Yuuki

...phew... yes... so:

What on earth is dragon's blood?
A dear perfumer graciously provided me with a sample from this hard-to-find fragrance house in response to my question. Eagerly, I sprayed Cosmos directly onto my skin.
Cosmos... the name says it all. Infinite expanses of... I have no idea how to explain this XD
So, since I hadn't smelled some of the components before, my brain naturally searched for associations. At first, it had something licorice-like?... Quite synthetic... leathery... occasionally praline... something sweet. Then, outside in the fresh air, familiar notes wafted into my nose, giving a very slight impression of siren. So, what I smell in the air outside when I've just applied siren.
Then somehow again very distantly reminiscent of Havana Gold... but still very synthetic.
Somehow everything and nothing ^^ because it doesn't really smell like the mentioned ones.

So what now?
Well, I definitely stick with synthetic, which is not meant negatively at all. I assume that Ambroxan and Iso E are super present in it. But alongside this metallic impression, there are also these sweet components. It kind of switches back and forth, because one, at least I, becomes temporarily nose-blind and then perceives other components better.
On my skin, I found Cosmos even more pleasant.
A very potent scent that, I think, is quite gender-neutral due to this mix. I suspect it will strongly polarize.
Personally, I think it's great! It's somehow familiar, yet different and quite special.
It's a shame that House of Bo is so hard to come by. I find it very interesting so far.

I really struggled to find a good description here, but I hope someone can still make something of it :D

little edit:
Yesterday, without warning, I saw the Northern Lights live for the first time in my life over my city!! After this wonderful spectacle, I wanted to wear Cosmos at home, and it just felt totally fitting, which is why I urgently wanted to write a review :)

Apricot innocence... yes, the name actually says it, but you don't usually associate "innocent" with the Anderolis.
I like apricot, so I wanted to test it right away when this perfume hit the market. Different size, different style, different concentration.
The first test was a bit... let's just say I was surprised because I was somehow expecting a powerhouse, like Vicebomb or Leisure in Paradise.
This one was different, not so loud, not overpowering... rather quiet.
Then it hit me...
The orange Fructies shampoo... yes, it actually smells exactly like that... but somehow more grown-up.

So how does it smell exactly:

At first, you get a very authentic, clean, ripe apricot.
The scent doesn't develop much, but rather remains linear throughout.
The musk cloud that the apricot floats on becomes a little more pronounced, and it gets a tiny bit floral later on.
Apricot and musk are definitely the main act. I don't really get exotic fruits, and amber is more perceptible in the background.

Conclusion:
A very fruity clean scent in my eyes. I think it's a go-to and really strongly reminds me of our youth shampoo, which has grown up a bit with us :)

A little tip from me:
If you wait for the drydown and spray the scent on again, it performs even more beautifully, as the musk and amber come out better.

As always, I'll start from the beginning.
I like Arthur, but he is very expensive and I don't know if it's worth it for me. That's why Firestorm came in handy. I hoped it would be enough to ignore the other dragons.
The bottle does hint at what it is supposed to be, and whether it is particularly beautiful is up for debate. It should smell good.

Well then, off to the first spray.
A somewhat wild opening with rose and davana, which soon shifts to apple notes. A hint of cardamom is present. You have to sort that out first, especially if you're expecting something different. Frankincense is rather supportive in the background.
Amber soon comes to the forefront and feels a bit ... I'll call it simpler than the original composition with ambrette.
Finesse is nowhere to be found here.
At some point after half an hour or more, you get the impression that the scent is somewhat approaching the original... but somehow not really. But it does remind me of something... wait...

Something must have gone wrong in the lab during the cloning... or were the samples swapped?

If someone had told me that Firestorm was supposed to be an AS with a big twist, I would have believed it more. It certainly has little in common with the red dragon.

So, conclusion:
A nice cheapie that you can wear well in autumn/winter, especially if you like apple. I find the rose rather disturbing and it unfortunately lingers for a long time.
If you're looking for a scent that loosely (!) goes in the direction of AS in style and is a tiny bit more floral, you can give this a try. However, if you're looking for an alternative to Arthur, you're in the wrong place.

In the perfumery I trust, recommended by the employee I trust :D

With the first spray, a comforting vanilla greeted me with a good dose of pepper.
Very rounded, full, and cozy was my first impression of the scent.

Then I did a detailed test at home.
Distinct cardamom in the opening, enveloped by present but harmoniously balanced pepper notes. The very full vanilla is present throughout the entire scent journey.
Kashmir wood soon comes through and makes the fragrance a bit creamier along with other woody notes. Absolutely elegant, never too much, never too little.
In the deep dry down, a beautiful amber joins in.
The spiciness remains slightly perceptible for me throughout the entire pyramid.

Winter daily or scent of the night.
Perfect balance between pleasing and interesting.

For me, the scent progression is somewhat subjective depending on what else I’m wearing at the moment. At first, I perceived an extreme vanilla - pepper combination.
On other days, I smell a cola - twist :D but in an elegant and beautiful way.
Price-performance is top!

My recommendation goes out! I had to have it :D

I really wanted to have it... couldn't... Selfridges exclusive... EU excluded...

Now at least I got a decant, so I can test what I've missed.

I'll share, as usual, unfiltered how I perceived the scent:

Sprayed it on and immediately got a thick, really hefty dose of coconut water. So synthetic, almost biting...
I had to come to terms with that first. Shortly after, a really authentic macadamia note emerged, which simply disappeared after 5 minutes. The nutty tone remains, but I couldn't say which nut.
Coconut milk who? where? what?
No, I don't get that, just nut with coconut water and an increasingly strong vanilla base.
I can understand the Cheirosa 39 comparison, but I find the 39 more beautiful... less coconut water, more coconut cream and praline with a lot of vanilla.
Yes, Free Coco lasts better, projects better, but it's also more synthetic and unpleasant for me.

I'm so sorry to say this, but because of this Orcanox and that almost headache-inducing coconut water note, which stays way too long, it could also be a cheapie...
maybe I'm biased... maybe not... I'm definitely disappointed.

So for the price, I'm very glad I didn't get the scent. I would have been annoyed.

Twenty-five years ago, a 5 Euro cheapie (I think from Pimkie or something) coconut scent leaked in my handbag after I sprayed it once too many, giving me an instant headache. Since then, I've been very sensitive to coconut water in fragrances.
For me, Free Coco unfortunately missed the mark.

You know I really like BTSO... but I'm glad this one isn't part of the standard line...
The macadamia note, which unfortunately disappeared quickly, had potential. Please try again without that disturbing, biting coconut note. I believe it could work.

This review makes me so sad, but I also want to be honest.

You can keep Free Coco in the UK.