Caravan Spice (Holiday no.11)

Not just for winter anymore. I put DSH Caravan Spice on today, a fairly warm day in late July and am finding it delightful. It's a dry heat though (like the joke about the two guys in hell); I'm not sure how this works on a day with 90% humidity. Dawn doesn't date her fragrances and I can't remember when this came out, but I think it was before the age of ouds and heavy oud like scents. Caravan Spice is a much lighter scent. She lists a ton of specific notes for this fragrance on her website, well beyond spicy notes and amber: Amber, Atlas Cedarwood, Brown Oakmoss, East Indian Patchouli, Frankincense (Olibanum), Myrrh Gum, Vanilla Absolute, Bulgarian Rose Absolute, Carnation, Cinnamon Leaf, Clove Bud, Ginger, Grandiflorum Jasmine, Mace, Bergamot, Black Pepper, Cardamom Seed, Lemon, Mandarin, I smell lots of oakmoss, vanilla, amber, cinnamon, and some rose, clove, frankincense and carnation. But it's all done with a light touch. This is not a Tom Ford/decadent scent. You don't wear Caravan Spice to announce your presence in a dark bar. It's always interesting to analyze the effect a perfume name has on the wearer's expectations of the scent itself. I think Caravan Spice without the Holiday No. 11 attribution would seem like a scent you could wear year round. Caravans, especially those in one's imagination, are not seasonal.

According to the DSH website: Amber, Atlas Cedarwood, Brown Oakmoss, East Indian Patchouli, Frankincense (Olibanum), Myrrh Gum, Vanilla Absolute, Bulgarian Rose Absolute, Carnation, Cinnamon Leaf, Clove Bud, Ginger, Grandiflorum Jasmine, Mace, Bergamot, Black Pepper, Cardamon Seed, Lemon, Mandarin. Perfect in combination with a favorite snuggly sweater. ♤♡♡☆♡♡♤

This, personally, was not for me. It smells like 75% Saigon cinnamon (the spicy kind of cinnamon, like Red Hots candy), and 25% Amber. It's pretty simple--if you like that kind of cinnamon, you ought to enjoy this perfume. If you are like me and are not into it, this perfume will not be your thing. I do appreciate the amber in it though--very warm and smooth. Update: Tried again and again. It just smells like a cinnamon holiday candle.