Winter Woods

This appeared in my Holiday Gift Guide but I haven't given it a proper review yet, so the time has come to do just that.

You know how you smell a lot of perfumes and most of them (the unsignificant ones) are gone from your mind the next day? I mean, you know you smelled them but all you can remember about them is exactly that - you smelled them and no longer remember what they smelled like or just have a vague idea what they smelled like.
And then, there are the ones you smell and love them instantly and just know they are great, they are what perfumes should smell like.
That is what I think of Winter Woods (and Tabac Aurea but that is another review).

Notes: Guaiacwood, cedar, sandalwood, birch tar, cade, oakmoss absolute, castoreum, amber, labdanum absolute, vetiver, ambergris, musk.

Each time I wear this, it seems another facet pops out. First time I tried it, I thought it smelled sweet (vanillic), woody with hints of incense and slightly fruity. Then I thought I detected a vague metallic undertone which got lost as smokiness got a bit more prominent. And then I got a whiff of something that can only be described as pine resin. Quite lovely really, especially as I always associate pine woods with winter - fresh, woody and ambery.

So, I tried it again (well, wore it, then sprayed it on my arm to have it closer to my nose, wore it, sampled it), I keep coming back to it even though it's not nearly as cold here as I wish it when I wear Winter Woods.
Anyway, on other wearings I get a more ambery sweet opening (with slight booziness that comes and is fast gone) giving off richness and depth. I love it how incense here peeks through but never ever overwhelms the whole  (which can often happen, once you smell incense, everything else just fades into background). As the smokiness gets more into the wearing, the vanilla sweetness somewhat subsides but never disappears. And then at some point, I smell hints of tobacco which I would have probably missed if it weren't for Tabac Aurea getting some wearing these days as well.

The best thing about Winter Woods is that is very easy to wear (not like Tabac Aurea for which you really have to like the smell of tobacco leaves in order to wear it). It's just so likeable.


Notes and pic by: Sonoma Scent Studio