Is everybody off on their August break? Possibly. Well, the perfume sniffage never stops. Here’s a quick run-down of three more Naomi Goodsirs, I bought the whole sample set since I loved this one.
Corpus Equus (Bertrand Duchafour, 2021) – the one that Portia reviewed which sounded a bit terrifying, in a good way. Smoked wood, leather, birch, amber, frankincense, musk, patchouli, rose, cedar. Hey, does anyone remember Absorbine Jr.? When we were kids, my mom applied that dabber bottle with its distinctive, medicinal-smelling dark green liquid to bug bites, sunburn, scratches, bumps, bruises, and anything else not requiring a trip to the Emergency Room. A friend of mine who’s a dressage instructor told me it’s horse liniment (google says: true, with formulary modifications for humans). Anyway, that medicinal scent overlays a perfectly respectable horse-y smell in Corpus Equus, nothing that would offend. It’s funny how different we perceive fragrances; I was sort of looking forward to Portia’s wild ride. I like it, but if I want to smell horses it’s the fabulous Arabian Horse all the way. However, next time I’m at a drugstore I might pick up a bottle of Absorbine Jr. just for fun, it’s supposed to be great for muscle pain.
Iris Cendré From their website: A floral tone, fresh, led by bergamot, tangerine & spices. A rich incense & powdery heart of violet & iris. Sensuality is enhanced by cistus, tobacco & amber. A true green rooty & creamy Iris butter. (Julien Rasquinet, 2015). Doesn’t that sound glam? Well, I got a big hit of milky-metallic-sour-sweet-sick at the top, then a hint of mildew, then damp socks, and it was downhill from there. Carolyn’s one-word review was “no.” Reminded me a bit of Secretions Magnifique, maybe the pour femme version? Hey, I wasn’t bored! And it washed off easily, so there’s that.
tuberose in my walled garden
Nuit de Bakélite A green, obsessive & addictive composition supported by tuberose, galbanum, angélique flower, fleur d’immortelle, wood & leather notes & styrax. (Isabelle Doyen, 2017.) I am unclear why it’s called “Bakelite” which I know only as the pre-plastic jewelry that has a smell, when warmed, described variously as chemical, phenolic, or medicinal. A weirdly wild (wildly weird?) combination of disparate notes that morph into one of the more peculiar fragrances I’ve tried. Green, herbaceous, a little sweet, tobacco, resinous. Carolyn’s favorite of the bunch so far. I’m not sure how much I like it, but I also keep re-applying it, it’s so interesting.
I did notice that three of the six Goodsirs on the brand website are out of stock, which is … somewhat concerning. Hopefully everyone’s on les grandes vacances and they’ll restock in the fall.