The Smell of Weather Turning

My recent reflections on perfume reveal a shift in my relationship to it. Having smelled so much to the point of near exhaustion, my nose has desired subtlety and some mystery. After nurturing a long love affair with classic perfume structure, I now welcome palate cleansers of the pungent and peculiar kind. Sweet and smoky organic-smelling features, wistful floral decay, and plants with faded and speckled leaves. I want that unpolished naturalism and botanical reverence, something where adjectives such as "earthy" lend only so much currency to description. I vividly dream of perfumes with notes of motherwort, salsify, purslane, and tansy. I imagine the scent of wonder rather than consumption, of perspiration rather than aspiration. Remember when you were a kid and you just didn't care if there was dirt under your fingernails? I am in that sort of headspace/"nosespace." The Smell of Weather Turning is a confluence of otherwise disparate smells that somehow is not discordant, and satiates my current cravings. I am somehow reminded of the smell of catnip, even though it doesn't necessarily smell like the actual herb. There is something about the mint and chamomile together that hits my trigeminal nerve in the most exhilarating manner, almost a tickle at the back of my throat, making my mouth water. I also get flashbacks of walking through pine barrens after controlled burns and rainfall: scorched saplings, vegetation, and soil. Then there is the damp, sweet grassiness of hay paired with a bundle of medicinal herbs, not to mention autumn-aged oak leaves—joy, this is what it is all about. Is that rotting wood I smell? Give me more. Damp, gray-green murmurs persist hours on and all I want to do is rub my nose slowly back and forth on my forearm.

A truly unique scent fron Lush that I happen to enjoy quite a fair bit! It's green, a little aquatic (it's too "clean" i.e. not dirty or idk muddy enough to be a petrichor scent to me, nor is it oceanic), a little bit minty and herbal as well. The dry down transforms into something muskier on my skin vs on clothing. The mental image I get in my head based on what this smells like is a secluded forest somewhere in western Europe after it had just finished raining. Most appropriate for autumn imo but I can still see this fitting for all seasons because I find it fresh enough for spring and summer (but not in a fruity or citrusy way, of course) but also dark and brooding for winter (but not in an oud-heavy or smokey/tobacco-ish way). Longevity is also moderare to long on me based on Fragrantica's parameters for longevity – by hour 10, that's when I can feel it's definitely on its last legs. It's also been a nice surprise seeing that probably out of all the perfumes I have (and I own quite a fair bit) I have probably received the most compliments on what I smell like when I'm wearing this. It projects quite well and seems to cut easily through random smells in the environment unless the smell happens to be a really strong one. I didn't particularly like that there wasn't a 30ml size to choose from, so I ended up buying the 100ml size after testing it out a few times in the physical Lush stores and liking the way it wears throughout the day. But given the size and performance based on longevity, sillage and creativity of the scent, I find it to be decently priced. I will be using it up like a body spray because 100ml is A LOT.

[Edit: it's ten years later and I still adore The Smell of Weather Turning] Oh. Oh, this is my perfume. This is bringing me so much pleasure - why did I not try it out earlier? I think it's because Lush shops smell so overpowering that I don't go in, and if I do I can barely smell anything. But this (I've bought the solid version) has made me reconsider my aversion to the nose-bashing brand. It's not just the beautiful concept and winning marketing guff backing this scent that makes it so attractive to me - it's the fact that this is a perfume I can really wear and not feel disjointed. It merges with me and I love every note in it, I love that every note is something I know well in nature in these isles and can identify with. Warm but fresh, cool but soft, damp and green, sweet but with that sexy darker hint of woodsmoke that only appears every so often. Gorgeous. After the wet mint top notes dry down, I find that what's left on me is a deep, almost edible oriental mushroomy glow which smells very very like the Murmure solide that used to be my only perfume, which I adored but managed to lose. I've searched for a while for a solid perfume that will give me that same effect - just a barely perceptible hint of a soft skin scent that's mainly for my own enjoyment. Turns out that, once the weather here has turned, the gently spiced drydown lingers for ages on me.

So here's the note breakdown from the ingredients list on the back of the bottle - oak, West Indian Bay, beeswax, peppermint oil, peppermint absolute and chamomile. No mention of any of hay, nettle, oakmoss or cinnamon. No clue where fragrantica is getting those from. This fragrance is mint in overdrive. It's altoids on steroids, it's toothpaste stuck up your nose. I've long searched for an unabashed mint fragrance and I found my grail with this one. It's almost too much to wear in public - I generally layer a bit of it with something more friendly. Beyond the frenzied menthol rush, there's a hint of beeswax and if I REALLY stick my nose in there I probably identify (or maybe imagine?) some floral-oiliness from the chamomile. This is not a projection monster but it's got the quality of being detectable from afar if you're predisposed to like/dislike mint intensely. Despite its apparently high concentration of oils (leaves an oily mark on the skin), it's not very long lasting. Wear with caution and blind buy ONLY if you're fine with wearing toothpaste.

I think I might love this. A lot more than I was expecting to. Upon first spray, all I get is smoke and mint, and I'm not even sure where the smoke is coming from. But as it settles down, the most beautiful hay and sun-drenched grass scent comes wafting up. The mint is still there, hanging at the back of your throat. The beeswax is sweet, a little creamy, but mostly it's just that lovely grass and hay and the tiniest hint of smoky mint. I can see that this might not be everyone's cup of tea, or while some people might like this, they may not want to wear it. I personally just can't see anything wrong with smelling like this all day long. It makes me want to spritz myself all over and run around barefoot in a glade, soaking up the sun. Beautiful. (If it tells you anything about my scent preferences, I also love the Grass shower gel from Lush. I actually bought this hoping to find something like that. While it's not really similar, I love both scents.)

assai evocativo il nome, "il profumo del tempo che cambia", altrettanto particolare l'evoluzione. mi aspettavo qualcosa di minimale del tipo Demeter Fragrances (che annovera nella biblioteca olfattiva anche il Thunderstorm) ma qui ci si trova dinnanzi all'astrazione piuttosto che alla riproduzione realistica di un odore. i primi spruzzi, tuttavia, danno una netta sensazione di asfalto rovente bagnato dalle prima gocce di pioggia, restituendo quasi l'effetto della gomma da pneumatici. quindi parte una evoluzione molto complessa, con sentori fumosi da cui spunta un tripudio di note grasse da brughiera bagnata di fieno, ortica, menta e muschio di quercia. infine l'assestamento su un fondo morbido e leggermente dolce di camomilla. ovviamente è fuori produzione. inusuale e bellissimo.

A more accurate name for this is "Smell of SEASONS Turning". This is one of my favourite fall scents! It's unusual in that it is a freshie, but for fall. Smells exactly like crisp autumn air and aromatic leaves. Earthy. Natural. I prefer dupes of this over the original, as the original has a strong oak note, which smells like burning ground. Dupes are a lot softer and play on the mint, hay/chamomile, nettle, and beeswax notes. Not a safe blind buy, but a must-try if you want to replicate that whimsical fall air. Small dupe bottles are available in many places to try before you buy a full size. Guerlain Herba Fresca is it's summer mint cousin. Notes according to my nose (in order of prominence): mint, chamomile, nettle, beeswax

On my skin it opened with an earthy petrichor scent, then evolved into smelling like a campfire, settled into a sweet mix of hay, chamomile, and a background earthy smokiness. It's like camping in the forest on a cool summer night, gathering around the campfire. It is exactly how I want to smell, but please keep in mind that I love when my hair and clothes absorb the smells of a bonfire and I grew up on an old farm. So perhaps this is just a perfume that smells like my ideal self. I didn't get a mint note like many people, so it must be a body chemistry thing, try it in person if you find the concept intriguing. Try it on your skin, not just on a scent stick because it evolves so differently on different people.

This is a very unusual and very wonderful scent, that reminds me of the smell of bushfires in Australia, or raking leaves in an English Autumn and burning them on the bonfire at evening. It's smokey and lightened with a note of mint, but it's not "minty" as such. It's also very strong and very long-lasting - be sparing. One observation: I was fortunate enough to get the solid perfume when it first came out. The solid version is far better than the liquid. The solid is softer, sweeter, more subtle. The liquid is sourer and harsher - like the tang of a men's aftershave - it's still nice, but as mentioned, be sparing. I greatly hope that Lush brings out the solid version again, because it's a far lovelier version.

TSOWT is a refreshing fragrance that brings the forest from the outside in. There is a hint of fresh mint skimming the surface of deep, sophisticated woods. Every fragrance lover who is attracted to green fragrances will not appreciate the stand alone uniqueness this fragrance offers. Lush has apparently decided to alienate this fragrance from the typical greens by inducing a shock value at first spritz. It could be considered a scrubber at first blast but the woods lull you in creating a peace and serenity like no other. This fragrance could easily wear you if you don't have the courage to pull it off. If you can take the heat of hard core woods, then be my guest, just proceed with caution.

So beautiful, definitely a green type of gothic. Whimsical and nostalgic, but rooted: it smells like mint tea outside in a chamomile field while clouds are stirring, the first few raindrops falling into the cup. 🍵🌧 The opening is definitely bold and unforgiving, sort of like tuning a trumpet - it’s a loud but necessary process, ya know? It’s a Victorian apothecary, leafing through glass bottles in a leather bag to find a particular ointment (a balm made of beeswax and nettle) The end results are ethereal. It’s what I imagine Hyrule or the Shire smells like - sweeping green fields and hay in the opening of autumn, traces of sweetened tobacco hanging in the air 🍂

First I thought it is a summer scent because of the ingredients and the whole concept of "the smell of weather turning". I have tried wearing the perfume on summer days but it seemed to disappear after 30 min. I thought it was really a shame because it could have been my favourite... ...... And now I have tried it in colder weather, in Autumn and it lingers perfect! It stays both on skin and clothes all day (on clothes - two-three days) and it has a fantastic, calming but somehow refreshing scent. ....... So, for me this is a definetely Autumns-scent!

I was a Pony Club kid, and it always seemed like every event we took the horses to was cursed with terrible weather. Smell of Weather Turning is an almost photorealistic impression of wet grass, haylage, and your pony's minty breath after you feed her a Polo. The scent is so familiar and nostalgic that it makes me kind of emotional. It's fragrances like these that really remind you that Lush is a British company. This smells like home to me, and I'm in love with it.

First of all, whoever mentioned queer Lush employees, I agree. They absolutely are a gift to humanity. Now to the scent. The Smell of Weather Turning makes for such a perfect year-round companion. It broods with you, it thunders and rages with you, it soothes like chamomile tea, prickles like a minty nettle, and it makes for a wonderfully ominous background for your laughter. It's a piece of art, so are you, and it makes you realize both.

Smells of something between burnt leaves and tires on a bonfire and the atmosphere scent just before a storm but when it settles down it tends to smell like a strong black tea leaf accord washed out with hay. Quite unusual and natural in a weird yet lovely way. It is actually quite wearable if you like the strong herbal spirit of Dior Eau Noire or Comme des Garcons Series 1 Leaves Tea. Try before buy!. Lovely long lasting and projection!

The opening is hay and dry grass but shortly it opens up into a lovely woody (oak) base with fresh mint. It's not minty like toothpaste or gum, but green and fresh like bruising fresh mint leaves between your fingers. The Chamomile and oakmoss, and maybe some nettle give it a nice earthy feel under the mint. Like all Lush perfumes it has really great longevity and a nuclear sillage. Use a light hand with it or you'll clear the building.

There’s a kind of red thread running through some of my favorite fragrances: it doesn’t live in the notes, but in the inner landscapes. In The Smell of Weather Turning, I sense a feeling of absence, of soft melancholy, of unresolved memory. It makes me think of someone- or perhaps something- of a scene from an old English novel, or a place I’ve never been yet somehow feels familiar. A damp, green, ozonic fragrance, touched by the cold.

This is one of my favorite fall/winter scents. The grassy hay opening is rough on me, but like the name implies, this is the storm moving through, and even the 'off' note of this phaseon my skin only intensifies that feeling. It's the warm, smokey amber and spice dry-down that makes it worth it..like snuggling into blanket beside a warm fire after a storm.

ABSOLUTELY love this perfume. I've NEVER experienced a perfume that changes scent as drastically as this one. Upon application, it smells of grass... fresh cut grass. Give it an hour or so, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. It smells WONDERFUL. I wish I could bathe in this scent!! I always get compliments when wearing it. Truly a sensational fragrance. A must-smell!!

I am obsessed, its out of my budget, but I am obsessed. It captures the image of an incoming thunderstorm so perfectly, it is damp and dark green and a bit smoky. I feel like I could be walking thru a forest trail or maybe a meadow in the spring with a dark cloud looming above. To me it has a similar petrichor vibe as Lush Tank Battle but wayy less sweet