Reviews of Lonestar Memories (2006)
by Tauer

Intense smoke and leather. Deep, penetrating, and lasting. Tar mixed with sweet woods, like a woodpile near a campfire.
This is an unusual, intense, and completely manly scent. Wear it to outdoor events in the country, like a bonfire or a hayride, or just for hanging out at the local sports bar with the guys, watching the game.

Perfume memories are short, which is presumably why nobody has commented on the relation of Lonestar Memories to Faberge’s West. West was done up in more ostentatious cowboy-style packaging and bit the dust some years ago, but the accord was similar, especially if you tone down the birch tar. It made a welcome alternative to Brut at the time, both fragrances sharing some points in common in the basenotes. For old timers like me, Lonestar Memories revives the 1970’s alongside the wild west, and being a nostalgic sort of person, I am grateful to Tauer. Especially as my supply of the Faberge product is down to the last few drops.

WOW! This one kinda' jumped up and stabbed me in the neck if you know what I mean... That birchtar note is VERY pungent! However, after an hour or two, I like it better than Cuiron (sampled the two side by side). It's not as versatile, but is a definite head-turner. It dries down to an almost "smoke and birchtar gourmand" (what a strange concept), with hints of leather, and a slight medicinal quality (probably that birchtar again).

This is not for the office, or everyday wear, but is a marvelous distinctive scent that everyone should sample at least once in a lifetime.

First reaction was, Oh my god!! Wanted to grab the fire extuinguisher and put the fire out!! I was shocked and intruiged at the same time.This is one weird scent!! Made me think of Annick Goutals Eau du Fier for a moment .
Do I like it, do I hate it? Wow!. It's leather alright, or is the birchtar? or a combination? wow. Really special. Quickly after the intense (or should I say, scary? ) , it becomes heaven. Oh yes. I love it. That wonderfull mix of the dry leathery notes combined with a very classic base. The rough cowboy changes into a distinguished gentleman. That base of tonka, vetiver and sandalwood. Wonderfull.!!
The mix of dry leather and the woody base linger on the skin for a long time. This perfume is getting adictive , especially with colder, x-mass day coming!

This isn't a leather scent so much as a tar scent, and I love it. The closest thing to it may be Comme des Garcons Synthetic Tar, but Lonestar Memories is stronger and warmer and more rugged. The tar accord appears in L'air du desert marocain too, it seems to be something of Tauer's signature. A truly great and original perfumer.

I'm not a big fan of leather, so Lonestar Memories isn't my cup of tea, but I'm giving this one a big thumbs up. Leather and the smell of the desert, sitting around a smokey sagebrush campfire. Great sillage, great longevity. Andy does great desert fragrances; he's a real poet. Suggested this one to a friend and he loves it, and frankly, I think it smells better on him than on me.

My first review ever. How fitting it should be Lonestar Memories. This is one of my favorite fragrances of all time. It' very masculine, brooding and meditative. It never stops revealing itself, no matter how many times I've worn it.
Like the great America West, it opens my mind and my heart. If I have been wearing a lot of orientals, or spices or complex fragrances, their is nothing like the clear fresh invigorating wind of Lonestar Memories blowing all the cobwebs away. Like sitting out in the desert with a campfire burning and a zillion stars up above. The vast expanse of the West burning it's identity into my conscious awareness. Birchtar and geranium, cedar and sandalwood, sage and jasmine. This is an evocative masterpiece. I will never not have this in my collection.

Top:
Geranium, Carrot seed, clary sage

Middle:
Birchtar, cistus, jasmine, cedarwood

Base:
Myrrh, tonka, vetiver, sandalwood

To me, it smells like an old hut in the middle of nowhere. Allow me to explain: I recently lived in New Zealand, and being the fan of the outdoors that I am, I went on some backpacking trips. Some of the huts here basically avalanche shelters. Some were so big they could almost have been hotels. And some were literally abandoned trappers' huts. In them were rusted old wood stoves, dented up ash buckets, some half burned wood, maybe a few wool blankets, lots of dirt, and the smell of decades of use by weary, dusty travellers. After tramping through mountains, sleet, rain, mud, rivers, grasslands and snow (usually all in the same day), the sight, smell, and feel of those huts caused a combination of emotions that I still can't totally identify. For dinner, we usually made some variation of vegetable soup and baked beans. Soon, that aroma mingled with the background smell of the hut, and THAT is what Lonestar Memories smells like. If our backpacks had been made of leather, it would impossible to tell the two smells apart.

I've always appreciated the added quality of niche scents, but this is the first that has truly shocked me. I didn't know scents were capable of this kind of depth. Andy Tauer puts some real soul and emotion into his creations.

If you like leathery, natural, rustic, and "unplugged" scents, Lonestar is going to absolutely blow you mind. Even if you aren't a fan of richer leathers, you will appreciate the sheer artistry of this one. Incense and leather sound like an overpowering combo, and usually they are, but Lonestar's leather is comforing and old, and the incense is gently smouldering birchtar laying in a bed of myrrh and tonka. The effect is warm and soothing yet assertive and very manly.