Patchouli Power, Baby: Fresh Index Patchouli Pure & SMN Patchouli

I've noticed that the patchouli scents I'm drawn to seem to be either comforting/soft or tonic/medicinal. I can pretty much stick them in their respective corners, as I'm about to do for you.

In the comforting/soft corner are Fresh Index Patchouli Pure, L'Occitane Patchouli, L'Artisan Patchouli Patch, and Kiss My Face Peaceful Patchouli lotion.

In the tonic/medicinal corner are Santa Maria Novella Patchouli, Attar Bazaar Tunisian Patchouli, CB I Hate Perfume Patchouli Empire, Aveda Pure-Fume Spirit Earth #9, and patchouli essential oil.

For now I'm going to talk about just one scent from each category: Fresh Patchouli Pure and SMN Patchouli. I started to write about all of them but got carried away with Patchouli Pure and realized that this post would go on forever if I tried to include everything. You pretty much have my current list of patchouli favorites in the above categories. I may take a closer look at the others in another post.

For me, few scents feel more like a fluffy cashmere robe than Fresh Patchouli Pure. There is an ease and expansiveness about this scent that makes me sort of melt inside and feel a little giddy. I really should wear it more often simply for these reasons. It's truly aromatherapeutic.

Basenotes says it contains ginger, bergamot, orange, patchouli, cinnamon, pimento berry, vanilla, amber, tonka, and musk. To me it feels sparkly and powdery. The ginger reminds me of the ginger in Miller et Bertaux #2 Spiritus/Land - effervescent yet dry. And I smell tobacco in this, even though it's not listed. The tobacco brings to mind the tobacco in Miller Harris Feuilles de Tabac - clean and golden.

The patchouli is present and accounted for - I've had more than one person note that I'm wearing patchouli - but it's very well-behaved. Not a single raspy or sharp edge to be found. Like they talked the patchouli into being super-polite.

Patchouli Pure is back after a two-year hiatus, according to the Fresh web site. Fresh says co-founder Lev Glazman created Patchouli Pure "to evoke the romance of an evening encounter full of lust, passion, and the enveloping scent of incense that flows through open windows on a balmy night."

It does have the quality of a good frankincense incense in that it makes me relax and breathe more deeply. I don't know if it's full of lust and passion, but I'm willing to find out. For some reason Fresh lists Patchouli Pure as a men's scent, but does go on to say in the ad copy that it's good for men and women. I agree with the ad copy - this one is unisex. It's soft and comforting without being wussy. I'd really like to smell it on a guy. I'll bet a man's chemistry would kick it up a notch into seriously sexy territory.

While I'm talking about Fresh, I must put in a plug for the company's Patchouli soap. It lathers wonderfully and the aroma is the perfect wake-me-up scent for the shower. One of the few soaps I want to keep in stock (I'm a soap ho and tend to move on to new scent thrills instead of replenishing).

If Patchouli Pure is a caress, Santa Maria Novella Patchouli is a kick in the pants. It's the smelling salts of patchouli perfumes. And if I were one to swear, I would swear to you that it contains a healthy dose of acetone - you know, nail polish remover. Enough to singe your nasal hairs. This stuff has teeth and bites. Meow.

This is a bracing tonic of a perfume, this is. And if you're the least bit afraid of patchouli, steer well clear of it. Because once the acetone top notes quit biting, you are left with briskly herbal, ever-so-slightly-bitter patchouli. SMN Patchouli is pleased to remind you that patchouli is a part of the mint family. You really get that you're dealing with an aromatic herb here. And this is no head-shop patchouli, it's more spare, more refined than that. Without being the least bit polite.

It's a scent that to me exemplifies the centuries-long tradition of Santa Maria Novella. You can almost see the monks stirring up this witchy brew, and getting high off the fumes. And you can imagine that it's smelled this way forever. The way it should smell. Well worth checking out if you're truly into patchouli. It could easily be the purist's patchouli perfume.

One last note. If you'd like to treat yourself to a patchouli party, I highly recommend washing with Fresh Patchouli soap, slathering on Kiss My Face Peaceful Patchouli lotion, and finishing with a squirt or two of Aveda Pure-Fume Spirit #9 Earth. The Aveda blend contains bergamot and jasmine as well as patchouli. It's crisp and yummy on top of the lotion.

Peace out and patchouli power, baby.

Comments

[baby bows]

I like it's smell, too. My husband specially my children always embrace me because they like my scent. =) Sweet.