Love

I worked for a store that stocked this in both the alcohol-based bottle and the oil-based roll-on, and this scent was always polarizing for clients. It's intriguing and unique, but it does have a bit of a bite to it that's not quite spicy, not quite musky, not quite woodsy, which are base notes more people are familiar with. The gunpowder does bring something very unexpected! The oil-based roll-on is what I own, and it has about 40 minutes of longevity before the sillage dies down. However, the fragrance is very concentrated in the oil, so if you use it in your hair or add it to a fragrance-free hand lotion or body butter, it increases the longevity significantly. I end up with a moderate sill for 3-6 hours if I use it to smooth my flyaways. The alcohol-based bottle has lasted more than 24 hours on me, though after 3 hours the sillage drops from heavy to mild, and after 6 more hours after that, it drops to soft through to the next morning. This is a distinctive scent that I love for special occasions (and on days when I feel I need a bit of a confidence boost).

My husband reloads his used rifle ammunition as a hobby, and has mentioned several times that he likes the way gunpowder smells. I figured I'd give this a try. I bought 1ml spray sample, and I've worn it on 3 separate occasions now. The first time I wore it, I put on a scentless lotion. I needed to add a little sweet, so the next 2 times I layered with a fruity lotion. For me I smell fresh cracked pepper first, and then a powdery flower comes through. I've never worn a scent that smelled liked pepper before, at first it caught me off guard, but it didn't take me long to appreciate this fragrance. My husband said he could smell the pepper and floral too, and that together they kinda smelled like fired gun powder.

Part of the 4 Scent Sampler. Strong Basil and Yuzu opening with a bit of a kick (Gunpowder). Settles onto my skin as soft Magnolia and spicy woods. Delicately aromatic, unconventional, "masculine ambience" ... I love it.

The gunpowder note piqued my interest so I gave this a try on my hand. I never got to that note as the very first note of yuzu made me cringe. A sour peppery citrus smell enveloped my wrist, so unlike the fresh yuzu I was used to. I think my body chemistry (or my mind just refuses to appreciate it) does not work with this one as it only got worse when the basil and magnolia came in.

This is a review of the oil. Love is both interesting and extremely wearable. It smells like some kind of outdoor temple, smoke surrounded by citrus and green. The yuzu and basil are realistic, laced with wafts of smoke and ash. The magnolia adds a pretty, slightly sweet floral. It's a beautifully balanced combination of citrus, aromatics, burnt wood, and light florals. This seems to be a polarizing scent, and I wonder if the alcohol-based version is just more pungent than the oil. In this form, it's really effortlessly pleasing to my nose.