Carolina

I asked on the Fragrantica boards for a scent that smelled like driving past the RJR factory on a day when they were making the good stuff. This is it. Deep and naturally (not sugary) sweet and rich. Definitely tobacco. Maybe hay. Some natural scents than include flowers but I'd never call it floral. Pine like "uggg there's yellow pollen all over my car", not pine like pinesol. This is from the scents of place collection, and Olympic Orchids has nailed it. One sniff and I'm in North Carolina and trying to beat curfew, hanging out on a friend's porch, or in a line for an all ages show. I'll give a nod to everyone who's getting romantic country drive vibes out of this, but the only drive that comes to my mind is driving down the highway on the way back from Chapel Hill with the windows down and my feet up on the dash laughing delightedly as the lights turn to all yellow flashers at this time of night. It's a place in a bottle no matter what your experience was in that place. Edit: After spending a full 12 hours with the scent I think I can provide some insight on the petting zoo comments. It's the random whiffs of photorealistic hay that hit throughout the afternoon after the tobacco had faded or I'd gone noseblind to it. This isn't fresh cut romantic drive impression of hay. It's straight hay. A petting zoo is often covered in it. True farm scented hay is wetter with more decomp in it. I found nothing dirty, poo like or animalic in the scent. It's cut the twine and shake out the dry bale scented. But yeah, the only time in my now city based life that I'm likely to encounter it is a petting zoo or on a weekend outing to a pumpkin patch or orchard (that likely also includes a petting zoo.)

Carolina opens with...freshly cut apple? And turpentine-y pine, and a sort of fresh juicy citrus-adjacent vibe that feels like sunshine in a bottle. Then it expands into a warm, lush, ambered hay/tobacco. Seriously this might be the richest, realest tobacco ever. Not heavy or sticky, not piled on with distracting accents, just dense bright-brown tobacco leaf, with a touch of realistic chewy bitterness. Then it gets softer, with dreamy honeyed florals. Here it’s a little like Naja, another hazy, summery floral tobacco. But I think Carolina is even sweeter and gentler, with honeysuckle instead of linden. When the tobacco comes back, it’s better than ever. Golden brown, warm and deep yet never too heavy. Utterly mellow and smooth. Carolina might be up there with Naja as my favorite tobacco scents ever. (Chergui is also spectacular but to me it smells more like cloves than tobacco.) Carolina isn’t the kind of perfunctory “tobacco” that’s just an excuse for crowding in as much sticky syrup as possible; it really smells like toasted tobacco leaves.

oh man oh man, I finally broke down and ordered some samples from Ellen, why have I waited so long?!!!! Carolina is trip through a damp and humid meadow with fresh cut hay and wildflowers, with some herbs thrown in. It also has a prominent tobacco and pine note, which lends the scenery more depth and interest. It's... so real. So delicious. this is me. woods, meadow flower, with some kick! Oh, I NEED a FB of this. It blossoms so stunningly on me. Everyone needs to try this perfume. If only just to say you have. I can't think I've ever smelt anything like it, and as a bonus, no allergic reaction for me! Oh yes, I think I just may have found my signature perfume. And to think this is only my first sample! Edit: oh and be for warned, don't over spray this! a tiny squirt is all you need, because this is more of an oil based scent. a drop or two really.

A romantic drive through the countryside. There's a lot to love here. Fresh and green lavender, earthy tobacco, vegetal sweetness from the honeysuckle (it's almost like honey), some piney freshness (but it's very sharp! Almost anise-like)... It's beautiful!!! This somehow stays dirty and natural while having a very freshy clean feeling with sweetness that's not *too* sweet. I love it. It's very comforting to my nose. I almost feel like I'm hugging a loved-one when I smell this! I don't really see where the petting Zoo comments come from... To my nose this leans feminine and I'd love to smell this on someone. This would smell incredible in Summer and I consider this my 2nd favorite from this house (right behind Golden Cattleya). Hearty recommendation!

This is more honeysuckle than pine on me, with no hay or tobacco. it's a nice enough scent but honeysuckle is not a note that intrigues me, instead it rather makes me think about soap... A little more hay, pine or tobacco and it might have been a really exciting scent! Edit: Second wear. This has actually grown on me a bit. The honeysuckle is so lovely and there is a certain depth to this scent. It is rich, full and beautiful. Ultra feminine, and a bit too feminine for me to be comfortable with but warm and deep and gorgeus!