anna m

It’s worth noting that I received a couple of older bottles of Ian from a friend who didn’t wear it much anymore, so my review might differ a little from folks who are reviewing “lab-fresh” bottles. In the bottle, Ian is a strong, sweet booze with some sun-warmed leather underneath- I get a little bit of the butterscotch-fruit liqueur situation that others have mentioned, so my first impression is something like a tall, dark mixed drink spilled onto the sleeve of a worn-every-day leather jacket as you squeeze past a stranger in a dark bar. Based on this, I thought Ian might be a little too gourmand for everyday for me, but on the skin the booze settles almost immediately and the patch comes out. Within 30 minutes or so, Ian is a dusky, sexy, wearable skin scent- the patchouli is down and dirty, the leather becomes soft and supple and comforting, and the rum sweetens both up without being too sticky or foody. It’s hard to describe, like others have said- very balanced, super intimate and androgynous, and all around a Get To Know Me Better vibe. Ian’s dry down is gruff and contented and a little playful, like you’ve made fast friends with the guy who spilled his rum on your jacket and are now sitting on the hood of your car in the parking lot playing truth or dare as the woods-scented air cools and you sober up. Also worth noting that while Ian initially struck me as a cool-weather scent, I’ve been wearing it to work on sunny days and it plays nice with sweat and movement! I could see this being an all-season signature for me- so glad I gave it a chance!!

I was gifted this one by a good friend who said it was all baby powder on them- maybe it’s a matter of preference or maybe it’s my skin, but luckily that was Not my experience! In the bottle, you do get a bit of powdery, fluffy sweetness- probably the honey and cream- along with a wet, earthy greenness underneath. Wet on skin, the cypress and moss curls up around the edges of the sweet stuff, backed by a rich earthiness from the toadstool. I get the impression of rich, crystallized spoonfuls of honey given up to the undergrowth as an offering to the creeping vines, or what lives under them. After 30 mins or so, it all softens and melds together into a lovely cozy herby powder: I’m reminded of dust settling in a warm patch of sunlight inside an abandoned apothecary. It has decent staying power on me and layers beautifully with simpler atmospheric scents like Cathedral and Graveyard Dirt.