Desert Blush

When I smelled it blind, I thought it was the most subtle and sophisticated citrusy musk I've ever tried. It was subtle, but blended with skin so well that the result was absolutely crazy. Anything else seemed too rough and blunt after this smell. So I thought it was probably super expensive, something like $350 for a 50ml bottle. I was shocked when I discovered it was all sandalwood, and how far I was from the listed notes, and this whole branding which didn't align with my first impression at all! And as it usually happens, now, of course, I smell a lot of sandalwood and powder, and it doesn't seem musky, sophisticated or expensive anymore. Although I still like it a lot and consider it a masterpiece. I don't necessarily smell pine here, but I definitely associate it with Christmas and snow. Desert? I don't know, maybe not. And speaking of boronia, I do smell it here as well. I smelled boronia oil at Mandy Aftel's museum of curious scents, and it is absolutely divine...

My husband can't smell this on me, which I guess is good because he doesn't usually like my fragrances. It is a very warm smell, and is a fairly long wear time for me. Definitely woody, and I will probably purchase after my sample runs out. ETA: After purchasing and wearing this over the winter months quite frequently, I really love it. It smells like dry heat in a good way, and helps to warm me up on cold damp days. It lasts about 8-10 hours on me, although by the end it is a skin scent. I'm curious about how it will perform in the hot, humid summer we experience where I live.

I like this! Very evocative of baked rocks, with the sandalwood being more earthy than soapy, as that note is sometimes wont to go. I can't wait to wear this out the acutal desert, and I plan on layering it with Demeter's Saguaro cactus for the full experience. update: Everyone is calling this a floral and I can't, for the life of me, smell any flowers, then I realized there is violet in this, and I can't smell beta-ionones (non-detector, it's genetic.) Because of this, I consider it a very unisex to masculine smokey-woody fragrance that's a bit powdery, but not at all flowery. Interesting how that one note can change an overall perception of a fragrance so dramatically.

I really like Desert Blush. It's a beautifully earthy woody-floral with loads of dry sandalwood and cedar juxtaposed against realistic ylang ylang and powdery violet. I don't know how many of these notes are indigenous to arid regions, but the overall impression of this certainly is desert-like; the florals are in full bloom but not particularly lush. This is one of my favorites of this line. It's a gorgeously executed vision of dry air and prickly desert blooms.

Powdery violets, musk and sandalwood, this is beautiful, natural and for quiet reflection. I really would love to sample this as a spray, and not from a tiny vial. Desert Blush stays close throughout its life. It’s a perfume for people who don’t need to announce their arrival. I’m really impressed.