MiniGBIC

The cliff walking path leads into a narrow trail, now heading inland.
It is barren here, herbs and dry grasses stretch towards the sun between the rocks, with shrubs sporadically lining the narrow path.
A light breeze from the sea still carries mineral-citrus notes that blend with the scents of the herbs and the greenery of the shrubs.
Behind a bend in the path, a few wild roses have sown themselves, beautiful colorful splashes in the kaleidoscope of black, gray, brown, green, and the blue of the sky.
I stop and smell one of the roses, a sweet yet somewhat tart fragrance rises to my nose, seamlessly integrating into the scent landscape.
The sun has now reached its zenith, drying the last damp spots on my path. The sea breeze has also vanished, only a hint of the mineral notes can still be sensed. The shrubs grow larger and drier, with trees standing along the way, stretching their branches towards the sky. It smells of dry wood and hay, and from somewhere comes a honey-like sweetness; perhaps there are roses just around the next corner.

Whether the landscape I described actually exists, and if so, what it smells like, I do not know. However, when wearing this fragrance, I embark on the described scent journey; for me, it encompasses everything: herbs, citrus, leaves, stones, minerals, wood, hay, and honey. As if one were hiking outdoors in nature on a beautiful day.
According to the website, the fragrance is meant to reflect the landscape of Gotland: “Rough and sweet. Dry and lush. Grey and green. Spiky and soft.” This fragrance embodies all of that for me.
Perhaps it really smells like this in Gotland; I haven't been there yet - but just for this beautiful scent journey, a trip would be worthwhile.

I must say a bit about the bottle: The fragrance has a yellowish color, and the bottle is transparent with green lettering. When sunlight hits it, one immediately gets the impression of a sunlit landscape.

You never stop learning. I've tested so many (vanilla) fragrances and yet there is still so much I don't know, and every now and then there's a real surprise in store.

Like this one, created by Carlos Benaim, who is the 'nose' of the brand Sana Jardin:
Right after spraying, Vanilla Nomad smells so similar to Absolute Aphrodisiac (which I really like) that it's almost uncanny.

So vanilla, spicy, and a bit dirty / wicked - overall very seductive.
Quite quickly, a cool note of incense joins in, meandering along, sometimes I notice it, sometimes I don't, it has something reminiscent of Eau Duelle.

This remains the case until the drydown, a very attractive spicy vanilla that is simultaneously a bit dirty and yet cool, I really like it - and it’s a bit addictive :)

Hm, what is this? Next to my labeled test strips from the last perfume tests, there is one without a label; that can't be right, I always label everything. Well, whatever, statistically speaking, about 95% of the fragrances I test are not for me for various reasons. That this unlabeled test strip would fall into the 5% of scents that I truly like, and then also into the subset that I absolutely need - very, very unlikely.

So much for the theory. The discerning reader may suspect it - exactly that (i.e., the subset) was the case. Such a beautiful vanilla scent and - even more tragically - in the drydown, it smells to me like another fragrance that I love, which has been discontinued.

Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

I believe that only a perfumer can understand my state; a 'normal person' won't get it: I had a full-blown crisis.

And first, I compared: Does the scent really smell like the discontinued fragrance - Yes!
I need to find out what I sprayed on the test strip!

I'll skip the middle part for now, just this much: It took me a few days to figure out what I had sprayed on the unlabeled strip in a moment of senile dementia:
It was "Vanille Dorée | Alexandria Fragrances." I had a manufacturer’s decant of it for ages, which I always thought was nice but didn’t pay much attention to. Only to find out that the drydown of this fragrance smells to my nose like "Le Vestiaire - Velours | Yves Saint Laurent" (just without the leather).

I know it is a dupe of "Spiritueuse Double Vanille | Guerlain," which I also perceive. The alcoholic note in SDV always bothered me a bit, as it smells more like medical alcohol than rum.

Vanille Dorée doesn’t have that. A soft, slightly spicy, slightly smoky - and for me, a very, very beautiful, warm, embracing - vanilla scent.

Wait a minute. And this is the conclusion after the whole backstory?
Yes, exactly. Sometimes the simplest things are the best :)

Maybe there's something wrong with my nose or my scent synapses, but Tistar smells to me like a salt caramel dusted with cardamom. It could be that someone in the next room has drawn a health bath with aromatic essences. A slight hint of eucalyptus and peppermint, a tiny lavender leaf, a few woody notes waft over.

The scent reminds me a lot of Changing Constance - only with aromatic notes.
Over time, the fragrance shifts (grins) between gourmand and aromatic, which is a bit confusing for my nose.
But still somehow good, I like it.

The late drydown is also very pleasant, like after a stay in a wellness spa - scrubbed with aromatic essences and then slathered with a sweet balm.

To return to my synapses:
I believe that if I had never tested Changing Constance, I probably wouldn't have the salt caramel association. However, since the scent bears such a strong resemblance to it, the salt caramel brain circuit immediately kicks in, and I can't get out of it... :)

Sounds strange? Yes, maybe, but it smells - at least to my nose - very nice.

According to Wikipedia, Betelgeuse is a star in the constellation Orion, whose name translates to 'The Hand of the Giantess.' Let's see what can be found in the hand of the giantess :)

Right after spraying, I get spicy leather with green notes. As it develops, iris and gourmand (sweet) notes come into play. I'm also quite sure that vanilla (although not listed) is included.
Aside from the iris, I don't consciously perceive any other note; however, I assume that osmanthus contributes to the sweetness and coffee provides the gourmand twist. Oakmoss could account for the green note and also help ensure that the fragrance doesn't become too sweet.

The scent reminds me a lot of Leather Shot by Olfactive Studio, which is probably why I have the leather association. I find Leather Shot very beautiful, but the scent was too intense for me and had immense longevity - when a perfume survives one to two hair washes, that's just too much for me.

Betelgeuse seems to be somewhat more moderate / restrained, which I find very positive - although I haven't sprayed the scent in my hair, so the claim of being 'more moderate / restrained' still needs to be proven.

Unfortunately, the very late drydown becomes generically woody, which is why there is a deduction in points.

Whatever: Those who enjoy sweet-spicy fragrances with a kick and a woody drydown should definitely test this one.