Agrestic

I was just thinking this morning, as I stood next to a freshly mown field and enjoyed a nice breeze, that I wish there was a way to capture that smell in a bottle. Incidentally, I happened to randomly grab Agrestic out of my bag o' samples later in the day and it turns out to capture that smell really well. It basically smells like I took a handful of grass clippings and rubbed them on my arm. I don't detect the smell of cannabis at all, so anyone concerned that they might smell like weed need not worry. ETA: I tried this side-by-side with St. Clair Scents First Cut, which is my current favorite "cut grass" fragrance. They definitely have similarities and overlap but Agrestic seems greener, like grass that was cut just a few hours ago, while First Cut smells like cut hay that's been laying out in the sun for a few days. They both have an almost spicy herbal layer but First Cut is stronger and feels like it has more depth. If I had to rank them, First Cut would come out on top but I'm surprised how much I like Agrestic in comparison.

If you need proof that scent is subjective, look no further than these reviews! The other two reviewers say they smell fresh, green, grass. Freshly mown, even. To me, however, there isn't a hint of living greenery here. It's all sweet, dried, long-dead hay. Sweet hay, coumarin, and liatris dominate this for me, with a sharp powdery background that reminds me, oddly, of band-aids. If you've ever been in a hayloft on a dry day, imagine that. If not, imagine sticking your nose in a tin of slightly dusty-musty loose chamomile tea. That's not to say I don't enjoy it– I do! I love hay in perfume! But based on the other reviews I was hoping for a greener take on the hay genre, with a bit more of that fresh tomato leaf coming through. As it is, I want to try layering this with a more astringent green scent to see if they complement one another.

If you’re already anticipating summer and looking for something fresh, grassy, and verdant, this might be something to consider. Agrestic is like the essence of cut grass distilled into a phial with maybe the faintest hint of something floral – and, yes, a bit of cannabis just because Dawn is cheeky like that. In fact, this is only one of the four scents that she released which were all inspired by the 2014 court decision to legalize marijuana in Colorado, her home state. The other three are: Rocky Mountain High, I Love You, Mary Jane, and The Green House. (There’s no need to point out that Dawn has a real panache when it comes to naming her perfumes.) Some of the notes, in no particular order: bergamot, Brazilian vetiver, cannabis accord, coumarin, cypress, grandiflorum jasmine, oakmoss, guaiac wood, hay absolute, hemp, lavender and lavender absolute, liatrix, sandalwood, grapefruit, and tomato leaf. Her website describes Agrestic as “a twist on the modern fougere that features hay and a cannabis heart, of course.” To be honest, I never would have identified it as a fougere, since I can’t detect any lavender at all – but the vetiver, cypress, hay, hemp, sandalwood, grapefruit, and tomato leaf are all very noticeable.. At the very top, I get a vinyl or acrylic/rubber note which I initially thought to be out of place, but within a few minutes that’s gone and what you’re left with for the rest of the fragrance life – and it’s a long life – a freshly mowed grassy with some terpene accords (aromachemicals that give pot its distinctive, resinous smell) that make you wonder what could possibly be growing behind the shed in the backyard. On second thought, that vinyl or acrylic/rubber note is not out of place at all. The next time you mow, if you mow, get your face as close as you can to the freshly cut blades. The smell only seems fresh from a distance, but up close and personal, it’s has the exact same scent that Dawn puts in the top. A perfumer whose scents can force you to notice new things about the world is certainly one who deserves the support of the community. Another wonderful thing about Dawn’s scents is that you’re not stuck with one or two bottle sizes; she sells each of her scents in about half a dozen different sizes and presentations to suit the needs – and pocketbooks – of her customers. If you want something clever and just a little bit cheeky to treat yourself to, or a friend or family member who fancies a freshy, give this a try. But don’t blame me if you get addicted and find it a “gateway” into the rest of her collection. (Sorry, you know I had to end this review with a pot joke.)