My first thought on smelling Standard, the latest collaborative effort from Comme des Garçons (it was made with Finnish design firm Artek) was: woodshop! And then: Hinoki!
Hinoki, for those of you who don't obsessively follow the Comme des Garçons fragrance line, was officially called Scent One: Hinoki, and was a collaborative effort with Monocle magazine. It smelled like raw wood and other woodshop smells (turpentine, camphor). Standard, despite having a different perfumer (Olivier Pescheux), and different notes (Finnish Labrador tea, twinflower, metal, rust, fennel, ginger, lemon, musk, saffron and cedar) smells like a variation on that theme: different day, different woodshop. The raw wood — lots of cedar-y pencil shavings — is mostly in the opening, where it mingles with sharp, greenish herbs (a woodshop with the window open to the garden outside? or with herbs hanging from the rafters?) and a heavy metallic note. It has subtle but distinct medicinal undertones and a rough feel.
The dry down is softer and smoother, with an almost velvety finish. It's dry, slightly earthy, and eventually, quiet enough to wear like a woody-musky skin scent. I like it very much but can't see owning this and Hinoki — whichever one I happen across first in TJ Maxx (ha!) I'll buy. Of the two, I'd guess that Standard might be slightly easier to wear. Neither is a powerhouse in terms of sillage or lasting power, but I tried them from vials and they might do better sprayed.
Comme des Garçons + Artek Standard is available in 100 ml Eau de Toilette, $120. For buying information, see the listing for Comme des Garçons under Perfume Houses.
I have both Hinoki and Standard, and found them quite different on me. Hinoki was more dry and woody, Standard was sweeter and more incensey. They’re both great in my opinion.
I really like them both too…keep changing my mind about which I like better. Standard is a pretty dry scent but you’re right that it’s sweeter.
Interesting…I get a very very sour note from this, not sweet at all.
I do not notice it being sweet unless I wear it next to something bone-dry like Hinoki. But agree there’s something sour-ish about the herbal notes.
Funny you should talk about comparisons: when I put Kyoto and Ouarzazate on skin to compare to this, both seemed sweeter than I would ever normally describe them, especially Kyoto.
Interesting!
And, now that you mention Ouarzazate, I find that one also to have something of a sour note, though nowhere near as pronounced as the Standard.
Drool! Ginger, metal and pencil shavings. Who could ask for anything more? Although I have to admit, before checking out the Wikipedia entry, “Labrador Tea” made me think of wet dog.
Robin, is this as cold a scent as the notes make it sound?
Hmmm…no, not cold to me. The metallic stuff in the top notes isn’t even really cold, since it’s at the same time as all the cedar, which isn’t generally what I think of as a cold note.
I can’t believe this, but I’m a Comme des Garcons virgin. Have not smelled ANY of their scents! I’ve been tempted to purchase a bottle of No 2 unsniffed a few times, but so far, have resisted. I’ve also managed to avoid Serge Lutens (no, that’s not a good thing, IMO).
So many fragrance lines, so little time and $! I wish there was a local perfume megastore that carried every hot niche brand available so I could sniff to my heart’s content without having to order samples. Luckyscent – any interest in going East coast??? Maybe I should open up a shop myself. 😉
Do you like incense? If so, I’d start with the Incense series and a samples of Comme des Garcons Eau de Parfum (the first one) and Comme des Garcons 2.
To smell them all in person, you need to get to Barneys…that’s the East Coast’s niche megastore. (you can smell all the SLs there too).
Barney’s Boston, here I come!
Ok, do me a favor: call first & check to make sure they have both lines! Because I know NY does, but not sure about Boston.
Hello,
Slightly off-topic, but as this perfume has something to do with Finland and I have been meaning to ask… Any Finnish perfumistas following this blog??? Would be nice to hear of you 🙂
I am not very learned as to perfumes myself, but a keen reader and “sampler”. But, I have not sampled any CdesG yet, so must try this one as for once it is within easy reach.
Karin, I have been so much toying an idea of opening a shop.. In Finland we have practically no niche lines available. Thank God for the online stores….
I’m not Finnish, but my husband is. I really wanted to love this perfume for that reason, but something was just off. Our daughter loves it, however, partly because her middle name is Linnea. 🙂
If nobody turns up, you might want to ask again next time we do an open thread poll.
Thanks for the advice, Robin, and thank you also for such a wonderful blog!!! And it is so lovely that you update it every day!
And thank you for the kind words 🙂
Hi,
One Finnish perfumista (late as usual) chiming in! I don’t post here often but I am an avid reader! You’re right – Finland is a backwater when it comes to niche fragrances, so thank god indeed for online stores! And, living in Helsinki, I can always pop over to Stockholm and go shopping at NK department store.
I am a huge CdG fan, and love CdG 3, 2 Man (snuffed candles -excellent!), Avignon (a masterpiece), Hinoki, White, and Dover Street are all gorgeous, haunting, and defy easy labeling. I have tried Standard, and I have to say I don’t particular like it (which was something of a shock to me). I have great difficulty with saffron scents, and cannot eat paella because of it. In Standard it was the note that killed it for me. The Cedar opening, like freshly sharpened pencils, is lovely, though. I am very happy sticking with Standard’s older sister, Hinoki, who doesn’t cook with saffron!
Funny how whatever note you hate always stands out! I found the saffron hard to make out unless I was trying, and the ginger I don’t notice at all.
I bought this because I love CdG and also the Finnish/Scandinavian connection. I like it but don’t love it. Very cedary and crisp to me, with interesting metallic (“rust”?) notes throughout. It’s interesting that incense isn’t listed as a note, because there’s something incensey to me. It fits in well with the vibe of some from the Incense Series, though I haven’t tried Hinoki and can’t comment on the similarity there. It does leave a great scent on my clothes, which I love when I catch a whiff later on.
If anyone’s interested in a decant, you can contact me via MUA (joe805) or the split wiki. Hope that’s ok to put out there.
Very incensey, yes, and also would swear a little dab of iris. And fine to post. I keep thinking I’ll start a regular swap meet, but never get around to it.
oh goodness! I practically started squealing when I read this!!! What a fine idea! 🙂
You’re squealing, I’m snorting… We’re a piggy bunch today.
Maybe in 2010. I’ve got to get through the holidays first!
I’m smiling from ear to ear at the thought of a swap meet here @ NST. 😀
Joe, thanks for the heads up on the split wiki! It’s an amazing resource I didn’t even know about until now.
For anyone else who wants it, here it is:
http://scentsplits.wikidot.com/
Hey, Joe, I already emailed you about this one!
I totally got incense from it, too, and the lemon/ginger is quite nice. I think I mentioned before that this one made me appreciate Andy T’s Incense Extreme a bit more, because this one did so well on me.
Ack! I forgot about that MUA mail. Answering you now… sorry!
*cries in corner*
i want to smell all of them !!!!!!!!
whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy is there not a comme des garcons store in my country !!!!!!???
this one sounds interesting , but i would looooooooove to smell the one from outer space , wow
So sorry! I try them all via the mail myself.
Ah, I loved this. The drydown is so smooth, paired down in such a lovely way. The first new CdG I’ve really liked. I tried it next to Gaiac 10, which I must say was even more impressed by, but they’re two I want for when autumn hits next year and I’m more keen on a walk in the woods (!).
Gaiac 10 is gorgeous…I like that better than this too.