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| Ready to herald in the spring with OHWTO's 2014 lineup? |
This year instead of merging spring and summer together, One Hand Washes the Other has kicked things off with a lush spring collection. Fruity, floral, and lots of springy greens, the Spring 2014 collection promises to be full of life. But does it measure up? Let's take a look!
- Blackberry Buckle
- Bluebell
- Gerbera
- Lucky
- Maura Mae
- Lanai
- Silk Road
- Rose Lemonade
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| Blackberry Buckle from OHWTO |
Full size: 10mL amber glass bottle w/euro dropper for $10.00 USD
Solid scent: 0.15oz tube for $5.50 USD
Unf. Fans of my "The Cake is a Lie", prepare to have your worlds rocked. Blackberry preserves and fresh-picked Blackberries, Lemon zest, and Buttery crumbly Cake filling with a Spiced crumb topping.
There were two scents I did not select for my cart, and Blackberry Buckle was one of them. In retrospect, I'm not entirely sure why. I think I was under the impression that it was going to smell like ooey-gooey cake batter? Shame on me, and Becca of OHWTO knew better as well because she slipped me a little solid perfume sample. Blackberry Buckle opens with a distinctive "warm, sweet, baked good" note. Buttery and golden with a twinge of hot and bubbly tart berries straight from the oven.
But like all baked things, that fresh-baked pastry goodness is pretty fleeting (whether or not it's because it cooled off or you ate it in a fit of gluttonous rage is up to you). Blackberries and lemon zest work very nicely in this blend, and the pastry "base" is soft and sweet enough to keep things without becoming too tart.
But like all baked things, that fresh-baked pastry goodness is pretty fleeting (whether or not it's because it cooled off or you ate it in a fit of gluttonous rage is up to you). Blackberries and lemon zest work very nicely in this blend, and the pastry "base" is soft and sweet enough to keep things without becoming too tart.
Duration:
I was pleasantly surprised with Blackberry Buckle. Despite the cakey top notes evaporating within 15-ish minutes, its fruity core stuck around a lot longer than I thought. I got a good 5+ hours from just a few swips of the solid perfume sample! If you're not into gourmand scents, don't pass this one up. Despite its pastry origins, I feel Blackberry Buckle is a fruity scent at its core. And if you DO like gourmand scents, then don't be silly like me and toss this into your cart! It's bright and cheerful, and while it's not something I might want to smell like everyday, I've already used it a few times since my order arrived.
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| Bluebell from OHWTO |
Full size: 10mL amber glass bottle w/euro dropper for $10.00 USD
Solid scent: 0.15oz tube for $5.50 USD
What else would a luminous rabbit smell of? Blueberries and Lychee fruit, Clover, Lilies, White Musk, and Zucchini Blossoms straight from the garden. (This fragrance will be added to the general catalog of scents once Spring is retired)
I'm so confused about Bluebell. That description sounds like everything I'd be in love with! And I was definitely smitten for the first few minutes (fresh, dewy sweet greens and fruits!) But... I swear to god I know this scent somewhere and it took me a while to figure it out. It smells (to my nose anyways) practically identical to another OHWTO scent...
Visions of Sugarplums:
Visions of Sugarplums and Bluebell really don't have a whole lot in common except that they have fruits as part of the scent. But I swear that Bluebell and Visions of Sugarplums smell like twins separated at birth!
That doesn't make Bluebell a bad scent, but it did throw me for a loop. I find the blueberry notes (..raspberry notes?) are kind of overpowering compared to the rest of the components. Although the opening is wet and sweet, that fruitiness pushes in quickly and really never relents. It turns into almost a sticky sweet jam by an hour in, and while it's not unpleasant it smells kind of fake.
Visions of Sugarplums:
Sweet and fruity, with a little something ethereal thrown in for good measure. Is this real? Are you still asleep? Close your eyes again, and see. Raspberries, Strawberry candies, Sugared Violets, Tuberose, White Musk & damp Moss
That doesn't make Bluebell a bad scent, but it did throw me for a loop. I find the blueberry notes (..raspberry notes?) are kind of overpowering compared to the rest of the components. Although the opening is wet and sweet, that fruitiness pushes in quickly and really never relents. It turns into almost a sticky sweet jam by an hour in, and while it's not unpleasant it smells kind of fake.
Duration:
Berry notes on my skin seem to last a long time, and Bluebell was detectable even by late afternoon. It sort of smelled like warm, flat fruit soda.Bluebell reminds me of jammed fruits crossed with a blueberry Lip Smackers lip gloss. It's not a bad scent, but it really has no dimension or depth. Add to that it smells like Visions of Sugarplums and I'm really not in love. I found myself waiting for it to wear off so I could try something new! Still, don't let my impressions dissuade you - if you like sugary fruity scents, check it out!
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| Gerbera from OHWTO |
Full size: 10mL amber glass bottle w/euro dropper for $10.00 USD
Solid scent: 0.15oz tube for $5.50 USD
If Happiness was a flower, I'm pretty sure it would be a Gerbera daisy. Since they don't really have a smell, I've come up with an approximation of what they should smell like, and it's super fun. Juicy Strawberry, Sweet Violet, Spearmint, Rosemary, and Cornmint.
Gerbera is one of those scents that definitely gets better the longer you wear it. Initially I wasn't too pleased with it because it smelled like some sort of fruity dollar store strawberry toothpaste. It would be called "Cool Berry Mint" and there'd be a strawberry on the packaging wearing sunglasses and thick chains and striking a terrifically "cool" pose.
Terrible packaging concept aside, Gerbera quickly phases out of those awkward Cool Berry Mint teen years and turns into something not quite minty and not quite fruity, but some sort of exquisite blend of the two with a kiss of something smooth and green. I really didn't know what to make of it, but I found myself stealing a whiff whenever I had a chance.
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| Actual Gerbera daisies |
Duration:
Sadly, Gerbera isn't as robust as some of the other Spring 2014 scents. It clings pretty closely for the latter half of the day. While the first few hours it has a drifting sillage, by about 5 hours it's considerably weaker. But I think this is part of its charm because it wears really nicely as a suggestive background scent rather than something over the top and in your face. I'm not sure what happened but I really like Gerbera. It's decidedly feminine but not girly. I'd say it's the fragrance incarnation of "shabby chic" fashion, like all those cutesy little Etsy products featuring "vintage" floral prints after being passed through an Instagram retro filter. Familiar and reminiscent of something from long ago but with a more contemporary twist.
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| Lucky from OHWTO |
Full size: 10mL amber glass bottle w/euro dropper for $10.00 USD
Solid scent: 0.15oz tube for $5.50 USD
Crisp, juicy red apples, tart granny smiths, and rolling, endless green hills perfumed by nature awakening from her winter slumber. Spring is in the air!
I really don't have too much to say about Lucky. If you've ever had any of OHWTO's apple scents (such as last summer's The Girl Who Waited or the limited edition Apple Spice Cake for Independence Day), the apple notes are unmistakeable. Lucky is pretty much Apple Spice Cake without the gourmand elements or The Girl Who Waited without the leather and tobacco notes. A true honest-to-goodness apple scent.
My only big complaint with OHWTO's appley scents is that they're too appley. Deceptively appley. I tried it on my sister and she wrinkled up her nose and went, "It smells fake." If you don't have the luxury of hanging around real apple trees and freshly picked apples, I can see why a scent like Lucky would be appealing (apple-ealing? har har) but it's almost like the Uncanny Valley of apples. Almost like a real apple, but overshoots it just a bit.
My only big complaint with OHWTO's appley scents is that they're too appley. Deceptively appley. I tried it on my sister and she wrinkled up her nose and went, "It smells fake." If you don't have the luxury of hanging around real apple trees and freshly picked apples, I can see why a scent like Lucky would be appealing (apple-ealing? har har) but it's almost like the Uncanny Valley of apples. Almost like a real apple, but overshoots it just a bit.
Duration:
Almost-appley goodness for 6-7 straight hours! The wet and juicy top notes are the first to recede but the sweetness is always there. Not too much to say here.Nothing about Lucky really stands out for me. It's okay, but it's not remarkable. I'd have liked if it sort of melded with the grassy hay notes from OHWTO's Dandelion Wine. I hate to say that there are definitely superior apple scents out there with more depth and complexity. But sometimes you don't want depth and complexity, you just want to smell like an apple, dammit!
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| Maura Mae from OHWTO |
Full size: 10mL amber glass bottle w/euro dropper for $10.00 USD
Solid scent: 0.15oz tube for $5.50 USD
A classic returns! Slightly reformulated, but still lovely as ever. With her curls of copper, her twinkling eyes, her sweet smile- this is what they mean when they refer to "The luck of the Irish". A sweet and fruity scent, Maura Mae is strongly apricot, with supporting notes of green clover, tea, cut grass, a sprinkling of field flowers- lily of the valley, violet, lavender, as well as a dash of berries, vanilla bean, and the faintest, tiniest, entirely lady-like nip of whiskey.
Maura Mae is Gerbera's older, more mature sister. She's passed her twee stage and put aside her peter pan collars and ombre tights and now has a swanky office job, but she can't help but rebel every once in a while with a eccentric accent scarf.
The two scents do feel related - but where Gerbera is sort of a cool and breezy not-quite-sweet-mint, Maura Mae is a cool apricot. There's a lot going on in that description, what with the flowers and the mown lawn and tea and booze, but I think "sweetly fruity and green" is Maura Mae in a nutshell.
The two scents do feel related - but where Gerbera is sort of a cool and breezy not-quite-sweet-mint, Maura Mae is a cool apricot. There's a lot going on in that description, what with the flowers and the mown lawn and tea and booze, but I think "sweetly fruity and green" is Maura Mae in a nutshell.
Duration:
Maura Mae also lasts on the skin just a smidge longer than Gerbera. It mellows out into a smooth berry-vanilla base after the initial apricotty bite evaporates. I don't mind Maura Mae, but I simply don't find myself reaching for it too often. This surprises me since judging by the description I thought I'd really love it. However, it feels like there's too much going on and the final mixture isn't very memorably. It's pleasant and springy, but it doesn't stand out above the rest either.
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| Lanai from OHWTO |
Full size: 10mL amber glass bottle w/euro dropper for $10.00 USD
Solid scent: 0.15oz tube for $5.50 USD
Fruits from tropical islands matched with sugared citrus, lush greenery, and a hint of musk make for a sweet explosion of volcanic proportions. (This fragrance will be added to the general catalog of scents- I'm especially excited about using it in my soy wax tarts!)
If I had tried this perfume back when I first started getting into fragrances, I would have sang its praises from the high heavens about how it was my holy grail fruit scent. This is straight up sweet and fruity! I don't really know what "fruits from tropical islands" would actually smell like, but there's no doubt about it.
But that's just it - it's a very generic "fruity" perfume. You could smell this anywhere, from a perfume to a car air freshener to a scented shampoo. There's nothing about it that's very special or sets it apart except that it's of the "tropical" variety. I'm actually kind of struggling to write about it because it truly does lack any sort of depth.
Duration:
The wet, juicier elements of Lanai trickle off first. Imagine you're putting together a decadent smoothie - in the beginning you're in the thick of it, chopping up fruits and combining it all in the blender. It's delicious! A few hours later though, you can still pick up sweet traces on your fingers from all your prep work. It stays this way for the majority of the time and I got a good 5-6 hours of wear.There's nothing bad about Lanai. Seriously, I swear. It's just very one-dimensional. However, it's very, very, very good at what it says it does, which is smell like fruits. This is a pretty no-nonsense fragrance, and I can see it working well in Becca's soy wax tarts - it's no wonder she's excited for it!
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| Silk Road from OHWTO |
Full size: 10mL amber glass bottle w/euro dropper for $10.00 USD
Solid scent: 0.15oz tube for $5.50 USD
A heady floral-tea fragrance, heavy on the "green". Green Tea with tart Rosehips, Jasmine blossoms, and Silk, along with hints of Cucumber, Chamomile, and Kiwi.
Ooh, doesn't that sound yummy? I happen to enjoy all those things. I can't help but wonder though, what does "Silk" actually smell like? The rosehips and kiwi help things get off to a sweet start, but it's very subtle and not sugary or juicy. Chamomile and cucumber work nicely together and give it a cool base.
Unfortunately, the jasmine seems pretty overwhelming once the lighter, cooler elements wear off. I like jasmine plenty, but I find it to be a pushy scent (although not quite as insistent as rose!) and once it gets a chance to elbow out the other elements it sits itself down and refuses to budge. This isn't necessarily bad if you like jasmine, but it's a bit tricky to smell past it. But there's no bones about it - this most certainly is the "heady floral-tea fragrance" it claims to be!
Duration:
Silk Road is hands down the most potent fragrance in the Spring 2014 bunch, and I think it's mostly due to the jasmine. I dabbed a little bit on at 6AM and by 6PM I can still smell it! Granted the silage hugs closely, but with something like this I feel it would be a little overwhelming otherwise. I like this. It's cool, it's calming, and for me it's a lovely scent to wear on one of those nearly-warm, rainy spring days. But it's not quite perfect - I do wish the jasmine was scaled back a bit to let the other elements have a chance to shine through.
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| Rose Lemonade from OHWTO |
Full size: 10mL amber glass bottle w/euro dropper for $10.00 USD
Solid scent: 0.15oz tube for $5.50 USD
Another classic OHWTO smell returns to welcome Spring this year! Yep, 100% inspired by the Fentiman's beverage of the same name, this fragrance is fizzy and floral and lemony with a slight undertone of gingery warmth. Try it with gin- the soda, not the perfume ;) Fresh-squeezed Lemons, Sugar, Rose petals, Geraniums, fizzing Soda water, Grapefruit, and a light touch of Amber and Ginger
I'd like to pause for a moment to mourn all the potential Rose Lemonade had. Zingy, fizzy fruit scents? That's probably one of my favorite things ever! So what went wrong?
If you've ever tried a soda scent from OHWTO, you'll recognize whatever magical elements Becca uses to create that facade of carbonation. It's actually pretty convincing! And when first applying Rose Lemonade, there's this brief, shining moment where you can pick out everything - the fizzy carbonation, the lemony gingery zing...
And then suddenly it turns into an olfactory traffic jam. Similar to blending too many colors and winding up with a muddy brown, Rose Lemonade loses all its defining elements and winds up smelling like furniture polish. There was absolutely no way to salvage it once it passed that point of no return. It was pretty devastating.
And then suddenly it turns into an olfactory traffic jam. Similar to blending too many colors and winding up with a muddy brown, Rose Lemonade loses all its defining elements and winds up smelling like furniture polish. There was absolutely no way to salvage it once it passed that point of no return. It was pretty devastating.
Duration:
Mercilessly stuck around for between 5-6 hours. Even with repeated hand-washings it stuck through. I kept waiting and hoping for it to maybe evolve into a tamer, sweeter, less furniture-polishy iteration, but it never arrived.Rose Lemonade was a huge disappointment for me if you didn't guess by now. I've tried wearing it several times and each attempt yields the same results. Nothing I did could make that nose-wrinklingly bitter and acidic cleaning products odor shift or morph. I don't know if it was my skin's chemistry or Rose Lemonade itself. I only hope the description inspires someone out there to concoct a delicious, ingestible version that I can order from a menu!
Worth it?
I think it's definitely worth checking out OHWTO's Spring 2014 lineup. However, I found it had more misses than hits for me this year, and I didn't love anything enough to seriously consider purchasing a full size. Also, if you're looking for more masculine options, you will probably not find them in this collection. Despite its shorcomings though, this year's offerings are a welcome change from more wintry fare, and I definitely think if Becca puts up more sample vials you should give it a go!
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