Raluko111

Hyde is truth in advertising, a beast of a dark fragrance with a softer side hidden under a thick layer of citrusy tar. The opening is intimidating, even when my expectations have been managed by the label. The birch tar hits you full on, heavy with smoldering smoke, a California meadow in flames.

After a while, it surprisingly starts to mellow out, and I feel like I've stepped into one of those old second-hand vintage clothing stores that abounded near my college. Those shops managed by elderly Woodstock hippies who also sold incense, hemp bags, and patchouli soaps, and if you got to know the owner, he might invite you to smoke some grass out back. That hippie store smell so familiar to a kid who could only afford to shop there, a kid who no matter how many times she washed that quilt she'd bought there to keep warm in the freezing upstate NY winters, would never be able to remove its original hempy, incense odor.

Not so much mango, as mango sauce. I think it's the milky accord that makes it slightly more interesting than just a plain fruity mango. As it evolves, it becomes somewhat synthetic, like a mango scented detergent. There's a kind of powdery, artificial quality to it too, a twist that I rather enjoy. The sweetness is gently dialed down, so it can be enjoyed even by folks who lack a sweet tooth. The apricot is lost somewhere in here; at least, I can't pick up on it. It's an interesting fruity fragrance for those interested in this genre.

It opens like biting into a chocolate bonbon and tasting the sweet plum liquor dripping on your tongue. It's a boozy, delicious plum that builds up anticipation for what's to come. Unfortunately, what's to come, as I've come to learn from trying a lot of BDK perfumes, is a disappointing let-down. If you like vanilla that much and don't mind spending a bunch of cash on a niche fragrance that features those notes, go for it, it's not bad. But I'm sure you could find other similar, vanilla-forward fragrances like this for way less. It's almost like BDK has this cookie-cutter base for all its perfumes, then just adds different notes on top. Some of the top and middle combinations are quite interesting and pleasant, but they all end up rather quickly at a very commonplace baseline.

The jasmine feels rather rubbery, too. And I love jasmine...

If you love cooking with herbs, you'll appreciate the herbal minty freshness of Gréasque Extrait de Parfum. I'm a huge fan of green profile scents, especially those that remind me of the women in my family, whose hands always smelled of thyme, and rosemary, and basil. They were amazing gardeners and cooks whose love translated into food for their loved ones.

Gréasque Extrait de Parfum is savory, but it's also a bit fruity-sweet, thanks to the blackcurrant. Then the peppermint takes over and dominates throughout, the other notes simply adding a hint of flavor to it. It's almost like receiving a dégustation platter of different types of peppermint tea; you get to experience peppermint tea with a hint of cloves, peppermint tea with a touch of caramel, and even a slightly bitter, earthy tea with woody bits.

The silage and performance are moderate and it might have been something I'd have added to my Wishlist, except that the price is too prohibitive and I happen to love another minty scent, 2# Nota di Viaggio (Shukran…), which despite poor longevity, happens to be the perfect Moroccan mint tea and nothing else will do.

I really feel like kicking myself. I was in Europe all summer and never realized I could pick this one up at a DM. Beautiful, simple scent that is pure, freshly grated orange zest in all its colorful, bitter glory. There's no evolution here, not that it needs it, it's the same gorgeous orange peel from top to bottom. It doesn't get strange on the skin, doesn't become sweet or synthetically weird. Unfortunately, it's as fleeting as it is beautiful, but considering it's cheap as chips, it's worth it. Once I can make my way to a DM, will pick up a few bottles because I want to wear it on hot, tropical vacations. I can see myself showering in this and running through a bottle in a month. Short-lived, but incredibly addictive.