Fjerne

Buckwheat, coconut, spiky patchouli, dry cocoa, an overall balmy sort of buttery tone, the faintest whiff of unidentifiable florality, all draped in clay dust. I find this extremely wearable and complex, while still fitting within the aesthetic framework that the brand has established. Big caveat here:I have not tried Lanz, but I'm quite familiar with Baque (which is perhaps my least favorite of all other slumberhouse scents) and I don't see the similarities Rbalkris referenced, I actually feel that if this is derivative of previous slumberhouse scents, it feels like the notes of Ore played with the timbre of new sibet. But even then, I find the comparison weak, as the other slumberhouse works all share a lot in common, surely Jeke and Baque are as close-relatives as Fjerne and Baque or Kiste or Ore for that matter. The double edged sword of a strong olfactive identity is general homogeneity and interbreeding. I hesitate to call this a gourmand as every note besides the coconut, cocoa and butter accord feels deeply inedible. The base has a coniferous green spikiness to it that takes ages to really dominate, but I found myself catching whiffs of it all throughout the day, jumping out from beneath the smoother, more edible accords that show themselves when more deliberately sniffing. In that sense, this does not feel too far from something like Korrigan, or even Coromandel for that matter, where a sense of place is presented along with the scent of what is to be consumed in said place. Its a coconut custard tart being eaten out of an earthenware platter in an apothecary stocked with dangerous or poisonous herbs and greens. Admittedly that implies a sort of disjunct between the top and the bottom, the mise en place and the food if you will, and I think thats selling Fjerne short. The sweet components are perfectly blended with the deeper darker slumberhouse-ade, so much so that the two components boundaries' appear blurry and the aromatic elements of the greenish bitter undertones feel just as essential to the creamy coconutty dustiness as vice versa. Keeping the juice clear feels like a very intentional creative decision for how Fjerne is to be perceived as well, I imagine even visual expectations can breed a sort of oppressive limitation to the creative expression of the perfumer. Perhaps the goodbyes are directed at the old fans who endlessly demand darker and deeper juices when they already have ample options. I don't think this is the greatest scent in the slumberhouse canon, but those all still exist and (if the webstore opens back up...) they're generally still available. This is certainly different territory but I don't see anything wrong with that. This is the most wearable and crowd pleasing the brand has smelled since Kiste. Certainly not ambrosia, but a very pleasant and intriguing work. But take that with a grain of salt as I may just be another die hard loyalist :).

Maybe the easiest Slumberhouse to wear, due to the general likability of its notes and its medium-bodied, lighter-than-usual density, Fjerne often feels like a mashup of several Slumberhouse fragrances at once; specifically, Sova, LANZ, Sixes & Sevens, Jeke, Sibet, Ore...and even a little Pear + Olive. It’s a dry, woody fragrance that smells largely centered around a sandalwood note but also brings some gourmand flourishes to the mix. When it opens I immediately smell toasted coconut (like those shavings you decorate cakes with) and as I continue to wear it there is a constant vanilla/caramel theme weaving its way through the woods. In addition, there’s a slight but completely tolerable, animalic presence at all times, a tiny bit of funk beneath everything (this animalic aspect is similar to that in Sibet...but lesser here). Fjerne is less obviously complex and expansive than the old Slumberhouse fragrances, and is more compressed and dialed-in, more structurally in tune with releases like Sibet, Sixes/Sevens, and Lanz. It wears easily, rarely too thick and never clumsy, giving pleasant wafts of dry caramellic, tonka-infused woods and subtle coconut for hours. While it catches the air well with an aromatic quality, for the most part it sits close to the skin, projecting with a solid, comfortable presence. Fjerne wears well in the summer, which it is now, and should work just as well all year around. In my top 25% of the house’s releases, Fjerne gets an excellent rating of 9/10. Side note: If you are interested in this sold-out, limited edition, try to find it sooner rather than later, as prices are still probably reasonable. A year from now they will not be.

Surprisingly my most complimented Slumberhouse fragrance by a pretty wide margin. Up close I get a very natural, simple sandalwood with some subtle gourmand notes. My coworker describes the scent from where she sits a few feet away and across a barrier as a "mellow, natural cedar-- comforting and inoffensive." It may not be the most ostentatious scent in the brand's lineup ::cough, Jeke:: but people around you will probably like this and are likely to let you know. For those same reasons I expect this will get plenty of hate from the community since it's not really dark or edgy in any way, but like it or not, this is pretty clearly Slumberhouse's dumb reach scent, and in that sense I think it's pulled off really well. It's calm, versatile, mass appealing, doesn't beg for your attention, and maybe most impressive, still manages to smell distinctly Slumberhouse. I kind of understand why there was a period when this was sold in larger sizes because it's one of few releases from the brand where you don't need to be super gentle on the atomizer, Black Grev being the only other of which I'm currently aware. I can potentially see someone being disappointed with this if it's their first Slumberhouse purchase, and they're expecting fireworks, but otherwise I think Fjerne is a solid addition to the brand's lineup. The most underrated Slumberhouse IMO.

Right out the bottle, there's a gentle, dainty incense quality to this. If you have ever tried Japanese incense, this is what it comes across as. Unburnt incense, something like sandalwood or Japanese cedar incense. Additionally, there's a gourmand element to this. Can't determine if it's pastry/doughy or something a little more primary like wheat/cereal, it's hard to tell. But I must say, a lot of the other reviews mentioning OG Ore or other SH scent connections, I don't see it. This is like nothing I have smelt before. It's utterly new and I can't compare it to anything else. That said, it totally falls into the SH portfolio without any problem. Now that I think about it, there is a trace element of smoke, but not that much. Worth trying if you can track it down, of course. Not my favourite, but I do like it...

My opinion is the complete opposite of rbalkris'. Fjerne is an amazing fragrance that brought instant happiness to my nose the minute I put it on. Comforting is one word that comes to mind immediately. Yes, I smell the coconut and buttery cookie accords along with the sandalwood, but there is also another note dancing on the fringes that makes me think of geranium...almost a hint of Penhaligon's English Fern dancing in and out of my consciousness under the beautiful gourmand mains. The other thrilling note is an almost coniferous breeze also dancing with the other notes! AWESOME!!! LOL... This is beautiful and I am immediately impressed with Fjerne. I'm looking forward to spending more time with this amazing addition to the Slumberhouse line. What a wonderful day!