“Rain” photo by Gail Gross ©

The drenching rains have arrived early in the Pacific Northwest, a welcome relief after a relatively dry and hot summer. The change of seasons was boldly announced by uncharacteristic mid-September thunderstorms, double rainbows and cool brisk breezes.  Coincidentally (or perhaps serendipitously) on the first day of unsettled weather, Neil Morris Fragrances A Darker Rain arrived on my doorstep, mirroring the electrified atmosphere with scents of stormy seas, saturated earth and grateful thirsty, vegetation.

 Neil Morris courtesy of Neil Morris Fragrances ©

“… I had smelled many “Rain” perfumes but always felt some aspect was missing. They were usually aromatic sketches of light, airy rain storms. I wanted to create something moodier, deeper. A Darker Rain.” – Neil Morris

“Northeaster” by Winslow Homer (public domain)

Inspired by the recollection of a thunderstorm approaching over the ocean near Gloucester, Massachusetts, Neil Morris A Darker Rain opens with an image of lowering clouds, of downpours roiling across choppy seas and cold rain carried by biting winds charged with lightening.

 “Midnight Beach” by Gail Gross ©

In A Darker Rain,  American perfumer Neil Morris uses the sharp edges of lime, geranium and floral ozonic notes, lifted with suggestions of aldehydes, to create an unconventional and foreboding freshness. I detect very little, if any, of the typical watery oceanic references or nods to petrichor that many of us have come to expect from “fresh” or “wet” fragrances.  Instead, Neil Morris A Darker Rain contrasts the initial aerial tension with the earthy, herbal nuances of heather and the depth and darkness of agar to portray a formidable tempest; the barometric pressure plummeting, sea foam flying, horizontal driving rain and menacing clouds, blue-black against the horizon.  Neil Morris Fragrances A Darker Rain recalls blustery winters, safe in my seaside cottage on the cliffs of the central Oregon coast, watching the crashing waves, in awe of the beauty and power of late season Pacific storms.

 Details from an old painting in Gail’s collection.  Artist unknown.  Photo by Gail Gross ©

After several hours the initial wild gusts and pounding waves subside. Neil Morris A Darker Rain retreats into olfactory images of coastal cedars, bent and broken by the wind, of rocky beaches strewn with seaweed and driftwood, bathed in rays of sunlit patchouli, vetiver and oakmoss. Lingering notes of floral ozone, aldehydes and heather remain for twenty-four hours and more, supported by agar and musk, souvenirs of the storm, alive with energy and freshening new life.

Notes: Lime, heather, geranium, salt, floral ozone, agar, oakmoss, vetiver, animalic notes, patchouli and Atlas cedar.

Disclaimer:  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Neil Morris for my treasured bottle of A Darker Rain and to wish him a happy, however belated, birthday.  My opinions are my own.

Gail Gross – Senior Editor

A Darker Rain by Neil Morris Fragrances.  Bottle photo by Gail Gross.

Thanks to the generosity of perfumer Neil Morris we have one 30 ml bottle ($70) of Neil Morris Fragrances A Darker Rain for one registered reader worldwide (be sure to register or your comment will not count). To be eligible, tell us what appeals to you about Gail’s review of A Darker Rain, where you live and if you have a favorite Neil Morris fragrance. Draw closes 9/26/2019

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