WHAT I SMELL:  The opening of Corpus Equus is anything but quiet with its burst of birch, soured leather and hint of a soft floral that quickly moves completely to a urinous birch tar.  The composition is cool and rather damp and it smells as if a campfire has been doused by cold water and where the smoke from the fire has infused into your clothes.  Sometimes that can be a comforting smell.  Here, it just feels pungent, soured and rather jolting.  The leather does come out slowly and it does help to pull the perfume away from the fire and in doing so it helps tame it to a more wearable stage.  Corpus Equus continues to settle and with it comes a sharpened note which helps to continue to cut the birch tar.  Here, the perfume becomes more of a leathered radiant forcefield which is more earthy and grounded in its feel.  In the end, a smooth buttery layer begins to come forward along with a soft amber.  What started off as a raging stallion has turned into a rather tame pony.

From the Naomi Goodsir website:

DARK / ANIMALISTIC / WILD

A deep black animalistic composition, with assertive leather notes.

Inspiration – A tribute to a fiery & impetuous horse

Corpus Equus Notes:  black rose petal, horsehair, leather, cigarette ash, Tonkin musk, amber infusion

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A dude ranch.  For city folk, the ranch may initially be a shock to the senses, but soon enough the scents of the ranch are smoothed out for their suburban patrons.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CORPUS EQUUS:  jolting, contrary, smooth

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CORPUS EQUUS: CaFleureBon, The Sniff

BOTTOM LINE:  Corpus Equus is a perfume that starts off in the barn and ends up in a Ralph Lauren ad.  You wonder if you can get past the startling entrance where you are tempted to run.  But like a wild horse, it does get tamed in the end and it turns out to be rather lovely.  But Corpus Equus probably wouldn’t be best suited for wearing to the grocery store and it’s definitely not suited for the office.  Actually, I’m not sure where I would wear this.  It’s interesting, but..

• Bone Rating:  3 out of possible 5 bones
• Scent:  Leather
• Noses:  Bertrand Douchaufour
• Classification: Unisex
• Expense: $187 for 50 ml eau de parfum