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The Musk Collection (5/5) : The 3 Whale Problem
"The secret of the recipe lay in the triple layering of the whale secretion"
White ambergris in three forms was used in this fragrance: a 5% tincture, a 10% tincture and ambergris resin. Each form is said to contribute its own part to the fragrance character. Of the animal secretions, ambergris is probably the raw material that can get lost the most in the fragrance character of a composition, but still contributes a lot to its effect, even if you don't smell it directly. For this reason, even in the artisan sector, real ambergris fragrances seem rather rare to me, because you would also have to use a larger amount for the fragrance to be strong enough to be perceived, compared to musk, civet, etc., which are more easily perceived as the main note with a less high proportion of the raw material. Furthermore, you also have to be careful that the other notes don't drown out the ambergris, which can easily happen with its fine fragrance character and good carrier properties, which also like to enhance other notes, especially very great with my beloved floral notes, which is why ambergris is so often used for its function instead of the smell.
In CC, we get a truly ambergris-focused fragrance. Amber is the dominant note throughout. Where the other fragrances in the collection have embedded their raw material in a composition, here everything has been subordinated to the ambergris. The closest you get to ambergris are the woods, as the rest was deliberately kept to a minimum by Adam, which in my opinion is noticeable. Personally, I wouldn't have minded if the floral notes were a little more present and clearer, because ambergris + florals are always great. At the beginning, we have a rather mineral amber with the gently minty oud more in the foreground. Later on, the tobacco character of the ambergris resin becomes clearer and from that point on, I find the sandalwood stronger than the oud.
I find the sandalwood less spicy than in Mysore Incenza, but also less creamy than in Royal Amber Attar. White ambergris tends to have less animalic traits, but I had to think of it a little bit in light puffs, but very little. In Royal Amber Attar, you could feel it a little more than here, which is still not comparable to other types of ambergris, where it really shows itself
The mineral amber part is also less fresh here than in Atlantic Ambergris 2.
I personally also like the first half of the fragrance a bit more with the mineral and minty, rather than the spicy tobacco character. Personally, I also prefer fresh ambergris fragrances, where this fragrance is more brown.
Do you notice the three different amber parts? In part, yes, just when the mineral and tobacco-like ambergris both alternate. Although these would only be two, because I couldn't directly determine a third, I noticed, especially in later tests, that you could already feel that there is still an ambergris presence, even if you only perceived ambergris once in the fragrance itself at that moment, which is why I don't want to deny it completely when Adam says that all three approaches make a difference, even if it is not necessarily so clear to us all the time.
CC is not the most complex fragrance in the collection, but for me it's my favorite, which is what I expected from an amber fragrance to begin with. Due to my personal preference, however, I like AA2 even more. Personally, it could have been a little less tobacco amber at times and maybe have a little more of the Royal Amber Attar character, because then the fragrance would probably have been even more impressive for me and would have really shown three facets very strongly. I like spraying the fragrance, which is already a good sign, and it's also the fragrance I've tested the most from the collection, which has to do with my bottle and it's the last review.
When I first tested it, I was also a little unsure what to make of it because it still seemed a little monotonous and a little boring, but this has opened up a little over time.
White ambergris in three forms was used in this fragrance: a 5% tincture, a 10% tincture and ambergris resin. Each form is said to contribute its own part to the fragrance character. Of the animal secretions, ambergris is probably the raw material that can get lost the most in the fragrance character of a composition, but still contributes a lot to its effect, even if you don't smell it directly. For this reason, even in the artisan sector, real ambergris fragrances seem rather rare to me, because you would also have to use a larger amount for the fragrance to be strong enough to be perceived, compared to musk, civet, etc., which are more easily perceived as the main note with a less high proportion of the raw material. Furthermore, you also have to be careful that the other notes don't drown out the ambergris, which can easily happen with its fine fragrance character and good carrier properties, which also like to enhance other notes, especially very great with my beloved floral notes, which is why ambergris is so often used for its function instead of the smell.
In CC, we get a truly ambergris-focused fragrance. Amber is the dominant note throughout. Where the other fragrances in the collection have embedded their raw material in a composition, here everything has been subordinated to the ambergris. The closest you get to ambergris are the woods, as the rest was deliberately kept to a minimum by Adam, which in my opinion is noticeable. Personally, I wouldn't have minded if the floral notes were a little more present and clearer, because ambergris + florals are always great. At the beginning, we have a rather mineral amber with the gently minty oud more in the foreground. Later on, the tobacco character of the ambergris resin becomes clearer and from that point on, I find the sandalwood stronger than the oud.
I find the sandalwood less spicy than in Mysore Incenza, but also less creamy than in Royal Amber Attar. White ambergris tends to have less animalic traits, but I had to think of it a little bit in light puffs, but very little. In Royal Amber Attar, you could feel it a little more than here, which is still not comparable to other types of ambergris, where it really shows itself
The mineral amber part is also less fresh here than in Atlantic Ambergris 2.
I personally also like the first half of the fragrance a bit more with the mineral and minty, rather than the spicy tobacco character. Personally, I also prefer fresh ambergris fragrances, where this fragrance is more brown.
Do you notice the three different amber parts? In part, yes, just when the mineral and tobacco-like ambergris both alternate. Although these would only be two, because I couldn't directly determine a third, I noticed, especially in later tests, that you could already feel that there is still an ambergris presence, even if you only perceived ambergris once in the fragrance itself at that moment, which is why I don't want to deny it completely when Adam says that all three approaches make a difference, even if it is not necessarily so clear to us all the time.
CC is not the most complex fragrance in the collection, but for me it's my favorite, which is what I expected from an amber fragrance to begin with. Due to my personal preference, however, I like AA2 even more. Personally, it could have been a little less tobacco amber at times and maybe have a little more of the Royal Amber Attar character, because then the fragrance would probably have been even more impressive for me and would have really shown three facets very strongly. I like spraying the fragrance, which is already a good sign, and it's also the fragrance I've tested the most from the collection, which has to do with my bottle and it's the last review.
When I first tested it, I was also a little unsure what to make of it because it still seemed a little monotonous and a little boring, but this has opened up a little over time.
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The Musk Collection (4/5) : A Ta(i)le of Two Beavers
"The shadow of the creature lay dark and heavy on our heads, ... but after we saw its true form, we light-heartedly forgot our fears and could only look at it with a smile."
When I first tested and opened the bottle, the scent was animalic, dark, leathery, rough and heavy with beaver, tar and spices, and this continued throughout. The floral and green notes were swallowed whole. It was the heaviest scent in the collection, at least not as harsh as Royal Barn with its stable, but still more animalic because the beaver was much stronger than the civet in Royal Barn. I was able to test the collection a few days before my vacation, which worked out well because I could then give it a few weeks to develop before testing it again. Neither of my two bottles really convinced me much when I first tested them, in fact my first thought with Cuirtis was that it could definitely leave me after my vacation, as animalic, dark, rough and heavy as it is, which is not what I had hoped for from the fragrance.
Second test after about five weeks. At the beginning it was still a little animalic and a little smoky, although softer, but probably still too heavy for me, although it seemed slightly fresher when I sprayed it on, these elements should last, as in the first test. But then came the big surprise. The fragrance became brighter and lighter. The leather was much softer. The animalic traits of the beaver were basically very restrained and no longer so present, and above all, the fragrance was now much more floral and somewhat powdery. Now I was able to find osmanthus, rose geranium and violet leaf, which were still missing in the first test. We have thus rolled a light, floral leather and vanilla into violet leaf, so that the sweetness is not too pronounced and is rather balanced, which is also more to my liking.
Over the last few months, I have of course been able to test the fragrance a little more and it already has a classic feel in the air, which is very pleasant if I take my first impression as a comparison. Leather fragrances have usually been either too heavy or sometimes monotonous for me, but this one is not necessarily so.
For today's test, however, I also sprayed a little more than usual, and I have to say that it came across a little more leathery and you got more beaver again, but the fragrance shouldn't be quite as wild and heavy as the first test.
It is my biggest surprise in the collection. Overall, I like the scent very much for a leather fragrance, I also find it wearable, but despite several tests, I still don't know exactly whether it is a fragrance for me that is worn enough in the end, especially now that it seemed a little heavier again today, due to more spraying. In addition, the vanilla is, as is so often the case, still a bit of an afterthought.
Fluctuating between 8-8.5
When I first tested and opened the bottle, the scent was animalic, dark, leathery, rough and heavy with beaver, tar and spices, and this continued throughout. The floral and green notes were swallowed whole. It was the heaviest scent in the collection, at least not as harsh as Royal Barn with its stable, but still more animalic because the beaver was much stronger than the civet in Royal Barn. I was able to test the collection a few days before my vacation, which worked out well because I could then give it a few weeks to develop before testing it again. Neither of my two bottles really convinced me much when I first tested them, in fact my first thought with Cuirtis was that it could definitely leave me after my vacation, as animalic, dark, rough and heavy as it is, which is not what I had hoped for from the fragrance.
Second test after about five weeks. At the beginning it was still a little animalic and a little smoky, although softer, but probably still too heavy for me, although it seemed slightly fresher when I sprayed it on, these elements should last, as in the first test. But then came the big surprise. The fragrance became brighter and lighter. The leather was much softer. The animalic traits of the beaver were basically very restrained and no longer so present, and above all, the fragrance was now much more floral and somewhat powdery. Now I was able to find osmanthus, rose geranium and violet leaf, which were still missing in the first test. We have thus rolled a light, floral leather and vanilla into violet leaf, so that the sweetness is not too pronounced and is rather balanced, which is also more to my liking.
Over the last few months, I have of course been able to test the fragrance a little more and it already has a classic feel in the air, which is very pleasant if I take my first impression as a comparison. Leather fragrances have usually been either too heavy or sometimes monotonous for me, but this one is not necessarily so.
For today's test, however, I also sprayed a little more than usual, and I have to say that it came across a little more leathery and you got more beaver again, but the fragrance shouldn't be quite as wild and heavy as the first test.
It is my biggest surprise in the collection. Overall, I like the scent very much for a leather fragrance, I also find it wearable, but despite several tests, I still don't know exactly whether it is a fragrance for me that is worn enough in the end, especially now that it seemed a little heavier again today, due to more spraying. In addition, the vanilla is, as is so often the case, still a bit of an afterthought.
Fluctuating between 8-8.5
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The Musk Collection (3/5) : Paradise Lost (?)
"Her white skin, as sensual as flower petals. Her red mouth, as delicate as saffron threads. At her feet, on the sandalwood, lay the tamed animal, freed from all its vices."
The Florientel of the collection, still adorned by Adam with the word "gourmandish", but for me, fortunately, not quite, because I don't really consciously perceive the cocoa here. The gentle sweetness of the flowers with the saffron, underpinned with the energy of musk, has a beguiling radiance. The tuberose, the floral star of the fragrance, makes me think of porcelain. All the flowers play together beautifully here, especially when the sweetness subsides a little as the fragrance progresses. I notice the musk as it enhances the composition, but for me it is not as strong in character as in other musk fragrances by ALD or EO.
My problem with some other ALD musk fragrances has usually been that this urine-like character of Siberian musk simply bothers me, which often remains as a residue, but here I don't notice this at all, because he seems to have incorporated it very well here, which would again speak for the craftsmanship, but I still prefer other musk fragrances and varieties a little more. For myself, I sometimes find the fragrance a little too sweet, especially in the first half, the second half works a little better, but in itself it's not quite my flowers here either. It sometimes has really great moments, so I'm a little split in my assessment. With its beguiling character, I would also find it even better on a woman and probably rate it higher.
However, because it is the musk fragrance from the Musk Collection, I have to make a half criticism. The musk could be a little more present, which it partly is, compared to the very first few tests, and perhaps show more character so that one could assign the musk variety more, but I actually think it's actually good this way, because here musk can be appreciated on its own and not just a musk that would perhaps be too dominant in the composition with its characteristics if they came through more, and thus could perhaps damage the composition.
Some people may be a little disappointed because they expected something different from a musk fragrance or wanted something different. Expectations then cloud the impression. If you take a more detached look at the fragrance, you will probably rate it a little more neutrally, but you still won't necessarily like it. The 7th collection was also perceived more negatively at first because it didn't meet ALD's expectations and people didn't want to get involved with the new theme. Now, in retrospect, people are also a little less negative about the collection and this fragrance because they are getting more involved. Did I expect something different at the beginning? Yes, but it's actually not that far-fetched from what ALD says about the fragrance.
Overall, the collection also works better than at the beginning because you give it a chance and get involved, but the collection also had to develop a little more first. We often set our expectations too high, especially some "fans", which can no longer be fulfilled and the people are only disappointed.
I know this myself from some fragrances that I was really looking forward to, but then turned out differently than I had hoped, but that was more down to me and not necessarily the fragrances themselves, after all, sometimes there were already signs in the fragrance pyramids that I just wanted to hide. We just make it harder for ourselves.
I would like to add a perhaps fitting quote to the last point, from the work that gives the review its title.
"The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heav'n of hell, a hell of heav'n."
("The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.")
The Florientel of the collection, still adorned by Adam with the word "gourmandish", but for me, fortunately, not quite, because I don't really consciously perceive the cocoa here. The gentle sweetness of the flowers with the saffron, underpinned with the energy of musk, has a beguiling radiance. The tuberose, the floral star of the fragrance, makes me think of porcelain. All the flowers play together beautifully here, especially when the sweetness subsides a little as the fragrance progresses. I notice the musk as it enhances the composition, but for me it is not as strong in character as in other musk fragrances by ALD or EO.
My problem with some other ALD musk fragrances has usually been that this urine-like character of Siberian musk simply bothers me, which often remains as a residue, but here I don't notice this at all, because he seems to have incorporated it very well here, which would again speak for the craftsmanship, but I still prefer other musk fragrances and varieties a little more. For myself, I sometimes find the fragrance a little too sweet, especially in the first half, the second half works a little better, but in itself it's not quite my flowers here either. It sometimes has really great moments, so I'm a little split in my assessment. With its beguiling character, I would also find it even better on a woman and probably rate it higher.
However, because it is the musk fragrance from the Musk Collection, I have to make a half criticism. The musk could be a little more present, which it partly is, compared to the very first few tests, and perhaps show more character so that one could assign the musk variety more, but I actually think it's actually good this way, because here musk can be appreciated on its own and not just a musk that would perhaps be too dominant in the composition with its characteristics if they came through more, and thus could perhaps damage the composition.
Some people may be a little disappointed because they expected something different from a musk fragrance or wanted something different. Expectations then cloud the impression. If you take a more detached look at the fragrance, you will probably rate it a little more neutrally, but you still won't necessarily like it. The 7th collection was also perceived more negatively at first because it didn't meet ALD's expectations and people didn't want to get involved with the new theme. Now, in retrospect, people are also a little less negative about the collection and this fragrance because they are getting more involved. Did I expect something different at the beginning? Yes, but it's actually not that far-fetched from what ALD says about the fragrance.
Overall, the collection also works better than at the beginning because you give it a chance and get involved, but the collection also had to develop a little more first. We often set our expectations too high, especially some "fans", which can no longer be fulfilled and the people are only disappointed.
I know this myself from some fragrances that I was really looking forward to, but then turned out differently than I had hoped, but that was more down to me and not necessarily the fragrances themselves, after all, sometimes there were already signs in the fragrance pyramids that I just wanted to hide. We just make it harder for ourselves.
I would like to add a perhaps fitting quote to the last point, from the work that gives the review its title.
"The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heav'n of hell, a hell of heav'n."
("The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.")
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The Musk Collection (2/5) : Old Times at the Barn Royale
"With the passing of the gentle cat, the last mandarin leaf also fell. The flames under the Champaka Palmarosa garland had already died out, leaving only a light veil of smoke around it. The marigolds were blooming in the civet barn. Hidden under the hay, in an old casket made of foreign wood, were dark treats"
The most animalic and darkest fragrance in the collection begins rather lighter and somewhat tamer than you might expect from such a scent. Although the animalistic traits of civet can be perceived at the beginning, they are less wild due to the fact that the civet is aged, but still not quite as tame as in Civet de Nuit. The fresher civet that comes later is a bit more animalic and wild, but also not too aggressive or harsh, as fresher civet can be, but it is still present enough to make it more of an animalic civet scent. Initially, you can pick up mandarin leaf very well and the floral elements, which also bring in a certain powdery/waxy element for me, most likely palmarosa and champaca. Jasmine is probably perceptible, but it's not a jasmine that makes me think directly of jasmine. I also perceive slight rosy notes, but these come more from the palmarosa in my opinion and not from the listed rose, because it doesn't seem rosy enough for me. Underneath all the floral impressions, there is always a slight smokiness in the background. From the moment the marigolds kick in, the fragrance also becomes harsher and heavier. We then have the strong smell of marigolds, animalic traits of civet, hay and oud bring in stalky traits and truffle, tonka and vanilla also make the fragrance heavier and slightly earthy and sweet nuances pure, but these are also rather slight.
This more austere base note, from the second half onwards, remains. It's not extremely strong-smelling, but it's already musty enough to be noticeable. For me, it would be a little unpleasant to smell like this, but the fragrance doesn't make me feel unwell, where the skunk in the FF made me feel unwell, but didn't seem directly harsh in the composition. But it is also not as penetrating as the urine-like character of Siberian musk, which later becomes very unpleasant for me when the other notes have passed.
On the other hand, the fragrance is complex and fits its intended theme perfectly, although I would have preferred a little more Royal and less Barn, if only for wearability.
I still have to go into the big comparison. War&Peace 2 has a few conceptual similarities, but the effect is very different. Royal Barn is brighter in its lighter moments and heavier in its heavier moments than W&P. I find W&P more beautiful in its floral part and somewhat more pleasant in its animalic part. Overall, Royal Barn seems less well-behaved of the two to me, although I find the final drydown of W&P perhaps a little more complex. However, I can understand the reference to ALD, because although they are not as similar to me as some would have hoped, they could be cousins from the same collection and could appeal to the same people in terms of structure. I have to admit, though, that the first half of Royal Barn makes me think of another ALD, Aquilaria Blossom. Both have that present mandarin leaf, that slightly powdery/waxy character of tonka+floral note, plus that wilder oud with an animalic component (beaver - civet). For me, the AQB was also just too dark/animalic in the last tests compared to my first tests, where it had appealed to me even more. Royal Barn is also the fragrance in the collection that most reminded me of something previous from ALD.
to be continued...
The most animalic and darkest fragrance in the collection begins rather lighter and somewhat tamer than you might expect from such a scent. Although the animalistic traits of civet can be perceived at the beginning, they are less wild due to the fact that the civet is aged, but still not quite as tame as in Civet de Nuit. The fresher civet that comes later is a bit more animalic and wild, but also not too aggressive or harsh, as fresher civet can be, but it is still present enough to make it more of an animalic civet scent. Initially, you can pick up mandarin leaf very well and the floral elements, which also bring in a certain powdery/waxy element for me, most likely palmarosa and champaca. Jasmine is probably perceptible, but it's not a jasmine that makes me think directly of jasmine. I also perceive slight rosy notes, but these come more from the palmarosa in my opinion and not from the listed rose, because it doesn't seem rosy enough for me. Underneath all the floral impressions, there is always a slight smokiness in the background. From the moment the marigolds kick in, the fragrance also becomes harsher and heavier. We then have the strong smell of marigolds, animalic traits of civet, hay and oud bring in stalky traits and truffle, tonka and vanilla also make the fragrance heavier and slightly earthy and sweet nuances pure, but these are also rather slight.
This more austere base note, from the second half onwards, remains. It's not extremely strong-smelling, but it's already musty enough to be noticeable. For me, it would be a little unpleasant to smell like this, but the fragrance doesn't make me feel unwell, where the skunk in the FF made me feel unwell, but didn't seem directly harsh in the composition. But it is also not as penetrating as the urine-like character of Siberian musk, which later becomes very unpleasant for me when the other notes have passed.
On the other hand, the fragrance is complex and fits its intended theme perfectly, although I would have preferred a little more Royal and less Barn, if only for wearability.
I still have to go into the big comparison. War&Peace 2 has a few conceptual similarities, but the effect is very different. Royal Barn is brighter in its lighter moments and heavier in its heavier moments than W&P. I find W&P more beautiful in its floral part and somewhat more pleasant in its animalic part. Overall, Royal Barn seems less well-behaved of the two to me, although I find the final drydown of W&P perhaps a little more complex. However, I can understand the reference to ALD, because although they are not as similar to me as some would have hoped, they could be cousins from the same collection and could appeal to the same people in terms of structure. I have to admit, though, that the first half of Royal Barn makes me think of another ALD, Aquilaria Blossom. Both have that present mandarin leaf, that slightly powdery/waxy character of tonka+floral note, plus that wilder oud with an animalic component (beaver - civet). For me, the AQB was also just too dark/animalic in the last tests compared to my first tests, where it had appealed to me even more. Royal Barn is also the fragrance in the collection that most reminded me of something previous from ALD.
to be continued...
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The Musk Collection (1/5) : The Skunk in the Hat
The Musk Collection focuses on animal secretions, specifically one each as a fragrance theme, bearing in mind that the aim is to create a composition around this raw material.
"With a citrus-striped hemp shirt, a skunk walks on slightly spicy woods."
Grapefruit dominates the first half, but is then replaced by lime in the second half, so that a citrusy character remains throughout, even when the fresh effervescence subsides. Hemp and skunk are clearly noticeable, but always slightly behind the citrusy layer of fragrance. Jasmine comes through rather weaker for me and when it does, it is very subtle. Later on, I notice notes of ginger, turmeric and woods very well.
Skunk secretion is a difficult raw material because it is actually a repellent and can also be very potent, if I have understood it correctly, in good wind conditions the exuding secretion can still be perceived by the human olfactory organ in about 1.6km, which is why one should be very careful in the dosage.
In terms of scent, Forbidden Flower is a rather less complex ALD fragrance, but its craftsmanship is somewhat more praiseworthy because the skunk has been well dosed. The skunk's character can be felt throughout, but it is not as strong as in Prin's Rahassanai, where the note at least played a little hide-and-seek to compensate. So I think the skunk is better integrated here, but I think the surrounding music is better and more exciting in Rahassanai. Nevertheless, skunk is not for me, because it already triggers a physical discomfort in me without me really perceiving it as stinky or harsh directly, more like real musk and ambergris positively stimulates the instinctive nervous system through perception.
Furthermore, I don't necessarily like hemp either, which is why the fragrance is generally not mine. Skunk is also a 50/50 note that you can either do something with or not, depending on how your body feels about it.
But what does skunk secretion actually smell like? Skunk secretion has a light basic character, like some musks, only a little lighter, and where the musk would potentially become furry or uriney, the skunk becomes more sulphurous / sour, which is what triggers the discomfort. Rahassanai sometimes made me think of rotten eggs, but the dosage probably makes it a little softer. The sour/sulphurous taste of some rotten food is comparable, provided it is still an early state. After all, thiols are released during putrefaction processes and skunk secretion consists of about 90% sulphurous thiols, which is why the reference is not quite so far-fetched and explains the discomfort.
For people who are less susceptible to it, and also have nothing against hemp and sufficient citrus, the scent should appeal to them a little more than it does to me.
to be continued...
(PS: Many thanks also to Benni, who made the first three samples possible for me. In addition, each fragrance in the series was tested at least 3 times 1. end of March/beginning of April 2. mid-May and 3. end of June now for the reviews)
"With a citrus-striped hemp shirt, a skunk walks on slightly spicy woods."
Grapefruit dominates the first half, but is then replaced by lime in the second half, so that a citrusy character remains throughout, even when the fresh effervescence subsides. Hemp and skunk are clearly noticeable, but always slightly behind the citrusy layer of fragrance. Jasmine comes through rather weaker for me and when it does, it is very subtle. Later on, I notice notes of ginger, turmeric and woods very well.
Skunk secretion is a difficult raw material because it is actually a repellent and can also be very potent, if I have understood it correctly, in good wind conditions the exuding secretion can still be perceived by the human olfactory organ in about 1.6km, which is why one should be very careful in the dosage.
In terms of scent, Forbidden Flower is a rather less complex ALD fragrance, but its craftsmanship is somewhat more praiseworthy because the skunk has been well dosed. The skunk's character can be felt throughout, but it is not as strong as in Prin's Rahassanai, where the note at least played a little hide-and-seek to compensate. So I think the skunk is better integrated here, but I think the surrounding music is better and more exciting in Rahassanai. Nevertheless, skunk is not for me, because it already triggers a physical discomfort in me without me really perceiving it as stinky or harsh directly, more like real musk and ambergris positively stimulates the instinctive nervous system through perception.
Furthermore, I don't necessarily like hemp either, which is why the fragrance is generally not mine. Skunk is also a 50/50 note that you can either do something with or not, depending on how your body feels about it.
But what does skunk secretion actually smell like? Skunk secretion has a light basic character, like some musks, only a little lighter, and where the musk would potentially become furry or uriney, the skunk becomes more sulphurous / sour, which is what triggers the discomfort. Rahassanai sometimes made me think of rotten eggs, but the dosage probably makes it a little softer. The sour/sulphurous taste of some rotten food is comparable, provided it is still an early state. After all, thiols are released during putrefaction processes and skunk secretion consists of about 90% sulphurous thiols, which is why the reference is not quite so far-fetched and explains the discomfort.
For people who are less susceptible to it, and also have nothing against hemp and sufficient citrus, the scent should appeal to them a little more than it does to me.
to be continued...
(PS: Many thanks also to Benni, who made the first three samples possible for me. In addition, each fragrance in the series was tested at least 3 times 1. end of March/beginning of April 2. mid-May and 3. end of June now for the reviews)
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