Playing in the hay, Sonoma Scent Studio Equestrian

I still remember those times when I was a boy and when once in a while we would visit friends of my parents. At that time I’d call them aunt and uncle even though we were not related by blood. They had a house at the countryside, not far away from where my family lives. They also had a son who was about my age. Any time we met we used to play outside in the backyard – be it a game with a ball, hide & seek or chasing after hens. Sometime we’d sneak into a barn and play in the hay. We used to jump on it as if it was a finest trampoline. Equestrian, a newest creation in the range of Sonoma Scent Studio brings back those memories and the smell that accompanied them.

On my skin Equestrian opens with a fraction of patchouli that has a rich woody smell. I also find something moist about this accord. Something damp and mossy that instantly reminds me of the smell of old, wet wood. Wooden barn walls could smell like that in the rain. After a while things get a bit more early and rooty. Perhaps it’s another side of patchouli. After a while a balsamic aura develops with a hefty dose of benzoin surfacing on my skin. It’s dense and rich, with a bit of wilderness and sensuality to it as well. It’s a compromise between light and shadow.

Labdanum plays an important role in new Sonoma Scent Studio fragrance. Not only does it bring a mysterious and bewildering smokiness to the blend but it also gives that impression of a leather. This time it’s more of a raunchy, horse saddle leather. It’s smell blends with an aroma of cut grass and hay, latter one overflowing with coumarin molecules. Equestrian is a very evocative composition that offers a very realistic impression of being in a horse stable. At some point hay note starts to dominate on my skin, making the fragrance more dry, this highlights the aromatic nature of the hay.

Even though the fragrance might seem wild and free, it’s pretty well-behaved and has no tendency to overwhelm its wearer. Funny element of new SSS fragrance is an apple accord. It appears at some point and you’ll notice exactly when because it marks its presence very clearly. First Equestrian becomes more green and then this crunchy aroma of apple arrives, making the whole creation more playful, thanks to now added fruity juiciness. Just like an apple is a treat for a horse, apple is a treat for us in this perfume. I wonder if those who smelled it would agree that it’s a green apple used here.

Composition develops as the time goes by. Few hours later it’s still hay and leather that are most important elements. Apple has moved to the background. Equestrian now smells of freshly cut wooden boards. There is a distinctive smell of dry cedarwood, this one is a bit more rough. On the other hand there is sandalwood. It’s smoother and more prominent on my skin but it’s definitely not a creamy, polished sandalwood known from other perfumes.

Drydown of new Sonoma Scent Studio hides a powdery element that most probably comes from a muted hay accord or from violet, which was also used. To me drydown is a lovely amber with a dry finish. It blends with accents of oakmoss for a gently dusty vibe. Jasmine is also mentioned as one of the notes for the fragrance but I didn’t notice it. Overall Equestrian is a lovely composition. It’s good to have such perfume as this one – a little bit more dirty but still quite sophisticated. Just by smelling it you can tell that perfumer Laurie Erickson has a great passion for horses. Otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to make such a realistic interpretation. Well done! The perfume has good to moderate sillage and lasting power is good (+6 hours in my case). Some of essences used in this fragrance are of natural origins, still the perfume is considered as “mixed media”.

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