Equest Canter

#1115 in my "Tour de Fragrance" I've attended Horse Shows for more than twenty years, and I've seen food vendors, Western-wear vendors, saddle vendors, but no fragrance vendors. So the marketing logic behind Atralia's "Equest" line, which includes "Canter", "Gallop" and "Trot," escapes me completely. Riding competitions are not for the economically-challenged. If those folks want an $800 fragrance they can afford it. So a line of equestrian-themed scents at $29 a bottle? Who's the market for that? But they're nice colorful bottles with a gold horseshoe caps and a horse on the label, making you think this is a product for your favorite appaloosa, not you or your girlfriend. So with a bizarre marketing approach like that I don't expect these to make a splash in the fragrance world, and that's a damn shame because they are very nice fragrances. The first I'll comment on is "Canter." Moderate, but acceptable performance. A smoky, woody, amber, tobacco and vetiver scent with a sharp, almost unknown in the fragrance world green coffee note that I really, really like. Hence the green bottle I suppose. The rest of this is very pedestrian stuff you find in hundreds, if not thousands of fragrances. But that green coffee note, combined with smoke and tobacco, and the incense like aroma it creates, make this something special and masculine. I'd get it while you can as I expect this marketing approach to fail dramatically and end up killing the line quickly. Moderate performance (makes it to lunch). Car pool, elevator and small office safe. Good for work and play.

Don't care, I love it. I haven't really got a clue what I'm smelling, first I thought of Bentley Absolute, but then the smokiness/green coffee note came through and it's different. Same vane, though. Slight animalic vibe coming through, pretty safe as far as animalic vibes can go. Take Bentley Absolute, give it smoke and some tobacco, tone down the cedar, and add a very slight 'horse-type' smell and you've got Canter. Guess it makes sense. Maybe there's a more direct 'clone' here, but I don't know it. It's not going to be a mass pleaser, nor is Bentley Absolute. It's one of those things you just wear for you because you like it. 👍🏻 Edit: I'm like 250 frags into all this and this is one of a very select few I about get high off of smelling every time I pick it up. I guess I'm just an absolute sucker for this style of cedar, but the tobacco and smoke added here is just heavenly. If there's something else that's similar to this and Bentley Absolute, please enlighten me 😅

Equest Canter is basically a friendlier Nabeel Mastermind Noir, which is a Black Afgano dupe. It lasts a good time, projects but doesn't overtake, and smells pricier than what it costs ingredients-wise. The bottle has a pressurized sprayer, which was a nice surprise. I recommend it if you like this type of weird scent profile. It's unisex, too, so ladies can rock it. It's not blind buy safe at all unless you have a risky nose. Smells way too niche.

Herbs and turds. This stuff smells like a herb garden next to the horse stables. The worst purchase in my 200+ collection. Will be my last Atralia as Tonka Gold and Absolute Chill were let downs as well.

The review below mine by @Justthefacts man is spot on and thoughtful. As I consider purchasing this bottle, I would add one thing. Horses have always been aspirational, especially at performance levels. It isn't polo players buying Polo cologne or race horse owners layering on Oud Stallion. At this price point it's a lot of folks looking for the feeling of power, freedom, and historic culture that horses embody. Heck, half the world seems to wear Nautica Voyage or Sailing Day and hasn't been near a sailing boat! I see this as an alternative to Yellowstone, Wrangler, Stetson, and the like. I actually do have eight horses, two of whom are currently on the harness racing track, so my opinion comes with some experience. I look at all price points for things that give me the peaceful but empowered feeling that my horses do...so I do not agree that this launch is doomed by it's nature, if they can get people to connect to the emotion!