Possets: Fearful Symmetry

I'm continuing my reviews of the Possets Sacred Geometry spring release with Possets' Fearful Symmetry.

Possets' description: "The title is from William Blake's poems, Tiger Tiger Burning Bright. Inspired by the beauty of Sacred Geometry and the dynamic symmetry which we all respond to, this blend is the fanciful ode to secret knowledge, without the guile of logic, just the guide from the heart.

Deep crystal and grey musks, combined with an ambergris-like accord which I have developed to have less marine and more astringent edge to it. White oude and comfry, sandalwood, light smoke and black amber. A very mysterious and profoundly beautiful perfume, for when you wish to be seriously desired. Aromatic, strong."

I initially grabbed this one today because what I sniffed in the bottle indicated that it would be more of a "fun" scent than a serious fragrance, and I really needed a touch of fun today.

In the bottle: bananas (a mix of them--almost too sweet like the way they smell when they are over-ripe, and also the almost bitter green sweetness of them when they are not quite yellow), and something really deeply beautifully perfumy down on the bottom.

On my skin: The banana pops, but I also immediately get something that comes across as a very pale wood--could be the sandalwood with a very fine touch, could be the white oude. When I sniff close and deep, I get what comes across as a very smooth sandalwood. The banana note begins to ride up more on the green scale, while still retaining that sweetness of the ripe while dropping some of the heaviness of the ripe note. The notes already begin to shift and resolve into bringing up more of that beautiful perfumy base. I can't put my finger on that base, but it is lovely.

As it dries: The sandalwood is baby soft here--like sandalwood powder without being powdery. The banana note continues to weave in and out of the other notes, rising in sweetness then falling again. I normally don't go for crystal or grey musks, but I do get the lift of the crystal musk and I also get an almost zen feel of the grey musk, and I really like how they are playing around here.

As it continues to dry: someone on the forum said they got a dry sheet vibe from this, and I can see where they got that. I think that's part of the light smoke coming in because this feels like a very soft clean smoke, but it could also be the comfrey bringing in the clean edge. It rode that way for a while on me--like a fresh out of the dryer clean sheet, oh so snuggly and warm--then it began to shift again and all of a sudden I was getting the most amazing perfume rising on my skin. I am normally not someone that likes perfumes that smell like, well, perfume. I want it to remind me of something, evoke an image, make me close my eyes. I don't go for something that says perfume. Although this does that, it also does so much more. The banana remains, but what it adds to the whole is...I don't quite know how to put it into words. It's like a banana, but a banana wearing a little black dress, the perfectly matched pearls, and the smoothest kid-skin heels. It's banana, but that's like saying The Queen is rich. There is a small (teeny) part of this that reminds me of Issota and Sigismundo (a banana sandalwood perfume from Possets), but this is on a much softer but richer edge. There is a part of this that reminds me of upscale spas and luxury and quiet serenity. There is a part of this that brings to mind the softest white pepper in the world without smelling like any kind of pepper. When I sniff deeply, I get a very faint hint of sea air mixing with the above notes, rounding out the depth of this. This is smooth, perfumy, fruity (but not fruity floral), clean, soft, surprisingly good, and very very pretty.

The final dry down softened the above notes, but kept them riding on my skin for a long time. I first put this on around three this afternoon, and I was still smelling it nicely on my skin when I came home at 10:00 and washed my arms with the idea of putting a fresh spot on so I could do this review. I have a feeling this won't make the final cut, but it should. Oh my it really should. It's so different than anything I have in my collection--or even have smelled, for that matter--so far.