Bukhara

Gallivant scents are all named for cities, and I especially enjoy when they choose less obvious cities as the inspiration for a perfume. I disliked London, an ozonic lightweight rose (on-theme but dull and unpleasant), but Bukhara is one of my favourite Gallivants. Given that it is an iris scent, this comes as no surprise to me, but it is beautifully put-together. It reminds me of Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist, perhaps my favourite scent of all, being centred on an earthy, rooty orris. I have never ventured anywhere near Uzbekistan, so I can't speak to the inspiration, but this is truly lovely. Bukhara is orris-led from initial spray, earthy but smooth and rounded, an utterly delicious use of iris. Soft, peppery spice keeps things aromatic up top, and a subtle pear note emerges after a while, softly sweet and fresh. There is a clean, soapy feel to it here, but there are no aldehydes. As it develops, clean, powdery jasmine adds body, playing second fiddle to the iris. A nice saffron note adds its refined ambery quality to this scent, marrying beautifully with the iris. I get the dry apricot note as it progresses further, adding soft sweetness like the pear of the opening. It marries well with the powdery florals, remaining in the background. There is a lovely musky undertone that slowly develops in the background. Dry woody notes complement it further as it dries down. It remains airy, bright and clean throughout, the soapiness of the opening lingering without being synthetic. Sillage is moderate and longevity is long-lasting. It is a unisex, transeasonal scent, but is tailor-made for spring in my opinion. A bright, fresh take on orris that doesn't compromise its rooty, powdery richness, it is an approachable, everyday orris scent. My favourite Gallivant so far. Iris Silver Mist Lite. 4.5/5.

Discovering Gallivant right now. My perspective is quite different and "virgin", as I'm not a traveler and I've never been to any of the cities these perfumes are inspired from, so I have no references. I'm going in blind. This one especially caught my attention as a lover of iris. It is indeed a beautiful powdery iris. To the nose (on the strip), I get immediately olfactory pictures of Dior Homme: powdery iris with a tinge of spice and a odd fresh feeling compared to the more plasticky/lipsticky iris of Dior Homme Intense. I think this is from the coriander's citrusy nature and caraway's mint-like smell. Oddly enough, on skin it changes a lot. It does gain that carrot seed like vibe with a touch of something resinous. On strip it stays the same the whole way through. Sadly, I wish this lasted longer. On skin I get 4-5 hours max and it does not project much. That said, at 130$CAD, I'll gladly get myself a bottle and I might use it here at home or at night, as I feel this to be quite relaxing.

First impressions based on a few wearings from a sample - The opening smells like silk, reminds me of a silk coat I had many many years ago, it's a smooth and clean musky scent, the spices add warmth but nothing is jarring or screechy here at all. Smooth smooth smooth! Everything is so perfectly blended it's very much that "your skin but better" feeling, without being boring like that kind of scent can sometimes be. There is development, it becomes a little sweet for a time, then the sweetness gently backs away again. It's so fluffy, even makes me think of kitten fur. This is a fragrance that will bring the wearer an aura of mystery. Not everyone will think you're wearing a perfume but instead maybe you just emanate a beautiful other worldly aroma...

This one really grew on me! So different from what I usually wear, but it literally had me hooked and I think it is the first fragrance that has me wanting to explore other fragrances that have Iris. I'm actually unsure whether it was the Iris or the coriander that had me falling for this one.. I will be purchasing the discovery set to explore Gallivant fragrances a bit more. I love the idea of capturing the essence of a city in a fragrance, very clever. And at a time where we are restricted with travel, why not! In 2020 Gallivant won the Best New Niche Fragrance award at the Purebeauty Global awards. Well done Nick!

For me this is a spice fest. Not sweet. Not floral at all. Like walking through a spice market . I love it. I wear this on a warm summer evening in the UK but then again it also works on cold winter days. The spices are warm and seductive and have come from far away. I don’t know why some mention carrots? I grow carrots and I know their aroma. This is a unisex scent I believe. Complex and clever. It works very well on me and eventually fades to a soft remembrance.