Humus

mildewy Michigan basement. washer and dryer on cracked concrete floor. gets sweeter in the dry down, a whisper of sugar. metallic pine, sharp vetiver. steam room. massage oil dripping on old bathhouse tiles.

The first moments are shocking with headache-inducing fumes of harsh pine sap and vetiver blasting open your sinuses (see savacsaian's point about Vaporub). At the 15 minute mark it tentatively begins to smooth out. It's sharply unpleasant but there is a hint of the forest floor starting to emerge. At 1 hour the pine has softened enough into the oakmoss and vetiver to give a more realistic, earthy balance and I'm getting it — a solitary ramble deep into the pinewoods. Lonely, eerily beautiful, melancholic, communing with nature. Who can put up with that wait though?

i was really excited to test Humus, from the notes i thought it could take me back to when i used to go in the woods to look for porcini at the end of summer. Unfortunately it opens with a strong pine note that is very harsh to my nose and comes across very synthetic. This pine note lasts for hours on paper, but once it finally mellows, the dry down is actually very pleasant.

Earthy, mentholish, slightly mineral. Highly reminiscent of Vic Vaporub. In a cold stone mortar: damp soil, a hefty amount of pine and eucalyptus leaves, mineral water. Smash the devil out of it. Slightly addictive. I love how well it portraits the Washington State creeksides at the end of the winter. I love the mushroom earthy with a tad of violet kick. Scenic and well balanced. --- Note: I'm laughing because when I was a kid I was addicted to eating Vic Vaporub. I have this slight impulse to attempt to lick my tester bottle when I smell this haha.

I had a bottle of this that exploded all over the contents of my backpack while in the middle of a backpacking tour of Italy and France I was on. I’ll always associate this smell with a summer of exploration and great memories. Super powdery and comforting fragrance