For the holiday season, Marie Claire magazine asked Christopher Brosius of CB I Hate Perfume to create an exclusive fragrance for their December Gift Guide. Their request: something that would calm the over-stressed Type A personality. The result is Just Breathe, with notes of bamboo leaves, Japanese green tea, three varieties of cedarwood, and incense.
Just Breathe is a light, calming fragrance in a water formula that allows you to use it on your skin, your clothing, or as a room spray. If it was a color, it would be a very pale celadon green, and that describes the smell as well: pale leafy greens with a light wood undertone and the teensiest hint of incense. It would create a perfect atmosphere for yoga or meditation, if you are the sort of person who undertakes such activities, and makes a lovely spray for the bedsheets just before going to sleep.
I am about as far from a Type A personality as you can get without being actually dead. What I usually need is not to be soothed, but to be jolted into action. Burning Leaves, another recent fragrance release from CB I Hate Perfume, is to my mind the perfect aromatherapy for the slacker personality, being both calming and invigorating at the same time. It is exactly what the name implies: the scent of burning leaves. Maple leaves, to be exact, although I'm quite sure I couldn't tell the difference if it was oak or beech. There is a whisper of something lightly sweet, almost caramelized, running through the smoke.
It is perfect by itself, and also layers beautifully with Gathering Apples. That one starts a bit sweet — for a couple of seconds it teeters awfully close to the smell of Jolly Rancher apple candies — but it quickly calms into the scent of an old wooden bowl overflowing with freshly picked apples. I don't generally care for apple in fragrance, and would probably not wear this one alone, but with the Burning Leaves, it is wonderful: the crisp, bright scent of a sunny day in early fall.
CB I Hate Perfume has several other new fragrances available online: To See A Flower, In the Library, and Patchouli Empire (which I hope to review next week). Coming soon are Winter 1972, Tea/Rose, and Gingerbread.
Oh, all of them sound great! I especially like the description of Burning Leaves. I am not sure what personality type I am (I never took those tests), but “bamboo leaves, Japanese green tea, three varieties of cedarwood, and incense” sounds wonderful too.
I used to have Type A tendencies, but these days, something like Just Breathe would just out me in a coma I am afraid. Burning Leaves layered with Gathering Apples sounds like a dream though…
One time I tried ordering sample from CB site and the choice wasn't that good…I still haven't tried Russian Caravan Tea, arrgh.
Funny that you posted about Burning Leaves and Gathering Apples – I absoulutely adore both and they were my choice to wear this morning (layered). Heaven! Definitely want to try Just Breathe. In the Library is another one of his I love and am looking forward to trying Patchouli Empire. The Russian Caravan Tea – despite the notes listed – reminds me of a tea rose scent. CS at CB is fantastic.
R, Burning Leaves sounds very interesting to me, I´d like to test it, but I don´t know if I´ll ever get the chance to because CB fragrances aren´t available over here.
When I read your description of Just Breathe it reminded me immediatley of CdG Calamus – are both fragrances comparable to one another?
I´m looking forward to your review on Patchouli Empire, regarding the fact that you normally don´t like Patchouli fragrances that much.
I tested a rather lovely Patchouly scent some days ago: Mazzolari Patchouly. It isn´t as dry & earthy as a lot of other Patchouly fragrances tend to be, it´s more on the smoky side, rich & dark & a bit similar to SL Ambre Sultan. Have you ever tested it? – If not, you should
Oh, thanks for this review, Robin. This sounds interesting. I just visited the website and I am intrigued with the idea of having a custom fragrance made.
The Just Breathe, and Burning Leaves with Gathering Apples sound wonderful. And I forgot that I wanted to order Russian Caravan Tea for my husband.
I want Just Breathe now! NOW! I need it! How soon can they get it to me??? That's not soon enough!
I wish that were a joke.
V, I don't know if there is a test for the type A personality — perhaps there is & I've been too lazy to take it
M, Most of those scents are available as samples under “Home Series”. You can email & ask but I think all that means is that you are getting the water rather than the oil formula (?)
Of all of them, Russian Caravan tea might still be my favorite, but Burning Leaves is a close second. Glad someone else is wearing that combo today, they really do work well together.
S, Scent Systems in the UK has a few of the CB scents, but I don't know their sampling policy.
Have not tried that Mazzolari — and the Mazzolaris are darn hard to get in the US! Have only managed to try a few of them so far.
Oh, meant to add: it is paler than the Calumus, scent-wise, and much calmer since it doesn't have the peppery & earthy notes.
K, I am having a custom fragrance done & can't wait to see how it turns out!
Oh dear, M, it sounds bad — hope things will calm down for you soon!
Every year I am shocked anew by how many people get so stressed at this time of year. The holidays tend to put me in such a pleasant, mellow mood, to the point where things that would quite normally stress me out seem to not ruffle me at all. The Christmas season invokes a sense of calm happiness in me that I am beginning to suspect annoys the living hell out of my friends and relatives. Perhaps this is why I gravitate towards the spicier scents during December: like you I need a bit of pep and vigor to stir myself up a little.
K, my own stress has increased with the size of my shopping list…it is too big! Usually I compensate by shopping very early, and can vouch for the fact that other people go insane when you tell them you are finished before Thanksgiving. This year I am late and we shall see if I can remain unruffled right through to the end
Ooooh…Do tell us all about it when it is done!
Having a custom-made fragrance sounds wonderfully decadent!
Hello Robin. I've really been enjoying your blog and decided to stop lurking.
Please consider doing a “Favorite Green Scents” now that the weather is turning cold. I'm just now really getting into scent and I think our green preferences are similar. I am very drawn to your descriptions of several Gobin Daude fragrances, as well as Calamus. I think I prefer dark to light. If I could find something that has the transparency of “Omnia” that was dark and green, I'd be in heaven.
Again, thank you so much for your blog. I look forward to it everyday. Oh! Thanks for the tip about the KM sampler! Merry Christmas to me!
Of course I will — but it also makes me nervous. What if I hate it? Keeping my fingers crossed
Hi V, and welcome! I love green scents, but offhand can't think of one with the transparency of Omnia plus a dark side plus appropriate for winter. There were lots of green releases this summer — did you try Nanadebary Green or the Miller et Bertaux Green?
Will see if I can think of anything else, and enjoy your KM set!
R, if you think of anything, that would be nice. I don't care about the scent being appropriate for fall/winter. I like to reach for “sun” during the colder months.
Then do try the Nanadebary Green or the Miller et Bertaux (I love the MB). Also CB I Hate Perfume “CB 93” is a very green scent, and of course Vent Vert (if you can find a vintage bottle on ebay, it is a very dark green scent and might be perfect for you, the new version is much lighter & breezier). Sous Le Buis by Gobin Daude is wonderful. Also Parfums di Nicolai Eau de Lude. If you like pine, Borsari Corteccia di Pino is simple but very nice, unfortunately also hard to find. Will see if anything else pops into my mind…
I'm new to your blog and love it. I just sampled these two. Burning Leaves was so accurate and evoked good memories so powerfully that I have to have a full bottle. Russian Caravan was very pretty and refreshing but didn't last long on me for some reason, which was a pity. However, Burning Leaves was still with me at the end of a very long day, helping me right through it.
The Russian Caravan is light! I use the water formula and basically use it as a body spray.
Yes, Just Breathe is now on my list, but I bought Winter 1972. Remenicent of Black March (another list maker), but crisp, cold, refreshing – exactly as its name, you remember a favorite winter. Like walking outside after the most beautiful snowfall.
Winter 1972 is a great scent, I keep meaning to review it and will have to do that soon. With Black March, At the Beach 1966 & Burning Leaves, it makes all 4 seasons
Dana Vigilante writes – I really am trying to find something to like about these fragrances, I really am. I recently recieved 10 different vials. Here is my take on Burning Leaves. Well, really not MY take exactly, as I am a freelance writer so I ask the opinions of friends, so that my articles can hold some rationale of rhymn and reason. I put Burning Leaves on one evening before meeting friends. To be honest, I got a pretty sick feeling in my stomach once it was on. It only got worse from there. As soon as I joined up with my friends, two asked immediately if I had taken up smoking. Another told me I smelled like her first Ford Pinto. And yet another of my ever-honest friends told said that I smelled the way her pack-a-day high school boyfriend's breath smelled whe he kissed her. Majority ruled on this one. Horrific. Dana Vigilante
Seriously, it didn't smell like burning leaves to you at all? Or is it that you don't fancy wearing something that smells like burning leaves?
Dana Vigilante writes – Yes, this smelled like buring leaves to me. It also smelled like a wet ashtray. Two things that no human being should ever smell like. My male friends, as well as my boyfriend all hated this scent. It isn't really even a scent. This doesn't even qualify as a room spray. This scent is just really wrong on so many levels.
Will try not to wear it near you or your friends, then, but it does have lots of fans and nice reviews on MakeupAlley!