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
WHAT I SMELL: Fleur Japonais opens with a soft milky magnolia that is quickly greeted by lilting cherry blossoms that are seemingly caressed by a light breeze. The perfume is intoxicating in that it’s full of body, yet light in presence. But there’s also a hidden strength in the blossoms in that their beauty is full of passion and power with the promise of rebirth. As the perfume develops, the soft and beautiful florals even out in consistency creating for a blanket that’s silky smooth. And along with that beautiful blanket is just the right amount of light incense that dreamily floats above the blossoms. Here, Fleur Japonais feels as if it is creating a passage to an ancient Japanese temple. In the end, a light powder with the incense and a soft sandalwood residing underneath, makes you feel as if you’re walking along a quiet path laden with freshly fallen pedals; pink above and pink below. Beyond gorgeous.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Dreaming in a sea of pink.
WHAT I SMELL: Mixed Emotions opens with a beautiful minty fresh cassis which moves ever so slightly to the evergreen in a rapid manner. Almost immediately, the perfume feels as if it resides on the edge of the forest where the green and the fruits seem to beckon all living things to commune with its ripened juice. After a short while, the fruit begins to quiet and soften, but the blackcurrant sweetens with the addition of a hint of violet while a soft tea note begins to enter. Here the perfume becomes more contemplative. Did I say contemplative? In a very short time, the perfume starts to move towards the semi-funky when wafts of light sweat come into play. For non-perfumistas that may sound like a horrible thing, but for those in the know, it can be enticing; and in this case, it’s exactly that. As the perfume continues to develop, a light violet begins to occupy the space where the blackcurrant resided along with the lightest of tea and incense. Here, the perfume is once again contemplative, soft and engaging and to me, very, very pretty. In the end you’re left with a quiet, lightly sweet musk of a perfume. Mixed Emotions is pretty and rather intimate in just the right kind of way.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Mixed emotions? Maybe. But to me, it’s sweet emotions. (And to clarify further, that means sweet related to love vs. sweet related to sugar!)
The Scented Hound 