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Anyone familiar with the wild-harvested Backpackers Colognes from Juniper Ridge?

post #1 of 33
11/29/12 at 2:25pm
Thread Starter 
Yesterday I came across one of the three Backpackers Colognes from Juniper Ridge (I believe it was the Siskiyou scent).

It was a great fragrance and I was amazed that it was not only natural but the folks at Juniper Ridge actually go to mountain and desert areas in the West, harvest wild plants, and distill their own fragrance materials. The results are breathtaking. I was wondering if anyone here might be familiar with their other scents in the Backpapcker series. Also, is there anything else out there like this stuff? Are there other fragrance lines harvesting and distilling their own small batch stuff?

Some more background, in an interview, Hal Newbegin, the line's founder said, "Theres so much gross, smelly stuff out there in the fancy organic lifestyle storesall those soaps and candles that supposedly smell like cedar or pine, but absolutely dont. I wanted to make things that were true to the plants and the places that they come from: real fragrance, a solid perfume that is a snapshot of a mountain meadow in the height of Cascade wildflower summer, a soap that smells just like a late season hike in the Northern Sierra, warm and bright fall sun with the smell of winter just around the corner.
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post #2 of 33
1/6/13 at 8:20am
Wanted to bump this to get more attention. There was talk about Juniper Ridge from another source and I took a chance. I was not let down. If you are an outdoors type at all this is for you. I doubt any of their scents disappoint, I've heard great reports of all 3 available right now. I personally bought Wild Plum Campground and it smells wonderfully natural and authentic. I've also heard praise from just about all of their products, If you're into tea I can recommend that too.

Needless to say I'm going to make a follow up order for another backpackers cologne, a room spray, and probably some of their soap. In an industry full of made up background stories and false marketing, I feel like some spotlight should be shed on some of the truly different and authentic operations out there.

Anyone who thinks this sounds interested, consider taking a chance here. You won't get a masterfully blended set of notes, but you will get a wonderfully realistic rendition of the outdoors.

Bonus: they have pictures on their website of the harvest and process of their products.
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post #3 of 33
1/6/13 at 9:02am
This is awesome!!! I wish they had a list of the notes or at least the plants used. (I have sensitivities to Lavender, especially, and since it's a favorite of the "nature fans" well I'd hate to spend $85 on a bottle of something and have it give me a splitting headache because there's too much lavender!)
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post #4 of 33
1/7/13 at 5:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaelee View Post

This is awesome!!! I wish they had a list of the notes or at least the plants used. (I have sensitivities to Lavender, especially, and since it's a favorite of the "nature fans" well I'd hate to spend $85 on a bottle of something and have it give me a splitting headache because there's too much lavender!)

Don't quote me on this, but I believe they only use harvests from the tree to create their scents since they are not trained perfumers. I think the idea is to let the natural beauty of the tree to do the wow-ing for them.
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post #5 of 33
1/7/13 at 6:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaelee View Post

...I wish they had a list of the notes or at least the plants used. (I have sensitivities to Lavender, especially, and since it's a favorite of the "nature fans" well I'd hate to spend $85 on a bottle of something and have it give me a splitting headache because there's too much lavender!)

They have a "Contact us" page-- I would think they could tell you which products, if any, contain lavender:
http://juniperridge.com/pages/contact-us
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post #6 of 33
1/7/13 at 10:04am
Thanks!!!! When I feel like dropping $85 on a blind buy I'll check 'em out
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post #7 of 33
1/7/13 at 12:42pm
You never know, they may have samples to offer.
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post #8 of 33
1/10/13 at 7:41am
Any idea as to the concentration (edc, edt, edp, etc.)?
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post #9 of 33
1/28/13 at 5:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by starshipvelcro View Post

Wanted to bump this to get more attention. There was talk about Juniper Ridge from another source and I took a chance. I was not let down. If you are an outdoors type at all this is for you. I doubt any of their scents disappoint, I've heard great reports of all 3 available right now. I personally bought Wild Plum Campground and it smells wonderfully natural and authentic. I've also heard praise from just about all of their products, If you're into tea I can recommend that too.

Needless to say I'm going to make a follow up order for another backpackers cologne, a room spray, and probably some of their soap. In an industry full of made up background stories and false marketing, I feel like some spotlight should be shed on some of the truly different and authentic operations out there.

Anyone who thinks this sounds interested, consider taking a chance here. You won't get a masterfully blended set of notes, but you will get a wonderfully realistic rendition of the outdoors.

Bonus: they have pictures on their website of the harvest and process of their products.

I'm bumping this again in the hopes that Starshipvelcro will reply. Can you (or anybody that has tried their stuff) comment on longevity?

Also, if possible please give a brief review of Wild Plum Campground (notes detected, etc). I am interested in learning more about this one.
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post #10 of 33
3/18/13 at 11:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chili_willi View Post

Any idea as to the concentration (edc, edt, edp, etc.)?

These are called 'colognes' but this is, I think, in the colloquial US sense only: I got very good longevity from the Siskiyou one: 10 hours before I showered it off. I put a review on the thread in the Fragrance Industry forum.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaelee View Post

This is awesome!!! I wish they had a list of the notes or at least the plants used. (I have sensitivities to Lavender, especially, and since it's a favorite of the "nature fans" well I'd hate to spend $85 on a bottle of something and have it give me a splitting headache because there's too much lavender!)

There is no lavender in the Siskiyou cologne. I haven't tried the others (yet).
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post #11 of 33
3/18/13 at 10:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marais View Post

These are called 'colognes' but this is, I think, in the colloquial US sense only: I got very good longevity from the Siskiyou one: 10 hours before I showered it off. I put a review on the thread in the Fragrance Industry forum.



There is no lavender in the Siskiyou cologne. I haven't tried the others (yet).

Thanks Marais. I corresponded with someone at Juniper Ridge a while back and even though she said they don't do samples, she had a couple from a show that she sent to me. Siskiyou and Caruther's Canyon. I really liked Siskiyou but haven't given it a full wearing. I hope you're right about the longevity. Caruther's Canyon however, has the worst longevity I have ever experienced at less than 30 minutes.
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post #12 of 33
4/20/13 at 10:42am
Got my three samples from Surrender to Chance. First sniff —very raw! I'm wearing Siskiyou, as it appealed to me most. It's like taking one of these:

http://jacusers.johnabbott.qc.ca/~bi...os/juniper.JPG

and crushing it between your fingers. It has a bit of balsamic sap and lots of fresh, lemony green.

Edit: I posted a picture of a juniper (or what's called cedar in the Northeast USA), because that's the tree I was imagining. It turns out that Siskiyou is also a cedar (true?, who knows) that grows in the Northwest. It has the same kind of leaves. The Juniper Ridge site says it smells gingery, and that might be what I'm reading as "lemony." It's definitely brisk, and it still smells a little bit after a 5 hours.
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post #13 of 33
4/21/13 at 2:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by onaluna View Post

Got my three samples from Surrender to Chance. First sniff very raw! I'm wearing Siskiyou, as it appealed to me most. It's like taking one of these:

http://jacusers.johnabbott.qc.ca/~bi...os/juniper.JPG

and crushing it between your fingers. It has a bit of balsamic sap and lots of fresh, lemony green.

Edit: I posted a picture of a juniper (or what's called cedar in the Northeast USA), because that's the tree I was imagining. It turns out that Siskiyou is also a cedar (true?, who knows) that grows in the Northwest. It has the same kind of leaves. The Juniper Ridge site says it smells gingery, and that might be what I'm reading as "lemony." It's definitely brisk, and it still smells a little bit after a 5 hours.

Yeah it's about as literal a conifer scent as you can get. I read somewhere that Lawson's Cypress (as pictured?) is the same as 'Siskiyou Cedar'. I don't really get the 'ginger' note either...there's a certain pungency but I wouldn't say it is gingery.

Incidentally I get all-day longevity from Siskiyou cedar but I tend to apply more than most.

Do let us know your thoughts on the rest of the range!
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post #14 of 33
4/22/13 at 1:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marais View Post

Yeah it's about as literal a conifer scent as you can get. I read somewhere that Lawson's Cypress (as pictured?) is the same as 'Siskiyou Cedar'. I don't really get the 'ginger' note either...there's a certain pungency but I wouldn't say it is gingery.

Incidentally I get all-day longevity from Siskiyou cedar but I tend to apply more than most.

Do let us know your thoughts on the rest of the range!

Color me confused about the conifers -- juniper, cypress, cedar. Still learning ... I wore Siskiyou again yesterday, and it's a treat!

Today, it's Caruther's Canyon, and man does this have a bite! This is hard to describe. It smells wild, peppery and acidic at first. Then it "mellows" to something like a young pine cone with a pinch of dried sage. I'm enchanted! And I keep expecting to see sappy patches on my skin with hiking dirt sticking to them.
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post #15 of 33
4/22/13 at 4:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by onaluna View Post

Color me confused about the conifers -- juniper, cypress, cedar. Still learning ... I wore Siskiyou again yesterday, and it's a treat!

Today, it's Caruther's Canyon, and man does this have a bite! This is hard to describe. It smells wild, peppery and acidic at first. Then it "mellows" to something like a young pine cone with a pinch of dried sage. I'm enchanted! And I keep expecting to see sappy patches on my skin with hiking dirt sticking to them.

Siskiyou smells like my Leylandii cypress hedge. Those are derived from West coast USA native trees I believe. Caruther's sounds 'challenging'. I love your description!
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post #16 of 33
4/22/13 at 11:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marais View Post

Siskiyou smells like my Leylandii cypress hedge. Those are derived from West coast USA native trees I believe. Caruther's sounds 'challenging'. I love your description!

Well, I have to trust Chance the Gardener's word on botanical matters. ;-)

Caruthers began to smooth out a little more a couple of hours in (well, it became an adolescent pinecone ), and then it disappeared. Most natural perfumes are volatile on my skin, so that's not a surprise.

I'm really getting the company's mission with these scents -- the reverence for the material's natural source.
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post #17 of 33
4/22/13 at 11:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by onaluna View Post

Well, I have to trust Chance the Gardener's word on botanical matters. ;-)

Caruthers began to smooth out a little more a couple of hours in (well, it became an adolescent pinecone ), and then it disappeared. Most natural perfumes are volatile on my skin, so that's not a surprise.

I'm really getting the company's mission with these scents -- the reverence for the material's natural source.

I really must order the sample pack at some stage from Surrender to Chance but I'm wary of the Post Office destroying them. Oh well, it's not like I haven't enough to be getting on with (what with all the growth in the spring)
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post #18 of 33
4/22/13 at 12:14pm
Have you had this experience with Surrender to Chance before? They put the vials in foam envelopes, then place it in a little cardboard ring box (with batting), so it's pretty secure. Or you could plead a special case for extra packaging, maybe?

Off topic, I begged for a set of samples of Union perfume from Henri Bendel in NYC , and they've kindly agreed to send me some — very cool company. I can't wait to smell Roses and Gunpowder and Celtic Fire.

http://www.katiepuckriksmells.com/20...ragrances.html
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post #19 of 33
4/23/13 at 12:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by onaluna View Post

Have you had this experience with Surrender to Chance before? They put the vials in foam envelopes, then place it in a little cardboard ring box (with batting), so it's pretty secure. Or you could plead a special case for extra packaging, maybe?

Off topic, I begged for a set of samples of Union perfume from Henri Bendel in NYC , and they've kindly agreed to send me some very cool company. I can't wait to smell Roses and Gunpowder and Celtic Fire.

http://www.katiepuckriksmells.com/20...ragrances.html

Yes I have no grumbles with STC, I've ordered before several times. But recently the UK (and international) post regulations have changed (related to terrorism risks I think) and the Royal Mail are interecepting and destroying frags sent from abroad. Whether this affects samples I do not know but, along with STC's rise in international shipping costs it's a bit off-putting. Some companies have just stopped shipping abroad altogether. For example Sonoma Scent Studios (except via a convoluted and pricey route involving a freight-forwarding service) and I note that their website states 'for decants and samples, Surrender to Chance does some international shipping. Each retailer considers the rules and the risks and then decides how to handle international shipping; some are willing to take more risk than others and that is why you see varying policies.' As I see it the main risk is on the purchaser - not getting the goods!

Re: Union fragrances; I have tried Celtic Fire - as Katie Puckrick says it's very smoky. I don't know if you have tried 'Cumming' by Alan Cumming but it reminds me of that. Like burning peat. The 'marmite' note is interesting but a wee bit too strong IMO.
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post #20 of 33
4/23/13 at 3:34am
I'll check out 2nd Cumming when I finally visit CB's shop in NYC.

Sympathies regarding the mail situation. Do they mess with random private parcels as well?
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post #21 of 33
4/23/13 at 6:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by onaluna View Post

Do they mess with random private parcels as well?

Yes, it's a bit of a lottery whether yours gets caught or not. Happily I've got boxes of stuff to revisit anyway.
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post #22 of 33
4/23/13 at 5:29pm
Can anyone point me in the direction of some material that explains the process of creating fragrances from stuff one finds in the woods?
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post #23 of 33
4/24/13 at 9:05pm
Thanks to onaluna for alerting me to this thread! I like the Juniper Ridge soaps, teas and incense. There is a shop which carries those... I'm gonna bug them to carry the cologne.
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post #24 of 33
4/29/13 at 2:47pm
I got a sample of Siskiyou for my husband to try; it arrived today.

He hasn't tried it on his own skin yet, but I dabbed a bit on my arm and layered it with with a dab of his Orange Sanguine- a very nice combination-- he likes it too.
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post #25 of 33
4/29/13 at 6:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 30 Roses View Post

I got a sample of Siskiyou for my husband to try; it arrived today.

He hasn't tried it on his own skin yet, but I dabbed a bit on my arm and layered it with with a dab of his Orange Sanguine- a very nice combination-- he likes it too.

That sounds yummy!
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post #26 of 33
4/29/13 at 8:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by beleriand View Post

Can anyone point me in the direction of some material that explains the process of creating fragrances from stuff one finds in the woods?

Perhaps you should ask this question in the following forum: http://www.basenotes.net/forums/15-Fragrance-DIY where you might get more direct answers and better informed answers to your question.
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post #27 of 33
5/1/13 at 8:23pm
I know this is off topic, but I got my Union samples from Henri Bendel. Holy Thistle is very green —like fresh, forest greenery, and it definitely has a touch of pine. I love it.

Celtic Fire might be the best rendition of a campfire scent I've tried. It didn't impress me until I put it on my skin. I don't pick up anything too yeasty, but it's wearing close to my skin, and there's a salty touch to it. There's nothing too acrid about it, which is nice.

Gothic Bluebell started out to be a great floral, but it dries down to something like a headshop "Egyptian musk" type roll on, or maybe a vanillic headshop "amber paste."

Gunpowder Rose is a generous blend of roses, from the aldehydic, powdery, delicate kind, to the more voluptuous, smooth-edged (red?) roses. It has a touch of dill pickle (lovage?), and a persistent sulfurous smell in the heart notes. It smells like violet and sulfur in the middle stage, then it quiets down to a faint firecracker scent. Not in love with the sulfur. If it went straight from rose to firecracker, it would be weird, but better.
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post #28 of 33
5/1/13 at 9:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by onaluna View Post

It has a touch of dill pickle (lovage?), and a persistent sulfurous smell in the heart notes. It smells like violet and sulfur in the middle stage, then it quiets down to a faint firecracker scent. Not in love with the sulfur. If it went straight from rose to firecracker, it would be weird, but better.

Easily the most unique review of notes I have ever read...lol. I'll admit that if it did indeed go from "rose to firecracker" I would be seeking a sniff.
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post #29 of 33
5/2/13 at 4:42am
I liked Holy Thistle but felt it a bit on the - dare I say - feminine side.

The best of the 3 Union scents I tried was Quince, Mint and Moss. It reminded me of Terre d'Hermes in fact, but with quince (known mainly to me from quince jam) in lieu of orange.
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post #30 of 33
5/2/13 at 7:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marais View Post

I liked Holy Thistle but felt it a bit on the - dare I say - feminine side.

The best of the 3 Union scents I tried was Quince, Mint and Moss. It reminded me of Terre d'Hermes in fact, but with quince (known mainly to me from quince jam) in lieu of orange.

That's next —haha. I read Holy Thistle as unisex, but the dry down is a bit sweeter than that fresh green beginning.

These creations are fascinating. I wish Gothic Bluebell had worked out, as it has real bluebell and hyacinth oils. I wonder if they did an enfleurage to extract those florals, as it's customary to recreate those notes using other raw materials.

Well, just t stay true to the topic, I'll have to try my Juniper Ridge Plum Campground today!
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post #31 of 33
5/3/13 at 3:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by onaluna View Post


Well, just t stay true to the topic, I'll have to try my Juniper Ridge Plum Campground today!

Looking forward to your thoughts on that one
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post #32 of 33
5/3/13 at 9:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marais View Post

Looking forward to your thoughts on that one

This is so pungent and tart at the outset, that it had as much appeal as biting into a lemon. WHAM! Then it very quickly settled. It doesn't project much, but when I sniff my arm, I seem to be surrounded by GIANT boughs of greenery. There's still the rawness and tartness of young evergreen twigs. This has more in common with ginger (the raw stuff, anyway) than the Siskiyou. These trees are dropping a LOT of sticky sap all over the forest floor! It feels very Northeastern US to me, though it's apparently from the North Yuba River in California. I looked on their site, and it seems like they are out of stock for the liquid of this, but they do have the solid.

They do, however have Winter Redwood. I'd love to try that one.

In all, Siskiyou is my favorite, with Caruthers Canyon closely following. Wild Plum Campground has a bit too much pepper and acid (like cider vinegar, as opposed to balsamic vinegar) for my tastes.
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post #33 of 33
5/4/13 at 6:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by onaluna View Post

This is so pungent and tart at the outset, that it had as much appeal as biting into a lemon. WHAM! Then it very quickly settled. It doesn't project much, but when I sniff my arm, I seem to be surrounded by GIANT boughs of greenery. There's still the rawness and tartness of young evergreen twigs. This has more in common with ginger (the raw stuff, anyway) than the Siskiyou. These trees are dropping a LOT of sticky sap all over the forest floor! It feels very Northeastern US to me, though it's apparently from the North Yuba River in California. I looked on their site, and it seems like they are out of stock for the liquid of this, but they do have the solid.

They do, however have Winter Redwood. I'd love to try that one.

In all, Siskiyou is my favorite, with Caruthers Canyon closely following. Wild Plum Campground has a bit too much pepper and acid (like cider vinegar, as opposed to balsamic vinegar) for my tastes.

Thanks so much for posting about these, there's hardly any reviews of them anywhere. Incidentally there is a thread on the Male Fragrance board on this line now, but very few have contributed anything of substance.

I agree that Winter Redwood sounds good. I'll probably 'surrender to chance' at some point and order some samples of the others.
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Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Just Starting Out › Anyone familiar with the wild-harvested Backpackers Colognes from Juniper Ridge?