Gaia

The Greek name for the Mother of us all, is the personification of the Earth itself. One of the four eldest deities (along with Love *Eros*, Chaos and Night *Nyx*), according to Hesiod. She was the mother of the starry sky (Uranus), the boundless sea (Pontus), of monsters and titans alike...and she loved them all equally. When the Titans imprisoned their Cyclopian brothers and the Hecatoncheires (50 headed, hundred armed creatures personifying natural disasters) in Tartarus, for their ugliness and raw power...she conspired with her youngest daughter Rhea (also an earth goddess) to overthrow her son Cronus (Rhea's husband) who ruled the Universe. Mother Earth may be all nice and green and flowery, but underneath it all she is strong and powerful and very dark...and NOT to be trifled with! Once again Adam has caught the essence of the myth perfectly here. Gaia opens with beautifully sweet and bright citrus essences and a lovely linden blossom and creamy neroli blend that add a softer floral, but still sunny fresh, feeling. Marigolds (tagetes) add a spicy dryness that is just scrumptuous! Here is the Maid of Spring, fresh and new in all her glory and youth. As this dries down somewhat, warm sweet flowers begin to bloom. Soft yellow pompoms of mimosa create a fuzzy comfortable feeling, as ylang adds fullness and warmth. She is still stunning in her beauty, but here we see more of her loving Mother and sensual Wife aspects in the subtle blending of rose gallica (a european rose that flowers on shrubs), heady jasmine sambac and thick orange flowers. A warm summer sun drenches us in its beams; as intoxicating flowers bloom, full of fragrance, all around us. For an "eau de cologne" Gaia is rather impressive, as she projects quite well and instead of just clinging softly to the skin, she rises here and there to tease, intrigue and delight. She is just amazing in how she begins green, sheer and fresh to become sultry and sexy, yet elegant. As she develops more, and enters the final phase of her evolution, she shows more of a dark "crone" type aspect. Labdanum's dry floral resin creates a haze of dark sweetness over the sharp scent of pine needles, as the ambrette seeds exude a musky woody floral aroma. Hints of heavenly muskiness greet the nose, if you sniff deeply. I am always impressed to see Africa Stone listed (despite its origins) as it adds something earthy and elegant, yet animalic and unique, to any scent in which it is used and proportioned properly. According to the listed notes, there is also linden blossom absolute in the base; what I get is something that, while still green, is thick and mysterious with a very woody, yet savory, spicy sweetness. There are VERY few perfumes (I can think of) that begin with such bright freshness, bloom into rich and full florals and dry down so very oriental, earthy and mysterious. Gaia captures every aspect of the Goddess and the archetype of Mother. She is fun, and sparkly. She is green and fertile. She is floral and sweet...and she is dark and powerful, but never overbearing. From her fresh new leaves, to her flowers and woods to her earthy and mysterious treasures; Gaia is at once ancient, youthful and eternal yet utterly unique. My words above describe her facets and aspects, but you have to WEAR this perfume to really "get" what it all combines into: alchemical magic that takes the most natural ingredients and combines them with great skill to create something far MORE than the sum of its notes or parts...something divine! Sillage: great (for EDC) Longevity: very good Overall: 4.75/5 Of all the ancient gods to personify in perfume, Gaia had to be the heardest to actually "bring to life". All that she entails from new shoots at spring, to summer's warmth and beauty, to the beautiful death of vegetation in the Autumn are caughts here with hints of subterranean treasures and dark beauty. If Gaia were to appear (in a corporeal form) and sniff this juice, I believe her Mother's heart would be proud that one of her descendants did her such homage. This scent began as a "bespoke" fragrance for the wife of one of the perfumer's friends. I applaud and humbly thank Erica for allowing Adam to make more of this gorgeous scent and spread Gaia's beauty to the world; and applaud Adam for his uncanny ability to create olfactive icons of the ancient deities that yet linger in our subconscious.