Balsam
by Agraria

This excellent scent reminds me of some of the resinous, drier Madini scents. It is dry, a bit smoky, and a great fir scent. On my skin, I don’t get very much floral at all – to me it is strongly masculine as a personal fragrance, but, as a room fragrance, not so masculine. Odysseusm has described it so well there’s no point in my repeating. For my part, suffice it to say that Agraria is an excellent and unique fragrance. I can very easily see a use for this as a personal fragrance and I would be looking to get the complementary products. Love it…

Speaking as a fan of woody scents, I say that Agraria’s Balsam is marvelous. It is essentially a one-note development of the theme of balsam. Thus I would not term it ‘complex’ (i.e., with many layers) but rather ‘interesting’ in how that note evolves. The cedar-balsam opening is resinous and dry. It is very realistic and natural, reminiscent of green sap, oozing out of a freshly cut tree limb. Then the scent shifts, and for me evokes the scent of a cedar chest. The scents are dry, but so full that they are satisfying. Finally, Balsam settles into a mellow balsamic note (like vanilla but drier, not cloying, more interesting). I suppose it could be termed ‘feminine’ in that it is not heavy, spicy or leathery. But I find it to be quite masculine, because it has a simple and reserved elegance, and is dry with little floral aspects. There are also bar soap and shower gel available, and the products are good value.

Great stuff! Not at all piney, but complex, mysterious and long-lasting. A bit more feminine than masculine.

Ingredients: Sweet Fir Balsam, California Redwood, Cypress, hint of French Sage, Wild Rhododendron, bouquet of white flowers.
Balsam has a nicely fresh, realistic, fir balsam opening. It has that slight resinous, spicy green note of the real thing. This is not a conifer scent, but focuses on the resin. It's a pleasingly natural smelling fragrance, not one-dimensional and evolves within the balsam framework. A touch of light floral comes out in the drydown, as does a sparky balsamic note, which is slightly reminiscent of bay rum (pimenta) and works well in a balsam. I adore a well-done natural smelling fragrance, and I ordered a bottle of this as soon as I sampled it. Recommended for natural fragrance fans.