Firefly by Demeter Fragrance Library, 2003

A very static fragrance, Firefly smells like freshly-cut grass and insect guts. Or is that insect repellent? One of the two, to me. Wet, cool, and freshly ozonic. Firefly doesn't really remind me of fireflies or the catching of them, though it definitely brings me somewhere outdoors, sometime nighttime. I'm not really a fan of this, though. While the way it smells is almost repellent to me (mainly the part reminiscent of dead bugs), I can't say I dislike it. I probably would if it were more powerful, but it wears very close and disappears very quickly, so it's really unnoticeable unless your nose is right up to the skin. When you smell it from so close, Firefly seems strangely powerful. It seems odd it would have such poor sillage. And about the lasting power: Firefly, much like its namesake, doesn't last long. I'd estimate it hangs around for an hour or two before disappearing. But it is inexpensive, so I'd recommend anyone who's interested in the idea to try it.

For me, this scent has a very specific referent: those segmented, plastic trays of flowers that nurseries sell in the spring. Subtle floral notes compete with the loamy scent of wet, pillow-soft, mica-flecked soil, and I swear that I detect a note of chemical fertilizer, like TruGreen, whispering beneath. Powerfully evocative of suburban childhoods (and quite possibly other kinds of childhoods as well!).

A gentle breeze in the fresh night air, sweet green grass, moist earth, aaahhh one of the best smelling memories I have!

This one has immediately become my favorite Demeter. It recalls such vivid memories of my being three or four years old and, with my little buddies, getting bored with the baseball game at the village park and, still under the watchful eyes of our mothers, running off to catch fireflies, which we werent very good at. By the time we were adept enough to effectively catch fireflies, we were more interested in the game sort of prepared us for some of the ironies of life. This scent is the humid summer night in the village park the clean, grass scented air, the moist earth, the water-heavy air. I even get a picture of what the skies looked like in those days the billions of multicolored stars; the discernable even to a four year old Milky Way; and on those extra special times, the Northern Lights. Within five days of sampling Firefly, I had my own bottle, and I love it. Like most Demeters, it doesnt last long on the skin, but it does last longer when sprayed on clothing. I think it is more a masculine scent than a feminine one, but I remember there were always a couple girls or three joining in the firefly chase back then so girls are allowed.

This one is supposed to have the feel of a summer night, and it has a nice blend of grass, earth and dust mixed in to make a very unique and accurate scent. It probably won't smell exactly as evenings as you remember them as everyplace smells different but it is still a very pleasant and memorable scent. My only problem with it is the fact that while Demeters aren't known for their lasting power, most usually linger a bit even if faintly. This one after spritzing is gone pretty quickly. If you are looking for something slightly similar but with better staying power check into Thunderstorm.

Other than being a smidge sweeter than reality, this is a spot-on experience: I'm lying on a freshly mown lawn which was populated by dandelions until the mowing that day. My face is right on the ground as I would have done in childhood (and might even be found doing today, multiple decades later). There is the smell of the soil and I'm looking right into a Lilliputan panorama of dewy green blades over a thatch-carpet world. A fragrance to wear? Not for me. But I love to revisit my sample vial for that "how'd they do that?" experience.

This is supposed to smell like chilly night air, and yes, it has a very cool and fresh vibe like that. It also has a quite sharp and bitter wood or herb note that reminds me of vetiver. It's quite a lot like "hurricane" or "thunderstorm" scents.