woody

by

All Good Things

all good things edgesThe soap shingle might not be the best way to test, but it’s fun. I get honey tempered with burnt cedar in the suds, and sweet resinous spice on the rinse.

I like the chocolate licorice accord, though any Lolita Lempicka Noir does it better.
Not for me, but pleasant enough to sit next to on a long bus ride.

All Good Things was the super-group everybody had heard but never heard of–they did epic rock studio work for video game soundtracks and TV shows–until their fans tracked them down and said give us albums. So they did.

by

Coach Platinum

coach platinum edgy
Ad peelie with flasks on the hood of a black car, Empire State Building in the background.

Not bad, in a modern Town & Country way.
His girlfriend got it for him when they were on spring break last year. His mother thinks it’s nice too.

Pineapple and sage on the top, sandalwood and rented groomsman’s tuxedos on the bottom.

Edit – 5/11/21
Lots of pineapple in the store, almost cloyingly sweet, then settles down to the generic leathery vanilla woods that seems to be the base of all dude cologne right now.
I wish the sage notes I got from the peelie came through more.

I am never not in the mood for this song.

by

Dear John

Dear John edgy
Bottle of Dear John on piano keys, with reflections.

I tested this one in the store, and loved the cloves–it faded to spiced coffee on the skin after a few hours, but I huffed my wrist all evening–and the next day I went back for a bottle.
Maybe the weather had changed, but the woodsy notes wound up being more than I bargained for, too green, too feral-tree-sprite than the Turkish cafe I thought I was getting.

I gave it my brother, who can pull off forest faun with just a smirk.
It suits him.

I bought this at the LUSH store in Stockholm. Theses guys come from there, too.

by

Devil’s Nightcap

devil's nightcap edgyRain on tree-lined streets, organic and urban at the same time.

A huge foggy opening of oak bark and oakmoss and oak-y sweet clary sage that calms down quickly to powdery ash and sweet orange flower water.

Ambiguous and androgynous, city gardens and paved forests. I like it on other people.

This song is best sung sloppy, and listened to in earphones while walking.

by

The President’s Hat

president's hat tilted edgy
LUSH black label bottle on a reverse color keyboard.

A comforting scent that drifts to the masculine, with enjoyable self-care vibes.

Opens with oaky root-beer and a hit of patchouli, then settles into vanilla sweetened incense smoke.
A bit of myrrh on the bottom gives a nice medicinal note in an indulgent healing way.

Lasts for a good hour a foot of the hands, and two more close to the skin.

I snapped this pic on my dad’s harpsichord. This song features one and has some of the same easy feel-good vibe as the scent-

by

Une Amourette

roland edgySmoky neroli that dissipates into sweet iris, then completely disappears. An elegant one-hour-stand, but I don’t remember her name.

(Roland Mouret is a French fashion designer who is all the rage right now for his body celebrating dresses in all sizes.
I was hoping his perfume would somehow be more voluptuous.)

Amourette means “a fling.”

by

Eau de Cologne Imperiale

eau de cologne imperiale edges oranges
Old “Bee” mini bottle with green label, on a pile of mandarin oranges.

Paul Newman wore this one.
Nice bergamot and neroli with a hit of waxy lemon polish at the end–basically 4711 driven by a race car rather than a horse-drawn carriage–and fades into the distance just as fast.

*

The Entertainer was a theme in one of Newman’s greatest movies–the Sting.
Here’s an absolutely not-sober version by the Reverend Horton Heat, that ends as quickly as the cologne.

by

Light Blue

light blue edgesThis one, like Envy, has a double nature–

On a good day, Light Blue smells like sweet lemonade and apples, roses and cedar, and finishes with cool musk.
On an off day, it can smell like old shoes and lemon oil disinfectant.

Oddly unalluring for such a popular fragrance–though sweet and fresh, there’s no come-hither, smell-me-closer-tiny-dancer to it anywhere. The projection is a pretty shield around the body, encouraging a step backward–respect for personal space, rather than an invitation inside.

This song has some of the same synth freshness–

by

Echelon

echelon edges
Paper test cut-out of graphic black/red/green label on a frosted bottle, decant vial, and notes including, “Grace Jones could wear this.” and “Grace Jones could wear whatever the *redacted* she pleases.” (She once answered what perfume she was wearing with, “Body odor,” so maybe the Strangé scene in Boomerang isn’t too far off?) (Echelon does NOT smell like B.O. at all, unless you sweat black jelly beans.)

This one opens strong and sweet, the hot edge of licorice biting with teeth.
Musk takes over.
Musk takes over the whole house.
Then it turns to hardwood–glittery resin and deep heavy mahogany.

I like sweetness of it, but the second I invite him over he’s gonna swallow my furniture in one big gulp and write his name over mine on the lease.

Kimberly New York is a new brand with a marvelous collection using organic ingredients–one to keep an eye on.
(Jay-Z has his own scent brand, but I’ve always loved this song.)

by

Minotaure

Minotaure edgesDavid Bowie wore Minotaure.
So of course I had to know what the Goblin King smelled like.

Paloma Picasso’s only masculine opens with a sharp and spicy fizzy lime pop, then eases into fruit candy–the fancy jelly slices with sugared edges. The sweetness turns floral, then herbal, bubblegum slowly drying down to brooding cedar.
Sandalwood talc and vanilla tonka powder settle above the skin, shimmering all night long, both comforting and seductive, sexy Stardust indeed.
Fades into the collar and cuffs with androgynous amber, and leaves songs stuck in your head–You remind me of the babe–for days.

My favorite Bowie song is still China Girl.