "Pine | Stora Skuggan."

After two years of vacation in Brittany, France, that has changed. I smell air, needles, resin, earth, and a light shade. I see myself walking through the typical pine forests towards the beach again. Shadows, wind-sculpted pine forests of the Pinus Pinaster species dominate with resinous needle terpenes. Less sweet, yet somewhat Mediterranean. I remember the downpour and the quick run back through the pine forest to the car. Moss and damp earth atmosphere rise to my nose. And I really only smell pine forest, my olfactory French pine forest. And with this image, Pine has captured me.

With "Pine | Stora Skuggan," I did not get a pure natural product; I would probably be better served with Murkwood or "Borealis | Buchoed." But Pine has grabbed me, and I want to understand how one can build such a precise forest illusion. Here is my attempt to break it down a bit to also expand my horizon. They use modern fragrance molecules here, combined with some natural materials as a foundation. The goal is not to sell pine as an essential oil but to capture the experience of a pine forest. This is why friends also get gin vibes here, which I will try to explain a bit based on the ingredients.

Most of the substances I find in the ingredient list are synthetically produced, even if they occur in nature. Thanks to the IFRA rules and strict allergen limits. That would probably be worth a topic of its own. A classic heavy natural moss accord would no longer be possible today, for example.

Pine is constructed as a soliflore accord. The pine is not distilled but reconstructed. Here are some building blocks explained a bit, researched, and partially even smelled by myself:

- Limonene likely brings the bright freshness. This first bright needle air punch. It occurs in pine needles and citrus peels but is produced synthetically here, chemically identical.
- Linalool connects fresh with woody. Linalool is also known from lavender or coriander. I believe it is meant to make Pine a bit softer and more wearable in the nose.
- Citral is a strongly lemony, green molecule and simulates the juicy needle scent of crushed needles here. (Typical for lemongrass)
- Eugenol is known from clove oil. In "Pine | Stora Skuggan," it brings in earth and warmth.
- Everina Prunastri, the moss accord. Moist, dark green, slightly earthy. I love it from Mousse Illuminée

And why do you smell gin here then? Pine works strongly with terpenes, which are exactly the molecules found in juniper and citrus. When the skin breaks down the mossy, resinous molecules faster, citrus and terpenes plus alcohol carriers remain. This is how we end up with gin. I only get forest vibes. From start to finish.

For me, Pine is very present for the first 2 hours, and I drag a small pine forest behind me. That's why I wear it much more defensively in the office. However, I apply it to skin and clothing, then I can still perceive it at the end of the workday. For me, it remains quite linear throughout.

And since I am currently layering scents from my collection more often, here are three recommendations that work for me:

- Pine and "Terroni | Orto Parisi." A bit archaic, volcanic earth meets pine forest.
- Pine and AnOther 13 Eau de Parfum makes Pine cleaner and a bit smoother and super wearable for the office.
- Pine and "Absolue de Mousse | Rogue." Even greener, even mossier, even more forest :) But you have to like it.

And to conclude, a bit about the house Stora Skuggan. Coming from Stockholm. A small conceptual fragrance studio. Each scent is intended as an independent idea. Often reduced, atmospheric, and more artistic than always very pleasing, although I find most of them quite wearable. And yes, I am also a fan of the beautiful bottles. They stand out positively.

Thus, with "Pine | Stora Skuggan," I have united a beautiful memory of two wonderful vacations, with people who mean a lot to me and with the landscape that I like so much in a bottle.

There is this one waterfall in Bavaria. Near Schliersee. In Josefsthal. Twenty minutes on foot, a small gorge, and then you stand before it.
Always beautiful in every season. Awakening in spring, alive in summer, heavy with leaves in autumn. But in winter, for me, the Josefsthal waterfall is the most beautiful. When the cold takes over everything, the branches carry snow like sugar, and when the waterfall becomes still because it is frozen. When even the river freezes and only a muted flow remains beneath the ice. Everything is preserved under ice and snow. The moss, the stones in the river, and all its movement.

This is exactly where Ghiaccio comes in. It is not a typical aquatic. Not a cold scent, although the ice accord is the creator's signature. For me, it smells like nature in harmony. It smells like the air you breathe when everything in and around you is at rest. Like damp moss under a layer of ice. Like mineral coldness. Like leaves that are still preserved under the snow from autumn. Like nature that is resting and standing still. Cold, clear, mineral. Even the cold breath is well captured for me with the light, non-sacred incense.

Ghiaccio is not a scent for movement, rather a scent of presence. For that moment before the frozen waterfall, where nothing demands, nothing presses. A retreat. A place of stillness and calm. And that is exactly what Ghiaccio embodies and transports for me.

Adame is a new niche brand from Italy. Honestly, I first stumbled upon the bottle when I was looking for something other than the usual aquatic. Then I first got a sample and quickly fell in love with "Ghiaccio | Adâme." The concept of the Adame brand is Adam as the first human, who perceives the original scents of nature. Adame wants to make the "purest, unadulterated scents of nature" experienceable again.

Well, many niche labels always have a story that often goes in a similar direction, and the ice accord was surely not extracted in Greenland by shamans. Regardless, Ghiaccio does transport nature in winter for me, and after a long search, I have found a beautiful aquatic for myself. And the bottle with the real small stones is already quite a spectacle.

When I think of "Borealis | Buchoed," I am immediately at Badersee in Grainau. It is winter, and all the trees surrounding the lake are dusted with white. The lake is not frozen because the underground springs keep it cool and open all year round. The water is so crystal clear that it glows greenish-blue, reflecting the Zugspitze and Alpspitze.
No wonder Ludwig II loved this place. To this day, there is a rumor that he sank the mermaid lying on a rock at the bottom of Badersee. You can even see her from the shore, so clear is the water.

And above it all lies this alpine green air. Fresh, clear, and herbaceous. And that is exactly what Borealis conveys for me. The opening is impressively fresh. A powerful bergamot mixed with herbaceous green accents. I attribute this to galbanum, neroli, rosemary, and geranium. Over time, Borealis transforms into a warm and woody green base. Sandalwood, vetiver, and resins emerge, making it suitable for everyday wear without losing its natural and forest origins.

Then there is the name Borealis. And that brings me to my favorite jazz artist, Jaimie Branch. She was a magnificent trumpeter, known for her experimental blend of jazz and free form with slight punk attitudes. Here, there is the song "Borealis Dancing." Borealis and the music evoke light playing among fir trees, fresh air, movement, and clarity. Thus, for me, it is often not just a fragrance but also a (fragrance) experience that is anchored in special moments and engages all the senses.

I particularly like that Borealis is a natural fragrance from Bavaria that consistently relies on 100% natural ingredients. Buchoed was founded by four friends from the Bavarian Forest, who were able to bring their knowledge from agriculture, biology, and raw material extraction, authentically and honestly conveying the theme of nature.

For the past few years, I have walked past the Le Labo boutiques in Munich somewhat carelessly. They hadn't really captivated me until now. Everything is very minimalistic, hardly any advertising, and then these simple bottles. I hadn't had them on my radar. Until now. Through a friend, I was able to test Thé Matcha 26 and found it quite beautiful, so the next time I stopped at the stand and sniffed my way through the Le Labo palette.

Here’s a bit of background on Le Labo. Founded in 2006 by Fabrice Penot and Eddie Roschi in New York, as a counter-movement to marketing and mass production. The concept: craftsmanship, authenticity, and a clear stance. Each bottle is personalized and labeled with the owner's name. The name of the fragrance reveals its principle, the concept, and the number of notes.

I liked several of them during testing, so I took home the Discovery Set. Now I could test them extensively at home. Initially, I found AnOther 13 Eau de Parfum quite unremarkable. I remembered the words of the salesperson: Give the fragrance a chance, wait half an hour. He was right!

A fragrance that unfolds slowly, as if it doesn’t want to reveal itself immediately. In the opening, it feels fresh and lightly green, almost transparent. A hint of pear, a trace of citrus, but just as you start to feel certain, the impression changes. Ambroxan takes the lead, clean, warm, almost metallic in its clarity. Alongside it, a soft, mossy depth grounds the fragrance and gives it character. It remains simple yet complex. Minimalistic, but with soul.

I often wear strong fragrances and tend to take too many sprays. With "AnOther 13 (Eau de Parfum) | Le Labo," I consciously took it easy and tested it in the office. Six sprays, no more. For me, that's already quite little :) After an hour, it began to come alive. Suddenly it was there, subtle yet very present. On both days I wore it, I was asked what smelled so pleasant. The longevity lasted throughout the entire workday, and I kept noticing it briefly myself.

What can I say, the bottle has now moved in, and I really enjoy wearing it, and I also like to layer it. It works very well with my slightly stronger fragrances.

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at AnOther 13 Eau de Parfum: It was originally created as a collaboration with AnOther Magazine and the concept store Colette in Paris. A limited edition of 500 bottles, intended as an experiment. The response was so strong that the fragrance eventually became part of the regular collection.

Here’s a quote from Fabrice Penot, co-founder of Le Labo:
"Another 13 is probably our most modern scent - in the way it smells but also in the way it is structured. In terms of architecture it is very pure, minimalistic - like a Californian house on top of a cliff. Very sharp. … There is this tension between the purity and clarity of this perfume and the dirty fickle musk that is in the dry-down. That brings sensuality and speaks to the animal instincts remaining in each one of us."

I regret a little having walked past carelessly all these years. But perhaps it had to be this way. Because some fragrances only find you when you are ready to understand them. For me, it’s another piece of the puzzle on my olfactory journey. AnOther 13 Eau de Parfum has shown me how much beauty can lie in restraint. True presence can also be quiet and unremarkable.

Once again, a spontaneous and unexpected discovery that stands out from the fragrance bubble and shows you why you love scents so much.

We actually set out to test Naomi Goodsir and further explore Sorcinelli's incense. To do this, we went to a great niche perfumery in Ulm. As expected, a fantastic selection, within an hour my nose was overwhelmed, discovering wonderful fragrances and bottles. And then there were these small bottles, very simple, almost inconspicuous. That’s why, or precisely because of that, they probably didn’t catch my attention during that hour. What a mistake! All my mindfulness training down the drain!

When I asked the knowledgeable saleswoman if the boring bottles had anything to offer in terms of content, the answer was "Oh yes, you should definitely test them." Well, lesson learned: Even noses need mindfulness training!

I first learned that the label comes from Oslo, Norway. Norwegian simplicity in the bottle & Nordic heritage, mostly vegan and cruelty-free. Coming from the design corner. That explained the simple design. So we tested through the Scandinavian label. We got stuck on Le Voleur and Post Hume. Both beautiful, but Post Hume particularly captivated me.

At first, I detected a hay note. Childhood memories of dry grass/hay. Austria. Alpine meadows. Security. Childhood. Perhaps the name of the perfume led me there. Post Hume: The past, reflection, memories, and then with Hume a reference to the natural philosophy of David Hume?

This mood was likely brought to me by the tobacco, as well as the leather with the spices and the dry smoke. Additionally, the beautifully intertwined vetiver contributes to the earthy and dry grass note along with the smoke. The vanilla was also pleasantly recognizable, but only in the second moment. The whole scent picture was warm for me, very spicy with tobacco and vanilla and the lovely Nordic smoke with the dominant cinnamon and clove component. Tonka adds a balsamic warmth. I didn’t get any Christmas vibes; I briefly thought of the spice axis of "Chergui (Eau de Parfum) | Serge Lutens," but Post Hume is drier, more minimalist, and cooler.

Afterwards, I read that Post Hume won the Art&Olfaction Awards 2020 in the "Independent" category. The first perfume created in Norway to win this award. In my eyes, rightly so. Additionally, it has very good longevity and pleasant sillage for me. A lovely scent for autumn and winter.