Russian Caravan Tea (2005)
by CB I Hate Perfume

Smells a lot like Tom Ford Grey Vetiver

Nice scent, does smell like tea (roses, lemon, something metallic). I detect NO smokiness, which is a staple of Russian Caravan tea (blended with Lapsang Souchong). Disappointed it has no smoky note. Otherwise it's a nice rose scent with some sort of vetiver-verbena lemon grass note that makes it smell sorta like tea.

3rd October, 2011.

This is a light green tea, leafy and bittersweet, without any of the smoke and spices I associate with a Russian caravan. It seems very thin at the start, with a faint sour note that I can't quite place. The sour note tones down within an hour to leave a very simple, transparent tea.

There isn't much projection, so Russian Caravan Tea is strictly a skin scent. It doesn't develop much with time, either, except for revealing a mild floral character before fading altogether. It's a very pleasant scent, but certainly not exciting. There are more complex and interesting tea scents out there, and many of them last a whole lot longer than this one.

24th December, 2009.

RUSSIAN CARAVAN TEA starts off deceptively weak but gains in substance as the water base dries off. It recalls the aroma of a lightly spiced and fruit-infused tea which I find a little smoky as though the dried tea leaves are burnt slightly. I have always enjoyed tea-based scents and this composition from Christopher Brosius is a delight even if 'wearability' is not its strongest suit.

*** This review is of the water perfume, not the absolute ***

6th December, 2009.

This is very pleasant, a slightly sweet, musty, milk tea. I don't really get the citrus notes others are smelling nor is it particularly bright. On my skin there's a gentle sadness to it and there's a nice sense of refined sophistication. . Great longevity too despite not being powerful at any point. I wouldn't insist anybody buys it but as something a little different it's definitely worth trying.

30th June, 2009.

Remember powdered Nestle's Sweetened Iced Tea mix? This is exactly that scent. I can't say I dislike it because RCT reminds me of carefree summer vacations as a child - much to my parent's dismay I drank gallons of the stuff. I can't say I like it because I don't want to smell like sweetened iced tea. Amazing how CB I Hate Perfume can capture these essences.

16th March, 2009.

A somewhat green, very bright tea scent with an overdose of zesty citrus that is remarkably long-lived, though bought at the price of smelling synthetic. Not at all dark or smoky like actual Russian Caravan tea.

5th December, 2008.