WhiffandWit

First spray evokes standing in the herb garden in the sun. The basil has just been watered and is putting on a show. The lavender is flower and leaf on the bush. Both notes fade into the background behind the clary sage pretty quickly. Smelling my skin again after 10 minutes, the thyme stands out the most. As it moves into the base, the lavender makes its appearance again.

I find the gentian supporting the rosemary and thyme adds a green note that keeps it from being overtly floral, and pushes it into unisex territory.

I wouldn't call this a soapy scent, per se, but it does remind me of some hand soaps I have used in my day.

The whole experience is short-lived but enjoyable enough nonetheless.

This is a perfect unisex citrus for someone who loves green notes and doesn't want to smell sweet.

There is a burst of sour grapefruit that falls into a fresh green note that feels very clean. It brightens and uplifts. There is a fruity note that evokes the skin, not the pulp, of the fruit. And there is a whisper of the jasmine/floral, but the musk and "wet plaster" at the bottom emphasize its unisex nature and keep it mysterious.

I had a sample that I loved so much, I wasn't using it so that I could save the last precious drops. So I finally bought a full bottle and cannot wait to wear it all summer long.

I have to preface this by saying I do not prefer gourmands. I do, however, love lilac, so I really wanted to try this one.

Unfortunately, the lilac did not come through at the start. The rhubarb was very acidic on my skin, verging on sour. That acidity sat on top of the cookie accord for a long time. And when I say cookie, I mean an almond cookie with almond frosting and almonds on top. It was sweet, sweet marzipan, and that sweetness was cloying to me, personally.

The dry down became much more pleasant. The vanilla began to shine with the patchouli, and I finally felt like I could smell some of that lilac coming through.

In the end, it became a very familiar scent. Like a lotion or candle from long ago that you will never remember the name of. I do think it is a vanilla almond scent before it is a lilac scent, and for that reason, it wasn't a win for me. But it's definitely a win for someone out there!

On paper, my first thought was, "Old Hollywood Rebel". It feels like living nostalgia. Like watching a black and white film which then bursts into color.

The asphalt and lemon come through strongest at first. The journey begins, driving in a car through southern California on a late summer day. Sitting on leather seats and rushing past blooming flowers growing on the side of the highway. You begin to wind through golden fields as the scent dries down and the sun sinks below the horizon.

I bought a full bottle and layer it with Imaginary Authors "Falling Into the Sea" which brings the lemon out and brightens it while still allowing the mystery of the leather and asphalt to come through. Very niche, and slightly unusual in a likable way.

The bathroom that only gets used when you're over, but still gets cleaned every week when the housekeeper comes, and it always smells like she's just been there.

On the sink, there's a reed diffuser with some kind of standard incense-scented oil in it and a bougie bar of soap shaped like a crescent moon in the soap dish.

I do not love it and felt a tad repulsed by the camphor on paper. On skin, it developed into a scent I could stand as the incense came forward. I will continue to try it out as it seems to grow on people, but for now it sits at a 6/10.