Burning Leaves
CB I Hate Perfume (2005)

CB I Hate Perfume Burning Leaves is only perhaps the third of the line that I've tested on skin and it does not disappoint in terms of scent but has the characteristic performance issues of the line.

I don't get much sweetness (so no maple itself) but some green notes, some resin/amber, some smoke, and some spicy pepper. There's not much evolution to it.

It is a semi-dark, smoky, spicy mix that strikes me mostly as a slightly weaker version of A City on Fire by Imaginary Authors, and this a compliment, given how much I like the IA scent a lot. However, it puts the cost perspective, and while it's certainly nice that Burning Leaves (at $100 for 100ml) is cheaper than, say, 7 Billion Hearts (at $265 for 100ml) perhaps simply due to the fact that the latter is newer, I might still stick with the much stronger A City on Fire at twice the price but twice the potency (ACOF is now $95 for 50ml).

7 out of 10

This makes me want to put on a very old tweed jacket and wander out into the autumn woods at twilight.
Faithful to its description, it's a gentle scent, even when first applied, and has good longevity in a very subtle way, as if you've just strolled in from raking the bonfire. The note doesn't seem to change much in character over the hours, staying true to the first impression.
Like other reviewers, I wondered for a while whether I actually want to smell of burning leaves, but there's something about the way this scent works on my skin that is really beautiful and evocative.
Seriously considering buying a full-size bottle.

(This review is of the water-based version)

Genre: Woods

Just as advertised! Nostalgia in a bottle!

This is the smell of burning leaves in autumn, and it's delightful. A quiet scent that stays close to the skin, as if I'd just been burning leaves and a bit of the smoke is still clinging to my clothing. I'm especially pleased that this smells nothing at all like cigarette smoke.

The very definition of a comfort scent, Burning Leaves brings back a flood of childhood memories. It makes me smile. (This review is based on the water perfume version of Burning Leaves. I have not smelled the absolute.)

Hard to review.

Less of a fragrance you wear and more something you want to just experience. The smoke note in here is almost surprising, you don't expect it to smell as realistic as it does. There's a slightly sweet undertone. I somewhat feel that if you didn't know the name was "Burning Leaves" you would assume it smelled of campfire or barbecue. I guess what I'm saying is, there are a lot of things that smell smokey, I'm not sure if this completely captures that exact smell of burning fall leaves.

But! It comes really close. I have no idea how hard it is to replicate something so exact, but if you love the smell, this will do it for you.

For me though, it's not something I can wear. I wish it was a candle, in fact if I got extra time I'd love to try and make one out of some of the oil.

(Another slight annoyance, and this goes for the whole line, is the water base. On my skin it just never quite dries up and leaves the spot feeling cold. It's just unpleasant and will probably keep me away from any of the water perfumes.)

So faithful that I got the memory of a place I stayed before recognizing the smell as burning leaves - I didn't register at the time that that was what I was smelling there, this made me realise.

This smells a lot like burning leaves to me. Now I am just trying to figure out if I want to smell like burning leaves. Could possibly work as an autumn scent? Still, a thumbs up for the name matching the scent, and for something different and fun.