Geoffrey Beene
Geoffrey Beene
159 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Lemon and bergamot ignite with startling clarity, immediately flanked by juniper's piney, slightly juniper-berry astringency that prevents any sweetness from taking root. Within seconds, basil joins as a green declaration of intent—this is herbal territory, and it means business.
The citrus gradually recedes as artemisia's peculiar, slightly salty greenness emerges, whilst cinnamon and cardamom introduce spice that feels almost incidental, a quiet warming against the dominant fresh and herbal accords. Lavender settles in as a stabilising presence, and jasmine appears as barely-there floral whisper, almost obscured by the woody-green framework building around it.
The woody base—fir, cedar, and sandalwood—becomes increasingly prominent, creating a dry, pencil-like quality that's more suggestion than substance. Moss and patchouli add earth without depth, and the fragrance becomes a pale, austere skin scent, beautiful in its refusal to linger or seduce, disappearing entirely within hours.
Bowling Green is a fragrance that refuses to whisper. It arrives as a verdant coup d'état—lemon and bergamot burst forth with the kind of aggressive freshness that makes you blink, whilst juniper immediately pulls the composition earthward, grounding the citrus with a botanical bite that feels almost medicinal. This is not a pretty fragrance; it's austere, architectural, built on clean lines rather than soft curves.
The heart is where Bowling Green reveals its complexity. Artemisia—that slightly bitter, almost saline green herb—threads through lavender and cinnamon with remarkable tension, the spice acting as a counterweight to the fresh herbs, preventing the composition from becoming a simple herbal cologne. Cardamom adds a subtle warmth, whilst jasmine appears almost reluctantly, softened by the dominant greenery around it. This is the olfactory equivalent of a well-tailored, unstructured jacket: seemingly simple on first glance, but possessed of real architectural intelligence.
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4.0/5 (77)