Future Primitive
Part 2: The Scents
Woo! I am very excited to write this review. I’m even writing this before Saturday! I am sorry to tell you some of them scents we will be reviewing are Spring Scents. And they, as of Tuesday, started a Flash Sale to get rid of stock. All Spring items are currently 30% off and listed in the
clearance section.
There is currently a little left but it is possible some of these will not be available until next Spring, for which I apologize. I hate reviewing things I’m making you wait for. I lack patience though. You might be luckier than I in that department.
Hopefully this review is comprehensive because as I’m writing it, it certainly doesn’t feel comprehensive, but that could be my brain. So here we go, first the spring scents followed by general catalogue and limited editions.
Spring Scents
The Ancients
A circle of stones rests upon a hill in deepest Oxfordshire. Handkerchief wishes hang from a Cananga tree, dried Mandarin peelings from spells cast long ago sit inside the King stone, and Patchouli leaf softly smoulders in an earthenware bowl casting a trail of aromatic smoke across the countryside.
This is a beautiful story for a scent, but it wasn’t very helpful in trying to decide if I would like it. I was game for it anyway, but Mr. J was wary. Turns out, everything in this scent I bought is for him. He loves it. He said, “A very strong fennel or anise scent on a complex palette that came alive when the water hit it, slipping in and out of scents.” It’s a beautiful idea. It’s a surprisingly dark scent- what you would potentially stereotypically expect of an ancient witch’s cottage- if you’re an American, a Salem witch’s house. It’s dark for Spring, it’s something I would have expected in the Autumn, but it is wonderful.
Purchase Link
Ethereal Seas
The scent of British Seaside Flora carried on a warm Breeze. Stimulating Basil, Lime & Bergamot balanced with Pelargonium leaf.
I spent some time trying to decide how to explain this one. Smelling it straight out of the bottle, the Conditioning Hair Rinse smells heavily of salt. When I used it in the shower, it began to smell of body sweat- that wet salt smell. It was a scent that the more I used it, the more accustomed to it I grew, but I would never claim I liked it. I believe this has something to do with me. I tried a Sea Kelp scented after-shave balm recently and discovered the same problem. Yes, there should be some salt scent, but more than just salt. All I can smell is salt.
Mr. J’s response is as follows:
“No more Ethereal Seas kisses.” (It was in my hair and must have run onto my face.)
“Why not?”
“Is gross.”
Kristin adds: I picked this up in the Bubbling Sugar Buff and I also thought that it just smelled like straight salt in the jar. In the shower, the basil comes out really strongly and that becomes the dominant scent. I do get a little bit of a citrus-y lime after rinsing.
Purchase Link
Gossamer Ghost
A Whisper of simmering Neroli oil intertwined with yellow Grapefruit zest & pungent Coriander seed.
I only bought this in Bathing Grains, which sometimes will not allow for such a deep scent and only give you the top notes, much like soap does. This smelled like Fruit Loops or sugared orange peel and not much else. Hopefully AG has a little better idea than I.
AG adds: Ms. Bubbles kindly passed her Bathing Grains on to me to try out. I have a really tenuous relationship with neroli, also known as orange blossom (seriously,
Haus of Gloi's Honeybelle smells like pepper jelly to me) so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this particular scent. Fortunately, this is legitimately the nicest neroli note I've experienced so far. It still had that slightly bitter edge that doesn't appeal to me, but it was otherwise soft and sweet. Neroli was far and away the dominant scent for me in these Bathing Grains; I couldn't pick out the grapefruit or coriander at all.
Towanda
A warm southern breeze, rainy summer days, fresh picked herbs, Tomato flesh, Bergamot leaf & Moss covered tree stumps.
I have only tried this is a sample soap and only a couple times, at that. The sample went to Kristin, who passed it onto me when she decided she didn’t like. This smells like a light herbal to me. Mostly bergamot and some tomato, maybe a bit of basil. I really like it in my kitchen where it doesn’t interfere with food smells. It’s fresh and light.
Kristin adds: I was surprised that I really liked the smell of this as a dry soap. See, I kind of hate tomatoes. When dry, it did smell like tomatoes but a very subtle tomato. As if you had just cut open a very wet tomato and the tomato smell was mixed with the water. Unfortunately for me, when you put the soap in water, the tomato smell just becomes stronger and more like a crisp tomato. If you like tomatoes, this is probably a great scent for you but for me, not so much.
AG adds: What a fun scent! I have this in perfume oil form. It opens with a light lemon-y top note which must certainly be the bergamot, but that fades almost immediately to make way for the tomato note. It truly does smell just like the inside of a tomato, so I'm very impressed. I'm getting just a touch of green herbal notes, especially tomato leaf, but I can't pick out what the other herbs are. There's a hint of sweetness tying everything together in a way that I really like - it takes it a small step away from the "I was just rubbing myself awkwardly on my garden plants" type of scent (which is totally valid, just not my style) and turns it into a realistic and evocative perfume.
Purchase Link
General Catalogue Scents
Black Currant Damson Frangipane
Almond frangipane with a crisp pastry crust, deep-filled with tart Blackcurrants, ripe Damsons, raw sugar & a flaked almond topping.
Kristin adds: I LOVE THIS HAIR RINSE SO MUCH. I love flaky pastries and the smell of bakeries so I was really excited about this scent. It didn't disappoint. I'll be honest and say that I have no idea what Damsons are but to me this smells like a super sweet batch of blackberry compote. Not quite like the fruit but like the jellied mixture that someone prepared to pop into a pastry. The pastry scent itself must have been buried but the impression is still there.
Purchase Link
Coconut Cream
I couldn't find scent notes of this.
I’m sorry, all. I took a photo of this, but I’m not reviewing it- for a couple of reasons. The first is that I’m worried it is a long sold out Limited Edition Soap. The other is I am absolutely certain that once I start using that soap, I am going to have to go buy a whole coconut cream pie, and I’m pretty sure I won’t fit in my pants after that.
Later: I ate the pie. I tried the soap. It smells exactly like coconut cream pie without the pie. It's a lovely creamy coconut scent, escaping the entrapment of the fake coconut tang while still smelling edible and yummy.
Kristin adds: I've been a little confused about the
limited edition solid soaps being listed on the website. They're listed under "limited edition" but does that mean they're one batch only? Will I ever see it again? I found a few answers on the
Future Primitive blog where the owner talks about making fun soaps to bring creativity back.
I made a pact with myself at the start of the year to start making some fun soaps, which would allow me to enjoy the process of running a soap business a little more. As time has flown by, and things have moved on, and the business has grown, I have found that parts of my job have become more 'Have To' rather than 'Want To', which sucks. So, I decided that in order to save me from myself I would start to use some different ingredients and some different fragrances in order to satisfy my creative needs. This soap is one of my play time results. It's a blend of 3 different coconut FO's with lashings of coconut cream, shredded coconut and in the base, some ground coffee. Turns out it's been a very good seller so it may be that I make it again. The beauty part is that I don't have to if I don't want to!
Kristin: The description at the end sounded pretty much like the Coconut Cream bar to me. And the limited edition soaps sound like they're probably going to be one run only items (unless there's a huge popular demand). While I'm a little sad at this, since I try really hard not to pick up single run items-they can be such heartbreakers you know?-I really admire the sentiment behind wanting to keep making things for the fun of it instead of just for the business.
Elijah’s Comfort
Citrus top notes of Sweet Sicilian Orange, freshly-harvested Ylang Ylang blooms, Lemongrass sticks & Geranium leaves with a soft heart of old English Tea Roses.
It took a long time to get an idea on the scent of this. We started jokingly call it Memory Soap. I’d shower and use it to get an idea on it, get out of the shower and completely forget anything I had just smelled or thought to write about. In soap and scrub form, this is incredibly heavy on the lemongrass. Mr. J noticed when he tried it, starting with the scrub, an unidentifiable earthy scent under the lemongrass, which came out better in the soap. He has a beautiful nose for scent when he’s having an on day. It’s a lovely clean scent that I bet would become amazing in lotion or perfume.
Kristin adds: This is my all time favorite orange scent, replacing the longstanding
Satyr from Haus of Gloi. Don't get me wrong, they're definitely different. Satyr is more of a darker orange and Elijah's Comfort is a bright, sweet, citrus but when I'm feeling orange-y, I've been picking up this one more than anything else. The lemongrass is definitely very strong in this but it blends really nicely with the sweet orange. Lemongrass usually gives me a
PEZ sort of scent which can be artificial at times but I don't get as much of the sweet candy note in Elijah's Comfort. I started with a mini Bubbling Scrub and I'm eagerly waiting on a full size and a solid soap bar. The whipped soap was sadly out of stock during my purchase else I would have happily made a trio.
Purchase Link
Festival
A heady waft of Nag Champa incense dipped in thick, black Indonesian Patchouli with a passing puff of smoke from a travellers' house on wheels.
I spent a lot of my high school and college years shopping import shops with my mother. She could sniff out an import shop in a city while we were on vacation like a bloodhound. I’ve been in import shops in Atlanta, Savannah, New York City, Seattle, Cincinnati, Yellow Springs, Indianapolis, and I’m sure many another city. Festival smells like an import shop. It’s earthy, and beautiful, focusing more of the Nag Champa and Patchouli than the smoke. The smoke, if it’s there, deepens the scent without giving it a worrisome or unwanted tang that smoke can give things. Mr. J was so enamored with the Nag Champa, he ignored anything else in it. It is such a beautiful scent- I bought my replacement Conditioning Hair Rinse in Festival and passed the Ethereal Seas on to AG.
AG adds: Like Jessye, I have spent quite a bit of time in import shops and I agree that this scent wouldn't be the slightest bit out of place in one. I don't have anything to add to her excellent description, aside from the fact that it's almost got a chocolate-y character to it without smelling overtly of chocolate. It's deep and rich for sure.
Purchase Link
Inches Lane
Notes of Rosemary, Pine & Eucalyptus softened with Lemon and earthy Patchouli.
This is a Bathing Grains specific scent.
My only notes for this were, “A eucalyptus joy bath.” I loved this scent- it only lasted two baths, and I bought another bag with my second purchase. I love eucalyptus and rosemary. They’re such clarifying scents and really allow me to let go of stress and focus on what I’m doing. This is a beautiful way to do it without being overwhelming.
Purchase Link
Lagoon
A breath of fresh, clean air. A stumble across an island Lagoon. Lavender oil helps to clear a muggy head, whilst Bourbon Geranium and Indonesian Patchouli help to balance and relax the mind and soothe the skin.
This is a Limited Edition Soap.
I did not realize Limited Edition Soaps were a thing until after I did photos, or I probably would have left this off. I hate taunting people with things they can’t have or will have to search hard for it. I hate even more that I only have one bar of this and will not have anymore when this bar is gone. It smells exactly like a lagoon without being a water scent. The lavender is heady but not astringent. It’s clean with hints of mud. It’s really lovely, and I am going to not wax poetic about a soap I am completely uncertain will ever be available again.
Kristin adds: According to the
Future Primitive Blog, Lagoon was previously a General Catalogue scent that had been knocked out of the running by other scents. This batch was made due to repeated requests but doesn't seem to have become a permanent addition.
Lemonade Lounger
Freshly-plucked Lemons nestled inside a wooden crate, a dainty cup of Vanilla & May Chang tea, and hints of warm summer soil carried softly on the breeze.
Kristin adds: I've been on a small-not-so-small lemon scent kick lately. I've amassed a bit of a collection of lemon scented bath products and have yet to find one that I dislike. (Sadly I can't say the same about the lemon flavored bakery goods.) Unlike many other companies, Future Primitive did not take the creamy lemon cake scent route. This is a strongly citrus-y lemon with none of that cream frosting business. It's still sweet though but sweet like lemonade where the flavor is the lemon but the sugar is added after. This was my impression from the whipped soap. I have a solid bar of this on the way.
Purchase Link
Rook and Raven
A dark, deeply mystifying blend of Sweet Sicilian Orange with a dry-down of aged Patchouli, Sandalwood & Blackened Vanilla.
I believe both Kristin and I ordered this with trepidation for completely different reasons. I, worrying about the vanilla, she, worrying about the patchouli and sandalwood. I couldn’t pass up on it, though. It’s named after a few death omens. Isn’t it?
Do you know how hard it is to find that out when Googling “Rook and Raven?” And do not even consider making it “The Rook and the Raven.” That makes it worse. You find a contemporary art museum and several links for a pub. So I pulled in Mr. J to help me research. Native Americans discuss that the hearing the rattling of a raven is like hearing a banshee- your death has been called. But the omen of the raven could go as far back as the Syrians. We could only find a third source, single sentence referencing it. It’s also Arthurian Legend- when Arthur died, he became a raven, and when Morgan Le Fey died, she became a rook. There’s also a legend that Arthur played chess with the Prince of the Ravens. Naturally, rooks and ravens became more intimately linked to death with the Victorians. They were obsessed with death and the raven became one of its decorations and with it, the rook.
And now that we have had a random non sequitur and history lesson, let us talk about this scent. This was a dark horse for me. I thought I would like it well enough. Weirdly, I bought the most products in this scent for myself, even though there were others that I was sure I would like. I fell in love. It smells nothing like what I expected. It’s this smooth concoction that is spicy but rounded.
When I first smelled it, my brained yelled out, “LUSH!” Okay, thanks Brain. But what scent? “I dunno.” Great. So I was that jerk that walks into a cosmetic company, hands them someone else’s product, and asks them what of theirs it smells like. They were incredibly helpful. (I think they like the money I spend there.) LUSH has a Christmas bath bomb named Cinders- it’s full of cinnamon and clove. It’s a spicy scent, meant to warm you up on a cold night. Rook and Raven smells verbatim (ver-sniff-im?) of Cinders, which is incredibly impressive, seeing as they came at this from different routes and found the same destination. Ah- I am slightly wrong. Apparently, they both have Orange in them. Which is interesting because what I can smell in both of them is the spiciness, which has no cross section. Regardless, I will be keeping Rook and Raven in stock, if for no other purpose than keeping it around as shampoo. I love this scent. Probably my favorite so far.
Kristin adds: My nose actually gives me an entirely different impression from Rook and Raven. I've been using this as a whipped soap and I actually grabbed it expecting it to be similar to the aforementioned, still beloved
Satyr from Haus of Gloi. Orange and vanilla? Yeah, that's my jam. I was definitely hesitant due to the herbal notes but still figured it was probably up my alley.
Kristin: And well...it is but it isn't. I don't
dislike it but...there's something odd about it to me. I don't get a spicy impression from the soap, just a far off type of scent. It smells like a blood orange scent that's very distant. Ack, this is hard to explain. It's not that the scent is light but that when I smell it, it seems like it's coming from far away. Bleh. Sorry, that wasn't useful at all. :(
Purchase Link
Sylph
Clouds of fluffed up Marshmallows infused with a glug of classic Lavender oil.
Glug. I love that word- glug. AG and Kristin ordered items in this. I smelled them dry and thought, “Oh my God. I love this.” So when I made a second order, I ordered this in a scrub and a whipped soap. Nope. I tried it once and passed them off to AG, so I’ll leave the reviewing of this to them.
Kristin adds: I know that we haven't specifically reviewed it yet but to me, Sylph smells like
Haus of Gloi's Lavender Sugar smashed together with a marshmallow. Unfortunately, that's not a useful comparison unless you've tried Lavender Sugar. I have Sylph in Bubbling Sugar Buff form and as I was using it, I could only think to myself, "Man I bet AG will LOVE this." I may have overestimated her fondness for marshmallows but I know that the sweet Lavender thing is one that she loves.
AG adds: Kristin's instincts weren't too far off! One of my first purchases from Haus of Gloi was a scrub in Lavender Sugar, and it helped me fall in love with the brand. I'm partial to lavender in pretty much any form, including straight off the bush. Sylph smells like candied lavender to me. Every time I smell it, I picture a stick of vividly purple rock candy that tastes strongly of lavender. I'm sure the marshmallow is in there helping round out this impression, but I honestly don't smell it outright.
Purchase Link
White Patchouli
Indonesian Patchouli, heady night Jasmine, Peony petal, White sandalwood, Incense trails and intense woods.
This is a Limited Edition Perfume.
As of the writing of this, this is still in stock. I’ve tried several indie perfumes thanks mostly to AG, who passes off to me things that I like from her destash bag. A few I have discovered on my own. Most of the perfumes I have tried, I am unable to smell on me. It’s really disappointing because I love being able to smell myself without having to shove my wrist up my nose. One of the only perfumes I have found pervasive enough is
Haus of Gloi’s Rose City. I can smell it on me without trying. And I love that. I love being able to smell my perfume. I can smell White Patchouli as well as Rose City. The first time I tried it, I only put it on my wrists, but I could smell it with my wrists in my lap. It’s a lovely scent, heavy on the peony, but feminine and soft. I am quite fond of it. The florals stand out the most to me with the woods giving it depth and lasting time.
Purchase Link
White Witch
Deepest tones of Black Indonesian Patchouli balanced with Bourbon Geranium.
I have a sample soap of this, but I will leave the reviewing of it to AG and Kristin. It smelled like Veet to me. You know, the stuff you shave your legs with that you use without water?
Kristin adds: This is
listed on the website as Future Primitive's top selling soap. Jessye was actually surprised when I ordered it since, as she put it, I "usually avoid the hippie scents." And she has a point there but I was still curious as to what made this soap stand out above all others. I still have no idea how to describe this bar. I've smacked myself in the nose with it several times trying to get a better sniff. At least in solid soap form, White Witch is pretty light smelling. I get a tiny bit of geranium but surprisingly little of the patchouli. It's just enough patchouli to maybe think it might be there but not nearly as strong as the scent usually is.
Kristin: If I had to pin it down though, I'd say that it just smells clean. A very lightly floral soap scent.
AG adds: I've got this in perfume oil, and it looks like I had a very different experience from Kristin! I definitely get a relatively tame patchouli, but since I'm not familiar with the scent of geranium, my impression is that the patchouli is mixed with a light menthol - it chills my sinuses a little when I sniff my wrist. The internet is telling me that geranium can sometimes smell green, citrus-y, or a little peppery, so I'm guessing that's what I'm smelling here. Whatever it is, it's an accent to the more dominant patchouli note.
Purchase Link
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I’m sorry for the incredible length of this review, but I hope you have enjoyed our first foray into Future Primitive! Make sure to like us on
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Driftwood
