Equisetum
Pell Wall Perfumes (2011)

Well, a funny thing here: I could have sworn that I had already provided a negative review of Equisetum. I can't see it. I am assuming this is just my memory, and the review was something I had intended to write but never got around to.

Anyway, after extensive testing across the industry since my last outing with Equisetum, I am a little more well-disposed towards it. It does have a very natural vibe, and the comparison with Oxford & Cambridge is well made. In fact, on paper it has all the ingredients to take it past O&C... but it doesn't quite work for me. The overriding effect is that of mint pervading a mossy, bitter wormwood base. The result is bracing but I cannot get the smell of flyspray out of my mind. Far from a disaster, but to this reviewer's nose requiring some components to be scaled back, with some (especially the tobacco) to be ramped up.

I have a sample of this from a few years back, and wore it until it was finished. I very unusual fern-like scent of greenery and woods, a true melange of many classic men's perfumery elements. It creates a whole new sensation all its own that I really loved wearing. Tobacco and oakmoss stand out as beautiful base notes that fill in the entire experience and a slightly sour/salty note of petitgrain adds an unusual lift. It has a sheen to it that smells distinctly "classy" - this isn't run of the mill artisan-provided perfume but something more sublime and refined. I thoroughly enjoyed this and really need to get some more.

This is an unusual scent. Sometimes, it seems like a powerful, old-school masculine scent of the '80's. Other times, it is a dry and austere lavender-mint, very similar to Czech & Speake's Oxford and Cambridge.
The opening notes have very dry, herbal lavender. Very quickly, this is joined by moss and tobacco. The opening and closing notes compete and somewhat push aside the delicate florals. I couldn't really detect them.
The lavender and mint cool things down considerably and balance the warm brown notes.
Suddenly, there is a real whiff of true ambergris: acidic, salty, animalic, slightly challenging. Not often encountered in perfumes these days!
Ultimately, at least on my skin, the scent settles into the dry lavender mint.
I like it, but I feel it ping-pongs around a bit too much and the middle notes aren't served well by the powerful bookends.