Copper by Comme des Garcons

Hey there Posse peeps! I bought this decant of Copper from Surrender To Chance ages ago in early 2020 (they don’t have it anymore. SOZ!. My purchase was brought on by Val the Cookie Queen’s SCATHING anti-review over on Australian Perfume Junkies. How can someone, with so little prose and some images destroy a perfume so completely. It’s such a good review that I had to. Fortunately, Val is now writing for BaseNotes! Her current thing is reviewing the way something smells to music. It’s definitely worth a squiz.

When not reviewing perfume Val is also a radio DJ. Fortunately for me it’s all in English and she plays tracks that have meant something in her life or describe bits of it. Baking Bad with the Cookie Queen, do yourself a favor.

Val is one of our besties. We love her so much, you will to.

Her review is also not my experience of Copper.

Before we start talking perfume I would like to say BRAVO to CdG for keeping their prices within reasonable limits. Sure, they’re expensive but not eye wateringly so. Yes, I know they are out of reach for many, and I’m sorry about that but I’m comparing them to most of the designer/niche market. Also, this bottle is stupid. GAH! You need to buy a toast rack to stand them up in.

Copper by Comme des Garcons 2019

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Persian galbanum, Peruvian pink pepper, Ethiopian myrrh, Madagascan ginger, Vanilla, Amber

Ahhhhh the opening waft of Copper is pure galbanum. It’s cool, green like verdigris and welcomes us to something beautiful, slightly weird and very wearable. Galbanum is joined by ginger and pink pepper and there is a metallic (aldehydic?) zing that is both cold and electric. This perfect rendering of the idea of copper in scent really only lasts about 10 minutes before the illusion is shattered. That 10 minutes though. Brilliant.

The heart is a myrrh heavy amber, it smells a little incense-y but not the Catholic, Indian or Korean ones we burn at home. Just incense-y in general. Maybe the opening is still doing some lifting because as yet the amber seems to be without vanilla, actually it’s slightly woodsy. Mossy! That’s what it is. It smells like when you lift up moss from the garden to add it to bonsai. Green, but earthy and fecund.

As we head towards dry down the vanilla finally makes itself properly known. It’s been there all along but backing and bolstering rather than playing lead.It still isn’t overwhelming and takes the fragrance into quite a fleshy direction. Maybe humanity in a temple? From here Copper fades to nothing.

Unisex, projection and longevity moderate. A little avant-garde but not confrontational or super stand out in a crowd different. That vanilla hook in the base keeps everything nice, unless you’re Val of course.

Anne really loved CdG Blue Encens here on Posse.

So, are you with Val or with me on Copper?
Portia xx