I got a 1/2 ounce bottle of this cologne about a year ago but avoided reviewing it until now. Mainly because I just couldn't decide if I liked it or not. I suppose when I ordered it I expected something a lot more woodsy, but this isn't really woodsy in a typical sense, though there are tree oils in it.
Basically, this is a blend of 10 different essential oils dissolved in alcohol to make a cologne. According to Bonny Doon Farm, it includes Oak Moss, Spruce, Cedarwood, Rosemary, Verbena, Sage, Lavender and Artemisia. Oddly enough the other two oils aren't mentioned even though 8 of them are...very strange.
What does it smell like? Well, its a very sharp, citrusy herbaceous scent with some slight mossy undertones. The lavender and citrus are very, very strong at the opening which almost might be too much for some people. Do you know what a fresh cut green apple smells and tastes like? That's the type of sharpness you get here and the scent stays pretty sharp for awhile on the skin. It's almost as if the other oils have sort of boosted the Lavender and Citrus notes to make them literally punch you in the face. After quite a while - over one hour on my skin from a single spray - things calm down a bit into a slightly lighter, but still sharp, green apple herbaceous scent. It kind of makes me think of spring or early fall. I wouldn't call this a winter scent because it doesn't have the heavier, deeper notes I usually associate with winter scents. I'm not sure how it would fare in the summer either...since heat tends to increase sillage and the potency of certain scents this may be a little too strong for the warmest months.
Quality is very good, all natural essential oils and no artificial ingredients or aromachemicals. That also means it doesn't quite behave like a typical cologne made up of mostly synthetic elements or even a high end fragrance made up of naturals and synthetics. It just doesn't evolve the way a typical fragrance does, but that doesn't mean it isn't complex. There are a lot of elements in there if you pay attention, but my nose just isn't quite sensitive enough to separate them all. I think with a typical fragrance the notes are much easier to separate out than they are here.
A 4.33 ounce bottle sells for $42. That's certainly reasonable for most decent fragrances but isn't super cheap either. The ingredients in this probably aren't cheap, so the costs reflects that, I think. I don't have the actual full size bottle, so I'm not able to comment extensively on the packaging. From what I understand, this also comes in a heavy glass shaker bottle (no atomizer), similar to Bonny Doon Farm/Meehan Bay Rum cologne, but this one is narrower and taller. Instead of metal cap, you get a plastic one, and you get a box with it, whereas the Bay Rum comes with no box.
Staying power is quite good for a natural cologne. In fact, I'd say be careful not too apply too much. I could still smell this on my skin over 5 hours later after I applied one spray to the wrist.
Overall, this is one I'd recommend checking out if you like sharp lavender and citrus scents. If you don't, stay away.
Basically, this is a blend of 10 different essential oils dissolved in alcohol to make a cologne. According to Bonny Doon Farm, it includes Oak Moss, Spruce, Cedarwood, Rosemary, Verbena, Sage, Lavender and Artemisia. Oddly enough the other two oils aren't mentioned even though 8 of them are...very strange.
What does it smell like? Well, its a very sharp, citrusy herbaceous scent with some slight mossy undertones. The lavender and citrus are very, very strong at the opening which almost might be too much for some people. Do you know what a fresh cut green apple smells and tastes like? That's the type of sharpness you get here and the scent stays pretty sharp for awhile on the skin. It's almost as if the other oils have sort of boosted the Lavender and Citrus notes to make them literally punch you in the face. After quite a while - over one hour on my skin from a single spray - things calm down a bit into a slightly lighter, but still sharp, green apple herbaceous scent. It kind of makes me think of spring or early fall. I wouldn't call this a winter scent because it doesn't have the heavier, deeper notes I usually associate with winter scents. I'm not sure how it would fare in the summer either...since heat tends to increase sillage and the potency of certain scents this may be a little too strong for the warmest months.
Quality is very good, all natural essential oils and no artificial ingredients or aromachemicals. That also means it doesn't quite behave like a typical cologne made up of mostly synthetic elements or even a high end fragrance made up of naturals and synthetics. It just doesn't evolve the way a typical fragrance does, but that doesn't mean it isn't complex. There are a lot of elements in there if you pay attention, but my nose just isn't quite sensitive enough to separate them all. I think with a typical fragrance the notes are much easier to separate out than they are here.
A 4.33 ounce bottle sells for $42. That's certainly reasonable for most decent fragrances but isn't super cheap either. The ingredients in this probably aren't cheap, so the costs reflects that, I think. I don't have the actual full size bottle, so I'm not able to comment extensively on the packaging. From what I understand, this also comes in a heavy glass shaker bottle (no atomizer), similar to Bonny Doon Farm/Meehan Bay Rum cologne, but this one is narrower and taller. Instead of metal cap, you get a plastic one, and you get a box with it, whereas the Bay Rum comes with no box.
Staying power is quite good for a natural cologne. In fact, I'd say be careful not too apply too much. I could still smell this on my skin over 5 hours later after I applied one spray to the wrist.
Overall, this is one I'd recommend checking out if you like sharp lavender and citrus scents. If you don't, stay away.
