Boreal

Pineward Perfumes Boreal is my third sampling from the house, a 2020 release in their initial year, described as a mix of pine needles, mint, cedar, resins, moss. Like Bindebole, it’s a fittingly cold weather-reminiscent pine-rich scent that fits with the concept of the house as described on its website by perfumer/owner Nicholas Nilsson. The mint aspect predictably fades a bit within the first hour of wearing but remains a part of the blend, which, with its high concentration (31%) and dark green juice, is appropriately strong, even from the dabber, even if perhaps note quite as strong as Bindebole. Frankly, Boreal’s greenness and the minty tingle associated with some outdoor plants makes it a bit more realistic and familiar than Bindebole, even. Another immediate comparison that occurs to me (as a way of describing Boreal) is something midway between Dasein Winter and Winter Nights, with a good balance of darkness (resins), brightness (mint), and greenness/woodiness (pine). Within the house, it’s a touchy mintier and brighter than Bindebole, which leans darker/woodier/more resinous, overall. Still (and I hope this continues to be the case), it’s nice to have two great entries in the house that have similarities but different emphases, with Bindebole perhaps being the night to Boreal’s day. Pricing is consistent throughout the line at $135/80 for 37/17ml and again, the performance is very strong. Bravo to Nick on these fragrances—I’m really impressed with the line through my first three tries of Pineward, and the concept seems so perfect for the cooling weather in the US. 8 out of 10

Boreal is the conifer lovers Eau de Cologne. It is piney, fresh, and wonderful! The mint note is blended perfectly with the pine needle resin and is so refreshing. I plan to bring a small sprayer bottle of Boreal with me throughout the days that I wear it to keep refreshing myself as it wears down. That's not to say that it doesn't have good longevity and sillage because it does, just at an Eau de Cologne strength, which fits it's character perfectly. This lasts around 5 hours on my skin before I feel the need to re-apply. When Pineward released Boreal and I was able to get my hands on a sample initially and then a full bottle, I realized that Nick had captured what I had hoped for from Dasein Perfumes Winter Green but didn't get. Boreal is worth every penny and then some...a true conifer lovers delight.

I was skeptical at first. I don't usually like mint in fragrances and I distinctly remember not liking Dasein Winter Green. This however, is well executed. The mint comes across a bit like Listerine, but once you get the pine coming through along with the cooling accord that I recognize in Icefall and Bindebole, it blends altogether nicely. This is fresh, cool, icy mountain air, surrounded by pine trees. I've found that sniffing it softly leaves the mint too dominant, but inhaling as if one has just pulled off the road in a car, stepped out of the car into the clear air, and taken that first true deep breath is the best way to enjoy this fragrance.

This opens with the freshest coniferous aroma of pine trees, bark and all and the sweetest crispest mint. This has an airy sweetness that isn’t gourmand or sugary it’s a natural and dewy sweetness. The airiness here is like the mist in the early morning hours when the sun is just rising above the trees. The resins here are warm and rich and slightly spiced adding depth to the otherwise very floaty scent. The woods here aren’t super strong or deep, this focuses more on the leaves of a tree, the drops that fall upon them, and the bushes below them. This is perfectly unisex and wonderfully enjoyable.

I did not anticipate this to smell exactly like an Andes thin mint chocolate, but it does and I'm delighted!! I suppose the chocolate note I am detecting is the "creamy cedar" that is described, but it is not overly indulgent and does not push the smell into gourmand territory. Still extremely fresh and bright with the mint overall. Love it!

mint and creamy cedar. very mossy and earthy when wet, when dry the cedar and pine stand out. reminiscent of chypre mousse (minus the fennel). mint is tucked in the background, very realistic forest smell. delicious. cedar can read very masculine but this is perfectly unisex. amazing longevity.

There are more interesting Pineward offerings but I adore mint so having fresh blast of mint with realistic pine and damp earth is the scent I want to live, breath, sleep in. I came back to this for the beginning of fall in Portland and it was great for that sort of day.

Lasts a looong time on my skin but the spearmint gets diminished with time. Superb in every way. One of the best foresttree scents out there with the priminent pine. I'd say this fits well for all seasons given the both fresh, coniferious and somewhat balsamic notes.

Smelled pretty much how I expected it to based on the description. A blast of sweet mint calms down into a woodsy and piney fragrance. Very nice, but avoid if you don’t like mint.

clears the sinuses like stepping out of a stifling fire warmed cottage to get a fresh breath of cold forest air

awesome, wish it had maybe orris root and or quince fruite, to transition the pine to mint better, rad though

SKIN TEST: More subtle on skin than I expected. This is even more masculine on skin than on the strip. I think anyone could wear it, but I think you’d at the very least have to enjoy unisex scents to get behind this one. I can a crisp, fresh air accord that feels like it’s coming from an unlisted ozonic note. Maybe it’s just a well-done mint note? I get more pinewood than pinesap too. The cedar note gives a gorgeous depth to this scent. I appreciate that in this fragrance you really get the top, mid & base notes in full. It reflects a mountain viewing experience in that you notice the summit (or top) of the mountain first before your eyes trail to the middle and bottom of the mountain. This scent’s olfactory journey mirrors that: top, middle and then the base emerge. This is surprisingly more soft in terms of projection & silliage than I expected. subtle on skin than I expected. This is even more masculine on skin than on the strip. I think anyone could wear it, but I think you’d at the very least have to enjoy unisex scents to get behind this one. I can a crisp, fresh air accord that feels like it’s coming from an unlisted ozonic note. Maybe it’s just a well-done mint note? I get more pinewood than pinesap too. The cedar note gives a gorgeous depth to this scent. I appreciate that in this fragrance you really get the top, mid & base notes in full. It reflects a mountain viewing experience in that you notice the summit (or top) of the mountain first before your eyes trail to the middle and bottom of the mountain. This scent’s olfactory journey mirrors that: top, middle and then the base emerge. This is surprisingly more soft in terms of projection & silliage than I expected. PAPER STRIP TEST ONLY: This is weirdly wonderful in a woodland kinda way. Reminds me a lot of Amorphous’ “Cemetary Moss” with less petrichor and more fluffy soil and decomposing leaves. This is woody from the cedar and sticky from the sap, like you were rubbing pine needles between your fingers. This smells like the forest distilled. While Pineward seems to appeal to an athletic and mountain-loving men, I think bizarre baddies could also get behind this. Don’t get me wrong, any masculine person could wear Boreal and smell fantastic. I’m not a man and I would gladly wear this. If I did, I’d feel like a wood nymph or a hobbit trekking through the Old Forest in search of Rivendell in the LOTR. This is atmospheric because it’s truly a photorealistic forest. This scent locates you in the woods, which is EXACTLY what I think Pineward’s intent. Beautifully executed. I can’t wait to try this on skin and report back. I’m also excited to see what else the house has to offer! Also — don’t spray on clothing, only skin because this will absolutely stain.

When I first got a sample of this back when Pineward had just opened, I fell in love with it, and bought a 5ml bottle of it as soon as I was able. This is such a beautiful and bright pine forest scent. It's not very sweet, and it mostly just a cool pine forest smell. It's not at all like cleaner or a Christmas candle, which so so many pine perfumes I've tried tend toward. It even has a bit of that natural sour/citrusy smell you get with fresh needles. With a BIG however: This perfume has no staying power. I think it might be in part that the bottle I have has no sprayer, so I have to dab it on like an oil. but my goodness this perfume just vanishes after 30 minutes or so. And as it disappears it had a tendency to turn into a bit of a dried toothpaste smell on its way out. Why, oh why can't you be stronger, Boreal?

Simple piney scent with a strong mint to it, and vaguely like nail polish remover (no it's not the alcohol I'm not a fool). It's wonderful but for some reason all I could think while wearing it is that it reminded me of a leather club I went to, and I have absolutely no clue why. My friends backed me up on this one, and I wish I could give any more insight into that strange comparison. Either way it smells great. Be warned though as it's incredibly sticky, not in the sense of how long it lasts, but as in the perfume itself is literally sticky to some extent, so be prepared to wash it out.

Boreal is better suited for spring/summer weather because projection and performance is on the lower end. Like others from this line, Boreal smells uber natural. Pine is the only note I can detect, but there is a sweet, fresh quality to the composition that makes me think the support note of mint is present. I like Boreal, but echoing what others report, this behaves like a Cologne. I think this mix works best as a room spray, and would make a fabulous mountain chalet signature scent if it were piped through the HVAC system.

It smells cool, slightly sweet, woodsy and somewhat smoky. The coniferous aroma of pine trees comes through very mildly and the resins gives it warmth and depth. Although piney, it doesn't smell like a Christmas candle. It does smells like morning crisp air in an open field. I appreciate it for it's uniqueness and the sereness it evokes.

Yeah I can dig it this one's a good one. It's very green like super super green. But it's green in a good way and very tree forward versus herbal. It reminds me of winter. It's very dry however and needs a little juice or something to cut through the green. All leaves and no berries.

The Christmas pine tree, a little minty, the hayish dusty 1800's vibe smell really comes on the dry down. I only tried this on a strip paper, but it was a unique smell I just wanted to smell again and again. 9/10 scent!

Very refreshing in a personal and cozy way. to me, it almost smells like welcoming family into your home on a perfect Christmas eve. Very nostalgic for me. Reminds me of my grandfather.

It's hard to distinguish this one from other Pineward fragrances. Still, it's pleasant and simple. I could see myself wearing this outside of the house.

mossy/damp soil & chilly minty breeze after my second time trying it, it definitely is one of the best in the collection 8.6/10

A nice balance of mint and pine, not too forward, definitely a good everyday wear.

Despite its designation as an extrait de parfum, Boreal performs somewhere between eaux de cologne and toilette. It took three separate applications to get a decent sense for it. Owing to miniscule projection and longevity, it takes real effort to detect component notes before they dissipate. Initially, these include pine sap and a whiff of peppermint schnapps, but they evaporate lamentably quickly, leaving behind something a little too one-dimensional to be very interesting. What remains at turns evokes snapped kindling, soot-covered leaf litter, and fresh-sawn lumber. It's a skin scent all along, but in marked contrast to the longevity of siblings from the same line, almost nothing is left by the three-hour mark.

I'm first hit with a minty pine smell. This morphs into a dusty, dark, damp scent - sort of like a long-unused pit toilet at an unpopular trailhead. That scent removes any pleasant woody smell present. It's weird because it's not *bad* - it's quite faint (or I just didn't spray much). Odd, but not off-putting. After an hour or so, the old toilet cleaner smells fades and I'm left with a creamy cedar that stays but for a while; six hours or so. J said she liked it, but seemed rather lukewarm about it. The cedar was nice but I wasn't ecstatic about it. Will try again in the winter.

Meh, this one burns my throat for some reason. It's minty, mossy, woody and way too pine forward. Also tbh the mint in here has that toothpaste energy and i don't like that. And what's with the dye of these bottles within this house, very staining. It's my second least favorite of the house.

The scent is very pleasant. It's a rich semi dirty pine. The opening is wonderful but it doesn't last and the dry down is not as memorable. I would very much like this fragrance but like many of the Pineward scents, it stains your skin and clothes.

As a guy who works and plays out in the forest a lot, the notes of this scent intrigued me to go get a sample of this. I get the mint, the pine, the mossy earthiness... All these notes sound good, but altogether it smells somewhat like a cheap xmas candle. It sort of reminds me of Bath and body works eucalyptus mint. It's not wearable and harsh. I'm disappointed as i was really looking forward in trying this.

Maybe i'm tweaking but it smells like cough syrup or vaporub. Very medicinal and minty (at least on me + I have a weak sense of smell)

Unfortunately this smells far too much like a "household cleaner" Very disappointed

Slightly damp woodsy accord with a mint on top of it. Really reminds me of those little mint squares covered in chocolate- were they andes mints that im thinking of? I really like mint in certain lights like a selection verte, and it is well done here dont get me wrong- but this isnt a fireworks combination for me. Definitely not bad though, i enjoy the foresty musk it left on my jacket. Also as it dries down the mint feels more rounded and gains a nice aromatic quality- its loses the typical fresh cool type of character it has in the beginning in a good way

My second sample from Pineward! first impressions were DAMNNNN this is so minty! near medicinal but not in a bad way, this is like the sweet mints you eat before a date or a cooling mouthwash in the morning. as it dries down it looses the minty punch but leans towards a sweeter woodier side, forsure the pine. now the woodyness takes the forefront and the mintyness lingers in the back. not many fragrances like this peppermint stick! great longevity and projection!!

When it comes to longevity In the Pineward perfumes collection, I've noticed it's either all or nothing. Some stay on my clothes even after they're washed, but others disappear after an hour or so. Boreal is in the second category. Other than that, Boreal is a really nice, linear and accurate Christmas tree pine scent, and I've been wearing it a lot in the lead up to the holidays.

This is perhaps the most true and pure pine scent I have ever smelled. We just got our xmas tree and it smells just like the tree. It is the sort of pine note that I keep looking for but did not find in any other scent recommended to me. Nicely done Pineward. I got a sample set and cannot wait to smell some of the others. Its pretty much a pure pine with mint. Nice!

Salty & smoky pine needles. A simple but beautiful mix that pretty much meets the expectations that you might have for this type of cologne. Smells 100% natural, but does perform more like an oil than a perfume. As such, I cannot see myself getting a full bottle at it’s price range, but wouldn’t mind having a decant for weekend hiking trails.

Boreal is in the same ball park as Drakkar Noir. If you want a high quality twist on Drakkar Noir, Boreal is for you. Boreal is closer to the lesser known Duc de Vervins by Houbigant, and is very mossy and minty in the opening. If you want something more pine forward, check out Grey Mist.

On application smells like Christmastime peppermint candycane and a vague waxiness. The initial projection is approximately an inch. The dry down is quick and within two hours there's a lovely naturalistic pine tree smell but have to put nose almost directly onto wrist to perceive it.

where murkwood is a coniferous melange lightened by incense, this opts to float the trees up with mint. murkwood hit me a bit harder. it feels like a dream in full color, while boreal is more like a brief forest fantasy conjured while brushing your teeth

The opening is damp, vegetal, minty. A little soily. The drydown unfortunately loses the mint and just ends up like smooshed green leaves and damp ground. I wish the mint stayed throughout the life of the fragrance.

So minty & clean. This is the giant breathe you take after rinsing your mouth with a minty mouth wash. This would be great to wear after a hot shower on a cold night.

This could be a memo paris shams oud flanker. This feels a bit more minty and refreshing; more mint than pine. Good stuff!

An agreeable but very loud accord of menthol, peppermint, and woods. Like Myrsol Formula K bellowing into a megaphone.