Dear Polly

I received this sample as a freebie when I ordered an Arielle Shoshana discovery kit. When I first tried it I was not impressed and it sat in my closet unused for about 6 months or so. I just got something smokey with a bit of apple (but not a sweet apple, more of a crisp green apple without all the tang and sweetness). However I recently decided to give it another try and to my surprise, I like it now! I am not crazy about the opening still because it does have a touch of smokiness, but not so much to the point that I hate it (which I normally do hate smokey scents); the drydown is really pleasant to my nose. I love how it is not overpowering and it's not "too much" of anything; it's not really sweet, it's not super aromatic, it's not super fruity, it's not super fresh. I don't know how I would describe it. It smells clean but not in a shampoo-y way. I'm glad that it's not as smokey now as it was when I first tried it months ago. It doesn't project too much but I am okay with that; I'm rather introverted so I avoid beast mode fragrances. However I wish the longevity was a bit better considering the price point. Maybe one day I'll be a travel size but I don't know if it's worth it for the price, which is unfortunate because I really do enjoy this fragrance. When I first wore it in public my friend told me I smelled nice, which is always a confidence booster and just makes me want to buy it even more lol. But my wallet can't handle this one unfortunately, so I will just cherish my sample while it lasts.

Dear Polly is an incredible smoldering tea scent. I've been on the hunt for a good Earl Grey scent for a long time, or at least one with a strong black tea note with nuances of bergamot. This is steamy and beautiful. Smoky black tea singed with a bit of honey, brightened a little with citrus airness. The apple in this fragrance is subtle and like dried apple -- fleshy with a hint of dark green, not thin and aquatic. There's a prominent wood note that meets my nose as something between guaiac and oak -- really dry and smoky, very well balanced with dark amber in this composition -- never setting aflame into campfire territory, just gently smoldering. Along with musk which is also dark, this reads almost like a smoky pipe tobacco note, especially with the moist dark fruit infusion. The hint of oakmoss gives the base a really good texture that weaves in and out. Sometimes smooth, sometimes airy, sometimes mossy with an occasional woody prickle. Dear Polly is a cerebral scent letter inspired by the founder Jan Ahlgren's wife. I love the clean depth, warmth and woodiness of this fragrance, the complexity that culminates into a simple, soothing and natural scent. Longevity is great on me lasting for a good 12 hours.

I was introduced to the brand by a friend. Loved the design of their website and the packaging at first site, however, since I do not live anywhere that sells the brand, I had a friend buy blindly for me. Choosing Dear Polly based on the brand's official website proved that I bought the right scent, it's amazing!! The story behind the fragrance is also as romantic as the scent. (Please read on their website and other reports!) The scent is extremely warm, which is always what I'm looking for in my perfume (note l'ombre dans l'eau or Le Labo scents...etc) Black tea is very prominent, and with body temperature, it smells like a warm, big hug. I love it. My friends and family all adore this scent, been asked a few times on which fragrance I'm using. Cons: Price tag is ridiculously high and the bottle design proved the be beautiful but very unrealistic. The shape is difficult to get a grip on, so I often fear that the bottle will slip and break. Anyway, it's a beautiful fragrance, and for people who love black tea should definitely try. I hope one day they'll create travel size tubes.

I buy (and bought) the hype. I know the vision behind Polly is a cosy, tender one, and I see her listed on a lot of “comfort scent” lists, but I get something far more vivacious. Flirty, puckish, twee. Picnic first date. Zooey Deschanel comedy. Head-to-toe Anthropologie. She’s a fruit-tea gourmand, like a Starbucks Refresher, all sweet black tea and lemonade doused in green apple syrup. (My go-to order at Starbucks is a passion lemonade, guilty as charged). The apple is tart, juicy, a so-sour-it’s-sweet Granny Smith candy. The tea is cleverly steeped. It’s a creamy Earl Grey, bergamot rich, but somehow not at all lactonic. She lasts me at least six hours on skin and fabric, and radiates enough to reliably get complemented. Mental Snapshot: Summer the city. A cheeky tea party on a hilltop in the park. Farmer’s market strawberries, thrift shop china, yellow gingham sundress. Inside the picnic basket there’s a bottle of acid-strong sour apple schnapps. All this is directed by Wes Anderson. tl;dr: Earl gurl 🦜🫖

Sophisticated, very heavy on the tea and amber in the beginning for me but then it dries down to a nice citrus tea. I do tend to go nose blind to this and this perfume. It is a lovely year round sent and is very unique. My nose sensitive parents can smell it very easily on me and beg me to only use one spray so it can definitely be picked up on by others. This perfume is like walking through a forest after it’s rained and is foggy. The trees are wet to the point where moss is easily visible. Earthy smells in the air but not necessarily in a bad way. It’s grounding. It reads like a fairy or enchanted forest vibe. This is what I think some fae may smell like. No, it does not smell like nest’s tea perfume, at least to me. It’s much more refined and whimsical. It’s extremely unique and still quite not as known in the regular world so you’re very unlikely to meet someone who wears it too. This makes me think of Jude. Not sure why, it may be the earthiness of it. But I feel it fits her so well.