Okay so I’m going to try not to slag this brand off with as much vitriolic, distain as I did on Instagram but the three fragrances from Cra-yon seem fairly pointless to me, in terms of creativity or breaking new ground and beg the question, why bother? Why bother creating a brand that doesn’t excite or innovate or even show a glimmer of anything new? I’m not being nasty it’s just a genuine question and observation. In a crowded marketplace how does this brand stand out? To me it doesn’t. It’s all Marketing and slick logos and packaging with zero substance behind it, the fragrances seem to have been plucked off the shelf at a fragrance laboratory, we’ll have a Sandalwood one (this one) a rose and a vanilla. All simple concepts and good starting points, and even if one of them was good, that would completely change my view of the brand, so it really doesn’t take much for me to give the benefit of the doubt but all three are complete cookie cutter A to B to C. It’s limp. Lifeless. There just Feels like there’s no passion in this product and when you’ve seen lots of brands come and go you kinda get a feel for what is and what isn’t a labour of love. This isn’t bad as such, it smells like a subpar Santal 33 by Le Labo, which is definitely intentional given what I assume is Cra-yon’s woke, urban, hipsterite, target demographic. So not only lack lustre but likely a deliberate clone. See the problem is I don’t like Santal 33 anyway, the watery strangeness of a papyrus opening, the top note on sandalwood is very unsettling to me and smells plain odd. It’s intriguing though, despite not enjoying or wanting to wear, and this doesn’t even have the rewarding, nutty Santal drydown of its inspiration. Sorry Cra-yon I’m not buying it, but clearly someone is and you’re making it work in a crowded marketplace. Contrary to my usual complaint of new brands launching with 12-14 fragrances in a line and then feeling they have to release a new one every three months to stay fresh, relevant, being promoted by influencers, staying visible as a brand and keeping up with other houses output etc... I like brands that don’t play that game and Cra yon’s focus on 3 to start is a good idea. However, had they released more odds are better for getting one that I liked and maybe that would’ve changed the whole complexion of this review slightly...I dunno?

In the interests of total transparency Carter very kindly sent these samples to me (I was intending to support the project anyhow) he’s nice like that and he knows full well that my views, however insignificant, will be honest and forthright, and if I don’t like something or think it’s objectively or technically lacking (again if you believe I qualified to comment) then I will say so. I think he invites the critique and probably relishes it, I know I would. I’ll just start by saying all three exhibit a really attuned skill for a self taught perfumer and someone who I find to have a really interesting perspective on lots of things, not least on the art of perfumery and perhaps some notion of what it should represent. I wish I painted pictures with my words and got all poetic about these scents because they deserve it, but my reviews are usually relentlessly boring fixation with materials and ‘how did they do that?’ Sort of musings. So Playlinda to me the most compelling & perhaps the most comforting blurb explaining its origins and inspiration. I think it’s the most ‘commercial’ (that sounds terrible) but it’s more accessible one for folks I reckon, but completely free from Cliche as I’ve smelled nothing even remotely like it. The opening is like a somewhat fatty, lactonic, yellow floral. Playlinda is a seaside scent but it’s not obviously so, warm skin, even that ambergris effect of saliva on skin but not in a sultry or salacious way. It’s reassuring. It threatens a hint of coconut or shay butter for a moment but completely subverts that feeling with dusty, sandy, salty fruit vibes, and cozy musk. Peach is supposed to be the big playa (lol) in here but the fruity accord doesn’t immediately scream it to me, and that’s not a sign of failure because I’ve seen plenty of reviews mentioning it vividly, so what do I know. I haven’t spent enough time with Playalinda, but I felt it necessary to give my first impressions here. It’s very good, and just shows the effort that goes into an Indy perfume to create real art, that has a truly personal narrative. You don’t need to be told that it’s deeply personal, you can smell it.

So I’ve smelled Ruth’s creations for other brands and I was intrigued to see what her own brand would be like and boy oh boy is this line special. I’ve only tried three so far but they are all show stoppers! Massively rich and complex compositions, not elegant or singular focused stuff you might create for a brand (a rose one, a leather one etc etc..) with a brief but rather truly artistic, statement pieces to showcase what an excellent perfumer Ruth clearly is. Signature to me opens with a saffron like twang, heavy, heady but strangely plastic and elastic, spiked with exotic fruits and cassis. It actually smells quite sharp and resinous like artificial Oud base, but nothing specific like ahhh that’s black agar or Firmenich, Oud bois or whatever. This is perhaps just materials conspiring to make something very complex, which is basically what a synthetic ‘Oud’ base or accord consists of. Broadly masculine I’d say and it’s initial strength and boldness is very captivating and I’d suggest highly appealing to folks who like modern fragrances that bang hard particularly in the opening. Something about this line reminds me of the brilliant Christophe Laudamiel and his work with Strangelove, perhaps these are less obviously built on amazing natural raw materials, but something about the feel and complexity is similar. A massive endorsement.

So it’s been a while since I’ve recoiled in horror at the opening of a fragrance. I mean (Versace) Eros is bad enough but his tears fucking stink! 🤣 No in fairness the challenge of this scent is something I relish and tears of Eros is a massive challenge but already as it’s settling, it’s twinkling facets of jade greens and turquoise blues are really starting to elicit a more positive response, this gets better and better as it dries down. There’s a huge, wet floral note of hyacinth, I mean it’s not even that element which is unpleasant, but usually in isolation not my favourite thing. I think it’s just the opening is such a concentrated mass of ‘stuff’ brutalising your nostrils, I mean I grimaced 😬 I actually grimaced 😬. It’s metallic, resinous (galbanum or Angelica perhaps?) ozonic, it’s more than breeze or seaside this is not at the ‘side’ it’s a Mariana Trench, marine depth charge of a thing! I think it’s absolutely inspired! Hugely memorable anyway. Tears of Eros is not my scene but I can get off on occasion to stuff like this because it’s such bold, unique, perfumery. Something about the style of the drydown reminds me a touch of French Lover and that’s a very positive association indeed. I can’t believe the flip flop from, intrusive, and atrocious opening to something very nice indeed when settled, just goes to show you shouldn’t judge a perfume too quickly and harshly, I kinda had a funny feeling in my waters that it was going to get better. I’d say, of the three I’ve tried so far ...this one is probably my favourite just due to the sheer artistry can’t wait to wear it properly. UPDATE 09/06/21 Can I just say that when talking to people who asked me what where the highlights of my 2020, I say 'Tears of Eros' I CAN'T STOP THINKIING ABOUT IT. I really can't, and yet everything I said above is accurate. It's one of the most interesting works I've smelled in a long time, it's a pure piece of olfactory art. I described it recently as 'Heavy metal Hyacinths' and that's pretty accurate, If I bought a bottle I'm not sure if there would ever be an occasion suitable? Perhaps if Iron Maiden started doing gigs at the botanical gardens or something? Paul deserves massive credit for this and his line in general, it's really hard for an indy perfume to balance polish and really wacky new ideas but he seems to strike a really good balance.

This is quite simply what people expect from a neroli fragrance, waxy, fresh in the vein of 4711 or Neroli Portofino (which although later) is the staple of this genre and is an actual neroli fragrance in that sense rather than a cologne. My experience of natural neroli materials is anything from a greener, truly unique smell to a hardware store or recently painted wall, rather than the fatty, white floral accord so indicative of ‘neroli’ based perfumes, but I digress. The opening of this is a stunning, If slightly short lived zing, with the natural metallic quality of petitgrain joining it and immediately fresh with the ripe, creamy, white floral accord. It’s a beautiful thing and although the initial zing is short lived, the citrus and white floral combo is perfect for extending and boosting the citrus aspect and for me rivals the power of a neroli Portofino for example but has a much classier, classic cologne delivery. It’s more of a Floris or M&W 4711 type fragrance and just in between as the citrus settles into more floral dominance there’s hints of basil type herbs maybe a bay leaf or a touch of spice? It’s carefully made and well executed perfumery. The bottles from this brand are simple but elegant, the price is great, I can’t fault them other than to say that this is slightly more dominant with neroli than suits my tastes but occasionally I will rock this and enjoy it. On a hot day you could do a lot worse than cooling off wearing some of this. Highly recommended.

Right here’s the lowdown. Having owned Terrarossa for a couple of years now, and being made aware of this brand by my pal Dana (the brilliant A nose knows) I’ve been tempted to get the others for a while and I’m not disappointed with this blind buy. Here is a true first impression of this fragrance, immediately sweet orange top, cascades down into a gourmand, so it’s a chocolate orange, great combination but hard to pull off. (For a novice like me, because I’ve tried) The reason it works here is because it’s not too sweet and has evolved into a fatty, creamy lactonic orange orange blossom when dried down. The main thing I took away from this was (bearing in mind I just said it wasn’t too sweet) a mildly inflected, bubblegum note. This is not the crappy saccharine note of cheesy men’s designers of late, it smells of Jasmine or tuberose in that natural, slightly bananary sense. Dries down much more vanilla and similar to a million femme marketed fruity vanillas, but maintains a nice chocolate/benzoin right to the death. I think when you look at this as a whole, from unique start to somewhat predictable finish, it still has a huge amount of merit, I mean I’d wear this, and will of course, being a rare fragrance of this type that I actually like, opening with such an interesting and well constructed flourish as it does. Do I love it? No. I like it though. It’s nothing like Serge Lutens Fleurs d’oranger BTW except for an orange blossom note/accord in here.

Very honoured to be the first entry on this perfume because Chenoir is absolutely fantastic! It’s a valuable lesson In understatement for Indy perfumers who seem to insist on this murky, witchy, brew approach whereas Amanda thinks in structure and simple accords, coming together to make far more than the sum of their parts. This is basically a transparent, herbal, green fragrance with an old meets new Chypre sensibility. The bergamot and oakmoss providing the classic elements delicate, flora muguet and modern woods in the base providing the modernised contemporary elements. There’s a light resinous warmth in this too. The lasting impression is made by the oakmoss and far from being an oakmoss fragrance I’d say if you really want to smell something which unashamedly places it at the centre of the composition, then I can honestly say you’d be hard pressed to find anything better? Certainly not from an Indy perfumer, these days. I love Chenoir it’s fantastically fresh and wearable, but interesting and truly like nothing else out there. The price is fantastic for the quality and I get to support a UK perfumer. This deserved the Golden pear. Just get it! You will not regret it.

Okay so...it's official...Salome is my favourite perfume from this brand. I had to make sure, when Liz announced Bengale rouge I was about to purchase Salome but then thought I wait to see what it was all about. Which was fine but BR couldn't knock the crown off Salome. It opens with a cumin leather infused, smooth, mildly vegetal remiscent of raw, leathery, castoreum tempered by more rounded orris butter or somethin? This is reinforced later with dry Ionone smells later on. The main effect which points to classic oriental/chypre hybrid a la the late, great Mr Guy Robert is the contrast of clearly animalic undertones with powdery florals. On top a gentle but firm, carnation accord blooms, a little powdered but not really, the whole effect is quite masculine. It was on me at least and I said this of Salome if a man wore it I'd likely gesture to him in some blokey acknowledgement of his keen interest in very finely made, classic perfumery. If it was a woman I'd likely be begging at her stilettoed heel, like some submissive dog/manslave! The animalic nature giving Salome a mildly sexy charge. I'll say this though, it's full bodied and uncompromising and yet I find it a total pussycat and carefully applied it's so very pleasant and polite. The animalics in here are clearly handled with a very deft touch and Liz is in her element making these creations which nod at vintage perfumes, all in a genre of their own. Some Indy perfumers use animalics in a very hamfisted way, banging a load a civet replacer in and calling that an animalic accord when for me it lacks nuance and sinks like a stone to the bottom of the composition only to languish and likely still be detected on your skin days later. (to be fair you can smell Salome the next day) No doubt Salome probably uses Civet replacer but the overall musks seem to have been carefully woven and blended into the very fabric of what Salome is. It's muscanone, mallow warm, sweet musks and the more authentic, deer, pissy animalic shangrilide and animalis type too but perfectly balanced. I think it's completely mesmerising stuff. It's artistry isn't something to be broken down in the kinda tedious, armchair way I pluck and poke at possible materials used. Just wear it and revel in it. Superb.

Yuzu fragrances are slightly disappointing on the whole, I can't remember many to be honest (either deflating or reinforcing my point there) oh actually Caron Yuzu that's nice but also forgettable.(see?) This is nothing like that really, I think of Yuzu as zingy, bitter lemony, grapefruit but very much its own signature citrus smell. You expect a punch, at least a jab of citrus, instead you get quite a big, fleshy, fruit, much more exotic, almost mango like to me. An off kilter middle-ground between Two L'Artisans for me, Timbuktu (seriously) and Batucada. It's like a tropical fruit with the oddness of that bamboo accord, mildly green but with a slightly sweaty edge of spice. I love the way it ends up on skin because it's rounded, clean, musky, a bit warm at heart, and not just some lifeless citrus cologne that burned brightly at first but fizzled out just as quick. I get an earthy, spice to this hence the vetiver inference, and illusion of very mild caraway or cumin. This is a fascinating little creation from a very creative and quality house. Personally, I'm not that taken with it but I find it worthy of praise, certainly for fans of fruity fragrances, this is a stranger alternative to try.

This is a delight. A spicy delight. It's a masterclass in black and pink pepper, both grainy, sharply seasoned and oddly sweet. The under body is a creamy wooded deck slightly exposed and dry with Cardamom, well worn. It's an absolute spice bazaar of a thing. Has the restraint and sophistication you'd expect from this brand, but it's not 'pretty' in that sense. It's the perfumer showcasing all the little facets of these spices without being heavy handed with them as they so easily could be. I found it a revelation considering it was one I hadn't tried and wasn't really aware of. If you like spices, this is incredibly accomplished use of them. Rare that I write a review from first sniffing, update to come once I wear it.