Comme des Garcons Series 1 Leaves: Calamus

Acorus calamus, often colloquially known as sweet flag, is an aromatic wetland herb believed to have healing properties. Its essential oil has a bewitching scent profile, green overtones with an unusual musky dampness, and cake batter and buckwheat qualities. I have some in my possession and I find the aroma to be addictive, almost intoxicating. There is a compound, beta-asarone, produced by the plant, which is a known carcinogen, and sadly it has been banned for perfumery use by the EU. There are alleged low or zero b-asarone oils out there, but they seem quite difficult to obtain. In CDG's Calamus, Bertrand Duchafour made the effort to reconstruct its scent profile with an angelica root note, which is somewhat adjacent in character to calamus. While this is far more angelica forward to my nose (and I am surely not complaining about that, as even angelica root is restricted and Duchafour has managed to make if really fleshy here), the impression of calamus is indeed here, perhaps more its leaves than roots, with some underlying baking spice and amber. This is a very different shade of green, where it may not at first "smell" green but it surely *feels* green. Celery seed oil is listed in the notes breakdown and are discerned by my nose, further imparting that somewhat fatty, spicy quality of calamus. Calamus grows more watery and peppery, with just the slightest milky translucency, Zen-like, a hum of calm marshes. It reminds me of kayaking on a warm, breezy day, passing by water lilies and aqueous vegetation. Wet leaves and ripples, a lotus, reflections both literal and figurative, these are the sensations that it conjures up for me. This is not for the results-driven fragrance enthusiast but rather for one who has come to appreciate tuning into one's own breath in the moment. Calamus grows more watery and peppery, with just the slightest milky translucency, Zen-like, a hum of calm marshes. It reminds me of kayaking on a warm, breezy day, passing by water lilies and aqueous vegetation. Wet leaves and ripples, a lotus, reflections both literal and figurative, these are the sensations that it conjures up for me. This is not for the results-driven fragrance enthusiast but rather for one who has come to appreciate tuning into one's own breath in the moment.

The word "amazing" gets thrown about a lot these days, but it's that word that came to my mind the first time I smelled Calamus. Me: "sniff, sniff." My Brain: "AMAZING!" One reviewer thought it too wild, too green and too natural but I respectfully differ - there is no such thing as too wild, too green or too natural. I feel like a woodland sprite wearing this...my feet are bare, my hair is wild, my perfume is the sap from green plants, rain-kissed leaves and the forest floor. This is nature's tonic and it is perfect. Sillage is good, a little goes a long way. The scent lasted throughout the day. It never turned sour much to my relief, and the notes seemed to revolve versus evolve, which was really interesting. I had my nose plastered to my wrist all day. Mmmmmmmm. EDIT: after having worn this several times, I'm sad to find that after the 2nd time of wearing it, it faded quickly, and continued to do so in subsequent applications. So disappointing, as I really love this scent. If it were less expensive I would keep buying it, however it's not a good investment in my opinion due to its poor lasting power.

Fell in love with Calamus since the very first instant I smelled it but for any reason I didn't pick it. Recently I had the chance to get a sample and it is still just how I remembered it: beautiful lush greenness opening, bright and sparkling... seductive with its red nuances and facets, a colourblind clash that nevertheless is the perfect rendering of that carnal spike. The scent settles once the smell of the celery seeds take on a greater role, the greenness turns more 'vegetable', wilted, a bit dry-hay-like, turning to a more mature and darker vibe. Projection is not much, I would like it to be a bit more, but has a decent longevity so it is quite wearable and hard to cause you fatigue. A memorable avant-garde green profile!

The notes here don't reflect, at ALL, what I get from this fragrance. Not powdery in the least. No amber. Not musky either. This is fresh, green, wet leaves and to me, is so very similar to L'Artisan Premier Figuier edt. Fresh. Green. Leaves. I was at a friend's house last weekend and he has a fig tree. I couldn't detect any scent from it but it seems I absolutely adore fig scents so maybe it's also fig that I detect here? Or more likely it's the bamboo. Don't know cuz I've never been able to detect a scent from bamboo either. But I DO know the scent in the air while the lawn is being mowed. That's this. Along with fresh, wet, green leaves. It's a green stunner, this one!

I love this. It doesn't have great performance (do any cdg perfumes have good performance??) but it smells like absolutely nothing else out there. Green, but not in a typical perfumery world green (bergamot, vetiver, moss etc etc) but rather like an actual fresh morning spring reeds on the lake kind of green. Dries down to some kind of milky/latex smell but stays largely natural. The celery seed note is very strong, once you notice it you won't be able to ignore it. Very unobjectionable but also interesting, great to wear on a daily basis.

A very well captured scent of wet leaves, quite impressive. i woudlnt wear it has a perfume because it smells like dirt, rain and leaves but its amazing for therapy!

One of the most awesome perfumes in the world and now I can't find it on any site or shop.

Calamus is my antidote for the kind of cabin fever that comes with working in an office building where the windows don't open and fluorescent lighting is everywhere. It is a small dose of the great outdoors that dispells the smell of burnt coffee and copy machine toner. I've never been fortunate enough to sample the now-discontinued Seve Exquise, but Calamus is what I imagine it would smell like: new, green shoots bursting out of the soil covered in dew. Granted, Calamus is more of a scent than a perfume proper, but what a sublime green scent it is. And if you work in a conservative environment as I do, Calamus is just the ticket. Low sillage on me, but quite long-lasting. My only criticism relates to the packaging, which is functionally fug.

i would love to THANK Tankgirl for the sample at 1st starting with '' Um not a green fan , but well made scent always capture my senses '' walking at my school garden its January , rainy gray wet day that i totally love , i can smell green fresh clean leaves with MUD , yes; mud .wet dust and mud that freshness at the early morning with a cold wave . would be great with layering some musky sprays . it could be a great air freshener :)

Love Calamus Comme des Garcons. It is all about bamboo and some soft undertones that complement it beautifully. This is green but very contemporary and unique. It reminds me of a smell of very nice tropical resorts. This really doesn't feel like fragrance, it is just a warm, clean, tropical breeze, a scent. I really wish it would be a little bit stronger, then I would be in heaven.

The first spray of Calamus is not very invising. the fragrance is quite sharp and almost too green; there is something quite unconfortable in its freshness. It's great quality, but it also contains something that at first made it a bit unpleasant, a bit too wild, a bit too natural. I think it's one of them fragrances that smell like a real garden sort of, but rather than carrying a memory of a real scent, it's the garden istelf, with all the weeds and gerbs and seeds. But it's just a bit too muc of a good thing on me. The drydown is fantastic, spicy-green, and the sharpness is gone. But all in all Calamus is a bit too green for me to wear...

Unfortunately this does not work with my skin chemistry. I get none of the greenness or earthiness that other reviewers mention. I get a very powdery sweet scent from it that never develops into anything else - nothing reminiscent of leaves at all. Disappointing.

This reminds me of the reptile house at the Toronto Zoo. I was expecting more fresh cut grass but am getting boa constrictor eating frozen rat in humid green house.

On this skin Calamus is a milky scent. Opening with a fresh cucumber note, beyond an unfortunately much too short Angelica soaked pencil sharpener phase, it becomes––briefly paprika-honey-sweet––a soft, lightly powdery, and sweet green. A green that is rather "white" in the dry-down. A warm white, very round and clean. Reminiscent of the first vanilla seconds of a white sugar-coated mint (before it becomes minty), almost gourmand and then indefinitely floral. A complex but not complicated scent well worn by noisy characters who practice mimicry of loveliness. Strategically. Innocent. Generously, Calamus has a slight scent of fresh calamus. Less calamus root and its daring qualities. As a young person I worked with calamus extracts and tinctures. Because of its bitter compounds, its hallucinogenic effect and its qualities as an aphrodisiacal that Calamus olfactorically d o e s n o t evoke. Except for its ephemeral quality–Calamus shares this with the effects of its namesake. I would reorder but longevity, price and package size are out of all proportion for an office scent rather than a dazzling night-out one. Even if this light sweet innocence evokes a kind of secret sexyness.

Tempted by the "Calamus" name, I would love to try this but... Why would a combination of notes be called Calamus if there is no actual calamus (root) in it? As a child, I spent many summers at the lake, with my parents. When I think of these vacations, many wonderful fresh and outdoorsy smells come to mind but one scent in particular, that of a fresh Calamus (latin: Acorus calamus), is the one I always loved... This scent is an enigma in itself, invigorating and calming at the same time; it makes you feel alive yet relaxed and composed. Apparently, the root contains a compound that can produce hallucinations, but I never experienced anything of that sort while just sniffing the fresh Calamus. Back in the day, we used Calamus root "juice" as an excellent hair and scalp tonic; it made our hair strong, soft, and growing in fast-forward :) So... if this scent *really* smells like the real Calamus, and you have a sample to spare, PLEASE PM me. Also, if you can recommend a frag that does contain Calamus (Acorus calamus) preparation, I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Big thumbs up for Calamus! The first time I tested it it was in 2000 when it originally came out and totally got impressed. I got myself a bottle and used it on a daily basis for several months. After that I decided to move to other kind of perfumes and so I completely forgot about it till a couple of months ago when a good friend of mine came to visit while wearing Calamus. I hadn't smelled it in years but my reaction was the same I had 10 years ago: love at first sniff! This is exactly my type of green scent (together with Victrix by Profumum). A great opening with dry bamboo surrounded by bitter citric notes and vivid peppery/green undertones. Very distinctive (it's not easy at all in this kind of scents) and unique but at the same time weightless and easy to wear. Honest and simple yet genuinely fascinating. A favorite! Rating: 7.5/10

The fresh realistic greenness in the opening notes here is very beautiful. I wish it lasted longer, because another note (looking at the note chart, I'm guessing it's the celery seed) develops within seconds and turns the whole composition into something that I don't like as much. On my skin I smell the scent of plywood with some faint fruitiness in the background. I wouldn't say it's a bad scent, just not what I've been hoping for knowing that Commes des Garcons' "green" perfumes are usually perfectly green through and through. I'm going to experiment with my sample to see if this perfume will grow on me.

Fascinating scent. Calamus, otherwise known as Sweet Flag, is a plant with long sword shaped leaves, that usually grows in wetlands. It has a sweet smelling aroma and is used both for it's scent and its medicinal qualities. This perfume not only celebrates this relatively unknown plant, but recreates the milky, wild scent of the sap. Augmented by a powdery green accord, this has a faintly spicy uncultivated smell. Like harvesting the wild leaves while wearing talcum. A nature experience enhanced, highlighting the beauty of this marsh greenery. Lovely, with moderate sillage and longevity.

I only have a tiny decant of this, and to be fair and square I do not wish for a full bottle. Why not? Well, I do love the scent. It's the freshest non musky non lemony non minty scent I have ever experienced. It's smells like paper, papyrus, bamboo, lumber, pencil shavings. Clean, pure, serene, amazingly natural. But the silage and lasting power are non existent. If it was under $10 for a bottle, I would buy... it is more of a body mist than a perfume. So I will spray freely this decant I have until it's done, and forget about it. A beauty that is way too diluted and not recommended.

Woody and sweet, very green and fresh with just a touch of powder to keep it from being too sharp. It's got a bit of humidity to it as well, and the earlier review that mentioned it smelling like reptile house is not far off - it reminds me of a muggy forest in a place like Singapore. I've got a sample of this one, probably all that I'll need as it's quite pretty and unique but not exactly something I'd wear daily. It is also true that it fades very quickly - round about 3 or 4 hours for me. It's nice when it lasts though.

One of my all-time favorite scents - haven't experienced anything else like it. Green, milky, sweet and irresistably huffable on your sleeve. I would hook this scent up to my showerhead and bathe in it if it were possible. The only downside is the price and the ephemeral quality - it doesn't last long on my skin at all. A few hours and you're back to zero again. More of a very relaxing dream than a fragrance, but wonderful for all that.

Bright, a little warm, a little fresh, and a little green. Pleasant and likeable. The best application of 'Calamus' that I've come across. Unisex but more of a feminine scent. Good longevity with moderate projection. Overall: 7 out of 10.

This is exceptional. It's a great green earthy floral scent. It has a tart freshness but is quite warm and does have a milky sense to it. It doesn't last very long but is still deserving of a place in my collection.

a little unmemorable in the realm of cdg scents, but is ultimately just a really pleasant, musky scent. i get barely any greenness from calamus

This is a fantastic scent - sweet, milky, verdantly green and very approachable. A must-own if you like green/herbal, cool scents.

for some reason im picking up blessed baraka