Norne by Slumberhouse, 2012

I give Norne a thumbs up for its originality, quality, and longevity. Norne isn't my cup of tea and I expected as much because I am not a fan of forest/mossy scents. However I can certainly appreciate a well crafted frag. Others have described this very well; coniferous, resinous pine, forest floor, moss, and mustiness. It conjures up the smell of an old wooden cottage with all the windows open in Muskoka, Ontario (cottage country). This scent smells like some sort of idealized lumberjack woodsman. A large burly man with facial hair wearing a flannel shirt and worn Wrangler jeans whose just returned from a trek into a pine forest to collect firewood. Oddly enough, the first time I wore this I was catching faint whiffs of herbaceous, recently harvested ganja at points throughout my day. I chalked it up to a customer/customers passing through the retail environment where I work, but then I read others reviews who commented on the headshop-ish vibe they were getting from Norne. Don't be fooled; Norne does not smell like pot, but rather there are some odd herbacious, patchouli based accords in there that could give one pause for a moment - cheeky if you ask me.

I worried about the incense note before receiving the sample if Norne, but I was hoping that the incense would be hidden behind forest wood and pine needle notes. I hoped for what other reviewers said: that it smells like walking in the forest, surrounded by conifers, fern and moss. To my horror, the incense was front and center. I could detect no pine, no cedar, and no moss because the incense was covering everything. This is not a forest, it's a forest after a forest fire. You'll be walking surrounded by burnt trees and smoke.

Startling! Captivating! Upon first inhalation, I laughed, it completely caught me off guard, even though I'd read a lot of reviews in anticipation, I was still somehow totally unprepared! And the liquid itself is surprisingly thick, it adheres to the skin, it's actually green on contact! I cannot wait to own a full bottle of this, because even the bottle itself is unique and stunning, but for the time being--fortunately and unfortunately--I have about 60 samples to work through before I have any space! The fragrance itself is sort of ineffable, the obvious ingredients are pine and fir and fern and balsam and moss, but there's just so much of an identity and a presence than mere resin & incense, it's somehow nostalgic & futuristic, provocative & soothing, utterly unique. This juice is everything I've been looking for and more -- I can't wait to call it my very own.

I really want to like this, in fact I do. I just wish it was more complex. , I wish I could detect more incense, smoke, and dirt. The pine notes both resin and oil, are natural smelling. Slumberhouse should be applauded for using only the best ingredients, just looking at the dark green/black juice in the bottle attests to that. I own bottles of essential oil of pine, and oil of balsam. They smell exactly like this. If it wasn't so expensive I would buy some to layer with an Indian Midi Attar to give a dirt note. Just too linear pine for me.

this stuff is colossal! a deep woods, smoky resin nectar that oozes forest mystery & comfort. while i really adore filles en aiguilles, and was led to think they were similar, they are quite different in concept & execution. the lutens is based around frankincense, spicy fruits & bright pine. this stuff is dark from every angle. honestly: an unqualified masterpiece of perfumery. josh lobb knows what he's doing. check out sova!

Norne is a rich pine resin scent. It made me smell like an evergreen tree; an interesting idea, but not my style.

It took me a while to fully accept Norne as a wearable fragrance. Actually I'm still not even certain I have accepted it as such. But it took no time at all to be captivated by it as something you find yourself wanting to put under your nose over and over again. Dark. Rich. Sweet. Piney. Resinous. Tarry. Smoky. Green. When I first smelled it I actually laughed out loud. It seemed almost a parady of a forest scent. Almost too contrived. Too perfect. I end up smelling like this when I start up log fires in the winter months. That's probably where my skepticism starts. Norne can seem more like an incidental scent than a composed body fragrance. An "atmospheric" some might call it. But is it a problem only of definition or is Norne's dimensionality in question? Some may have issues with it's longevity. To me the fact that it stays in character and proportion as it ebbs away speaks in it's favor. It seems very natural. I don't even mind that it stains. It wouldn't be right if it didn't. If you like this one try Profumum Arso.

A dark green, musty, mossy coniferous scent, reminiscent of the scent of decomposing pine needles on a forest floor. Dense, dank, airless, bitter, almost oppressive; more Mirkwood than Greenwood. There is no light here; one can picture giant spiders lurking in the shadows. The juice itself leaves an almost black residue on skin and fabric, which is a step too far down the rough-and-ready artisanal-compromise track for me. I much prefer Serge Luten's take on pine, Fille en Aguilles; he allows some sunlight into his forest and there are no hidden nasties. That said, it is a striking scent and I can see why it appeals to a certain sector. Excellent longevity from just a few stains.

Sorry for staining Norne's clean shirt, but I have mixed feelings about the perfume: On my skin it smells perfect, but on fabric it develops a slightly unpleasant medicinal note and after a day or so it leaves a strange and even more unpleasant potpourri-like smell on it. I have to avoid that it comes in contact with my clothes. Okay, that's not a big problem, but unfortunately Norne has weak longetivity being on my skin alone.

It is a wintery cold and dark night, it is snowing outside. The fireplace barely can contain its blazing fire and some of the smoke from the fir and cedar logs escapes away and fills the room. The only light in the room is from the fire. Me and my wife sitting in the rug in front of the fire while drinking some eggnog and nibbling on pepparkakor cookies. That is what this perfume is all about, strong coniferous/inciense/spices accord that is out of this world. It could become a signature scent if not for the fact that lacks versatility. You can not take to the office, or to a romantic dinner, or anywhere at all, but it is precious nevertheless. The darkest perfume I've seen in a while, very romantic and soothing at the same time. It makes me relax and slow down. This is not just a perfume, this is a way of life. Big thumbs up