Carduus

Is there a way to add notes onto this page bc it’s missing like everything that’s actually in the perfume. Compare this note list to the parfumo one or better yet the one jorum studio has listed for it themselves. It’s a perfume to honor Scotland named after thistles and no thistle notes listed here.... Why? Anyways..... this is my favorite scent of maybe all time that isn’t discontinued yet. I missed out on buying haxan by prissana bc I was lolligaging around and I was so afraid I’d never find something so beautifully crafted in my lifetime. Until this came along. It is so rare to find a chamomile heavy perfume that is unashamedly earthy and pungently herbal with a deep complexity that lifts off the skin with a gentle way about itself you just can’t help but be charmed by. It’s sharp and invigorating with its medicinal bite but softened by a buttery honeycomb like warmth throughout that doesn’t make it safe but more so whole and perfect really. It’s also surprisingly musky. Haxan had a goat hair tincture and if you told me this did too I wouldn’t be surprised. No one’s mentioned it but on me I get a nice funk out of it that just makes the whole experience kinda sexy in like a Bjork kinda way lol. I imagine her smelling like this while performing biophilia. Anyways it’s a shame the bottles are only 30ml I hate when companies do this. Lasts ages on me though at least my little sample has completely dominated the fabrics in my bedroom Edit: I own this now as well and bianchi’s the black knight. They’re both in my top 5 immediately but not the same at allllllllll I’m so confused why am I the only one who downvoted that comparison? The honey paired with a herbal complexity is similar but that herbal aspect is super unique between the two scents and tbk is supremely leathery so I’m confused

If you are looking for a new fragrance, something different and truly unique, then Jorum Studio will not disappoint. For me, it's about Scotland. I didn't get much information from my parents about relatives or meet many relatives, so I don't have any family stories or anything to connect to. Now, I at least have my DNA results from Ancestry, which said 39% Scotland last year, to an update to 42% Scotland now. I was so happy that a place I've always thought is so beautiful and so magical, that I've always thought so much of, is the biggest part of my DNA. I know a lot of people don't believe much in it, but it's all I have. Because of Jorum, now I have something I never had, a sensory experience of Scotland. It isn't just the fragrance itself; it's the thought and effort that's went into everything else as well. From the hand written cards to the packaging, there's no doubt that they care about you, the customer. They also showed me more kindness in a couple of emails than most people I've ever met in person. The fragrance itself is the epitome of quality craftsmanship. While a lot of us may love to go on a new perfume quest in Sephora, you won't find anything in there like what Jorum has to offer. I could never help but wonder when I watch Braveheart and William first comes back home after being gone for many years with his uncle, when he steps off his horse and closes his eyes and just breathes in the air, what does he smell? I imagine it's something wonderful, just like what Jorum Studio has crafted. If you appreciate quality, uniqueness and kindness, then you have every reason to give Jorum a try. Carduus is my favorite so far.

Carduus feels like an up close and personal study in botany, fresh, dried, bright yet dusty. I recall the smell of faded yellow flowers chamomile in a jar, with its facets of apple and pear skin, bittersweet and rustic. This is accompanied by an assortment of herbs, including a pungent, woody marjoram and a discernible anise seed. There's even a stage that reminds me of the aroma of ginseng root, medicinal, bitter, and licorice-like. It feels like a day spent examining the aroma of wildflowers along a field followed by a visit to a holistic tea and herb shop; those days where my nose is ever eager for more stimulation. There is even this unctuous, almost sebaceous undercurrent that reminds me of costus root, which adds just a bit of sensuousness to what seems an otherwise platonic and companionable scent. A growing honey in the dry down adds to this effect, while the chamomile sustains through the base. It feels more like a healing, herbal unguent over time, almost reminding me of the wonderfully archaic Santa Maria Novella scents like Potpourri or Marescialla, defiantly antiquated and surreal aura in the modern world. Yes, I think I do really like smelling like this. I sure do.

This smells exactly like an autumn harvest festival. The smell of the colorful and slightly woody autumn leaves in the air mixed with the honey sweet chamomile tea. All the while, linked arms with your date or S/O, the warmth you feel through your sweater captured in this scent. Bright opening with this zingy/medicinal clary sage that creates this cold autumn air, but the immediate warmth of hot honey, chamomile tea and woods jump in with it immediately. A very apparent dustiness from the tobacco slowly developing with very apparent herbal nature coming from the sage now that it has settled down, with cloves and what I would assume is the marjoram (first time smelling it). It has this very distinct feeling of warmth that comes from a lot of musk, the powdery florals, and the memory of a rose (you really have to know it's there). A memory captured in time. A memory to relive again and again. Unisex. Lasts on clothes for like a solid 48 hours but skin for 8ish hours before fully gone. Moderate silage. Fall through Winter. (A chill in the air required) 9/10

The brand says this was inspired by childhood summers spent foraging in Scotland -- but to me, it's more akin to a late New England autumn. Mind you, this is about as far away from a “pumpkin-spice-happy-fall-ya'll” fragrance as a perfume could be. Instead, it depicts crunchy, half-degraded leaves; animalic incense tears; mildew-laden fruit baskets; phenolic hints at far-off smoke. The perfume's story isn't that of the self-medicating, cinnamon-spiced revelries we humans hold at this time of year. It's more akin to the frenzied daily foragings squirrels have to conduct to prepare for what comes after autumn. A whimsical comparison for sure, but thoughts of gnawed tree bark, damp furry tails, and scattered acorn skins are so easily conjured when wearing this fragrance. A little challenging, yet comforting. Beautiful & atmospheric.

If decomposing into the Earth was beautiful, it would smell like Carduus. I can't get enough of this fragrance. The floral notes here are woven in so carefully you almost can't tell them apart, but they're noticeable enough to skew the fragrance 'feminine' before a couple hours leave the deeper, spicier notes behind so you smell like the topsoil of an alchemist's garden (though the evolution isn't so jarring it's like two different fragrances). As is the case with nearly all of Jorum's fragrances, unbelievable value for price. Wears beautifully. Good sillage that's not invasive. I can't think of any negatives here- if you like more complex earthy fragrances that have a floral element, this is such a gorgeous pick.

This olfactory ode to the thistle opens with a drop of honeyed cocoa that quickly disappears then this captivating unlisted creamy liquorice and herbaceous combination comes forth and completely sweeps me away as the liquorice deepens with a slick green earthy smokiness akin to incense that I was not expecting. For oil comparison, Carduus reminds me in ways of Trimerous with the addition of seductive anise, so it is no wonder my skin and nose adore this. When it comes to longevity, this perfume holds the crown as the longest-lasting of the six blends in the Progressive Botany Vol. I collection clocking in at an impressive 18 hours. Mysterious romantic liquorice and inspiring earthy incense, take me away!

At first sniff I got unwashed scalp and spice cupboard. Totally my vibe tbh. I had trouble with the unwashed scalp aspect just because I didn’t want other people to think I haven’t washed my scalp, but I think the spice cabinet overcomes that part after a while. As a massage therapist who feels extremely at home in health food stores, I can’t stop wearing this. Even when my husband said “your breath smells intense right now” 😂😂😂 I ordered a 5ml decant from scent split and love wearing it around the house or on casual days. Its very comforting.

Vegetal chamomile, medicinal wood, dusty clove, with an earthy and citrusy undertone, wild honey that turns almost sour/animalistic on my skin. I get a wee menthol-ey cooling effect in my nostrils as I inhale. Personally, this is best described as the scent of a sack bag containing wild medicinal herbs picked up from a forest for your herbal crafts. Dries down to medicinal organic loose-leaf detox tea. Invigorating and elevating rather than soothing.

Licorice, cumin, & tobacco ashes bomb... I really wonder why there isn't any licorice in the notes! i have sniffed it obviously on the first spray and here i am detecting it conquering all the way in the base note as well! This has mahogany, tobacco ashes, sweet clove woods, tea, myrtle, & just bits of chamomile, & honey. This blend is amusingly put with its freshly aired licorce, tobacco ashes, & mahogany. Incredibly Beautiful.

On my skin this wonderful creation starts with a delicious wave of liquorice and treacle. The liquorice lasts pretty much all through the long life of this perfume. As time progresses, various facets fade in and out including celery, cumin, honey, cloves/cinnamon and rose. It's a complex fragrance and clearly a lot of thought and skill has gone into its creation. Another highly recommended Jorum Studios gem.

I'm pretty sure this is what the Goblin King from Labyrinth smells like. Magic leather jacket out in the wild, slightly dusty, but some of the dust is glitter and anise cookie crumbs. Unfortunately, the label peeled off of the cardboard backing and now the cardboard backing is slowly peeling off of the bottle. I need to glue it back on and write the name on it.

I'm incredibly impressed and incredibly in love. So glad i could add this airy magic green 💚 scent in my collection. Im absolutely addicted. It's fresh and deep, smells like an enchanted forest ✨️ in the lord of the rings. Aromatic , exquisitely elegant. Soft, deep, herbal What a masterpiece ✨️💚💚💚 Extremely comforting like a herbal potion. 100/10.

Chinese herbs in a bottle. I adore you. I save this for a special occasion.

Wow this thing is WILD—it takes me on quite a journey. I’m hooked.

Carduus (Latin for “thistle”; Euan McColl is Scottish) opens brisk, green, and herbal – quite pleasant – and then goes dreamy and honeyed, with a waxy quality. A hazy late-summer day. It’s all very smoothly blended but I can easily imagine this hazy, mellow chord as chamomile tea *or* pipe tobacco. Dried-leaf vibes, for sure. I believe this is the perfume category known as “agrestic”, aka reminiscent of golden hay and country meadows. The natural points of comparison for me are other hay-based or tobacco-based scents. Carduus is way less sweet than some of these (Carolina, Naja, Harvest Mouse) and it’s brighter and less moody than Oeilleres. It’s fresh, light, sunny hay, with floral and herbal touches. I love this sort of thing; perfect for a daydreamy mood. Carduus lands in a light, graceful green-tea place; perfectly enjoyable.

Oh my gosh. Initially I thought this was like I’m a kid outside with my feet in the dirt, grass between my toes, and I can smell my mom cooking a thanksgiving turkey, but also maybe we have a Chinese relative and they brought a really aromatic broth with licorice root and the like. And I was like hmm this is cool but idk if it’s something I want to smell like. And then as it wore a bit more it became full on traditional Chinese medicine shop and I still quite liked that but again wasn’t sure if I wanted to smell like it. And then as it dried down and the honey came out a bit more I was like wait a minute...maybe I do want to smell like this. It was a journey to say the least and I’m slightly confused but definitely think this is a super unique fragrance that I will be trying again. Super long lasting and very unisex.

Dry Herbal Musk🍃 This smells like every herbal dispensary I walk into! I would have to say it is more intimate for sillage, but this is definitely for someone eclectic who is looking for a "second skin" fragrance👃 It has this woody, spiced herbal feel most likely due to the clary sage, cloves and mahogany🌿- but unfortunately it is hard to detect sweetness from the honey, rose or heliotrope🤔. Overall I think this combination is great for those practioners working in the holistic health field that are limited to wearing fragrances👨⚕️ Zodiac Trio ⬆️Virgo☀️Aquarius 🌙Virgo

I worked in natural health food stores for most of my 20s as a holistic nutritionist and I can say without a doubt this smells exactly like one of those shops. It's a blend of herbal shampoos, natural fibres, grains, spilt honey and dried flowers. It's dusty but sweet, medicinal but calming, and truly brings me back to that time and those shops and makes me feel at home and cozy. Not sure about daily wear but I'd for sure wear this in the autumn to a market, or walk in the woods with a lover.

I’m trying Carduus for the first time on a snowy Seattle day, and I’m feeling that I must get a spray sample of this because sampling from a splash is not going to do. I can’t quite figure out what I’m wearing. What I do know is that I like it. It’s very odd in that I’m not sure what notes I pick up; a little sweetness, a little botany and a lot of nature. I’m also smelling a really good smooth tobacco leaf. Is this a love? Maybe, I might need to get a bottle to find out.

Fennel seeds, maybe basil and other tender green leaves of fresh herbs blend with sweet sap and bark. Dark clean smoke in the background. Something is sweet, soothing and spice-laden, like Vietnamese pho broth. I would devour this scent if it were reincarnated as a beautiful, nutritionally-rich, bold and complex pasta pesto. It makes me think of supper! On my "like" scale of 1<5, this is 2 because I'm not sure it's something I'd like to wear.

this opens like photorealistic golfeados, a venezuelan anise and jaggery syrup yeast roll. on the dry down it turns into tea leaves. i immediately hated it, but then the golfeados scent kicked in and it was an instant change of heart. intense dry chamomile at the end.

definite like for its pleasantly sweet, but not sugary, herbal aura. niche all the way. day wear. shopping boutiques on a sunny day. purchased in edinburgh at the jorum shop at 12 st. stephen street and it brings back memories of a perfectly nice day walking about.

The most realistic Chinese medicine herb shop scent bar none

I have in sequence a flush of chamomile, cloves, hot ebony, massive doses of cardamom, marjoram, sweet tobacco, sage ... all mixed with honey. On my skin it has the consistency of a smoky molasses with the aroma of licorice and the whiffs I take from afar are, pleasant, elegant and fresh. The chamomile note maintains a comforting aura, but still masculine and mature. On my skin I get below average sillage but all in all this is a balanced blend, bright, green, light as tea and enjoyable for what it. Like a drinkable Ouzo. Longevity is excellent and the licorice glaze sadly tires my nose. Suitable for beautiful days and disengaged mornings.

This smells exactly like Marissa Zappas' Petrichor to me. This comparison amuses me because Carduus intends to evoke dryness---fields, tea, herbs. How can it possibly share similarity with a perfume meant to evoke humidity and rain? I don't know, but I'm able to sense both conceptions. Try it for yourself! Perfume is so tied up in the power of suggestion. It's the honeyed scent that they share: Petrichor lists immortelle as one of its notes, which I think is its most prominent in the drydown. I wish I experienced Carduus before Petrichor

Wow, this perfume is like a three-in-one experience. The opening is the most authentic “cough syrup” scent I’ve ever encountered—just like the custom-made syrup from the children's hospital in Southern China. As you step out of the hospital, the middle notes take you straight to a bustling market filled with spices and braising ingredients. Then, you walk into an old traditional Chinese medicine shop, where the bitterness is so intense.

When I lived abroad I used to walk pretty far just to get goods from an Asian grocery shop in my city. Carduus reminds me so strongly of the spice aisle in this shop. There's a hint of sweetness in here, perhaps from the honey. Very fresh and maybe a little piercing for me; there's something medicinal in here that, as a perfume experience, is interesting but not something I might want on my body all day.

Blind buy for me. A very literal and forward scent. There isn't much subtle about this scent. It is forward and honest. Truly unisex. It makes me feel like a witch in a cottage. Very herbal, very spicy, very natural smell, but not gourmand. Sometimes a little too strong for me.

I fell in love with the description of Carduus. On paper it was fascinating. On my shirt it was questionable. On skin it was very unpleasant. Marjoram covers virtually everything. I can pickup tobacco barely and chamomile makes itself heard over the marjoram somehow. I cannot smell any honey, or any of the floral. Two sprays on my shirt lasted about 12 hours before I stopped the experiment. One spray on skin has no quit. After 4 hours it became leather, so I scrubbed it with alcohol pads and Dawn dish soap. It survived it somehow. If you enjoy this fragrance, I am very happy for you. It is not for me. If you still want to try this fragrance I have a 30ml bottle minus 4 sprays I would love to trade for anything interesting. I am in CONUS.

You're at a cafe in Milan and you're munching on a biscotti--drizzled with honey, covered in almond flecks, dusted with anise. It's springtime, and your allergies are afoot, battered by the nearby garden blooms. You order a cup of chamomile tea, which unfortunately does nothing to help your immediate situation. Eh, don't worry, your botanical cleanse will come in due time. Carduus by Jorum Studio.

I can best describe it as a a herbal marzipan in the opening going into an exclusively green herbal scent. It is okay the dry down is more solid than when newly applied. Green herbal scents aren't for me, but I can see it working in autumn or spring for daytime, but there is a lot of other ones I would reach for before this one. But solid and safe if you like green herbals.

Extremely heavy herbal honey scent, leaning way into the animalic & smokey facet of honey. This goes straight towards barbecue on my skin. Sadly just not wearable for me.

Crap on a cracker. Turns to super animalic leather with a chaser of mint. What the heck is my skin doing to this...it’s a no for me.

This is SOOOoooOOOooo comforting to me. I feel like Im a cat laying in the sun streaming from an elaborate stained glass window. It smells like how an old historic home creaks and settles as you walk through it. I keep sniffing my inner elbow or wrist and then smiling to myself like I am the main character in a Nancy Meyers movie who just realized all I needed was to love myself!! I I also texted my friend that it sort of smells like those wood shavings in a hamster cage...but in a sexy way? It's how I imagine a "horse girl" might smell like. Having never owned a horse, please note this comes from a place of jealousy not of judgement. Between the chamomile, honey, tea, mahogany and sage and the softest hint of rose... it's a great scent to wear to bed, post-shower before you curl up to a good movie or during a rainy day where you're maximizing all possible opportunities for comfort. I am curious how this would do in heat. It definitely thrives in the Fall/Winter but I have a feeling it could turn a bit foul once Summer gets going.

Testing Carduus today with 2 or 3 spritzes from the sample spray, my first impression on application was "Lebkuchen" and "speculoos" - spice, treacle, black Finnish liquorice sweeties - but quite gentle and airy, not overwhelming or intrusive. I've been catching wafts of it from my torso, a diffuse and slightly smoky vegetal scent, as the day passed, but I can get the treacle-liquorice scent more strongly from the crooks of my arms. Funnily enough, my OH loves liquorice and says I smell 'nice':-) I'd say this was unisex possibly leaning more masculine simply because it isn't a floral sweet fragrance like many mainstream women's perfumes are today. It lasts well on the sprayed sites without being invasive.

I very much wanted to like Carduus - when I smelled it in a little glass diffuser in the pop-up shop in Edinburgh I found it the most intriguing. Alas, my skin chemistry must not suit it. On my skin it immediately turned into a giant bomb of oud, dusty chamomile and what for me smelled like a huge hit of cumin - not even listed in the notes, so it must be a fluke of what came forward/together on me personally. I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying it, but if like me you find oud tends to take over on you, and not in a good way, you likely won't get to enjoy the subtleties of this one. When I spray it on fabric clove, marjoram and honey all come through far more clearly.

OMG what an intriguing scent this is! It comes off as medicinal, plasticy and even herbacous, all in one go! It is indeed a weird scent, which is exactly what I go for, but the plstic accord is a little too much for me at the moment. I have generally been impressed with Jorum and this scent is another in a long list of scents that are very different and not at all cliche. I think I've tried them all and even though most of them I would never buy, I can appreciate the artistry and creativity behind each and every single one.

The review below just made my own review redundant. A very accurate description. For me, a kind of a licorice note is very prominent. If I would 'boil it down' to my own personal image, I think this is a licorice-woodsy-earthy kind of smell. As an image of a Scottish landscape, I can appreciate it. Although, as a personal fragrance? Not for me. But I appreciate the craftmanship and the artfulness. 'Oeilleres' from Roberto Greco comes to mind. They are both very nature-lyrical.

Carduus is treacly, spicy liquorice with a somewhat medicinal undercurrent, rounded out by dry, sweet herbs. It's beautiful, complex but quite reserved in projection. It has a kind of ancient folkloric feeling, like a herbalist's poultice, or witch's brew. Glorious.

Love a bitter herb bundle, love wood, love incense. Fifteen minutes after spraying, I started looking around for the source of a distinct smell of hamster shavings. Not for me. Must be the chamomile-tobacco-hay situation.

a lifelong elixir potion provided by an old alchemist living in a forest with a pimple on her big nose . Yeah thats what it would smell like . The potion not the witch

This smells EXACTLY like my spice box where I keep garam masala, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin seed powder etc. A Big NO for perfume.

idk why i thought i wouldnt like this. it is the closest perfume ive found that smells like the sleepy time tea with the bear

This is extremely good and evocative. But too similar to my vintage Yatagan for a full bottle. Follow me on IG @alexolympia6

An herby fennelish fragrance that reminds me of strolling by a salty bay on a cool foggy spring morning.

Yummy pirate ship that turns into a freaky masculine smell

Chèvre chèvre et chèvre pour moi...