Against Nature

So I was completely bamboozled by this fragrance today, to the point I had to wear something else so as not to experience sensory overload. I’m not in any mood at the moment to be over stimulated, challenged, or conscious of what I’m wearing, taking it apart and ultimately being put off from pursuing it further, in spite of what is a fantastic concept, well executed. I don’t know where to start with this? When I’d wear it? Or even if I would wear it? I’m assuming the brief (by the name) is to create something which is not trying to recreate the natural, but actively be anti-nature. It’s certainly that. It’s quite alien, existing one it’s own bizarre space, not typical in any sense really. There’s lots of obvious metallic, green and blue/green, azure notes opening up to what is a juniper, melon, cucumber type of smell, honestly that sounds hideous to many but please give this a chance. Very modern and out there in terms of artisan ‘kook’, but somehow remaining quite stern and serious and with real merit as far as I’m concerned. Personally, I think it’s very floral (certainly opening wise) in a exciting way, it kinda dances between snorting iron filings & licking a battery, while some exotic bouquet of flowers passing by on a oceanic breeze. The weirdest thing of all is the development of a chocolatey, cacao, amber, benzoin which even as I describe it seems completely at odds with the heart of this fragrance, but like so many of these additions, if it wasn’t there, I’d likely be far less enamoured with Against nature. It’s fucking brilliant! Just like yesterday I couldn’t face actually wearing this as my #sotd but on a day when I want something different I’ll sack it on for a proper wear. Holy moly is this tenacious! It remains on skin a LONG time.

This is a very niche, very polarizing scent for sure...I really like this...it goes on very green, with a touch of metallic notes (the paint thinner vibe) but I don't find it overpowering...once it dies down a bit it smells like, do I dare say, pickle juice!?!?!...definitely try (and try again) before you even consider buying...I like this, but not sure I'll buy a full bottle...not sure I want to commit to smelling like pickles, even though I am definitely into it at the moment...

This is one of the most magical fragrances I've ever come across. My best friend had an extra of a small sample and she gave it to me and I've fallen in love with it! I get a lot of the lemon, green notes and metallic elements and it makes for a refreshing scent. It's weirdly sci-fi, however definitely try this one out before buying. I do get hints of varnish, but personally I like that.

It is, indeed, weird. The only natural note I get is a hint of melon, but even that smells like no melon currently in existence - maybe a new variety, grown under artificial sunlight in a spaceship's hydroponics room a few centuries from now. I expect this scent is the ylang-ylang, transformed by combination with other ingredients into something almost unrecognizable. The rest of the fragrance is bright, fresh, and thoroughly artificial. If you opened the side of a computer tower, then took that futuristic melon and threw it right into the exposed wires and circuitboards, I imagine this might be the result. With its bright, non-cloying atmosphere, this scent would be an invigorating fragrance for summer. Would it feel out of place in colder seasons? I'm not sure. Many of its notes evoke indoor items which don't retire for the winter. I greatly enjoyed smelling this. However, I can't see myself wearing it. It's not that I don't like it or that it doesn't smell good; it's just completely alien to my general presentation.

A neon herb garden. For me, it's a big blast of green upfront, with those coppery metallic notes not far behind. The green isn't a lush, mossy one though, but something harder. Think sclerophyllous plants that can thrive in dry conditions, like bay, acacia leaf, eucalyptus. The metal... fusebox wiring, burnt out lightbulbs, pennies. It pushes it in the masculine direction for sure. Within a few seconds there's that citrus, balancing it all out. Imagine a wild garden in the middle of an industrial scrapyard on a hot summer day, and you're on the right track. Could it go a bit MORE industrial? Sure. But I find there's a good balance here. Keep in mind, some people HATE this one. It's those metal notes. You may love it but your significant other might be put off. Definitely one to test before buying blind.

This was recommended to me, so I recently purchased a sample. I'm a sucker for literary concepts, and the idea of the artificial versus the natural is something else that calls to me. I have to say, this isn't as outré on my skin as I was hoping. The green and metallic top notes hit hard and have a wonderful start, but quickly fade away into florals. Jasmine and ylang ylang are especially noticeable on me. Feels very familiar to a CDG scent to me. The florals are very lovely and gender-neutral, and the "varnish" note(s) are very subtle on me. I wish this was MORE against nature, but with the strong florals and green notes, it feels like it's moving toward it. It's certainly lovely and I can see myself using the full sample, although not sure if a full bottle purchase is in store. Au revoir, À rebours.

Liked it from a sample try. green almost melon tone with a fresh mettalic. the story may turn people off as to the notes but the copper scent that blood can have is here, only quite distant and faint. no more than what i get on the skin of my palms as ordinarily present on everyone alive. Fresher than I expected from descriptions name and inspiration. Wears well but reads as a green scent until you get right up next to it. Elegant restrained and sophisticated. Feel it would skew more to a masculine audience and more for warmer weather.

Very cool concept, executed in a great way. It smells extremely natural while simultaneously smelling synthetic and artificial. Hard to explain until you actually smell. As far as wearing it, I don't really see it as a particularly wearable fragrance for most people. It's a bit off-putting. But in terms of fragrance as art, it excels. Definitely some melon, some ozonic notes, but hard to pin down anything else. I don't get any wood.

Definitely get the sing of metal here, as well as the melon, a sickly, malformed hothouse gourd of asiatic origins. Like the non-boring take on decadence.

Sunbaked fruitiness, medicinal lotion, rubber gloves, green fruity musk, aloe vera, something like vegetables that are going bad, slight powderyness, bitter mint, brine, wet jungle earth. The defining notes were overshadowed by a growing green-fruity musk on my skin after about 20 minutes. However on paper all the fun bitter notes stuck around a lot longer.

I get the vision behind this and can smell some of the artistry when getting up close, but the general air it leaves is so disgustingly soapy. I wish I hadn't sampled it on my sleeve because I'm going to be smelling this all day. It's a bad gas station hand soap kind of scent. I wish I got the spaceship melon another person described because that's the reason I bought a sample

This is SO minty on me? Like wintergreen lifesavers w melon and jasmine. Was shocked to see mint isn’t listed as a note

One of the latest from the UK house Timothy Han Edition Perfumes is Against Nature. It’s a pungent green semi-fresh semi-spicy semi-metallic semi-ozonic blend. Green is certainly the main descriptor, as it’s not especially floral or citrus-laden, though florals especially feel like heavy contributors. I feel like the first new notes stand out the most: pink pepper, lemon, juniper. There are interesting (what I take to be purely imaginary) notes of metal and lacquer that underscore the acerbic quality of the fragrance. It has some bite, at least on my skin, and in that respect, it’s quite provocative. Timothy Han’s fragrances are generally provocative, if nothing else. Against Nature is an apt name with its contrasting elements: vegetables and a metallic lacquer quality that seems manmade and industrial. There’s a statement here that’s boldly poetic, and this may be the most daring of his several editions, even considering the power of his earlier release On the Road, the artistry of which I greatly appreciate but still find the fragrance an unlikely one to reach for. Against Nature is a step beyond, and it’s challenging to wear for enjoyment, though I figure fans of both green and metallic fragrances will find intriguing takeaways from trying it out, though I find it a little bit difficult to enjoy this type of fragrance as anything except a project or some type of research, myself, as I’m not especially a fan of green or metallic fragrances. It’s pungent for several hours so I take its performance to be pretty good, even if not as loud as its predecessor On the Road. With Twisted Lily selling out of it, Against Nature is now only sold at Luckyscent (in the US) to my knowledge at $170 for 60ml, roughly the standard pricing for the line to date, as their bottle sizes have remained consistent for the past few years. 5 out of 10

wow. this is literally non-chlorophyl greenness (not as tart and astringent) and soft, metallic notes, with a vague, distant floral element. it doesn't present as a unified scent, the edges are sharp and there is not much by way of softness. oh deep inhalations, i get some bleached-blond woods, but they are waaay in the background. interesting? sure, but not wearable for mine...

The nauseating sense of carsick, on a newly painted bus in a roasting summer day.