BNTBTBB Dirty Review

Dirty is apparently inspired by the phenomenon of an “Italian shower”, otherwise known as using deodorant instead washing. It explains why the fragrance smells so clean. The picture is actually of the matching body spray, but I thought it was too entertaining not to use.

A highly mentholated Mint and Lemon are the top notes. Surprisingly minty-fresh, it’s the Spearmint smell of Wrigley’s chewing gum, except toned down a lot. Also present is the same Oakmoss dustiness as Eau Sauvage.
It warms into an aromatic, light Lavender with herbal notes and the mint still present. It’s not toothpasty, as you would expect from the top, but it’s a fantastic solid Lavender fougere without any aquatic notes. On a card, it is more anisic than it is on skin, and could fool you into thinking it was a replacement for Yohji Homme.
The soft quiet Sandalwood drydown is acres more complex than the synthetics you normally smell in mainstream designer fragrances. It reminds me of warm bark. The problem I have with Dirty is that it doesn’t smell unclean or dirty. I want my fragrances dirty, not the man!

Notes: Spearmint, Tarragon, Sandalwood, Lavender, Neroli, Thyme, Oakmoss

BNTBTBB Dear John Review

Dear John is the first BNTBTBB fragrance I smelled. A friend of mine worked for Lush, and was wearing it on Christmas Eve last year at a get together. I thought it smelled good at the time, and it piqued my interest in the line, but it took me forever to order the sampler set. The problem with ordering that sample set is that I now really love some of their scents.

Dear John opens on Cloves with Limes. And is nothing else at first- then some Coriander appears, and it creates some much needed warmth. Some Coffee comes along, with a hint of Pine. It is green and friendly. Cool to smell, but inviting.
An almost hazelnutty Vetiver note, as well as something I read as Lavender are present for the heart, alongside a potent Anisic note. The Anise is dense and camphoraceous, and nothing like the transparent Anise from Kenzoair. The Lime is incredibly persistent, which is strange because I always expect citrus notes to evaporate rapidly, especially natural versions of them.
Dries to a powdery, but vegetal Cedar, which smells very good. There aren’t many words to describe the Cedar, in fact the only one I can think of is quality.

Notes: Coffee, Lime, Pine, Cedarwood, Coriander, Vetiver, Clove Leaf

BNTBTBB Ladyboy Review

Ladyboy is BNTBTBB’s ‘punk’ fragrance. It is apparently loved by “fiercely good looking” gay guys, as well as straight guys and girls (so everyone but Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgenders?) Words I would use to describe it are ‘flamboyant’ and ‘unconventional’ – especially as this in their Men’s offering.

Ladyboy opens with a brash, radioactive Banana. On a card it smells more like “refreshers” sweets, but on me it reminds me of the flavouring used in antibiotic syrup that I had to take when I was 6. The Banana is stood, rather unashamedly in front of the lush Violet Leaf (very good quality, not frustratingly synthetic) and Chamomile – a combination that smells like Raspberry leaf to me.
The Seaweed in the drydown is almost unrecognisable (I spent an entire weekend sniffing seaweed last week, I know what it smells like) – it isn’t salty or briny, but it does suggest the seaside. It’s strangely powdery, smoky and sweet but somewhat like the breeze. If the Banana wasn’t still so potent, it would probably save the fragrance for me.
My dislike of Banana as a flavouring/smell/taste/texture doesn’t make me dislike Ladyboy. What makes me dislike Ladyboy is that it all smells too strange together. Though the sugariness gives it a similar feel to Black XS, it is very unconventional, but I don’t know if it’s necessarily a good thing.

Notes: Banana, Violet Leaf, Seaweed, Labdanum, Oakmoss, Chamomile

BNTBTBB Breath of God Review

B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful is the sister-brand of Lush, the natural bath bomb/soap/toiletries giant. So far, BNTBTBB’s fragrances haven’t gone into massive distribution, with stores in the UK, Japan and Austria. So if they aren’t available nearby, I apologise for teasing you. Breath of God could well be the brands most famous fragrance after Luca Turin raved about it (5 stars) in an update to Perfumes: The Guide. According to BNTBTBB it is a combination of Exhale and Inhale – 2 of the brands body sprays (which I’ve yet to smell, so can’t verify how similar they smell together).

Neroli, lightly floral and citrus with a big Vetiver note. There are hints of Melon, which detract from the smokiness of the Vetiver, and the soft pepper note makes the woody facet of Vetiver (which can also be nutty, grassy and salty, as well as anything else) stand out. It is earthy, dark and utterly mesmerizing for fans of the Vetiver note. Who knew that watery, sparkly Melon and rooty Vetiver went together so well? The Musk that is used is soft and I don’t find it grates or annoys my nose like many musks present in many designer fragrances do. You can just about smell the Rose in the heart, against the Vetiver (I’d like to mention that at this point, it’s still entirely melon on the card. Try it on the skin) with a dusky, mossy feel. It becomes increasingly smoky, and much less earthy as it dries down. I’m not certain if there is in fact any incense in the fragrance, but the smokiness that Simon Constantine has created definitely suggests it is there. Breath of God is an utterly fantastic Vetiver fragrance.

Notes: Cedarwood, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Vetiver, Lemon, Grapefruit, Neroli, Black Pepper, Sandalwood, Cade.