Gallivant Perfumes – Berlin

(Blogger’s Note – Please see my review of Gallivant Brooklyn for brand background and concept.)

Having enjoyed the sites in Brooklyn, NY courtesy of Gallivant, I have headed out to JFK airport to catch a flight.  I am stamping my passport this morning to travel overseas to Berlin.  I was curious to see what this urban landscape had to offer me. 

Berlin is a woody spicy fragrance with citrus notes.  Yes, citrus.  The fragrance actually opens with a bright and sunny citrus filled with Clementine and lemon with touches of grapefruit.  The opening is gorgeous but I admit I didn’t understand it until I did a little digging about the city.  How lovely that the city has multiple lakeside vacation destination spots (obviously convenient for locals) for Summer swimming!  (*Note the Telegraph did a fantastic article on these spots back on July 13, 2015.)  In its opening Berlin captures the lighthearted, carefree spirit of the Berlin Summer.

About an hour into wear, I begin to pick up other notes that create a form for the strength, determination, and resilience of the German people.  I get a wafting, slightly smoky and spicy black tea.  The tea is deep and rich and the pepper is present just enough to give a warmth and light spice.  I get the beginnings of a densely wooded forest – notes of a woody vetiver, cedar, and hints of evergreen.

As Berlin begins her drydown, the woody base of vetiver and cedar continue and are joined by a clean but earthy patchouli.  The drydown is a stunning and well-rounded slightly spicy woods.  There is a full-bodied richness to the fragrance through the end of its wear.  I’ve never been to Berlin and so sadly as many Americans have had an image of the city largely based on television reporting of political and current events over the past few decades.  I am happy to say that the fragrance from Gallivant has shared with me a new and enticing side of this grand German destination.  

Berlin wears on me for roughly 8-9 hours with moderate projection.               

        

Notes: grapefruit, clementine, lemon, schinus molle CO2 extract, black pepper, black tea, Haitian vetiver, cedarwood, patchouli

*Thanks to Nir Guy of Perfumology (King of Prussia, PA) for the sample of Berlin!