Overcast

First hit of Overcast is a prick of vegetal greenery, sharpened by a citrus slice. A gardener's scent, the suede and leather of planting gloves soaked with so much photosynthetic blood. Ripping up a jasmine plant, bristling the blooms into releasing their parlor trick--headcracking bliss mist aroma, the neural network of roots still clung to the newly sun-touched soil that nourishes them. If you muck about in your garden long enough, you may begin a perspective shift which casts the act of tending land a little barbaric from the plant's view, even as it may be a soul-soothing pastime for the gardener. There's a healthy tension in the notes of Overcast: the fresh white floral and green stem are grounding, smooth leathers and musk practically sedative, set to simultaneous contrast and blend with a mildly foreboding soil and crisp bergamot that carries a suspect will to dominate. It's a zoetropic effect of clouds passing over sunlight, vacillations of shade and glare producing a strobe in slow motion. It projects like a pinhole camera: clear up close and blurred at a distance.

At first, I wasn't so sure about this because the opening was quite sharp/alcoholic. After a while, something metallic appears briefly before fading to earthiness and petrichor. It eventually dries down to rain-soaked jasmine flowers, paired with a soft skin scent. The jasmine isn't cloying or indolic at all. I found myself repeatedly sniffing my wrist on the dry down, something about it is very comforting and nostalgic. Doesn't project very far but it lasts a long time. If you like Thunderstorm by Demeter, you'll likely adore this as well. Overcast is more floral/musky whereas Thunderstorm is earthier. Also highly recommend sampling on skin, I tried this on someone else and the citrus was more prominent on them. Very happy with this, after being severely disappointed by Maison Margiela's When the Rain Stops...

This captures the essence of that fleeting moment right before a storm—an almost photorealistic depiction of the earth preparing to rain. The initial note that emerges on my skin is a familiar creosote, reminiscent of monsoon seasons in Arizona deserts from my youth, when the air would carry the distinct scent of rain’s approach. As the fragrance evolves, there’s a soft, muted iris note that emerges at the base, adding a delicate floral touch to the composition. The scent is clean, fresh, and airy, reminiscent of the purity of the air just before a rainstorm. One of the most remarkable aspects of Overcast is its longevity—this fragrance lingers throughout the day without ever becoming overwhelming, creating a subtle but refreshing aura around me.

Walking home from school between houses after the rain. The stretch of pavement edged by small wet gardens, freshly turned. The atmosphere is jasmine with the animal heat stripped out, so it feels like cool, open air. Underneath: soil, leather with something tarry in it, almost gasoline, and a faint musk that's alive but not feral. The dry down lingers here forever. It doesn't warm and doesn’t resolve. Hours later you're still out in the drizzle, still mineral wet in your coat. You're walking home but you never arrive. I’ve never smelled anything like it. Absolutely captivating in a nostalgic, melancholy way, that I keep returning to to make sure it’s still there.

This was a blind buy for me, but as I have gone through most of Bree's work and have yet to come across something I don't absolutely adore, so I went for it. Did not disappoint. Absolutely perfect. Opens with a beautiful clean geosmin on top and blossoms beautifully into a musky, humid jasmine with delicate citrus undertones. Really gorgeous. Bree Hyland is a master of their craft, and their body of work is honestly fool proof. Bree doesn't make a fragrance that's short of unique and mesmerizing. My favorite perfumer to date, hands down. I can't wait to see what you do next.

Photorealistic thunderstorm scent. Getting caught in the storm, legs all muddy. Might as well not wear your glasses when you can’t see through the rain drops. Going out a couple hours later in a thick sweater and tall rain boots, it’s misty. You notice the mushrooms are starting to pop out and the birds are singing. The smell of rubber from heavy trucks waft to you from the highway. It’s time to sit on the porch and watch life go by for a while

omg i just got a tester for this scent because i’ve been searching for a dirty wet earth smell for a while, and it was love at first sniff. on me it smells exactly like wet stone and potting soil at first, then softens into something more musky and powdery. wonderful!!!! gonna get the full bottle asap

Like laying face down in dirt as the rain starts after running away from your family on a camping trip and no one comes looking for you. Im a big fan!

like sweetness in the air as the rain starts.

A kind of wet stone petrichor smell with hints of mint and white florals. Smells soapy on me, but it is okay and interesting.

Smells extremely soapy to me . . . there is a very aquatic essence to this perfume, but I'm not getting any of the earthy, green smells. I genuinely has an extremely strong soapy (think white unscented dove bar soap) smell. Maybe thats the powdery-ness listed in the notes I would put it first. It was so soapy that I couldn't enjoy it, if the other notes were present (like the fresh aquatic note) without the soap essence it would be lovely, but the soap-ness was just so overpowering.

There's an intense metallic quality, like the metal railing at your elementary school--yes, the one with the peeling paint and rust--once it was saturated in the rain. Wet concrete. The leather is there, even in the opening, and it envelopes the jasmine. So it's not a punchy jasmine/white floral at all. Walking by a jasmine bush right as the rain is starting. I find the jasmine really bloomed on my skin once I moved past the initial metallic smell. And it gets warmer/cozier in the dry down. ...This is really quite special.

blind bought based on the review that said you'll like it if you like thunderstorm by demeter, which was correct. oceany, salty, very wearable, realistic city drizzliness -- walking around in the rain, and the sidewalk is wet, and you can smell a little jasmine in a yard nearby. my favorite jasmine, my favorite petrichor, maybe just my favorite. my partner can't usually identify scent notes, but says "you smell like rain!" whenever i wear this one. really nice.