SSS: Tabac Aurea

Well, before you all get your hopes up, this is it for the time being, no more reviews of Sonoma Scents as I only ordered these two. But this is actually good, I don't wont to end up having Sonoma scents monopolizing my perfume wear time being in constant use. :)
I find it quite ironic that I would like so much a perfume that has such a prominent tobbacco leaf note as I hate cigarettes, smoking and have been against them my whole life (and expect to continue like it) and have also without success tried to convince my parents of the same.

Notes: cedar, sandalwood, tobbacco, leather, vetiver, patchouli, clove, labdanum, tonka bean, amber, vanilla, musk.

Lately I started wondering why I even bother with the notes as most of the time they just cannot even begin to describe the perfume journey you are going through while smelling something. And in this case, I really have to admit and say, most of them never popped out of this wonderfully different but totally cool perfume. At least it's different for me, I don't remember smelling such an amber tobbacco scent.

It opens with a sweet (shortly boozy) tobbacco smelling wonder. This is where I get the most of the vanilla. I don't know if I'm that sensitive to tobbacco (having to endure a smoking home most of my life) or it's really that prominent (I would need to hear about this from someone not as opposed to smoking) but the tobbacco is there for the whole ride. Not always as prominent, and almost invisible at some point, but there.
After a while, some smokiness starts appearing, but luckily for me, it's not the smell of cigarette smoke but more of a fire under a clear sky. And along for the ride came vetiver, hinting that the smoke cannot possibly be coming from an indoor fire.

One of the best thing about this is that each time you smell it as it progresses, some little thing has changed but so imperceptibly that you are not sure of you are imagining it or it's really happening. It's always the same perfume but it keeps winking at you. It makes me feel like I'm all mysterious when wearing, you can never be sure what I'm thinking and whether I'm approachable or not. ;)

Pic and notes by: Sonoma Scent Studio

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