Sunrise in Winter

[Belladonnastrap]

Roman chamomile, golden ti leaf, and crystallized amber illuminating blackened vetiver and smoky oud.

[Kanra]

Okay, honestly I bought this one and a few others in this yule/winter collection because of its theme. I love sunrises and sunsets and was hoping this fragrance would capture it. I had no idea what it would smell like based on notes and found it hard to imagine a combination of oud and chamomile. And vetiver is usually terrible on my skin so I approached with caution.

 

But: this is very nice. It's very different from the type of scents I usually buy and therefore super unique in my wardrobe. It's very evocative of watching an actual sunrise which is exactly what I bought it for. The chamomile note and the oud together is something I couldn't imagine before but actually pairs quite well. It's a similar chamomile as in Rome, but instead of green and rose undertones, it has smoky, dark, undertones. As I mentioned, vetiver usually doesn't work for me but it does here. I think if I approached this just as a fragrance I might feel differently, but this is more like an experience of sunrise in a bottle to me. It's dark with brightness poking through, the sun beginning to dye the morning sky colors as the night fades. It brings back memories of staying up all night and watching the sun begin to rise. It's relaxing and comforting in a similar way. Blood orange isn't a note in this but I smell the color, not the fruit, blood orange from this bottle, intertwined with the colors of the sunrise.

 

This does have a lot of vetiver though, so vetiver lovers rejoice and vetiver haters beware.

 

I don't imagine that this will become a super, super popular BPAL but I think for people who like atmospheric, contemplative, introverted scents, that are a little dark and a little relaxing and bright at the same time, and unique in that juxtaposition would like it a lot.

 

I'll keep it because it definitely has a unique place in my wardrobe. I don't own anything else like this. I don't need a backup because again, this is very much about the atmosphere than something I'd wear to a dinner out or a date whenever this pandemic ends. No, this is something I'd wear when alone, watching the sunrise in the morning because I stayed up way too late again and want the perfect scent to capture the feeling of that time of day. This does that well.

Edited January 25, 2021 by Kanra

[groovyrooby]

Absolutely captures the vibe of the painting and the mood. Dry, woody, leafy, and a little bracing. Really conjures a cup of tea - more of an English Breakfast than an Early Grey. Hint of citrus is a squeeze of lemon rather than bergamot. Steaming, aromatic vapors grace your face hanging over the cup, catching the steam but not getting much warmth from the cup yet because your gloves are in the way. Bitter, no sugar. Still curled up in your pajamas, crabby to be out of bed in the cold world, but the tea will force you to snap out of it. Very evocative. Nicely done.

[Teamama]

In the decant: Ti leads, with a bitter bite. Amber & chamomile, but no oud.
Wet: I accidentally slathered a bit. Clear oil. On my skin,  a chaotic swirl of amber & green & oud. The ti leaf backs off immediately. The blend is almost aquatic for a second.
Dry: A subtle & smooth amber-herbal, like I had hoped. The oud is the resin-y, sweet kind, & it harmonizes beautifully with the vetiver. Low throw.

[zankoku_zen]

Bitter chamomile, smoky vetiver  and a touch of oudh. This is a bitter smoky herbal. Gender neutral, pulling toward masculine. The amber is there to sweeten it just enough. Good throw and wear length.

[Marina Napoli]

I have to say, this one really surprised me. 

 

On my skin this really does smell like drinking a hot cup of tea on the porch after a fresh snow. It smells like freshly brewed tea and cold. I can't pick out any individual notes. It's exactly what I hoped it would be!

[Meirion]

This is something special. It really does smell like unsweetened, oversteeped chamomile tea, with a bitter bite of tannins almost reminiscent of oak leaves. There's an underlying herbal grittiness from the vetiver, and a whisper of delicate smokiness (not campfire or incense smoke), but the dominant note is strong tea, rounded and smoothed by amber. The tannin + chamomile combo puts it in the same family as Lawful, to my nose, although the rhubarb in Lawful makes it much sweeter and brighter. This is definitely a dark, moody scent, but somehow also calming and refreshing. It's perfect for sheltering indoors from summer thunderstorms.

Strong throw and long wear length. 

[trinitysite]

I found this in a box, and I couldn't remember how I received it (in a swap?) and why it was in the box (because I didn't like it?), but it smelled nice in the bottle - cold citrus and grass - so I thought I'd try it again.

 

And then immediately regretted it, probably because of the oud. I have mixed feelings about vetiver as well. I did not wash it off at that point because I got distracted with something else, but I eventually realized that the oud, or whatever the yucky note was, had gone away entirely and I was left with something similar to the cold grass, cold citrus that I got in the bottle. It was nice! And definitely well-named, as it's very evocative of that weak wintery light.

 

Seems to have minimal throw. As to wear length, it fades but doesn't disappear.