Finishing Touches: The Smell of Freedom, Tuca Tuca, and Vanillary by Gorilla Perfume

I was naturally going to spin this out over the next week or so by doing these one at a time, as I've been doing, but what the hell. I don't have that much to say about them, so I might as well get it over with.

Before we get started, here is an article from New Scientist magazine about the sense of smell, which naturally you will want to read.

The Smell of Freedom is, like most everything at Lush, louder than you'd think it needs to be. I don't even know what category it might fit into, because it doesn't seem to have any structure: it's just a bunch of things — green citrus, mild spices, vague wood — chucked into a bottle. I guess it's meant for men. I guess?

Tuca Tuca, on the other hand, is for girls, because it smells like a fruity floral, but one made after you'd forgotten to refrigerate the ingredients: it smells overripe and on the verge of spoilage. It's not terrible, certainly not the worst in its category, but it isn't very good, either.

I like vanilla scents a whole lot, and I have nothing in particular to say against Vanillary except that it changes very little over its life and is so minimalist that it eventually overstays its welcome and becomes a bit obnoxious. Otherwise, it's an even more simplified (and, it cannot be denied, cheaper-smelling) variant on Serge Lutens' already stripped-down Un Bois Vanille, a strong, sweet vanilla with cooked-caramel undertones and a splash of jasmine, really quite nice.

So that's the boxful: three florals (one great, one indifferent, one HUGE), four messes, and a decent vanilla. Not a great average, but at least there are worthwhile things in the line, which is not a given these days.