Slumberhouse's Zahd. Or: what you don't want people around you to smell like.

The photo above may be misleading, but this post is not about dessert. If it was about dessert I would have much nicer things to say than what is about to follow. Because I love dessert. I especially love chocolate. I also love all kinds of berries. Yum. But as any sensible person probably knows, eating way too much of it can make you feel pretty damn miserable. Therefore my discovery from last weekend shouldn't actually surprise me all that much: desserts should not be worn as perfume. Because, do you really want someone close to you to smell of cranberries and cherries and chocolate all day? 

Slumberhouse is a small niche perfume house with an awesome website and some very interesting fragrances on sale (and also not on sale -- because limited/exclusive/indiehypedandsoldout/etc.). I enjoy Vikt, Sova and Jeke and consider those three of the most unique, fun and intriguing fragrances my man wears. I was therefore excited when he received a sample of Zahd, the latest Slumberhouse scent, which is already sold out everywhere. But my excitement didn't last long, and could probably have been prevented entirely by a prior check of what notes are in it: Cranberry, Champaca flower, Benzoin, Plum, Pink lotus, Fir, Cocoa, Tolu, Gromwell, Wine ether, Mysore sandalwood, Cherry, Incense, Oak. Gross? You bet. If the woody, floral, Benzoin stuff was a little more prominent, maybe this wouldn't be all that disgusting. But the cranberries, the cherry and the cocoa are so overpowering, I couldn't help but be reminded of those horrible Punica drinks that are popular in Germany, and cherry wine, and cheap cranberry chocolate bars. As the perfume develops, the incense becomes a little more noticeable. But instead of evening out some of the fragrance's unpleasant sweetness, it just makes it smell like a chocolate bar that was lying around in an esoteric shop for a little too long. 

As much as I generally respect passionate independent artists who create daring, different products that will not appeal to everyone but thrill an enthusiastic small cult following, I have little admiration for this particular fragrance. It is not for me. And hopefully people around me share my sentiments about this. Smelling this on my man all morning and evening was somewhat traumatic. So it is comforting to know that it is not widely available and I probably do not have to worry about anyone else around me giving this a try. I advise you not to do it.