Tundra

I really like this one...gorgeous woody notes swirled with resins...the spiciness fades fast into a soft, comfortable blanket of cedar and elemi...I find the longevity to be good on this...worth seeking out if you love woody fragrances...

Elemi + Fresh Cedarwood Shavings Inspired by the smells in a forest somewhere close to Arctic circle, Tundra is a dry woody blend with a focus on cedarwood. Elemi, since it smells a lot like cedar helps to enhance this note.

An ice princess of a scent – beautiful, aristocratic, aloof and a little bit elusive. Lovely spare, clean, cold, outdoor conifers with just the right tincture of elemi and resins to warm it up a little on skin. A princess of the north, too, with the juniper and other aromatics keeping you firmly above the snow line. Strongly reminiscent of CDG Hinoki or Aesop Hwyl – both great favourites of mine, and also both a good bit cheaper and more accessible than Tundra. But Tundra’s certainly perceptibly more upmarket and nuanced. While it hangs about as a faint whiff on the breeze for up to 5-6h it’s never strong, never steaming up a scent cloud, and sticking discreetly to the wrist; lasts only a very little longer on fabrics. It doesn’t have the inner strength of RBR’s beautiful Embers, but does share its organic and extremely classy bespoke feel. Little bit short on the bang-per-buck-o-meter though.

I think the first review pretty much nails it, however I think Bang! is spicy with pepper and actually has more of an edge. To say this doesn't last as long as Bang! a notoriously poor performer is really making a statement and I can't say I would disagree. This is not to say I don't like the smell of Tundra, it has a fantastic opening of fresh and vibrant elemi, greeness and slightly smokey cedar/vetiver combo. It has that uplifting (I often describe as 'fizzy') vibe you get from elemi which is like olibanum and fresh juniper/gin & tonic. Unfortunately it suffers the same problem as the 3% elemi dilution tester I got...it doesn't last. What you are left with is a very weak but pleasant cedar aroma. What I do like is that it develops past being just another incense fragrance into something woodier and generally a good ensemble of notes. Nothing high original but not bad stuff.

It has a coolness to it that isn't very common in mainstream perfumes. By that, I mean, it has almost an icy-hot effect from the mint. I don't mean that as a negative criticism at all. It has a rich, interesting smell of moss and patchouli. The coolness brings out interesting aspects of the notes. It isn't too unnecessarily aggressive, but it isn't a shy, clean, "office safe" scent either. This would be an awesome signature scent for an intelligent introvert. It is curious and intriguing while still having a little bit of ... stand back, I do my own thing.