Sometimes, you come across a perfumer and you just admire them — even if you’ve only started to explore their line and even if things don’t work out perfectly for you. While it’s understandable to admire the legend that is Serge Lutens, it may seem more unusual to be incredibly impressed by an Indie perfumer after just one perfume. But that’s the case with me and Josh Lobb of Slumberhouse, a niche, indie perfume brand out of Portland, Oregon. I tried his Pear + Olive months ago, was incredibly awed by parts of it, and even more taken with the man behind it. It’s not about whether a particular fragrance works for me or not; it’s about the sheer thought, creativity, effort, and candour of the man himself. To me, Josh Lobb — a 31-year old, completely self-taught perfumer — seems like an American version of Andy Tauer, with all the same talent, approachability, originality, modesty, and honesty.
Slumberhouse describes itself as follows:
Slumberhouse is a boutique cologne label in the heart of Portland, OR; created and inspired by urban and street culture, art, film and music – especially the new school of hiphop and graffiti artists. We are a group of young gents who march to our own beat, embracing an absolute disregard for other brands, trends and marketing cliches. Slumberhouse represents an unequivocal love for the art of fragrance making.
What’s captured my attention, however, is the fascinating genuineness of Josh Lobb. In his personal blog on the website, the talented Mr. Lobb reveals his personal struggle with keeping costs down while using the best, absolute ingredients; his realisation that he was barely breaking even with many scents; and his personal journey in making some of the Slumberhouse fragrances. And, from the start, I was intrigued by Jeke.
Jeke is classified on Fragrantica as a “woody oriental” perfume. It was originally an Eau de Parfum but, just recently, that was discontinued and the perfume was made available solely as an Extrait de Parfum concentration. As I’ll explain later, CaFleureBon says that there are some minor alterations and difference with the new version which has significantly less smoke than the Eau de Parfum. Unfortunately, that is the version that I obtained from Surrender to Chance (which doesn’t carry the new extrait). However, the two versions seem sufficiently alike to make it worth a review of the EDP, though I’ll update it later if I ever obtain the pure parfum extrait.
Slumberhouse’s website description for Jeke is as follows:
A breath of fog in the autumnal humidor.
Benzoin, Patchouli, Tobacco, Lapsang Souchong, Vanilla, Clove
Fragrantica‘s notes are slightly different and would make the full list seem more like this:
Cade, Tobacco, Patchouli, Benzoin, Labdanum, Lapsang Souchong, Vanilla, Clove.
Source: Theatlantic.com
Cade is a very big part of Jeke, so it may be worth a brief summary of its aroma. It is an oil extracted from the juniper plant and has a very smoky, campfire, phenolic, tarry character (which explains why it is often paired with birch tar in leather fragrances). In Jeke, it dominates the opening which is an unusual mix of: burnt rubber, diesel, smoke, tobacco, patchouli, molasses, and leather. There is a slightly mentholated, eucalyptus undertone to the smoky campfire of the cade, as well as a dark, black, slightly rubbery, leather element. The tobacco smells just like the concentrated form in chewing tobacco and, at this stage, not like the sweet, fruited leaves used in pipe tobacco. Flickering all around the edges is a chewy, black, thick sweetness that is as dark as molasses and far heavier than that evoked by labdanum resin. The molasses note is infused with heavy, spicy cloves and dark, black patchouli.
Source: Bonfirehealth.com
Something about the opening minutes of Jeke evokes not only a very butch, hyper-masculinity but, also, Halloween. The perfume is far more than just the scent of fall; it really brings to mind Halloween night with its darkness and the feel of burning leaves in the slightly chilled air. Yet, that butch, rubbery, diesel-like nuance quickly softens from the extremely sharp, sometimes overpowering, raw beginning to something with smoother, more manageable smokiness.
Scene from Mad Max 2 via cinemasights.com
Jeke’s tarry smokiness reminds me strongly of Serge Lutens‘ Boxeuses which I just recently reviewed, only Jeke takes the darkness, smokiness, tarry, molasses and leather character of Boxeuses and amplifies it by a hundred in a very Mad Max sort of way. For the opening minutes, at least, when Jeke lacks the smoothness and fruited softness of Boxeuses. Yet, despite its initial intensity, there is a very plummy undertone to Jeke which also reminds me of Boxeuses. In the latter, it was a much sweeter, much more multi-faceted, fruited molasses but, in Jeke, it feels very much like a dark plum purée. Stewed prunes in a light, sweet, syrup.
Source: CrownsNestPrimitiveShoppe.com (link embedded within, click on photo.)
There is also something else going on, something I initially couldn’t put my finger on, but an incredibly familiar scent. It was driving me a little mad trying to pinpoint it, and then it came to me. Potpourri! Jeke has a massive element of potpourri underlying every part of its character. I actually have a bag of expensive red and purple potpourri with wood shavings and spiced fruited elements that I took out to compare — and it’s identical to Jeke! Spiced red apple with mulled wine potpourri. Once you make that mental association in your head, it’s impossible to shake off. Later, in a second test, I took my sample of Jeke, applied a hefty, double dose to my other arm, sniffed, and…. yes, spiced apple potpourri from the start.
Fifteen minutes into Jeke’s development, the perfume shifts a little. It’s even softer now, a lovely mélange of incense, smoke, prunes, spiced apple potpourri, tobacco and dark resins. There is a subtle tea note that truly does evoke the smoky nature of Lapsang Souchang tea. The clove element has relaxed, the rubber-diesel accord has receded, and the whole perfume feels significantly warmer and better-rounded. Yet, there is still a subtle singed element, along with the feel of burning leaves and campfires; Jeke still evokes Halloween; and it is still extremely potent. However, that rubbery, mentholated, diesel edge has gone, taking away the butch elements and ending my thoughts of Mad Max in the Thunderdome.
Instead, now, all I can really smell is potpourri with its mix of autumnal apples, dark fruits, smoke, and a slightly sharp, dried patchouli sweetness. Every fall, one of my neighbors would burn a particular scented candle from Slatkin, along with its scented oils, over every inch of her house — and the aroma is incredibly close to what wafted off my arm. Jeke is smokier, has a noticeable tobacco nuance and subtle flickers of black rubber, but the dominant note on me is always red apple potpourri. It’s cozy, but not quite what I had expected, if truth be told. The leather nuances vanish after the first hour, along with all traces of rubber, leaving Jeke with nothing more than that main accord, trailed by fruited tobacco and cade smoke. Then, to my surprise, Jeke becomes completely abstract at the start of the third hour: amorphous, muted, generalized spice and smoke notes. And it remains that way for the rest of its duration.
Source: Wallpaperswide.com
Another unexpected surprise is Jeke’s sillage. Slumberhouse perfumes are famous for being powerhouse scents of massive duration and strength, but that didn’t quite apply to Jeke’s projection on me. The perfume began with good projection that started dropping about 20 minutes into its development; Jeke became close to the skin just short of the 90 minute mark; and it became a skin scent after the second hour. It was so light on the skin that I thought it was close to dying after 3.5 hours. It didn’t, but every hour, it felt like Jeke was going to finally vanish, only to have the subtlest, faintest traces cling doggedly and stubbornly to the skin. (Votes on Fragrantica overwhelmingly put Jeke’s sillage at “moderate,” but I have to wonder if that’s for the Extrait version. Almost everyone, however, agrees that the longevity is enormous.) All in all, Jeke lasted 9 hours with a small dose and 10.25 hours with a large dose with most of that time passed as a skin scent that was primarily abstract sweetness, spice and smoke. The drydown — all 6 hours of it — was very pretty but not always easy to detect in its muted quality on my skin.
Potpourri from Scentualnature.com
(Website link embedded within.)
Jeke ended up not being my personal style, but I think it’s a very good fragrance. My difficulty lies in the potpourri element. I didn’t see any references to it in the largely positive Fragrantica comments, but a search for Slumberhouse, Jeke and potpourri brought up a few Basenotes threads where a number of people detected “red apple potpourri” or “potpourri” in some other Slumberhouse fragrances. One example would be Rume, which a Basenotes commentator said was “a bit too literally potpourri-like for me to wear very much,” though he ended up buying a bottle because he was such a huge Slumberhouse fan. What really reassured me, however, and made me realize I wasn’t completely insane for detecting potpourri was a comment from Mr. Lobb himself. In another Basenotes thread, a commentator (“alfarom“) posted an excerpt of an email in which Mr. Lobb described Grev (another Slumberhouse fragrance) as “a kind of masculine potpourri with a slight tinge of red apple skin.” Honestly, that would be a pretty good description of Jeke Eau de Parfum, too, except I think there would be a dash of plum (or mulled wine) to go with that spiced red apple skin accord. The bottom line, however, is that “masculine potpourri” seems to be a sort of signature base for a number of Slumberhouse fragrances.
What seems to be the new Jeke in Extrait form. Source: Indiescents.com
As noted earlier, Jeke is now available only in extrait de parfum concentration, and not in the Eau de Parfum which I’m reviewing and which is offered at decanting sites like Surrender to Chance. I once read Mr. Lobb’s explanation for the change and the differences between the two perfumes in his Slumberhouse blog, but the website is almost always down when I try to access it. So, instead, so I shall rely on CaFleureBon‘s comparison of the two fragrance formulations:
Jeke Extrait… [“seemed like a richer opulent version of the EDP”] for me as in its EDP form this is what I call a “smoke monster”. Sometimes it would eat me alive and other times it would surround me and fascinate me before leaving me unscathed. The core of Jeke in both forms is the combination of cade and tobacco over a resinous base. In the Extrait form the “smoke monster” is much more controlled and for the first time I noticed an amazingly beautiful patchouli lurking among the maelstrom. Once I had them side-by-side I really noticed the patchouli in the EDP but the whole composition seemed more balanced and when the labdanum and benzoin kick in this really feels decadent. The Extrait feels like a rough jewel which has now been cut and faceted into a brilliant gem.
It sounds to me like Mark Behnke’s experiences with Jeke EDP involved significantly more smoke than what I experienced. In fact, his comments about the patchouli in the Extrait form makes me wonder if the “potpourri” aspect is now even stronger than before. But it is the smoke issue which really leaves me feeling a bit bewildered, especially when I read the Fragrantica comments where some people find the smoke to be far too powerful. One person even compared Jeke to Andy Tauer‘s Incense Extreme, finding that the Jeke blew the Tauer out of the water. (“Tauer represents the violins. Jeke the symphony of churches.“) I have no idea if the comments about the overwhelming amount of smoke apply to the EDP or the Extrait, but judging by the dates, I would suspect they’re referring the Extrait with its milder quantity. In which case, I can only say that I didn’t find the supposedly “stronger” note in the EDP version to be overpowering at all. It certainly wasn’t a “smoke monster,” to me.
Out of all the reviews out there for Jeke, my favorite comes from a commentator, “42gr,” on Fragrantica who wrote, in part:
I’ve tested my way through, many fragrances.
This blows me away, away, away.
It resonates in my head. It repeats.It is so good it feels illegal to feel this good about a fragrance.
I am drinking single malt Islay Scotch in my father’s Orthodox Church. The white bearded priest swings his silver censer of burning smoking resin. Incanting.
It reminds me of burnt ashes from the campfire from the night before. Laphroaig, Peat, Church Resin, Medicine. And then a touch of sweet tobacco. […]
This is Etta James singing I’d rather go blind.
Jeke is completely and utterly an intoxicating fragrance.
I pay no other this homage.
Smoky, dirty, gorgeous.
I didn’t have the same experience (at all) and, yet, I can absolutely see his vision, what he felt, and why. I can especially see why he’s imagine drinking Laphroaig (my absolute favorite single malt) in an Orthodox church filled with incense. For the sake of completely accuracy, I should add that he later updated his review to add that, in time and with extensive wearing, the amount of smoke felt far, far too excessive, especially in an Australian summer. However, in all fairness to Jeke, I really don’t think it’s a fragrance to wear in 104 degree temperatures!
The bottom line is that, regardless of version, I think Jeke is a perfume that will appeal enormously to people with certain tastes. Men who adore smoky, tobacco fragrances will probably love it. And some women may greatly enjoy the smoky, campfire, fall aspects, if they don’t mind the more rubbery, diesel-like start. However, women who are used to more mainstream fragrances, or who prefer either fruity, clean, floral or gourmand offerings, will probably find Jeke to be far too masculine in nature. Those who love sweet, fruited florals with a strong gourmand undertone would probably prefer Pear + Olive. I think it all depends on what you’re used to.
As for me, I remain a huge fan and admirer of Mr. Lobb. I can’t believe he’s self-taught, and think that he’s incredibly talented. Slumberhouse is a house worth exploring, so I truly hope that more people will try out the line.
Yet another one I need to try; my sample is languishing in my samples pile. I have a feeling I will like this but one never knows! I’m still waiting for my precioussss.
As to Slumberhouse as an indie company, the customer service was great. I had placed 2 orders, 1 month or 2 apart, but their ordering system somehow combined the 2 and marked both as shipped (even though only the first one was filled). I sent an email after waiting 3 weeks and Josh was so apologetic and he made good on the order, sent me extra samples and a mini of Eki (which is still safely tucked away and you know what that means).
Anyway, I have several other comments as a consumer:
1. the site was difficult to find
2. the website really should get a facelift and the navigation can be improved as well
3. at least one good news…the atomizer mechanism is top-notch…oh so smooth
Great review, as always, dear Kafka. Mwah!
I’d be fascinated to see how this compares to your beloved Boxeuses! As for your extremely valid comments as a consumer, I actually had no problem finding the site with a simple search for Slumberhouse, but PULLING IT UP is another matter entirely!! It’s an absolute nightmare because the damn thing is almost never available. 9 out of 10 times, I get an error message that reads:
“This webpage is not available
The webpage at http://slumberhou.se/ might be temporarily down or it may have moved permanently to a new web address.”
Not just this time, but back months ago when I was doing my Pear + Olive review! Forget me as a blogger or consumer; think about HIM and the money he must lose! Sure, people can buy from a few retail sites, but I’d bet he has to pay them a decent percentage as a distribution fee, so that’s money he could save if people ordered directly from Slumberhouse. Except Slumberhouse is never available as a website! I can only hope that he gets upgraded servers or whatever is necessary for the site to actually load.
That said, every SINGLE person I know who has ordered from Slumberhouse or interacted with Mr. Lobb directly is endlessly complimentary. They talk about the customer service and about the personalized touch. He often seems to throw in a few extras as well in a very generous gesture. And the way he seems to respond to people directly either on Twitter or by email is hugely impressive. He really does remind me of an American Andy Tauer, and I mean that as a huge compliment!
Strange, I have never had any problems at all with the website (and I have visited many times over the last six months), I guess it might be a browser issue or something… I use Google Chrome. 🙂
I agree that customer service is top notch!! Among the best service I have ever received!
I use Google Chrome, too, though it also doesn’t work for me on Internet Explorer on the few occasions that I’ve tried with that broswer. It’s not even pulling it up for me now, on Chrome, as I tried again. I’m glad that it’s working for someone though. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Nadja, to share your experiences with buying from Slumberhouse. 🙂
I just pulled it up and had no problems navigating it at all. But I use Safari because I worship at the house of Steve Jobs . . . Apple didn’t pay me to say that but if they are reading this and feel so inclined to allow me a permanently “test” an iPad Mini, I would not say no 🙂
I seem to have no luck with Chrome and I’ve never had that problem with any website. I tried just again now, and even cleared out the cache, so I have no clue what the issue is. I did have success with Windows Explorer, so I guess I have to stick to that from now on when I want to access Slumberhouse. How very odd. As for your Safari, I laughed at “I worship at the house of Steve Jobs.” Heh.
Oh yes! I remember my parents’ first home computer. It was a PC and my dad loves to tell how I fiddled around with it for half an hour, walked up to him and said, “There must be something else.”
I have been an Apple Girl ever since 🙂
Lovely review my dear Kafka! Of course I didn’t try the Slumberhouse perfumes and I was unable to attract a sample of Pear & Olive to come my way. But I will get there one day I suppose.
Hovewer Jeke doesn’t sound like something that I would like. I like the autumn environment, the colors. But all these dark resins, prunes etc mentioned in your review – they don’t sound any good to me.
Given your personal taste and style, no, I don’t think Jeke would be for you, my dear. But I think Pear + Olive probably would be, so I hope you can get a sample. Perhaps from the next Perfume Posse fairy thing?
I almost had that Pear & Olive, I was swapping with a friend who was getting it from someone else (person B was sending to my friend, she was supposed to try it and then send it to me)
Unfortunately the sample got smashed during a transport to her.
I like the Slumberhouse scents I’ve tried. I did try to purchase a bottle of one that he discontinued and he emailed me and said he could send me one because he had a few left. I said to please invoice me and send it but then…nothing. I never heard back. I didn’t bother to email again about it because as much as I liked it, I can always find another perfume to like. Jeke had me curious but I wonder if it might be too smokey for me to pull off.
Judging by your experience and Hajusuuri’s, it sounds like he needs more help (and time) in order to juggle things. As for the smoke in Jeke, I truly didn’t find it to be extreme at all. It’s nothing like the smoke or incense in Sahara Noir, for example. Given your love for incense fragrances, I think you could handle that part of Jeke quite well. The burnt rubber part, I’m not so sure about…
Wonderful review K. I have tried a couple of the Slumberhouse fragrances after hearing rave reviews and think that the fragrances are unique, but a bit too raw and rough for my delicate nose as I tend to be a princess where i like for my fragrances to be silky and smooth.
LOL @ the princess part! I think that’s a little unfair to you but I can’t see Jeke or Slumberhouse being your personal thing, I have to say. 🙂 The beginning part of Jeke especially.
I have never tried any Slumberhouse scents. Jeke sounds right up my alley, unless the smoke machine overwhelms. Great review!
I’d LOVE to know what you think of Jeke, Tora, but I suspect you’d be extremely put off by the opening stage. In truth, I’m not sure if it meshes with your personal tastes and the sorts of things you love.
this is from a fragrantica review on Kote (I only have a sample, not in production, along with Baque, an even more impressive frag. sova is the closest to these and is available on the SH site):
Josh Lobb does what he does very well. Kote has the hallmarks of Slumberhouse: sweet, clove, immortelle plus leather, tobacco, bigarade, tonka(?) and maybe a lutensesque lavender. This one has no jarring notes (like grev, rume, and vikt), which is less challenging but so COMFORTABLE. I sometimes feel I should sell my 100+ bottles (at least thefall/winter ones), go to Oregon & buy everything this guy’s made.
Jeke is similar but with more smoke. his best are of a very particular spectrum, also like Andy Tauer. I wore Norne a lot last year; was like being on a camping trip while at work – nifty!
I’m a little confused. Are you quoting your Fragrantica review of Kote because you find maple syrup immortelle and lavender in Jeke? Or because Slumberhouse makes you want to sell everything, go to Oregon, and buy up Josh Lobb’s inventory? LOL. So, is Kote your favorite?
So you did get the burning rubber after all. For me it sticks around, which is okay because I like that sort of thing.
It would be hard not to get the burning rubber note given all the cade. lol. For what it’s worth, I can deal with rubber notes but I don’t like smelling of soft potpourri. P.S. — I always associate this scent with you. 🙂
I am going to have to try it again tonight to see if I can sense the potpourri.
Interesting review for what seems like a very interesting fragrance! Indeed, I really would like to try more Slumberhouse offerings. Even though Pear + Olive wasn’t really for me, it was incredibly memorable and was a great scent (even if its richness was just too much for me). This would sounds more my speed, even though I have trouble with the rubbery elements, I don’t hate them entirely. They are just often dominant and I have a hard time moving on from them once I smell them. Undoubtedly, the creator is a very talented man.
Kevin, I do think Jeke is more your speed than Pear + Olive, but I’m not sure if it is still really you, if that makes sense. It’s not just your thing with rubber, but also the potpourri base.
I do like potpourri, so I have some hope for this one. I don’t necessarily expect to love it, but Pear + Olive really made me want to smell all of his stuff eventually. I only wore Pear + Olive once and the smell has really stuck with me, which is sort of rare of the samples I’ve tried these days, sadly.
Totally unrelated to the topic at hand, but have you ever tried YSL’s Nu? It’s discontinued now, but sounds pretty interesting. It’s probably pretty decent, since it’s been discontinued. LOL. 😛
Yeah, the way the perfumes stick with you and how unique/original they are is part of why I’m so impressed with Josh Lobb. For 31 yrs old and completely self-taught? It’s amazing!
As for YSL’s Nu, no, I’m afraid I haven’t tried it. But, yes, given that it’s now been discontinued, it *has* to be pretty decent! LOL. Damn L’Oreal. 😉
I SO love Jeke! But the one I have fallen in love with is a sample of the EdP… I really, really hope that the extrait is as similar as possible! My experience is very similar to the fragrantica review that you quote… It is just mindblowing!
Oh, I’m so glad you love it. And to have your experience be like that lovely, evocative Fragrantica comment…. fantastic!! Fingers crossed that the extrait is everything you hope and more. Have you ordered a sample yet?
I have planned on ordering a new sample pack soon (but I have used up my perfume budget for this month already). I do want to sample Sova too, and one can never have too much Norne… Will be giving the Pear + Olive away though, i’m just not very impressed by that one…
I hear the best things about Norne, so that is the next one that I want to try from Slumberhouse. Sova, too. 🙂 As for Pear + Olive, it wasn’t my cup of tea, either, but then I struggle with sweetness and gourmand perfumes. It sounds like we have slightly similar tastes, Nadja. And thank you for inspiring me further to try Norne! 🙂
Norne is absolutely gorgeous!! Quite simple on me but soo realistic, dark and intriguing!!
I don’t generally have anything against gourmands. I did struggled with the pear in Pear + Olive but what I disliked most about that scent was that it lacked everything that I found appealing in the other Slumberhouse scents. It was to light (as opposed to dark) for me and not intriguing enough…
Stop tempting me with the Norne, especially when I *still* can’t access the website with my lousy Chrome! 😛 😉 I kid, I kid, you are just tempting me in the most fiendish way about the Norne. It’s going straight to the top of my list, at least if I can get the new extrait version since it may be foolish to buy/review another obsolete EDP version.
My sample of Norne is the EdP but I have tried on the extrait too (a friend ordered a sample) and they are extremely similar to my nose!
Good to know, Nadja. Thank you!
I thought that Jeke would be my type of fragrance, but I`m not a fan of potpourri. Also, smoky fragrances as I tend to like them(e.g. Patchouli24 by Le Labo) I tend to wear them 2-3 times a year. Not sure why it happens though… So it looks like Jeke is a pass for me.
As always wonderful review, Kafka!
I would say to try it anyway, Ross, and see if it acts differently on your skin and if the potpourri thing doesn’t appear. But, given the comments I found regarding so many of the other Slumberhouse scents seeming (to a few people, at least) to have that base and given Mr. Lobb’s own comments about “masculine potpouri” in one scent, I have to wonder if it may be in all the masculine scents. Still, even if you don’t detect it, the fact that you don’t wear smoky fragrances frequently and as little as 2-3 times a year… well, that’s really the dispositive factor. So, passing is probably wise. 🙂
I haven’t had the pleasure of smelling anything from Slumberhouse, but I feel like I hear something about the fragrances daily. I wonder if I would like this. I like all the smells you describe, but the amalgam being potpourri-like gives me pause. I still want to try it and I do find the bottles on the website to be absolutely gorgeous.
I will add that Laphroaig is my favorite single malt too 🙂 Did you read my mind?
No! You love Laphroaig, too?! I rarely hear its name mentioned by *anyone* — men or women! As for the fragrances, I hope you order the sample pack from the site. With your love of gourmands, you may like Pear + Olive, and with your preference for masculine scents, there’s bound to be one which will intrigue you. The pricing for the sample set is very good too, especially given the size of the vials at 2 ml!
I’m a big brown liquors girl! Bourbon and single malt. Love ’em both. Currently the House of Baconbiscuit is stocking an 18 year Laphroaig, which they rarely release (I have a friend who has the largest private scotch collection on the East Coast and he hooked me up). Slap. Yo. Mama. Good 🙂
Definitely will look into the sample set!
Kafka, have you triedhis blog site (http://slumber33.tumblr.com/) to get to the store?
That link was a huge help in getting to read the blog, Hajusuuri, so a big thank you! Unfortunately, using Chrome (even with an empty cache), I still couldn’t get from there to the actual store and continue to get an error message. Isn’t it the weirdest thing??! But thank you for the Tumblr link. That will be really useful going forward. 🙂
I’ve been camped out on your site this evening, Kafka, catching up with you. I particularly enjoyed your review of Jeke because I have samples of two of his fragrances, Rume and Baque, and they have some of the same scent elements that you describe in Jeke. I get a very interesting apple smell in Rume … it’s like a smoky apple cider note like one experiences when apple cider is made at the coldest part of the season, and also when it’s left to ferment into hard cider. And I also get tobacco in both Rume and Baque. I kind of wonder after reading your review of Jeke whether the perfumer likes doing various riffs on a certain set of notes (smoke, tobacco, apple, spice).
At any rate, I agree with you: he’s very talented! And your gorgeous review of Jeke makes me think I should give that one a spin (the only thing that gives me pause is the rubbery, diesel start that you describe. I have a hard time with fragrances like Knize Ten which feature that element. Otherwise, this sounds like just the kind of thing I go for.).
Thank you, my dearest Suzanne! I owe you an email, by the way, on your latest post and hope you will forgive the big delay in replying. I am so behind schedule on everything these days! As for Rume, it sounds very interesting. I think that was one of the ones in which someone detected a strong potpourri accord, so I think Mr. Lobb definitely likes to riff on certain notes. If you try Jeke, do let me know if you detect something similar or how you manage with the rubber element from the cade! xoxo
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I would bet that the main thing/ingredient responsible for the typical ‘potpourri’ note/association u’re getting from JEKE (or other SH scents for that matter, as Josh seems quite fond of the note/component & used it in a number of his scents) is particularly due to ‘ALLSPICE’. – (Which again is also a fave/main ingredient of many [especially ‘autumnal’] potpourri mixes, [as are clove-buds for that matter].) … In fact I think it’s also the ‘allspice’ that most people keep erroneously mistaking for ‘clove’ in his scents. As I’ve noticed many reviewers mentioning a preponderance of clove in many SH scents, when in actuality Josh uses ‘allspice’ far more often than actual ‘clove’. – (Unfortunately I think many just can’t differentiate [or mistake] the two notes, as there are some similarities.) … It’s the same with SOVA too – altho’ there the other notes seem to vie it more in the ‘gingerbready’ direction more so than straight out ‘potpourri’. (IMO at least.)
Anywayz, just thought I’d throw it out there. … (& thanx for the comprehensive review Kaf.) 🙂
How very interesting about the All-Spice, Julz. Thank you for that interesting perspective. I don’t think I still have my sample of Jeke to give it a test and see if I can get to All-Spice under the overall “potpourri” layer. Pity. I do know that I didn’t smell clove! As for Sova, I definitely didn’t smell potpourri there, I’m rather glad to say. 🙂
Ah well, never mind. 🙂 … I too didn’t get any ‘potpourri’ from SOVA (thankfully !) ; but did u by any chance get any almost ‘yeasty gingerbreadiness’ ?? – I ask because I’ve heard people get such diverse & opposing things from this scent that I almost think it’s quite impossible it can be all them things at once. (i.e. from said ‘gingerbread’ to smoky sweet ale, or ‘fermented maple wine’ to coriander & dill pickles, & worse yet – ‘rat urine soaked hay’.) *Eeek!* … Plus few strange others I can’t quite now remember. LOL – Quite too incredible & divisive I’d say. (Has to be some ‘wonky’ noses out there rather, methinkz.) 😀
My apologies, Julz, I seem to have mixed up Sova and Ore in my head. I actually have a sample of Sova and have sniffed it, but never tested it. But my sample of Sova was next to my sample of Ore in the box I got from Surrender to Chance, so that’s probably why my mind jumbled them up. (That, and the fact that I only had 3 hours of sleep last night.)
With the descriptions you’ve given of the sharply divergent responses to Sova, I am quite curious now to see what it will be like when I test it! lol. That probably won’t be for a while though, as I’m working through some things I just picked up in Paris. Again, so sorry for my mental mix-up! I’ll definitely keep your gingerbread comments in mind!
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