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.

Burning Barbershop is such an evocative name, but a more accurate (if less poetic) appellation would be Burnt Barbershop. Off the top I get the smell of charred wood, spilled shaving soap and a powdery haze. Maybe when we look back on 2010s fragrance trends, smoky cade-bombs will be recognized as an anti-trend to ambroxan overload, but I feel like this could potentially be an exemplar from the countergenre, in how it uses something harsh to enhance its elegance. I can almost smell this as the new millennium’s Caron Pour Un Homme, with gentle smoke dueting with the lavender instead of PUH’s putty-like vanilla. Though there is vanilla in here, it’s a more modern iteration and seems to play a less prominent role. The blending here is really so deft and harmonious. After a couple of hours, the smoke wanes and the mix turns musk that hangs closer to the skin, but keeps surprising me with its pleasantness. Maybe it’s too soon to call this a classic, but it sure acts like one.

I bought this to give to my husband and sons to give to me for Mother's day. It's my go-to dry AF non-gourmand vanilla. The opening stinks like a child tossed some garden refuse (old limes, some mint, lavender) in a half-empty Macca's vanilla thick shake, then chucked the whole shitting lot onto a backyard bonfire. My neighbours have called the council on me for smoke smells that are less offensive than this. After 30 mins, it dissipates and I'm left with a soft, almost cedar-like wood with hints of vanilla . It's my favourite winter- time fragrance to wear to cuddle myself to sleep at night. I've rated it as "female", it smells so like ME now (for reference, I'm a middle aged woman) that I cannot imagine copping a whiff of it on a bloke and it sitting right.

Burning Barbershop by D.S. & Durga is ethereal yet warm. Smoky, charred and almost roasted. Pleasant cosmetic notes and gentle fougere accords intertwine with the naturalistic aroma of smoke and warm, moist soot as well as with a beautiful, deep, aromatic accord combining the subtle herbal nature of lavender with the sweetness of vanilla. The combination of a rich and complex bouquet of pure, delicate notes with the disturbing, dirty aroma of conflagration site has produced an effect that is difficult to remain indifferent to. The scent draws attention, intrigues and amazes. Burning Barbershop clearly and successfully refers to the classics of the genre, but at the same time it takes the said genre to a completely new level.

The fist time i sampled BB i was intrigued but perhaps not 100% sold as i did think it would be a challenging scent to wear. But the longer it was on my skin the more it haunted me. Kinda like a crack dealer telling you that your “first taste is free” (movie references, not personal experience ;) . In addition to wearing it on its own, I’ve found the following combinations to be absolutely fire: BB and Essential Parfumes Bois Imperial BB and Tom Ford Lavender Extreme BB and MDCI Invasion Barbare BB and Lalique Encre Noir Let me know what layering combinations you’ve tried with this scent.

I LOVE this scent. I can’t stop smelling it on myself, although what I really want is for my husband to wear it and to smell it on him. It is definitely smokey in a woodsmoke way, and after the smoke impression I get the vanilla-y mint, like vanilla mint toothpaste, or of course, old fashioned shaving cream. Then backing it up is something earthy, which I imagine to be the patchouli or fern, though I’m not sure what either of those smell like. It’s definitely an odd scent and probably not to everyone’s taste, but I find it addictive and seductive.

First time I tried this couple of years back I thought that something was wrong with the sample like it was spoiled or something, because I could not believe something could smell so horrible and sell at high price... Fast forward today it is one of my favourite fragrances and in my opinion one of the best, if not THE BEST barbershop scents in the world. And that's what I call niche perfumery ladies and gentleman! Bravo!

I'm a sucker for fresh spicy/barbershop scents and this one is head-and-shoulders above 99% of its peers. The initial blast of burnt oil lingers for a few hours then the green mint shines through. Most of the time in fragrances the stronger notes like oud and incense linger well after the fresher notes like mint and bergamot disappear but BBS is the opposite with the fresh notes pushing on.

Unique, very artistic, almost camphorous green, lavender, lime with heavy indolic incense, sharp minty and gothic freshness, vintage, transportive fragrance. One of the most striking fragrances I've come across. A must try to truly appreciate and perceive the novel synergy between the art of perfumery and the sense of nostalgia.

I'm obsessed with this scent. It's how I imagine the love of my life would smell, actually. The sweet smoke smell initially comes out and then it settle down into this classic old school Barbershop shaving cream smell. It's so beautiful and like a love letter to men of the past while giving it a modern take. Huge huge fan.

Very sexy fragrance, particularly on a non-man. Whenever I (a nonbinary afab) want to "feel my oats" I put this on and smell myself all day long. Literally smells exactly as it sounds: deep smoky notes around a heart of a very old school smelling shave cream: soapy/powdery, slightly antiseptic. Lasts forever.

I don’t think this is too challenging. I’m actually surprised by how quick it mellows out into a nice minty powdery mix. The smoky notes remain, but it’s blended nicely. I enjoy it. It’s actually pretty close to The Tragedy of Lord George in my opinion. I like this better.

this reminds me of a visit to my local buddhist temple. I'm surprised there are no incense notes in this. it's such a comforting, almost spiritual feeling wearing this scent. a little goes a long way though and I think this is a spray and walk away situation.

Smells exactly like the metaphysical store I used to go to with my mom and grandmother, sheer smoky incense and burnt aromatics. I wore this to a theater showing of The End of Evangelion and it matched the vibe a little too well.

You're either going to love this or hate this. It's my personal favorite cologne, and reminds me of getting a fresh haircut in the morning and then sitting around a campfire with friends that evening.

An absolute classic...simple ingredients executed perfectly...smoky, creamy, herbal...if you like the notes of lavender, vanilla, lime and smoky notes you have to try this...