Demeter

Demeter was the goddess of agriculture and was offered the first fruits of the first harvest. She was one of the six original gods who deposed the Titans and their mad rule. Sister of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades; her sisters: Hera and Hestia (Vesta)-she was not the earth itself, but made all things grow and was especially a goddess of grain and a mother figure...her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades, and it is due to her movements each year from earth to the underworld we have the Seasons-Demeter mourns and refuses to let anything grow when her girl is gone... Wow!! This baby is strong; and begins with neroli, pepper and pine cones-a spicy, powdery sappy kind of smell that comes off a bit sour (only at first) but reminds one of the woods in late autumn. The flowers are in the background mostly, although the sweetness from them changes the scent subtly (flowers were more Persephone's thing) and with repeated sniffs you can smell some floralcy. This drydown is great! I love the smell of fresh hay dried a couple days in the sun, and thats what I get here alongside the fresh slightly earthy green scent of lightly cured tobacco leaves, and pine needles add more green; only it is dry and sharp here and adds to the 'earthy' feel. The ambrette, resins and woods here remind that Demeter rules ALL things that grow...trees, seeds and warm resins flowing in the ancient trees. There is something boozy about this one, reminiscient of the libations of wine poured on the Earth to honor the gods for their gifts to man. This may be too intense for some, but if you love natural earthy smells, with a dark musky edge-this one is for you. Not everything in nature is pretty and sweet smelling... Sillage: very good Longevity: good Overall: 4.25/5 This EDT is more of Demeter's dark, fierce aspect, but still earthy and beautiful; and I just think it is great, because it is so different. Mother Nature is not always kind and soft and sweet, and this takes a while to dry down. Be patient and you will experience a wonderful olfactive treat.

When I first smelled this I thought I detected clary sage ( which to me has a definite tea leaf smell (not dry, but wet tea leaves). There is a bucolic feel to this one like leaves and sheathes drying on a hot autumn afternoon. It is like Monet's haystacks as a perfume with Van Gogh's conifer trees lining the edges of the fields. There is a kind of camphorousness accompanying the green notes, which gives a pleasant depth. As gypsy parfumisto says it has a 'booziness' which adds to the impression of hot days and fermented fruit. After 20 or so minutes this becomes sweeter on my skin. The sweetness is from the floral notes, notably the jasmine. This is definitely unisex and a heady and beautiful fragrance.