HWY 190

I was curious about this one, but wasn't willing to invest. Ordered a few samples of it, instead, and glad I did. At least for my nose, this one is in no way unique or distinct. In fact, for first impressions, it smells almost identical to Floral Street's Arizona Bloom-- and possibly the dry-down of Commodity's Gold. If I hadn't known what was being sprayed, I would have guessed either of those. All the same, I love Arizona Bloom & Gold, so it's no surprise Hwy 190 is an instant winner for me. A balmy, sweet, woody profile that is fantastic for warm days, maybe even for warm and cooler evenings. BR540? Similar only in the dry down. For my nose, BR is honestly more masculine, with a salty mineral profile. Hwy 190 is sweeter by comparison, and more feminine. The pepper in Hwy 190 is noticeable, and floats around immediately after spritzing— but doesn't last long. The citrus and florals keep the scent balanced. The labdanum and vetiver are like a warm embrace from an old friend you've missed dearly. Just sweet enough from the vanilla, and the slightest salt undertone to retain a unisex profile. Update 9/1/25: This one has grown on me, and it's apparently become much more noticeable. I've had multiple people approach me to tell me how 'amazing' I smell. The scent is still naturally addicting, so I'm becoming more swayed to take the dive on a bottle. Have tested multiple days now, and can safely say this lasts about 4-6 hours. Adequately named; a desert highway where the florals are intensified by solar waves. Soft, but smoldering. I can’t get Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” out of my head whenever I wear this. A shame they don’t offer travel sizes. If you’re not willing to dish out the money for this one, I personally recommend the travel sizes of either Commodity’s Gold Expressive or Floral Street’s Arizona Bloom. They may not meet the exact profile for others, but for my nose they do, and they’re more affordable than this one and BR540.

The beautiful resins and oils are doing most of the heavy lifting here, and they are doing some of their best work here in this fragrance. The opening is stunning: all balsamic, sweet, spiced resin that smells like a much more expensive perfume. Absolutely captivating. Unfortunately, that dissipates very quickly on my skin - this left only what I believe was the freesia (and some disappointment) for a few minutes, but which then opened back up to a sandier spiced vetiver. An acceptable result at the end of a weird, short journey, but I was sad that that opening disappeared. On clothing, thankfully, that opening stays with you and surrounds you in a cloud of sticky, slightly sweet resin with a base of warm spices. I can't say I really smell the orange and the vanilla is truly a backup player here supporting everything else. I get some of the comparisons to BR540, but I think this is different enough that people who find BR540 too feminine might enjoy it. I didn't even think to compare until I saw the comment section here. Thinking of comparisons, I think it takes a lot of what I love about Scorpio Rising from Eris and calms it down into something a little tamer. I really like this. Man, what a way for myrrh, labdanum, and cypriol to shine. 8.5/10.

This is my signature scent; I absolutely love it. It reminds me exactly of the imagery F&R uses—a long road trip drive with the open road and all possibilities. Its earthy, woody, warm, with a tiny touch of floral from the freesia and bright sweetness from the orange. After a few hours it mellows into a solidly woody scent with a tiny touch of spice. I find this to be an all day scent, and easily transitions from work to going out. Its very unisex, although I find on me (f) it can bring out a touch more of the floral notes and lean very slightly more feminine

If it’s in my collection, I love the perfume. HWY 190 feels like an exciting drive through Death Valley. The moment I spray it, I get a bright, cheerful scent that instantly lifts my mood. During its dry-down process, the fragrance reveals a warm, inviting richness that feels comforting and grounded. There’s a lovely balance of sweetness and earthiness that keeps me intrigued.This makes me feel adventurous and outdoorsy (I am NOT outdoorsy lol), It’s versatile, elegant, daring, unique and one of my faves.

My paternal grandmother lived in Northern California, in the Central Valley, and smoked cigarettes her entire life. HWY 190 reminds me of standing outside her house at night as a child, frogs croaking in the yard, the smell of juniper and sweet dry grass mingling with the faint scent of cigarettes wafting from the screened patio door. I am not sure this scent would please everyone, but I think it's fantastic.