Photo of Zoologist Chipmunk by Olya Bar
A scent trail of a nocturnal animal is wafting in the air. A whiff of warm fur, animalic and slightly sweet, takes us down the rabbit hole of the enchanted forest and everything we smell as we descend into the universe of cute creatures that have quite the stories to tell. How do you picture a Chipmunk would smell like in the magical story told by Victor Wong, the man behind the genius idea of scent portraits for various characters of the animal kingdom, is here yet again with one intriguing work of olfactory art.
A peculiar composition starts with a strange whiff of damp earth, spicy and aromatic. It smells of leaves, trees, and everything we inhale in the late autumn months when the animal world is hard at work collecting the last harvests, prepping for the long winter ahead. I say primarily peculiar because I find it quite fascinating how usually juicy quince combined with cardamom, nutmeg, and pink pepper can smell earthy and quite dark as it does in Zoologist Chipmunk. Perhaps the base and the heart of the fragrance shines through in the first few minutes, slowly giving way to the brightness of the mandarin and quince only
Photo of a forest in the fall via Unsplash
The journey into the magical forest continues as if the little creatures invite you up into the branches, offering a dazzling vantage point from which to enjoy the rich golden and russet hues of the changing seasons. You feel like you are in a parallel universe filled with tiny little animal personas, each with their character, attitude, and scent trail.
Chipmunks scurry among the detritus in their quest to collect the plumpest acorns, leaving you to your senses to enjoy the aroma of it all around you. They eagerly gather what they can and, cheeks bulging with nuts, scamper home to line their snug burrows before falling leaves give way to biting snow. The heart opens up all the milky nuttiness of the fragrance, warm and comforting. It cozies up to you like a soft touch of fur on your skin, as if a tiny little chipmunk brushed against you while running past you with its mouth full of hazelnuts.
oak acorn via unsplash
The dry down feels like the golden sunset slowly caressing the forest, like a lullaby to all the beautiful creatures that call it home. The harvest has been gathered, and the day is over. It’s time to rest inside the oldest oak tree in the forest, where hundreds of passages lead to tiny little homes. The smell of warm benzoin and dry vetiver lining the walls creates a sense of comfort and raw nature. A touch of animalic notes and sweet resin of guaiac wood completes the picture. Bravo, Mr. Wong, Brava Ms. Pia Long! Zoologist Chipmunk is yet another Zoologist perfume portrait, painted with precision and vivid imagination. It was quite a journey. It’s time to end the story. I feel myself drifting to the land of dreams, or was I dreaming this whole time?
The perfume was kindly gifted to me, but my opinions are always my own.
Notes: Quince, Pink Pepper, Red Mandarin, Cardamom, Nutmeg; Chamomile, Hazelnut, Fir Balsam Absolute, Oak Absolute, Earthy Notes; Cedarwood, Amyris, Patchouli, Vetiver, Benzoin Resin, Opoponax, Guaiacwood, Animal Notes* (Synthetic Notes. Zoologist Chipmunk does not use animal products.)
–Olya Bar, Senior Contributor
Zoologist Chipmunk by Olya Bar
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