Question:
Hi there
This is my first post here, I've been lurking for quite some time.
DH and I just returned from a vacation from one of the grenadine islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I'm just getting into unique fragrances, and was blown away at the smell of the evening air. I wonder if anyone with more experience would recognize these notes and recommend a fragrance that would take me back to that wonderful place....
It had an earthy quality (as in jungle soil), sort of smokey. It reminded me a bit of Serge Lutens Borneo 1834, only not as sweet, or even S.L.'s Iris Silver Mist (but not so heavy on the earth note).
There was a hint of sea air, and a small (and I mean small) waft of tropical flowers.
Also, it was a bit green, again from the jungles, and the smokey smell was from cooking fires.
The big note that struck me was the jungle soil smell...
Any thoughts?
-I'm not a huge fan of the typical fruity floral, but I won't rule anything out!

Answer:
Love it when a "lurker" loses her posting virginity. Welcome, welcome.
What a lovely description you provide. Can you tell us more about the soil? Was it influenced by the smell of clay? Did it seem cool and green or mossy? Was there a sense of decaying wood?
The first thing I thought of was a Demeter scent like Thunderstorm, then Hermes Terre d'Hermes and L'Ombre dans L'Eau.
UPDATE: Look at the reviews for Sel de Vetiver at makeupalley. I just dabbed on a sample of this I received recently. S-N-I-F-F. This might be close--salt sea air, vetiver for vegetation, maybe a hint of smoke, mild, classy. This might layer well with a tropical floral to give you the full effect without smelling like a drugstore aquatic fragrance.
Of course, you MUST keep us up to date on your trials.

Answer:
Quarry - thank you so much for the insight.
It's hard to describe the soil smell, but I can say that:
-it didn't feel mossy
-it smelled moist and cool, not hot and dry - during the day we only smelled it when we passed through a well shaded area
-there was a small hint of rotting plant stuff, but not enough to be distasteful
-the soil smelled alive, if that's possible - not necessarily green, but rich, healthy, mineral, and alive.
I have to say, the smoky notes I've noticed in some of the Serge Lutens that I've tried capture some of the smoke / wood feel. I'm currently wearing Encens et Lavande (sample!) and though the lavender is sharp, there is still that smoky undercurrent that keeps making me sniff my wrists. I will look into some of your recs, Quarry...I am quickly becoming obsessed with smell!!

Answer:
Originally Posted by sciencegirl I am quickly becoming obsessed with smell!! Mwha-ha-ha-ha. And we are the devil's handmaidens who will only encourage your obsession.
There aren't enough good soil scents IMHO. Being an amateur gardener and ecological landscaper, I could just snort the stuff. The very best earth-related scent I've found is the bar soap my husband uses: Earth Bar is ultra moisturizing with exfoliating black tea leaves and rich hemp seed oil. Essential oils of lavender, cedarwood and patchouli are added along with sweet almond oil. If only there were a perfume that smelled like this.
I look forward to seeing what other BNers suggest for your quest.

Answer:
I believe Demeter puts out a scent called Dirt. Sharon Stone wears it. I have not smelled it, just heard about it. You can go to the directory and list the notes you want and many can be shown. Good Luck.

Answer:
Originally Posted by TDDanae I believe Demeter puts out a scent called Dirt. Sharon Stone wears it. I have not smelled it, just heard about it. You can go to the directory and list the notes you want and many can be shown. Good Luck. I've smelled it, and it just smell like plain old dry American dirt. Nothing moist or rich, or green, or luscious. Although, it might layer up something else for that effect.

Answer:
CB I Hate Perfumes has some earth scents, particularly in his "accord" section, but I haven't tried them yet--a couple that I've been eyeing are Forest Floor and his perfume Black March. The accords are good for layering with another fragrance to achieve something that's missing, so you could try layering an earth accord with another perfume to get what you're looking for.

Answer:
Welcome to Basenotes! Supposedly intended to evoke the images from another part of the world, L'Artisan Dzongkha is what you described, IMHO. Lemme tell you, you have a wonderful way with words.

Answer:
Originally Posted by Twolf Lemme tell you, you have a wonderful way with words. Aw, thanks! That is so nice of you to say!!
I am really intrigued by the perfumes everyone has recommended. I am sort of lazy, so I can't imagine trying to figure out layering using Demeter's Dirt, but I'll bet it would work!
Small town girl (me!) is going to the Big Apple in about a month or so, and though I have limited time I am hoping to access some of the aforementioned scents. Up until now I've been feeding my growing habit with ebay samples, but my main "dealer" is no longer doing her thing. Please, keep the suggestions coming - the more options I have the better!!
ps. I love this place!

Answer:
Oh gosh, sciencegirl!! Reading about your perfume made me ache to go out and buy it!
If I were a millionaire, I'd rush right out and commission a parfumeur to go forth and create it. I think that it could be a very high seller. Lutens' A La Nuit reminds me of my trip to Vegas in the Mandalay Bay, with its heady floral aroma all throughout the lobby, like gardenia and night blooming jasmine. A La Nuit is an unbelievable fragrance, like fresh jasmine wafting in through the window and enveloping you in its passionate embrace. I personally think that A La Nuit would be the fragrance of choice for the tropical floral portion of your fragrance.
I agree, I think that layering at this point would be your best bet. I'm dying to try Creed's Virgin Island Waters, which sounds like it would be a great tropical, exotic marine presence for the ocean part of your fragrance. Maybe you could start with a dark, rich, earthy fragrance as a base, and then layer Creed's VIW and Serge Lutens' A La Nuit over it. That sounds like it would cover most of the bases.
Personally, I LOVE wearing Muscs Koublai Khan on my neck with A La Nuit... it is an amazingly sexy scent.