Monkeyflower

Blissful countryside musk; feels nostalgic of sweet, vague, & not-quite-reachable childhood summer memories. This is a complex perfume, or at least one that pings off a disparate array of scent-references for me. Yes, the opening is definitely tussilago and/or buttercups and/or old-school sun cream, as per the notes, magically finding the overlap in that unexpected Venn diagram, but there is also a bit of sweet almond-marzipan to my nose, which makes it quite a cakey, thick-feeling scent initially. As the sunscreen notes take over and the scent veers airier, it also reminds me of a supermarket hand-cream my mum used to keep in the kitchen when I was little, it came in a plastic tub, pale yellow-green with a stylised yellow and white chamomile-flower in the centre? As the perfume develops, that cosmetic vibe continues to coexist with a 'day in nature' impression and the whole thing slowly turns into a tender, golden-hazy musk.I can sort of see why 'fig' comes up, but as a bona fide fig fanatic, this to me does not smell fig-like (and not remotely like Philosykos), being both too cosmetic and too airy-vegetal (unlike the dense astringent & sappy green of fig leaves, or the rich juiciness of the fruit). Instead as the perfume dries down the tussilago/buttercup, sunscreen & marzipan seem to skip the listed fruit notes and just gradually morph into the aforementioned fuzzy, faintly salty floral musk, that smells vividly like sun-warmed sun-creamed skin after an afternoon in the fields. The connection people are making with Dandelion Butter makes sense for sure, but that perfume has a proper figgy green note, is much more definite and photorealistic, and is more stable as well in terms of the notes, i.e. more modest in its development. Monkeyflower is weird and compelling most of the way through, not in the sense of jarring or dramatic but hard to pin down and understand, as well as smelling just lovely on skin. On me, longevity is good; projection mid.

Liquid sunshine. Ever-changing and dynamic but always whimsically joyful. And true to the story: a floral musk rather than a musky floral. Fuzzy on top and silky smooth underneath. Tussilago flowers shine throughout the opening and middle, though they play only a supporting role in the latter. And their scent is marvelously spot on. On my skin, I don't smell the sunscreen much (fortunately for me), and thus get to enjoy the musky-green-sunshine perfection that is tussilago for the top ten minutes or so. The first drydown reveals beautifully photorealistic chamomile with undertones of soft buttercuppy musk that remind me of Gucci's Mémoire d’une Odeur for a pleasant while. Then the physalis colors the composition a bit sour-juicy-caramel-golden, the fig adds a little purple sweetness, and I get a couple hours' worth of delicately balanced, sunny-meadow bliss of these notes flickering in and out of focus. After the second drydown, clean musk and hay take over. As if I've just made my bed, freshly starched linens and all, in a hayloft. The floral quality somehow manages to peek through even here. Simple yet lovely. PS: Yes! Thank you! I've wished someone would capture the scent of tussilago flowers for ages. And for it to be my beloved Stora Skuggan? Just...chef's kiss. I, for one, appreciate the Octobre drop, seeing as I could use me some extra sun just about now, and the fragrance performs well in autumn weather. And the Monkeyflower mystery is a treat, as always. PPS: Having spent a week with this scent, I have to say I'm well and truly smitten. I've worn it every single day, craving it first thing in the morning. I tried wearing something else once and my Monkeyflower addiction got the better of me that same afternoon. It's a great daily companion for all occasions. I'm also impressed by the depth it offers on clothes (even on the third day after spraying) or in different weather conditions. Definitely my next full bottle and a new favourite.

Stora Skuggan Monkeyflower reminds me of plucking flowers from the grass. Rising to your nose is the scent of the stem breaking off midway, since it's never a clean pluck from the roots, with some grass blades breaking off as well. That is what Monkeyflower is to me in the opening. It is truly a floral green fragrance. I get a bit of green fig as well, until it dries down to a sort of distant coconut for the next hour. That might actually be a slightly sweet-chewy fig creating that illusion and maybe that sunscreen note, with floral greenness and herbal touches now coming from a musky chamomile. The musk maybe coming from the Tussilago farfara with its scent described as a sweet musky scent. I'm not familiar with the flowers, Tussilago farfara, Buttercup, and Goldenberry, but I do know the smell of chamomile very well and that's what really made me fall for this. I get chamomile, sweetened by fruity fig, so strongly for the remainder of the wear. After looking for a calm chamomile scent since falling in love with the opening of Dries Van Noten Camomille Satin, before it became a sweet cookie vanilla in the dry-down, and the dry-down of Gucci Mémoire d’une Odeur, that disappeared in under 2 hours, I've found my perfect one. There have also been so many great figs, to the point it was hard to choose one. Now I don't have to because Monkeyflower knocks two birds with one stone. Although the projection becomes low moderate at times after 2 hours, I get at least 7 hours out of this. $180 for a 30 mL though is...idk, but I've decided Monkeyflower is worth it with a discount. My only critique is the early 20th century cartoon depicted on the bottle. I really wish they went a different direction, but the cartoon monkey's face is reminiscent of the inside of actual monkeyflower floral.

This is a really natural meadow of a fragrance. On first spray I picked up Chamomile and Buttercup and Hay. It’s not light to me, I find the initial sprays a little heady, with a beautiful natural musk that is perceptible from the off but emerges to prominence after a while. This is a warm fragrance and classed as green because it does not fall into the traditional olfactory field (no pun intended) as yellow floral. It is reminiscent of a long summer evening and for us in the northern hemisphere, heading into winter, it’s a delightful evocation of a memory, walking down hedge line lanes or sitting on a hay bale on a warm summers evening. We land finally at a soft musk that I don’t recognise from any other fragrance I have. I think I will grow to love it as it’s totally novel to me and in that respect isn’t like the majority of musk representations easily found in many modern fragrances. I am a huge appreciator of this perfume house and I have bought several of their fragrances on release over the last few years. I find they are always a surprise, always feel hugely contemporary yet are contextualised by some imaginative concepts linked to the natural world. They are weirdly wonderful and worth exploring if you enjoy unusual fragrances but they are still accessible to anyone who appreciates well orchestrated fragrance. Not everyone will love everything but there’s a very good chance you will find something because they vary so much.

Unfortunately this is the best thing I've ever smelled, the disfortune only because it costs $180 per 30ml. I have been poring through every floral that reviewers have compared to a flower field or meadow and found that they all just smelled like ...roses, which does not at all smell like the wild fields I grew up in at the base of the Sierra Nevadas. I got a handful of samples of various perfumes I kept hearing about, solely to indulge in the atmospheric experiences everyone was describing, and did not expect Monkeyflower to be the wildflower meadow I'd been looking for. In the package were both this and Dandelion Butter by Clue, so I had a direct comparison. They both evoke the same image perfectly: laying in a field of flowery weeds, laughing with friends, the sunlight peeking through branches above you, pulling apart stems to make sappy flower crowns. Monkeyflower, however, is delicate and creamy where Dandelion Butter is thick and fatty. It smells significantly more floral. The opening on both are very green, but Monkeyflower is more flower nectar than DB's bitter stem. The "sunscreen" note smells more like the gentle butter I hoped to get from Dandelion Butter. Overall the experience is visceral, but gentle and beautiful. This is absolutely my next full bottle purchase, $180 be damned.

Summertime incarnate. Specifically the SoCal summertime of my twenties. Golden petals, sugared figs, SPF30 body butter. Not a clean scent, but not sweaty either. It’s poolside skin, sun-toasted and slick with sunscreen. Opens with fresh-snapped greens before segueing into a creamy floral, sweeter and fruitier than Clue’s Dandelion Butter, but less helium-toned than The Sun Card by Marissa Zappas. ~4hrs later, dries down on skin to a buttercup musk oddly reminiscent of Byredo’s Glizzy Water. I love all these scents dearly, and Monkeyflower plays like my dream chimera of the three. Only thing holding me back, aside from the price, was my aversion to monkeys. (Am I the only one who finds the slenderman spider monkey juggling his own heads more creepy than cute??). Ended up taking the plunge on a 35C day at the Paris Dover Street boutique, as one does in 35C weather. Mental Snapshot: The first hours of summer. That brief body high once graduation caps are tossed and inboxes set to unavailable. You’re barefoot in a wildflower meadow, doing cartwheels. You’re spritzing on sunscreen in the backseat, while the Jeep zips along the coast. You’ve checked into your flight – to somewhere gloriously beachy, obviously – and been offered a free upgrade. tl;dr: what dose of Lexapro is this?? 🐵🌼

I'm picking up sunscreen but it's not overwhelming or chemical, mostly reminiscent of sun-warmed skin. Then there's this whole meadow accord that smells outdoors-y yet without the generic greenness. The wild florals in Monkeyflower are really something else. I also love the light chamomile which somehow seems to intensify gradually over the first hour. The hay note stays in the background, is dry, sun-drenched and so, so beautiful (I think this is the best hay note I have smelled so far, how perfectly it fits the composition). The muskiness of the late drydown is quite unique, tempered by the faded hay and chamomile, reminding me still of sun-warmed skin. It also doesn't turn into the typical sweet musk on me. Performance: 5-6 hours longevity, lowed end of moderate sillage. Final thoughts: pure sunny whimsy and the essence of a 2010s indie roadtrip movie. Smells exactly like my current summer vacations which brings me so much joy. Also kudos to Stora Skuggan for offering perfume refills :D

This is very pretty and smooth, but the sunscreen note is strong in the opening, so one must be a fan to enjoy this one! The fig is also quite pronounced in the opening -- a note I'm always a bit mixed about -- but it does make for a very summery, almost tropical vibe, which could be amazing in the warmer months. I agree with an earlier reviewer expressing surprise this was released now -- it smells SO summery to me, and yet? For us in the northern hemisphere I guess it's nice to have our perfume escapes now and then as the dreary, colder months drag on, so Monekyflower might be the perfect antidote ;-) I have NO idea what Tussilago farfara smells like, but I am enjoying the creamy, slightly floral, very pretty musky composition here and Stora Skuggan's bottles are just SO damn CUTE I'd love it for that alone, but it's also QUITE expensive, so I need to spend more time with this before deciding whether it's worth the splurge. Right now, I'm liking it a lot and enjoying how it wears.

Has a vibe of oats. It's a very delicate smell which I love (not silage-wise) so if you're into American Cream by Lush or Harvest Mouse by Zoologist, you'll probably also like this! I think this is suitable for casual events or a daily walk. Season-wise you could wear it any time except for cold weather or nights out as this would just clash with that DRYDOWN: As I said in the first paragraph, it's a delicate smell; perfect for young women who like sweet florals but it no longer smells like oats. Conclusion: This is a future buy for me! Hand-crafted by a couple of people in a small apartment if I'm remembering correctly. It's made in small batches anyway so it feels special that way (and the fact that it's extremely pricey) but the only issue is that due to the price for 30ml, this wouldn't be a regular purchase for me but Lush do a similar fragrance called Furze

This is a lovely, clean, and figgy, sap-like fragrance. It’s undeniably green and floral, with a fruity, almost edible quality that feels like freshly cut dandelion stems, softened by the creamy warmth of fig. Very easy to wear, and the timing is perfect – spring and summer are close enough to fully enjoy it. The muskiness at the end is unique and deeply personal, reminding me of skin after a long afternoon in the sun. If you know Dandelion Butter, the DNA is similar, but the energy is completely different. If Dandelion Butter is a thick slice of bread with fresh herbs, Monkeyflower is a spoonful of fig preserves in the morning light. ☀️ And the bottle? One of the prettiest and most avant-garde in my collection.

Not sure how to describe this one other than the fact that it is similar to Dandelion Butter by Clue Perfumery, although I believe Dandelion Butter is even more creamier and gourmand than this is! I love both though, perhaps I even prefer this one! Monkeyflower, to me, is more green; I would say that the fig is particularly beautiful and noticeable along with the general greenery and floral touch this has. Really feels like like juicy figs in a field of yellow flowers. It's as if yellow sunlight is caressing your eyelids and face somehow. I can't really detect any sunscreen though...

Smells like a very hot, healed, mentally healthy person. Like they're super friendly and balanced and also super smart. This fragrance will make me smell like I have it more together than I really do. But yeah smells super summery but also get down to business. It's summery but not silly. Like getting platonic drinks with your coworker whom you look up to after work, and you realize some people really do be having it together like that. And you're like wow you're amazing, I'm kind of bitter and jealous of you, except I can't even hate because you're so profoundly decent.

This perfume just makes me happy. Floral, green, musky but not being too much of either three. A bit quirky with the sunscreen note. I almost shied away from blind buying it due to the green accord as I'm not a big fan of green or citrus scents (except if bergamot is prominent) and I'm actually not that much into floral scents either. But I'm glad that I did, relying on the music to balance it all. I'm not into overpowering scents but appreciates complexity and this is right now what makes my perfume heart sing.

this one is SUCH a work of art. it perfectly evokes the feeling of summer. from the sunscreen to the slight sweetness of the fig to buttercup and hay, this is also incredibly nostalgic. it feels like playing outside, rolling around on the grass in your lawn that your dad hasn't quite had enough time to cut, so bees and butterflies litter the yard. i would absolutely upgrade this one for the nostalgic factor alone, i really didn't anticipate loving this one as much as i do.

My favourite summer scent I've tried. Makes me think of my time in Greece - oily sunscreen, figs fresh off the tree, bright yellow wildflowers sprouting up between ruins of bygone times... This reimagined flower is a delightfully waxy and fruity floral grounded in a warm musc. Theres something so joyful about this scent. I kind of wish it went heavier on the hay, I only got a little bit of it's texture when the smell started to fade.

i’m in love with this one. this is vacation in a bottle to my nose. i pick up on the sunscreen immediately, and somehow it doesn’t cheapen the fragrance at all. a bomb of yellow florals and fig with a clean musk. the grassiness of steamed rainbow and dandelion butter with a bit more sweet fruitiness. this is amazing for warmer weather

This smells like you’re in a field surrounded by golden flowers while the sun shines down over you. You pick a few of the flowers and the stems release a beautiful green scent. A breeze passes through and the smell of your sunscreen hits you. Overall. This is summer in a bottle. It’s incredibly nostalgic to me for some reason.

This is beautiful, delicious, makes me feel homey. It is more flowery than Diptyques Philosykos, and in my opinion it smells way more refined. But it is definitely in the same category and the price is a def minus for this one, considering it’s gone very quickly on skin. Lasts long on clothes but has intimate silage.

I've never smelled anything like it, such a fun summer fragrance! Is it the tussilago flower? I was appalled at the price but just had to have it. Unfortunately, the longevity is a bit short. Looking forward to having this as my signature flowery/suncreen scent for the season!

oh this is lovely. its a pleasant floral that just feels very joyful but soft. Everyone is saying its green but i'm not really getting that. i can get a hint of sunscreen, but it isnt overbearing. i love it! will likely be my next purchase