Burning Barbershop

If you’ve read/ watched any reviews on Burning Barbershop before, or well even read the name, you know pretty much the kind of fragrance you’re getting into. It is definitely a simple concept but this by no means is a simplistic fragrance. I’ll come clean that I’ve not smelled all too many barbershop fragrances but just enough to recognize them. YMMV with this but burning barbershop is most definitely far from what I expected. In the opening it smelled kind of like chewing tobacco along with a fleeting gasoline accord, dry incense and a bunch of strong spices which was an overall scent profile I didn't enjoy all that much. It honestly smelled like a bit of a mess but not entirely unpleasant. It just wasn't clear where it was going. However once it had a chance to dry down, it smelled more like what it’s advertised to be. It smelled _exactly_ like the powder along with the after shave that barbers apply on you after a nice, straight-razor shave in an old-timey barbershop. The (not smoky) incense kinda changes into camos at this point so you can’t really see it unless you’re looking for it. While it’s fairly a linear scent from this point on, it never becomes a boring scent to me. Believe it or not, where I come from, incense sticks are often a staple in barbershops, especially if you go early in the morning. It’s a tradition that (religious) barbershop owners follow every single day. They start off their days with a prayer ritual which is concluded with lighting up a couple of incense sticks. It brings back childhood memories when I used to go to my local barber's for haircuts. Of course I did get a shave there myself but I could always smell that powder and the aftershave when someone else has gotten fresh shave along with that incense. With more and more 'modern' salons being opened where I live, barbershops have kinda fallen by the wayside. I don’t really visit them anymore since I shave my own head and trim my beard since I don’t trust my local barber with a beard trim (my fellow bearded bros know what I’m talking about). But wearing this scent absolutely makes me want to go back to a barbershop, if only for olfactive purposes. If you've had any prior pleasant memories related to barbershops, I’m pretty sure you'd want to go back too! *Scent Profile* To me it's not really the smell of a burning barbershop but is an exceptionally vivid barbershop scent to be sure. It smells like the bottled up version of my classic barbershop experience (not the last time you’ll see me say ‘barbershop’). Goes without saying that it’s a higher quality version of the barbershop powder paired up with a bunch of spices for a little oomph. It has a strong lavender note (duh) with nuances of rose, a touch of sandalwood and a little drop of minty freshness to keep it from becoming too heavy or dense. It also has a tiny amount of cinnamon which you might find you’re looking for it and of course that incense I talked about earlier. Though it’s not a burnt or smoky incense it’s more like the scent of the incense stick itself. Definitely stay away from it if you’re worried about your fragrances smelling like powder because that’s kind of what the entire fragrance is based up on. All that being said, if you’re someone who is looking for a signature scent for the office or a fragrance to garner you tons of compliments, this ain’t it chief. While it’s not an 80s powerhouse type fragrance, it is also a far cry from a modern, mass appealing, ultra-versatile scent that was built for utility. To my nose, it’s undoubtedly masculine, mature and something you can easily see a cool grandpa wearing. That doesn’t take away from the fact this is a gentlemanly scent that you can easily pull off if you have the personality for it even if you’re younger. The best part to me, if it is not already clear so far, definitely how photo-realistic the barbershop-ness of burning barbershop actually is. It’s a challenging scent but not in the way you might think it is, from reading other reviews. Highly highly recommend you sample this one if you haven’t already. Even if it’s not something you might want to wear every day, it’s absolutely a marvelous olfactive journey to experience. *Performance* For those who care, with about 4 sprays, this lasted me 8 hours comfortably with a pretty nice scent bubble in the first 2 hours. It gradually sat closer and closer to the skin after each passing hour. It's one I’d wear on milder to cooler days but can easily pull it off when the temperature is not absolutely scalding wherever you live. This is my first ever fragrance review ever! I hope that helped you understand my experience of it and what you can expect if you’re interested in it. I appreciate you spending the time to read it so far :)

A perfectly named scent if there ever was one. If someone didn't know what this was called and you asked them to describe I believe they would guess precisely a burning barbershop. Reminds me so much of the barbershop I go to: All the beard balms, after shaves, creams, etc. mingling with the leathers and woods of the interior. It's almost identical to the lotion they put on my neck after they straight razor away the wispy hairs there. It's not a cheap aftershave scent at all but definitely something that feels old timey or used in those upscale barbershops that cosplay as relics of the past. It also reminds me of grandfather and his home: A stone farmhouse built into a hill in the wilds of Pennsylvania with a wood burning stove burning all winter, his pipe, and whatever cologne he'd dab from a glass bottle. Despite this rugged fragrance profile, it's a very daring unisex fragrance. I got this as a sample but I can't stop smelling it. Definitely considering a full bottle's worth. Update 11/12/23: My friend who is really sensitive to fragrances and does not like them gave me a hug this evening and said I smelled really good! Later on at the end of the night another friend gave me a hug and commented on how nice I smelled. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

Signature scent material here! I'm crazy about this scent cause it combines classic men cologne ingredients(lavender, citrus, vanilla) with the very modern touch of campfire smoke covering them as a fog that allows small hints of these to appear here and there. It works soooo fabulously! The effect is very unique, it feels as if you layered a nice cologne with pure smoke on top and the result is very sexy indeed. I have tried other jewels like Bois d'ascese and others of that ilk and I love them but get sometimes tired of the dense everlasting campfire as a wall around me. In this case you get a fraction of that sensation without any harmed neurones. The mint adds some pizzazz to the effect. No blindbuy recommended though. You need to try this before to see if the smoky effect doesn't bother you. It's love or hate I think for its unconventional allure. My only complaint (mm mm) is that it doesn't last what it should for an edp that costs half a kidney. I am happy to say I would wear it anyway (and reapply again and again) as I'm in love with the concept and was hoping to find something in these lines. However: please contemporary natural smelling perfume authors: work on consistency after the initial effect of your scents please!!!

I first tried this perfume in the rain waiting for a croissant down a busy side street in Melbourne. I think this fragrance absolutely lends itself to a dreary but bustling big city morning. Jumping over puddles at the crossing and click clacking up the steps in the Nicholas Building. The smoke breaks up a wet day so beautifully, so strange and inviting. A beautiful late autumn/early spring contrast scent. Not at all when it's hot. It would take a very specific type of man for this to read properly on because of all its classic aftershave notes. You're loitering on the edge between gentrifier and scumbag. You'd have to be a little dirty and a little cool. I know maybe one or two men this would work on. On women it reads intriguing, androgynous. It's not a blind buy, but it could work on a multitude of different women and non men. It can feel very queer if you want it to, or could translate in a stealing my boyfriend's scent and being far more interesting than him kind of way. For me, the mintiness sticks around the longest, but the zest of lime, and grounding qualities of vanilla and lavender are never that far away. As with all smoke perfumes, I wish the smoke lasted way longer, but its remnants still linger on the dry down.

This whole thing started for us a couple years ago when I wanted to put together a nice gift for my husband's birthday. I went on a sample site and painstakingly picked out nine different fragrances for us to experience together as we learn about this hobby (spoiler: it was a hit). In the choosing phase, Burning Barbershop stood out because it opened my mind to Fragrance as An Experience rather than just an accessory, something niche and free-standing that can be enjoyed as its own activity. Then it totally lived up to the hype I had built up for myself. I love wearing this juice, but it's not for going out, I wear it on productive days around the house, or when I'm feeling cozy. It's burn-y and creamy and lime-fresh, and that lavender surprises me every time!! I'm usually hesitant about lavender in fragrance, because it can get too soapy for my taste, but here it works as a main note. It's ~supposed~ to be foamy-lathery at the barbershop, isn't it? The smoke doesn't dominate but it's definitely there throughout. It's like we're in the "it's fine" meme; this barbershop is burning around us but it's business as usual, here are your two bits, thank you.