Shaped by The Wild

I don’t think I can say it any better than exquisitecrops, but as this fragrance is sadly lacking in reviews, I’m chiming in anyway. I have a novice nose and am not as good at picking out scents. There is a strong smokiness throughout, but unlike the ELDO I’ve tried and MM’s By the Fireplace, this is very smooth. It’s not like tobacco (which I dislike), and doesn’t have the sharpness of a bonfire-inspired note. This is more similar to the sweetness of burned cedar logs that have begun to grow cold. I don’t detect the vanilla, though I do pick up the iris (I may be writing this too soon — I’m within the first hour of wear). While I’m unsure if this is a me scent, I would absolutely love to snuggle up to a guy wearing this. I wear several unisex fragrances, but this one feels more definitively masculine. That said, it’s formulated beautifully enough for anyone to try! I can’t picture wearing this in public myself, but I’d be tempted to grab a FB this winter to spritz on before settling in for a good book or movie night.

Wow--this may be the most unusual fragrance I've smelled so far, and really shifts during its wear-time on my skin. Woody, smoky, pine at first, then the powdery orris root/iris and vanilla starts peeking through. So, at first I thought this is too masculine for me, then started to get a hint of the "powderiness" I associate with more feminine fragrances. Excited to keep trying this out in preparation for our trip to Alaska this summer... Here's how the brand describes Shaped by the Wild: "Welcome to my brand UNTAMED PERFUMES. We offer perfumes “Shaped by the Wild” which is also the namesake of my first perfume. This perfume was inspired by a trip across BC’s stunning wilderness. En route to the traditional First Nations village where the ancestors of my husband and daughter originate from, we flew on a tiny seaplane over mountain peaks, deep coastal inlets, and remote beaches. There for a family Potlatch, I was struck by the time we spent in the Big House – a cedar plank structure with a dirt floor and a center point of fire that stays lit the entire length of events which are often days long! The Big House is a mystical place, earthy, raw and alive. The air is thick with smoke and cedar plays an important role. The boughs are often tossed into the fire which create the most fantastic smell. This perfume carries the memory of this unforgettable adventure. I’ve included various cedars as well as the more uncommon note of cedar “leaf”. Shaped by the Wild is a hypnotic union of warm, smoky, smooth, cedary, woody and slightly sweet. Top: Frankincense, Pine, Sage Heart: Cedar Boughs, Fir Balsam, Iris, Orris Base: Cedar, Earth, Wood Smoke, Woods, Vanilla Absolute

To my nose this is herbaceous, slightly floral, with a somewhat medical undertone. I can’t really distinguish forest or smoke from the herbs. It didn’t smell at all like I had imagined from the description. Quite refined, not overpowering and deserving of marks for originality, but not to my taste.

This smells like nothing I've ever experienced before. I just don't know how to describe it. It can detect the listed notes but this perfume smells more than the sum of its parts. It smells outdoorsy yet very domestic and cozy, as if my living room has a giant window facing the forest, or even better, I am a magical being living between the trees. It smells like fresh air after the rain, living conifer trees (not the weird air freshener pine scent), bitter herbs and heated dry woods. The smoke is just gentle, it doesn't smell like the bonfire or barbecue like in some fragrances. There is a prominent chewy-rooty ionone (iris/violet) and vanilla scent in the base which I find odd at first, but I've grown to really love it. It's fuzzy and comforting. The iris-vanilla grounds the whole composition and avoid the fragrance smelling too atmospheric or like some hippie-dippie essential oil blend. I'm curious with the type of cedar they use - it smells great. I have no idea what a "cedar bough" is, but the cedar here doesn't smell like 'pencil shavings' nor the creamy, sandalwood-adjacent Virginian cedarwood. I've never travelled to the outskirts of British Columbia in Canada, so I wonder if this is the scent of the famous Canadian cedar.

The dry down reminds me of Orpheon and Ormonde Jayne Woman . It’s pretty... and wearable ! I love it 🥰