I Don’t Know What

So, my nose loves synthetics! Iso E Super, ambroxan.. yes please!! I own and love Molecule 01. I was literally blown away the minute I smelt it and sprayed it. An ever elusive Love at First Whiff! To my nose, Molecule 01 smells like a super fresh and bright woody, purple and white floral.. I’ve popped my review of it below as a reference; https://www.reddit.com/r/FragranceStories/s/K2p3QyxhZs So I was defo excited to sample DS&Durga’s *I Don’t Know What* with its combo blend of synthetics. There’s bergamot in the top, but then Iso E Super and Vetiveryl Acetate in the middle, and in the base there’s Ambroxan, Civettone and Firsantol. I’m also fascinated by how differently people’s noses process synthetics, with some people not being able to smell them at all... so here’s how yesterday went! This opens with a fresh, green citrus, but not sharp, which disappears very very quickly. I was expecting something sweet and bright with Iso E Super but I’m not getting that at all. It’s a soft, less sweet, much woodier Molecule 01, zero floral, with a very faint whiff of Vetiver. When I say faint, it’s like my OHs beard the morning after he’s worn Guerlain Vetiver the day before. It’s very woody, powdery, very slightly green citrusy and I’m feeling an absolute pang of disappointment here as it hangs around like this for a good while and I feel it’s not going anywhere special. I only did one spray on my arm, as you need to be cautious when sampling super synthetics and I’ve a sensitive nose. So I was about to go back and do another spray... when, BOMP!! 25 minutes in.. oh holy momma!!! The firsantol and civettone has arrived, dancing with the ambroxan! Oh yes please! Maybe it took a while for my olfactory processes to let my brain know what was going on, but it is going on now. This is exquisitely beautiful. Radiant, warm, ambery, sweet, musky, creamy, blooming sandalwood, minus the fruitiness. This firsantol is superpowerful! There is something comforting and familiar in this sweet, creamy, ambery woodiness yet it’s very sophisticated, intoxicating and addictive. There’s no faecal stankiness with the Civettone, but it’s bringing a sweet, animalistic musk. It’s super super sexy! No joke, if I whiffed this off my OHs beard I think I might have to rip his clothes off! Wow, this is so good. Hours and hours later and it hasn’t gone anywhere. One spray! This has some serious staying power! My only draw back is that with it being so warm, creamy and ambery it was a bit too much for me during the day when it was hot and muggy. There’s no freshness here. It’s not dirty, but it’s not clean either.. it’s warm and worn, ‘lived in’ maybe is the word I’m seeking? But it’s extremely enjoyable in the evening when it started cooling down. And even better when I climbed into bed. So good, so addictive.. my nose keeps being drawn to my arm to sniff it in deeply. And this morning when I awoke, I could still smell it. ‘I Don’t know What’ is meant to be used as a ‘fragrance enhancer’, sprayed along side a perfume to increase longevity but, for my nose, I imagine this warm, creamy, ambery woodiness would drown out anything that’s it’s layered with? I wanted to try again this morning to see if I would process it differently.. one spray on the opposite arm this time, and yep.. it only took a minute this time for my nose to take me to the warm, creamy, ambery, woody goodness and the Vetiver is a bit more present. Absolutely fascinating!! **Collection Status** this is honestly, so so good! Buuutttt.. it doesn’t smell like me, I can’t imagine me wearing this at all. I’m going to do a few retests in autumn/winter maybe. And maybe try it layered with something. However, I do think I need to convince my OH to fall in love with it, maybe get him a bottle for Christmas, I don’t think he’d be disappointed with the potential side effects whenever I get a whiff of this on his beard!!

I Don’t Know What by DS & Durga I found this by accident. I was in LA, TSA made me toss my bottle of Le Labo Santal 33, and I was heated. Ended up in a small boutique inside the hotel lobby, started smelling around, and landed on this. Instant recovery. This is one of those scents that doesn’t announce itself loudly but pulls people in. It sits close, almost like it’s part of your skin, but something about it keeps catching attention. I’ve had more men ask me what I’m wearing than women, which says a lot. Guys don’t ask unless they’re serious about buying it. It opens clean and soft with a kind of airy brightness, almost like warm skin after a shower. As it settles, you start to notice a smooth, musky woodiness with a slightly salty, radiant quality. The base is where it really lives. It becomes this transparent, almost glowing skin scent that just lingers and quietly projects. Notes are built around Iso E Super, bergamot, vetiver acetate, civettone, and a subtle fir balsam. That combination gives it that diffusive, almost magnetic effect. It doesn’t smell like a traditional cologne. It smells like you, just better. I went through multiple bottles before realizing it’s marketed as an enhancer meant for layering. I’ve never layered it once. It stands completely on its own. Performance is steady rather than loud. It stays on skin for hours with a soft but consistent trail. This is not about projection. It’s about presence. This is clean, unique, and quietly addictive. More understated than flashy, but it leaves an impression. Easily one of the most complimented scents I’ve worn. Grade: A+ Projection: A+ Longevity: A+ Compliments: A+ $: ~$250+

I always get compliments on this perfume, but today I got two compliments that I thought were worth sharing to people thinking about buying this perfume. 1) While on my way to an apartment tour, I sense that someone is running up behind me. Then, I feel a tap on my shoulder. It’s a young man about my age. At first, I was worried he was going to hit on me (not into men), but immediately he goes “I’m so sorry but what are you wearing? you smell so good”. We end up chatting for two blocks before parting ways. 2) I am waiting for an uber outside of my apartment. My roommate, on his way back from the gym, comes up to me and says “oh my god, you smell so good. I could smell you down the block.” The first guy was a straight black guy who grew up and lives in Brooklyn. My roommate is a gay man from Miami who really only keeps to Manhattan. Super different people, but both loved the perfume. The silage is super strong (especially if you douse it like me). However, longevity is meh and probably my only qualm. However, I think this perfume beats out molecule 01 in both categories + other people tend to notice/appreciate “I don’t know what” more. I think the price tag is reasonable in the context of similar brands and scents, but it is by no means a steal.

IDKW is a stellar fragrance. When I sprayed it on a test strip, I thought 'this might be perfect.' It was so good and I was so excited to try it on. My only concern was how fresh it is, since that's not usually a quality I gravitate towards, but I was excited to see how it worked with my skin. Once I smelled it on me, I knew I needed a bottle. I can understand how it would be stellar for layering, and reminds me of Molecule 04 a little bit in that way. I am a little concerned about growing anosmic to it (which can happen with synthetic notes). I tried layering it with my all-time favorite fragrance, Moonmilk, and it did nothing. So I am intrigued to see what in my collection it pairs well with. While it is fresher than what I usually go for, I think this is a perfect summer fragrance for me, because the heavier, warmer fragrances I tend to love can be a bit much in the summer heat.

I'm not usually into these second skin, not a perfume type scents but this one knocked my socks off. This is a woody but fresh and clean scent that somehow also has a slightly astringent quality which, all together, just smells really sophisticated, attractive, and well-composed. I get mostly get the vetiver and sandalwood off of this, but the bergamot also stays present for longer than I anticipated. Think laundry drying on a clothesline right next to a forest. The sillage was impressive for a fragrance of this type and this lasted 13 hours on me which is absolutely incredible. I'm sure this would be great for layering but it's also just a star on its own. This is the perfume that comes the closest (for me) to tricking you and others into thinking you have your life together and just naturally smell good.