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TinaG
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Hi APJ,
Any new Comme des Garcons fragrance is bound to cause a stir in the fragrance community, and Concrete is no exception. I was intrigued, as I enjoy industrial notes in fragrances and was excited to see what this may entail. Then I started hearing rumours that the fragrance was actually a sweet woody floral. Huh? How does that work? After reading some of the press releases, it is exactly how it was supposed to be.
Candy Perfume Boy gives these featured accords:
Sandalwood, Rose Oxide & CDG Spice Signature
So, my preconceived ideas were quickly demolished when I sprayed Concrete on skin. First impressions were of a sweetness, a pink floral with green undertones. There’s a pepperiness to the sillage and I realise the green note is cardamom, one of my favourite aromatic spices. The pink floral has an initial wateriness to it and it reminds me of cactus flower. There is a distinct CdG signature hovering in the background of a quirky synthetic, which my mind associated with a pink dishwashing liquid. After about 10 minutes I get a plastic rose note, and pink lolly musk.
As an aside – you know you are Australian when you can easily differentiate between variations of pink musk. It is a common ingredient in many sweets – musk sticks, musk lifesavers, and Fruit Tingles which have slightly different citrus flavours and the prized “multi-coloured” tingle. So when I’m talking in this case about pink lolly musk, I’m referring to musk sticks. I’m sure these are available in other countries but they don’t seem to be globally ubiquitous.
PDI
The fragrance settles and loses the cardamom, to feature plastic rose and the musk. Then I lose the plastic over 2 hours for a residual musk-rose which stays for the remainder of the dry down. There is supposed to be sandalwood in here but I can’t find it, and I thought that the sillage was quite low until I met up with a friend for coffee. She immediately identified that I was wearing a CdG, and she could smell the sandalwood. I think that I just don’t have enough experience with sandalwood notes when they have been disintegrated from each other, whereas my friend has much more perfume-creating experience than I, and clicked on to the smell immediately.
The main selling point of this fragrance is the aesthetics of the packaging – the funky bottle made out of concrete is a winner, and the familiar shape will slot neatly into any CdG collection. I’d recommend leaving expectations behind when testing the fragrance – as, really, you should with any CdG. I’d also be curious when this becomes more widely available to see what people think of the paired-back sandalwood note. Currently (August) Concrete is available at Selfridges in London, and Dover Street Market in New York City and London, but I understand it will be distributed more broadly during September 2017.
PDI
Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Persolaise
Do you have a favourite CdG scent?
Till next time,
Tina G
Australian Perfume Junkies 
I’m such a sucker Tina,
This bottle sings to me loudly. Why is it so many of the best bottles hold only mildly interesting stuff?
Portia xx
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Because they wouldn’t get it off the shelves otherwise. I know a few people who want this just for the bottle. But then again I purchased the melted lightglobe bottle of CdG, however that fragrance is fantastic.
xxxxxxxxxx Tina G
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Hey Tina,
Ah, it would have been so great if it really did smell like concrete. Doesn’t sound like it has any strong mineral facet at all. I had no idea about musk flavouring in sweets! Portia is dead right about the best bottles usually containing scents that don’t live up to them.
I loved Kyoto by CdG but Passage d’Enfer surpassed it for me.
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Hi Tara,
Musk in lollies is so much of a thing that I was shocked when I learnt that it isn’t everywhere! But then again we don’t have wintergreen or cinnamon in sweets/chewing gum the same way that the States has, nor some other local flavours in Europe, ect.
I was soooo hoping for a Concrete smell, I love walking past building construction for that damp concrete, cold air, rust and welding smell. I’m sure it’s toxic, haha!
xx Tina G
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I got to taste the musk lifesavers one time… didn’t care for that flavour at all, so I don’t hold out much hope for this one. But will sample it anyway when I get a chance. I love Artek Standard, Monocle Hinoki and Black best from CdG.
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Hey Tara C, yes do sample if you get a chance. It does have a distinctive CdG quality which may appeal.
Nice CdG choices – I’ve never tried Monocle range, I must remedy that. One of my faves is Precision and Grace from the Beautiful Minds series. Hoping there is a third in that sometime.
Tina G xx
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This sounds like another disappointment, despite the fabulous bottle. My favourite CdGs are the incense collection and Wonderwood, which is a timber yard to my nose.
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Hi Mary, yes the incense collection is a winner! So fab. Another fave of mine is Tea from the green series – crazy scent. I’m a fan. Oh, I’ve not tried Wonderwood – our local Mecca may have it, I’ll hunt it down. Thanks!
Tina G xx
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Hey ho, Tina! I bought a small decant of Concrete from someone recently and I was surprised at what I smelled. I got no sandalwood either, but struck me as a light purple flower scent. I found it quite pretty, for a CdG. I think if there was no expectation of concrete by association with the name and bottle material, the scent would be judged a little differently.. perhaps.
As for favourites, CdG 2 edp is a love. Floriental fills a spot where I feel the need to hold the lowest C note on a piano and feel the deep bass vibrate. Scent version, of course.
Can’t wait to hear what you think of Francesca Bianchi’s scents! K xx
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Hiya Kate!
Oh I’m kinda glad that someone else felt the sandalwood was absent. I know it’s supposed to be abstract but I gave it five good wears & just didn’t get it.
Wow I love the way you describe Floriental, that’s so cool. CdG 2 is a bottle I should have picked up by now….. it’s almost a compulsory for a collection.
xx Tina G
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I really disliked this so much.
It’s one of the only blind buys I absolutely regretted. Even looking at the bottle in my collection made me sad. I had to sell it on at a massive loss. Waiting on hope for the next cdg.
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Hi Johnny, oh I’m really sorry to hear that. so frustrating for you. I know there’s more people like you who will blind buy on the bottle alone – hope they don’t feel that burnt though. Ouch.
Tina G xx
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Johnny, knowing what little I do of your tastes, I can see how disappointed you are. Concrete is kind of flat, for a CdG, and is the sort I’d expect from a modern Euro niche. I simply cannot justify the cost of a bottle. Way too much for a cool bottle.
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Hey Tina! I haven’t liked any of the CdGs that I have tried, not that I have tried all of them. It’s the drydowns that fail for me. Can’t say I really care about the bottle. But a musk Lifesaver sounds the bizz. 😍
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Hey Val, I really should get a care pack together for you with some Precision and Grace and a few musk lollies. Consider it a work in progress.
xx Tina G
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Oh shit. 🍪🔫
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