Bourbon. I love a good bourbon. The gorgeous amber hue, the hints of spices and wood and the whisper of toffee. The character of the colour changes depending on whether you are sipping Woodford Reserve on a porch swing or Knob Creek in a dimly lit bar whilst blues music fills the air. In the daylight, the bourbon catches the sunlight and turns to liquid fire, glowing with facets of burnt umber and honey gold. In a dimly lit bar it’s a smokey topaz with sparks of copper. Copper Skies is like that. (See? I got to the perfume part eventually!) In the heat of a the day, it is a slightly viscous amber absorbing the scents of Midwestern farm afternoon- fresh cut hay from the fields, tobacco and clove cigarette smoke from a much-deserved break and coffee to keep tired engines revving. And let’s not forget the worn, sunwarmed leather of a horse’s reins. ( Of course, I may be totally off-base on these scent images but they are what comes immediately to my cinema-and book- fueled imagination. So, profuse apologies to those who know what a Midwestern farm afternoon smells like!)
In the cool of the night, the amber dries out a bit, retreating and giving more of a central role to the tobacco, clove and coffee notes. By night, the tobacco is more the smoke that drifts across from the bar on a breeze, tangy-sweet. The clove makes me think of Teaberry gum and the coffee takes on a more toasted nut ‘flavour’, reminiscent of bourbon’s bouquet. And the leather? Well, the leather smells like the collar of the jacket belonging to the person you are sharing that bourbon (and more?) with.
I loved this on my skin and received several compliments during the days I tested it. It smelled even more divine (divine here meaning, phwoar) on my husband. It’s definitely unisex but in our cases, it skewed sweeter on me and drier on my husband. Bottoms up!
Do any perfumes match cocktails in your mind? Do tell!
This sounds like an amazing fragrance. I have to say I’m not big on bourbon either: I prefer beer. Bourbon smells good though.
Badgley Mischka reminds me of peach schnapps, and 100% Love reminds me of Bailey’s Irish Creme.
Thank you, Portia! John Pegg is clever indeed – it does make me really wonder what other fragrance bloggers would come up with for scents!
You captured this fragrance so well, that John Pegg is clever isn’t he. I love both review and fragrance,
YUMMO!
Portia xx
Wow, Meredith! This is one great review, very beautifully written and so evocative (loved the part about the horse’s reins). I don’t drink, save for a glass of champagne at New Year’s, but you did have me looking at bourbon in a whole new light. Guess I’ll have to break down and try Copper Skies (need to try the whole line, in fact). Thanks! As I mentioned in a recent review, Clinique Wrappings brought to mind champagne, and something else (whose name escapes me) reminds me of a sloe gin fizz.
Thanks, Ann! I am not a very big drinker either but when I indulge its usually bourbon or red wine and margaritas when it is scorching hot. Your description of Wrappings definitely made me want to seek some out this Christmas. And do tell when you remember what smells of sloe gin fizz!.
Sounds good, and I love that you admit to possible poetic license.
I like PG Cuir Venenum but was afraid to wear it because, as LT writes, it does indeed smell like Leffe beer at first sniff. But it’s a wonderful orange-blossom leather perfume, so I finally I asked a friend who did NOT think I smelled like I had been drinking – there is a difference, fortunately. 🙂
Thanks for filling me in on the UP above. Poetic license is wonderful isn’t it? To a degree I think all perfume reviews require poetic license as our experience are all so different. It is very difficult to objectively describe scent, I find as it is so wound up with our individuality.
Leffe beer huh? My father-in-law likes that beer so I will have to sample some Cuir Venenum before we next visit them. Thanks for the suggestion!
You had me at Teaberry gum! Definitely want to try this one. 🙂
Do they still sell Teaberry gum? My dad used to like it and I used to pinch pieces for the packet. (My mom’s BlackJack gum was totally safe though as black licorice gives me the heebie jeebies! ) let me know what you think when you try it!
Yes, I’ve found Teaberry gum at a specialty candy shop. The shop also sold Blackjack. lol Great stuff for turning your teeth and tongue dingy grey!
It sounds fantastic! I’m always up for a good amber. Where can I order samples?
it is fantastic! And it’s an interesting amber, which is even better. I got my sample from the fab people at Surrender to Chance- and I hope to say they are fast! My order took 6 days from processing to landing on my doorstep in the UK. Whoo hoo for nearly instant gratification!
I liked this a lot, too! It has a real UP vibe to me – when you go over the bridge to the UP, it’s like a whole ‘nother world – and very ‘copper-y’ – you can almost smell it in the air!
xo :Devil:
Ok, I admit that I am an ignoramus- what is the UP? Boy, I hope its not something blindingly obvious!
I’m glad you liked this,Kerosene is doing some really nice stuff and I adore the bottles, even if they don’t (to my mind) ‘match’ the juice. If memory serves you are a bourbon babe as well- what’s your favourite?
I think this refers to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I know someone who used to go camping in the wilderness there, and he always used to call it “the UP.” Not obvious – it could be the University of Portland or something else – but there is a bridge.
I love bourbon but am not an amber aficionada. Bourbon to me smells of oak and vanilla rather than amber 🙂
I didn’t mean to suggest that bourbon smelled of amber, rather the hue of bourbon is ambery. Sorry if I was unclear! This is a great scent and well widths sniff Ben if amber isn’t your thing as it more complex than the one note.