"For rebel hearts and freedom fighters comes a blend of fire tree, oudh and lemongrass to stoke a fire in your soul. Rich and earthy on
"For rebel hearts and freedom fighters comes a blend of fire tree, oudh and lemongrass to stoke a fire in your soul. Rich and earthy on the skin, evocative and deeply affecting on passersby." The Smell of Freedom by Lush is a Woody Spicy fragrance for women and men. The Smell of Freedom was launched in 2010. The nose behind this fragrance is Simon Constantine. The fragrance features Lemongrass, Woodsy Notes, Neroli, Ginger, Jasmine, Agarwood (Oud), Sandalwood, Pepper, Clove and Orris Root.
A pensive cap-sniff brings back the memory of that one mahogany-brown perfume on your mom's dressing table that you grew up coveting, because something about it seemed so classy and adult.
First impression - before any notes become distinct enough to draw you into a structured, contemplative path - is that it smells vintage-old. Like, before-your-time old.
So old, in fact, that you can't recall a time when she actually wore the scent, and its presence in her perfume collection is now just a relic of who she was before becoming "mom".
Initial dry-down is dark and muddled - not dank or heavy, but the notes seem almost stuck together, as if reluctant to be distinguished from one another - and leaves a turmeric stain on the skin.
As The Smell of Freedom settles on my wrist, I'm 8 years old again, lifting the cap off my mom's very vintage mahogany-brown perfume (which was gardenia-based, btw), inhaling deeply and thinking, "Wow, so this is what classy adult perfume smells like!"
Beyond nostalgia, there's nothing particularly distinctive or attention-grabbing about the scent's composition. I get the impression of precious woods and a tamed, almost muted touch of spice, with a hint of sandalwood soap bringing up the rear.
There's a disconnect between the bold copy and the perfume's actual performance. I guess there's an expectation when descriptive words like "rebel", "fighters", and "fire" are used to promote the concept of a fragrance.
The combination of ginger, pepper, and clove suggested that The Smell of Freedom would be an Aries flex of cardinal-fire heat, but that fiery spirit just wasn't there. Instead, it was a leisurely walk through a jumble of nondescript woods, overlaid with a spectre of faded spice - nothing that would "stoke a fire in your soul".
⚜️ The Smell of Freedom, by Lush (DISCONTINUED)
