Mineral Desert

I absolutely love this spicy, elemental and quite masculine scent. Very high desert to me even though it's missing a smell I always associate with that as a Californian--sage. True that there is nothing floral about it, happily. I have to point out though that the notes list here is incomplete. On the box it lists not only orange leaf, oak moss and musk but also, and importantly, essential oils of patchouli, orange, and petitgrain with its greenish, woody scent. The patchouli is sharp and a bit dusty and dirty, and comes through very strongly and deliciously for me. I also really like that this perfume isn't too heavy on the musk. There is just enough. It makes me think of strong, slightly masculine women of the 30s and 40s, Katherine Hepburn or Amelia Earhart types.

What a beautiful neo-1970s fragrance! Mineral Desert is simple and straightforward: aldehydes, oak moss, and orange. The aldehydes aren't nearly as sharp and soapy as they would have been in the 70s and the oak moss isn't as funky, but it's a definite homage to that era. It's a modern, versatile, unisex scent that wears its DNA on its sleeve. I can imagine Brett Somers wearing this on Match Game, perhaps before going off to a weekend in Palm Springs.

This scent instantly reminded me of 4711, almost exact, its a beautiful scent. Performance is also lacking, but where 4711 leaves after 15 mins, this one still lingers a lil more (about an hour). I got this for 8 bux at Marshall's. Great pick up, refreshing, citrusy, and like I said a little longer lasting than the OG 4711.

I like how the name leads me to sensory imagery of standing in the desert, smelling the air while holding a plant leaf. The first time smelling it in the store and hating it. Second time smelling it with the imagery in mind and actually loving it. the mood and environment does make all the difference.

After sniffing this last week at my local Target I am thinking of returning the O de Lancome I bought just two weeks ago. It's....better....or at least closer to the O I remember and more of the scent I want this spring: intensely green without being sharp, and truly fresh without being floral.

Very Palm Springs and Coachella Valley reminiscent. very strong but very nice.

Opens with a deep, damp, bitter, tart, yet bright, green freshness. Absolutely smells like real leaves at first with a bit of rind and pith — but no fruity juice. It reminds me of my parents' back yard where they have several citrus trees. It dries down to a pleasant green soapiness. I normally hate soap vibes but this works for me. I bought it with the intention of wearing it around the house but I find myself wearing it out quite often. A simple, well-executed concept. It layers well with other green woody things and softens the more masculine bitter stuff in my wardrobe. It has a nice androgynous gender balance. When I first saw the big display at Target I was both excited by the savvy, attractive design and marketing, but very skeptical about the actual juices. I immediately fell in love with the top notes of Desert, but sprayed it on and continued to shop, fully expecting to be annoyed or disgusted by the time I made it to the cashier. To my surprise I had my wrist to my face the whole time thinking, wait, I still like this! I went back to the display, grabbed a bottle, and have no regrets. Next time I'm at target I'll probably browse the other options a little more seriously. I hope they continue to develop this Good Chemistry line. The packaging and price are great. The bottle is nicely proportioned and the typography is pleasant. The one thing that annoys me is the intentionally misleading "natural" marketing. They're "made with essential oils" and it certainly smells that way, but they're banking on people believing that they're ONLY made with EOs and no synthetics. I know that's how corporate marketing works but it still feels a little twisted and icky.

The name is misleading. It doesn't smell like the desert. Instead, it smells like a hot summer day, sitting under an orange tree. You can smell the sharp leafy greenness of the leaves and the zest of the orange peel as you sink your thumbnail into the fruit to start peeling it. In the background, there's the smell of the dry soil and of the garden wall made of bricks or stones, hot to the touch, a heat shimmer dancing over it. I wish there was more of that sunbaked mineral smell. And more patchouli, but then again I always want more patchouli. The ingredients claim that there's some patch in here, but I have to talk myself into smelling any. A simple but unusual scent, fresh orange leaves and sunny orange zest with some earthiness from the synthetic oakmoss and alleged patchouli. There's a little clean musk in the drydown, but the scent is pretty linear once the citrus top note settles down. An excellent way to start the day or to perk yourself up on a hot afternoon. A masculine-leaning unisex. I have the rollerball, which is well-made and actually disperses an adequate amount of perfume with minimal effort.

I am from New Mexico and Arizona, and bought it because I love the desert, and was curious how someone might try to capture it in a bottle. It's not far off, but it's like the high desert of NM, which is greener and fresher than AZ, not as dry. I love the saltiness with a little bitter (not juicy) citrus; it doesn’t smell like creosote (creosote is lovely but very sharp) but there’s a similar vibe. Just wished this scent was amped up and longer lasting. Would be willing to pay for something more potent.

I'm having a hard time describing this scent. It's one huge plus is that it's unique-- nothing in my arsenal of perfumes smells like this. I purchased Mineral Desert (MD) at the same time as Braniac, Daydreamer and Rustic Woods. With the exception of Water Lily and Gardenia Palm, I have all the other Good Chemistry scents in my collection and pretty much like/love them all. I did not like MD when I first sprayed it. I'm not sure if it's the Orange Leaf or Oakmoss that's a little too tart/prominent, but the combination of these notes is just not "me". As I've learned with other scents in this line (mostly the Unisex ones), I know I need to give it time and come back to it probably in cooler temperatures. I certainly wouldn't wear this during the summer/warmer months because I believe it would transform into something unpleasant and cloying. In cooler weather, moisturized skin would keep it at its same composition and lead to a warm and less-sharp dry-down. I don't recommend buying this without testing it. If not, you should probably blind-buy the body spray which is cheaper than the EDP. I think a good number of both men and women will like and even love this scent, but you definitely want to test it first. I'll be back with an update once I've tested it in a different season.

This was my only fragrance for the longest time back when I was trying to smell "masculine but not like cologne" To me this smells like rain somewhere that doesn't get rain much. It doesn't smell like the desert, more like the central/northern parts of New Mexico where its green but so dry you're not allowed to have a campfire and when it rains everything is brought to life. For a cheap Target perfume, its incredibly true to nature and not synthetic at all. It's masculine in the sense that it doesn't have any of the sweet, sugary or floral notes that are so characteristic of women's perfume, but it also doesn't have any of the harshness of men's cologne. It's just a beautiful nature scent and a true unisex. (Though I'm kind of a believer that all scents are unisex. One of the manliest men I knew smelled like Suave coconut shampoo) As far as notes go, it's hard to pin down but I'd say: green/herbal, clean, dry wood, sweet grass, wet stone, and ozone-y clean air. I guess I get a little of the citrus everyone is talking about but it's more of a pithy, grapefruit peel smell than like a juicy citrus and it's very subtle. On days when I don't want to smell sweet but still want to smell inviting and comforting, this is my go to.

This scent and its reconstruction of oakmoss (I believe IFRA disallowed its use) reminds me very much of Candid by Avon. Initial notes of orange recall 4711 but the drydown is all about the warm and clean oakmoss. Very pleased. I love the original Candid but the reformulation is quite good. However this scent is more subtle whereas Candid is very assertive. I love the rollerball - it applies very well unlike many. I don’t think people should have a bias against synthetic fragrance molecules - they are more stable and can be quite expensive. Many natural essences are caustic and not environmentally friendly. It truly depends on the note. But natural does not always mean better.

I keep "visiting" this at Target and have the body spray. I am always good at describing smells - this one though makes it hard .... It's crisp, sharp and something makes you think of rocks or SLATE. It's a really nice smell and nothing I've smelled -- smells lie it. I'm going to buy the EDT this weekend. No floral in this at all ! It's a cold dessert smell. EDIT: Got the cologne and have to say that this smells very sharp and "niche". GREAT for summer-- very cool smell. Really enjoying it as nothing else in my collection smells like this !

Hmm...interesting. This smells like the steam room of a high end spa. It smells like the mix of sweat and eucalyptus and lemon slices in carafes of water. Vaguely smells like B.O. but B.O. you find inoffensive; perhaps your lover's sweat or a worn t-shirt thrown on the bathroom floor. An Orange Theory Fitness in NYC actually had Hermes Eau d'Orange Verte products in the locker room so perhaps that is anchoring this smell for me.

Who the f*** said this smells like Bobbi Brown Beach ? Or Avon Candid ? LOL. Are you people drunk on paint thinner and nail polish remover ? This is a simple , crisp, clean "rock / stone / sand" smell. It's very "cold" and GREAT for waking up in the morning! They even make a body spray for right after a shower. Avon Candid smells like Gorgio of Beverly Hills and Bobbi Brown Beach is straight up Coppertone lotion.

I kept forgetting what this one smelled like after I sampled it because it doesn't bring to mind words like "desert" or "mineral" at all to me. This was like the budget version of Hermes Eau d'Orange Verte. Smells just like it but fades quickly. This would be good for a hot summer day when you just wanted a quick refresher spray.

Certainly smells like something from Guerlain -- like in the Habit Rouge area ! It REALLY wakes you up in the morning!!!!! VERY non-floral ; if that's what you are looking for in a cologne. GREAT after a shower!!