Christopher Brosius: CB I Hate Perfume

Hi there Perfume Posse. Christopher Brosius is a bit of a perfume enigma. Every now and then while I’m shopping at Surrender To Chance I will grab a couple of Christopher Brosius’ beautiful scents and drop them in my cart. I buy the 2ml spritz so I have some juice to play with over a few days, they are always intriguing rides. My last order came with two new to me frags from the range; Tea/Rose and Black March. I remember shopping and thinking that they would be about as polar opposite as possible, let’s see…..

Christopher Brosius: CB I Hate Perfume

Christopher Brosius Tea Rose CB I Hate PerfumeCB I Hate Perfume

M #2 Black March by Christopher Brosius for CB I Hate Perfume 2006

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Rain drops, leaf buds, wet twigs, tree sap, bark, mossy earth, a hint of spring

Green, wet, compost heap. Broken bracken, eucalyptus, the local creek after rain. Rock climbing, waterfalls, Australian Blue mountains walks. Invigorating. After rain if you dig in the lawn. Black march isn’t so much a fragrance as an experience. Instantly transported back to gardening with my Mum.

As it progresses Black March gets earthier and more clay like and I smell some narcissus too. Interestingly, the earthiness gives way to a soft woody sweetness that lingers till gone.

#204 Tea/Rose by Christopher Brosius for CB I Hate Perfume

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Tea, rose

Garden roses, sweet and delicious. Slightly fruity, wet with dew in the cool of morning. A little green. The dry at the back of your throat when you smell black tea brewing. For something offered up as so simple Tea/Rose is surprisingly complex. I am smiling, Tea/Rose reminds me of the yellow rose Freesia, a favourite of my Mums and we would grow them on and off throughout our gardening lives. They would be first to flower and Mum would have them in the bathrooms, the real harbinger of spring for me.

CB I Hate Perfumes has an extraordinary range of amazing scents
Surrender To Chance has CB I Hate Perfume samples from $3/ml

If you have enjoyed this then please pop over to Australian Perfume Junkies and continue the scented conversation. We love visitors, say HI while you’re there.

Do you wear CB I Hate Perfume fragrances? Do you have a favourite? Which of these appeals to you?
Portia xx

Black March by Stevie Smith

From In The DarkThis particular poem was written near the end of her life and it’s quite typical of her thoughts about death at that time. She had contracted a brain tumour and knew the end was coming soon. It didn’t frighten her at all, as the verse makes clear. She died in 1971, just a few months after writing this and without having to endure a lengthy illness.

Black March by Stevie Smith.

I have a friend
At the end
Of the world.
His name is a breath

Of fresh air.
He is dressed in
Grey chiffon. At least
I think it is chiffon.
It has a
Peculiar look, like smoke.

It wraps him round
It blows out of place
It conceals him
I have not seen his face.

But I have seen his eyes, they are
As pretty and bright
As raindrops on black twigs
In March, and heard him say:

I am a breath
Of fresh air for you, a change
By and by.

Black March I call him
Because of his eyes
Being like March raindrops
On black twigs.

(Such a pretty time when the sky
Behind black twigs can be seen
Stretched out in one
Uninterrupted
Cambridge blue as cold as snow.)

But this friend
Whatever new names I give him
Is an old friend. He says:

Whatever names you give me
I am
A breath of fresh air,
A change for you.

 

  • March says:

    Oh my goodness, I’m speechless. I love Black March and have joked that CB named it in my honor…. shame on me, I should have done some research. What a fantastic poem, which I’d not seen before. Thank you.

  • Ann says:

    Howdy, Portia! Loved your review (and the poem) and these two scents both made you think of your beloved mum. I have only tried one or two of CB’s scents (At the Beach and another one that escapes me) and enjoyed them both, but never seem to be able to sample much more. One day …

    • Portia says:

      Hey Ann,
      As always, lovely to see you.
      So much of my memory is taken up by Mum. The smells, the things we did, her love. So many magic moments, she was excellent at creating them and making sure they were acknowledged.
      CB I Hate Perfume = memories for me too.
      Portia xxx

  • elisa p says:

    I was just talking about CB. Just visited the shop here in Brooklyn for the first time with some fellow perfumistas. So much fun, and they couldn’t have been nicer.
    I liked both of these, as well as the pansy one (Wild Pansy?) which was a grassy meadow with honeyed wildflowers. And In the Summer Kitchen was a hit as well.

  • eldarwen22 says:

    I’ve kind of been ignoring this line after hearing about the poor lasting power. I love loads of throw and lasting power.

    • Portia says:

      Eldarwen22,
      I really don’t think it was THAT short. Maybe not Tauer long but about L’Artisan?
      You should try some, they are mind blowing.
      Portia xx

  • HeidiC says:

    I haven’t tried many CB scents, but Black March is one of them — I think you put it exactly right: it “isn’t so much a fragrance as an experience.” It sends me back to my childhood in North Carolina, playing in the muddy creek in the woods behind our house. The only other one I’ve tried is I Am a Dandelion, which is also more like an experience — it makes me think of the sharp smell of dandelion milk all over my hands as I’m picking a bouquet of them for my mom when I’m about 5. The Tea Rose sounds lovely, though — have to give it a sniff!

    And Stevie Smith — wow. I love her work, but for some reason I don’t think I’ve read this one! Thank you for finding it and sharing!

    • Portia says:

      Hey there HeidiC,
      PHEW! I’m so glad you had a similar sniffing experience. I was a little worried that I’d misinterpreted it.
      Glad to bring new poetry to everyone’s attention. Mine too.
      Portia xx

  • Lemoncake says:

    I love so many of Christopher’s perfumes. Black March is one of my favorites…but since we’re in the midst of summer I’m thinking I might wear At the Beach 1966 today.

  • Tara says:

    Fabulous poem, thanks Portia.

    Black March really did smell to me like a damp compost heap!

    • Portia says:

      Hey there Tara,
      Damp Compost Heap is one of my favourite childhood smells. Mum and I would spend a lot of our quality time together in the garden making the soil the best it could be.
      Portia xxx

  • Zazu says:

    I love both these scents too.

    I was so surprised with Black March. I thought it was an amazing and interesting scent ‘experience’ but not really wearable. Boy was I wrong! It dries down to a beautiful soft sweet floral with a woody base on me. Stunning.

    And Tea/Rose is just magical. A perfect rose from my mothers garden.

    My only complaint is they just don’t last at all. Has anyone had any experience with the oil based (rather than water based) scents? Do they have better lasting power?

    • Portia says:

      Heya Zuzu,
      Interesting how poorly these perform for you. I don’t remember thinking they lasted poorly, I must have been daydreaming.
      No I’ve not tried the oils yet.
      Anyone else?
      Portia xx