Gothic III

White florals. This omnipresent perfume genre is classic and by some opinions, oversaturated. I have recently tried many white florals, looking for the white floral that balances the right notes, one that *isn’t*: artificial smelling, too indolic, too sweet, harsh, overpowering, soapy. I have gone through many samples. If the market is oversaturated, it’s due to the overwhelming amount of white floral done poorly. Gothic III is this classic genre, done very well and slightly alternative due to the mossy, grassy notes satisfying my need for balance. It has none of the “isn’t” factors I listed. Some say gothic III is heavy gardenia, others say jasmine. I get both gardenia and jasmine, but it opens with a strong orange blossom. This particular orange blossom triggered a scent memory from around 25 years ago. When I was still a “budding” young woman, I would take trips to JC Penney with my mom. Sometimes I would look at the training bras and wish to be a girl with breasts ASAP. Smartly placed on the same rack with boxes of tiny bras were roll on fragrances. One was orange blossom, and I think there were some other predictably girly youthful ones such as gardenia and peony. After what seemed like endless want, I convinced my mom to buy me the roll on. I felt like the prettiest little girl for like 30 mins, because that’s the amount of time one application lasted. Each time I put on Gothic III, the opening transports me to the training bra rack at JC penney and I love it. Anyway, this is an excellent white floral with just the right counternotes at just the right level. I usually go unisex with perfume, but this is definitely more feminine. A question that’s been posed about the gothic line by myself and others: is it actually “gothic”? The answer depends on your own interpretation of the word gothic. If gothic to you means thigh high patent leather boots and black lipstick, then Gothic III is a disappointment. Update: after several wears, I’m finally identifying the musty dry down others describe. I love it. It smells kind of like an attic, and it’s earthy too. With that in mind, gothic III reminds me of an antique doll that comes to life as a little girl and plays in the spring flowers while the magic spell lasts. When the spell wears off, she has to be tucked back in to her musty trunk in the attic. Amazing. Or...it could be the musty smell of the inside of your coffin, with the smell of the earth distant on the outside, white flowers in your hands folded onto your chest.

Sweet white florals crystallized in amber. Willy Wonka would have these in his edible garden. A flourmand, if you will.

Top note of 1980's Strawberry Shortcake dolls. After a couple of minutes, settles into the smell of cracking pleather seats in a 1970's-era car, owned by a cigarette-smoking grandma, that's been sitting in the hot summer sun. Maybe that's the moss? Then it finishes with a waft of musty craft glue. Interesting, but not what I'd want to smell like.

Mossy, earthy gardenia. Cemetery vibes galore!!! Not for me but nice. -

Gothic III. I have few words. Gothic III is an indolic, white floral fragrance with fecal, resinous, amber notes. There's oakmoss in the middle. And there's a good measure of grass & dirt thrown in just because... Really awful stuff.