It's a Sniffathon! Part 1 - Rich Hippie and Satellite

I am drowning in samples, so, as a radical measure aimed at reviewing as many as possible as fast as possible, I decided to have a Sniffathon of new-ish releases. Today is Part 1. Foxy Lady by Rich Hippie. One of the new Rich Hippie scents, Foxy Lady starts with what I came to think of as a trademark Rich Hippie citrus, sweet, “thick”, slightly boozy, and reminiscent of lemon candy. The citrus keeps going strong for a long while; very slowly earthy patchouli starts to become noticeable…And that is pretty much it- luscious citrus fruits and patch, a bright, opulent, almost edible scent, a little too simple to be worth $325.00 for 1/2oz for me. Hoochie Coochie by Rich Hippie. Another new addition to this organic, wildcrafted collection of fragrances, Hoochie Coochie (as Chandler Bing would say, too many jokes! too many jokes!) begins as a sweet floral with just a hint of citrus. I smell ylang-ylang that is made even creamier than it naturally is by the presence of vanilla. As the scent progresses, it acquires a dry, resinous, woody undertone and at the same time a raw, earthy note that makes me think of boiled courgettes. I encountered that note before, in S-Perfume Sloth, and I have a feeling that it might be neroli behaving in such quirky manner. The drydown is balsamic and sweet, with a hint of vanillic boozyness. Much more interesting than Foxy Lady, but, at $325.00 for 12oz, still way out of my price range. Woodstock by Rich Hippie. The third new scent released by Rich Hippie in the last couple of months, Woodstock strikes me as the most interesting, simply because it does not feature an overwhelming citrus note nor it is vanillic. It is a gorgeous, dark and spicy, brew of frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, ylang ylang, roses and rose geranium. The peppery incense, the sweet myrrh, the velvety sandalwood, and the piquant floral accord compliment each other beautifully. A must-sniff for the lovers of dark rose scents, incense and woods. Besides, compared to the other two scents, at $135.00 for 1/2oz it almost seems like a bargain. 40º à l’Ombre by Satellite. I have issues with grapefruit in perfume, the note either has a sharp, almost uric undertone on my skin or becomes too overwhelmingly, annoyingly sparkling and sweet…or both, as is the case with Pamplelune The Terrible. The good news is that 40º has no unpleasant acidity; the bad news is that it is rather sweet and more sparkly, happy, smiley, bubbly that I can possibly bear. It is a very pretty citrus fragrance, but our temperaments clash in the most unfortunate manner. I will pass. A La Figue! by Satellite. Not as green as many fig scents, A La Figue! smells of tree bark and twigs rather than leaves…and underneath that soft woodiness lies a subtly-floral, even more subtly-fruity accord, which, strangely, makes me think of my beloved Marina de Bourbon. An understated but rather interesting fig perfume…not sure if I need a full bottle, but I do rather like it. Corrida by Satellite. Very ripe, sweet black currants and honeyed pink roses, this is the image that Corrida conjures in my mind. I also smell a bit of raspberry, and this particular combination of fruits and flowers reminds me of my great grandparents’ dacha and happy summers of my childhood. As it develops, however, the scent becomes a little watery, rather bland, and just like any other fruity floral on the market. The word that comes to mind when I think about the middle and base notes of Corrida is Generic. Another pass. Ipanema by Satellite. My favorite among the four new Satellite scents, Ipanema is creamy, dreamy tropical fragrance, an instant vacation in a bottle. With its subtle citrus note and its coconut, it reminds me quite a bit of Creed’s Virgin Island Water, however Ipanema feels much heavier, much more straightforward and simplistic, much more obviously coconutty. I do think that it is a great cheaper alternative to Virgin Island Water, but I would probably much rather wait and save my pennies for the real thing. The three new Rich Hippie scents are available at Rich-hippie.com. The new Satellites are sold at Luckyscent and cost $80 for 100ml.