YELLOW 133C

I hold my hand up: it's my irrational suspicion of the colour yellow that meant I held out to try this one in the discovery set last. More fool me. What was I thinking? This one is brimming with all those woody, herbal and green notes that make me a happy beast, including a fir note that, in my opinion, is one of the most overlooked notes out there, perhaps still suffering from its associations with room deodoriser in the 1970s. Better still, this delicate balsam fir note is one that sits beautifully in the mix as it settles down without ever dominating. The freshness that is in this fragrance is surprising. It smells fresh in a way that this group of notes don't usually smell fresh, almost marine (from my limited knowledge, I'm guessing that's the ambroxan) even though the gestalt itself doesn't smell marine. If anything it suggests Alpine slopes covered in trees and the aromas of wild herbs as you trample them underfoot on a long hike. Fans of shouty fragrances might not like this one much: it stays close to the skin and doesn't project amazingly far. For me personally I can readily see how I can make it a good workhorse; perfect for work or informal occasions. And though it makes me think of spring more than any other season, I could see it working well all year round. There's a hint of warm amber and, although fresh, it's not that marine, citric freshness that almost demands warm weather.

If Green is the dessert, Yellow is the main course - it has very clear savoury elements that I think make it very compelling. Cumin and thyme are the most obvious elements to my nose (and I was really thrilled to find a perfume that leans into the salty bitterness of thyme), with the bracing freshness of balsam fir creating the olfactory illusion of a gust of wind. Nagarmotha adds a beautiful, earthy spiciness that's amplified by the patchouli, and that keeps that fragrance from just smelling like a meat rub. I also find that the combination undercuts the dreaded BO effect that's so commonly associated with cumin, so if that has been an issue with other cumin-based perfumes in the past but you still like the *idea* of cumin as a fragrance note, this might fit the bill perfectly. The decision to call this perfume Yellow makes perfect sense to me, for reasons that are mostly cultural: to me, this smells like French summer. The olfactory echoes this brings to mind are August BBQs and unglamourous, riotously fun holidays spent camping in Southern France. It's my favourite of the whole range precisely because of the associations it triggers - but I think those associations might also make it a difficult choice for day-to-day wear, at least in my country (there's something of the traditional grillade in here and once it's come to your mind it's not easily shaken). Still, I love it, and I'm determined to make it work somehow.

oh my !! this is the sort of fragrance i felt like ive always been looking for . since i was a child , the alure of metal & rust ( or things that smell & taste like them) was insatiable. i adored green olives out the jar , the stinkier and copperier the better . this is a distinctly foody perfume , unlike any sort of gourmond ive ever encountered . it opens with this creeping wifg of green olive , metalic but by no means sharp , fading slowly into a fresh , almost gin-like tendancy before settling into an herb soaked butter . raw chicken would be an absurd note for a perfume but this to me feels like thanksgiving prep . what gets me most about "yellow" is its lack of sharpness . i tend to dispise herbal frangrances with essential oil esque notes , but yellow never strays to far into a natural herbal scent . one wiff and its thanksgiving 2018 and its as if im scratching old wooly carpet in ashland oregon , munching on flaxseed crackers and olives (my mom was a granola muncher) , someone slowly chopping herbs in the background . theres no tv signal but we kept it on anway . when i dream of it i often center around metal & dust and static

Herbaceous and Woody, if you like herbal scents, then this might be for you. I'm personally just not a fan of cumin in fragrances so this one is not for me, but if you don't mind cumin or better yet if you DO like cumin, then give this one a try. it's not the only note, but it is a prominent one. I think I'm also picking up on the balsam fir, which I do enjoy here.