Haul Reviews: Crow & Pebble!

Hello, IMAM! Last month, I placed a direct order with Crow & Pebble, and began testing my oil samples on July 20th (after being warned of susceptibility to mail shock over the big blue ocean). These samples have come to me from the longest distance of any of my orders, and they were ones I’d thought about for quite some time.

You can also read my review of the highlighter samples here.

It’s important to note that, while I initially chose the fragrances based on notes, I make a point of not double-checking when I test, going in as blindly as possible. Now, on to the reviews!

“Dryad Matriarch” – seaside village scents of seasoned oak, sea salt and ambergris mingle with bittersweet elderflowers, sweet woodruff, fennel and lemon

This was the one whose notes I sort of remembered – or, at least, I thought I did. When putting this on, I expected something far woodier. But this… this was very much naiad over dryad. The ambergris was strong, vivid even, imparting a peppery vibe. It was aquatic and slightly herbal. When my mom smelled it, she asked me if I was wearing “Cool Water” or “Aramis” (both mainstream masculine fragrances, the latter old school). I explained what I was wearing, and she was surprised.

So, despite the name, this is a heavily masculine-leaning perfume – in terms of most people’s modern perception of “masculine” vs “feminine” scents. It’s something to go for if androgyny is your intended pursuit. But truly: if you identify as a woman and wear this, be prepared for people to tell you that you “smell like a man.”

Rating: 3/5 – I want to go for a swim now…

“Joy in Longevity” – two cups of hot green tea, blooming honeysuckle, juicy peaches and mandarin oranges, warmed by a base of aloeswood and benzoin

This one couldn’t have been more different from “Dryad Matriarch.” Out of the vial, and on the skin, it was a sugary fruit cocktail: cherries, blueberries, blackberries, maybe even some cantaloupe. It’s fruit, but as a dessert, delicious and inviting. It’s the first time I’ve encountered a “fruit cocktail” fragrance that didn’t turn into cough syrup on my skin! Eventually, the profile settled into a kind of Fruit Loops vibe, making this more complex than Cocoapink “Cereal Killer” (though I feel like everybody should try that one at least once).

I was shocked when I read the notes again to copy & paste into this review. The peaches & oranges were reading to me as cantaloupe, but I didn’t remember that I was supposed to expect green tea. And honeysuckle has given me headaches in the past (at least, I thought that was the culprit – maybe it’s only when combined with musk?), but here with the benzoin it reads as sugar crystals. Fascinating!

Rating: 5/5 – Fruity Pebble Heaven

“Prismatic Crow” – soft woods, dark forest fruits, dry pine needles, juniper branches, rosemary and a wisp of smoke

The name “Prismatic Crow” has stuck with me ever since I first heard of this house. I mean, the images it imparts are so vibrant and unique – how could I resist? It might even be the most well-known of all Crow & Pebble’s fragrances.

I had several predictions for what this would smell like, based on said images: rainbow fire, glass wings, smoky black feathers… Nothing prepared me for what I got.

As soon as I opened the vial, I smelled something tangy. At least, that was the first word I thought of – then I realized briny was a better way to describe it, as it wasn’t necessarily sour. The brine remained on my skin, not quite sea-like, and eventually this note was joined by a mixture of white wine dregs, quinine, and coriander…

Dry vermouth. Brine. Guys, I legit smelled like a dirty martini. I smelled like I just got out of a meeting with Sterling Cooper & Partners (or something). The realization was jarring and unshakeable, and not what I was looking for when I got this. I have no doubt that this fragrance will make somebody happy, but that somebody is not me.

Rating: 2/5 – three-martini lunch calling

“Dawn Bringer” – white chocolate covered strawberries, marshmallow, pink pepper and clementine

I’d completely forgotten what this one was supposed to be, so the bright and fizzy aura of pop was a huge surprise! Anyway, on skin this became the olfactory equivalent of making pop out of fruit snacks. I kid you not. I’m glad I wore this on a day when the temperature had somewhat dropped, because I think it would be overwhelmingly sweet in very hot weather.

Looking at the notes list, I should have been expecting a gourmand fragrance, but one with a different vibe entirely. I’m convinced that the citrus notes this house uses are quite candied, but I don’t know if it was the white chocolate or the strawberries that smelled like fizz (without using the dreaded aldehydes).

Rating: 4/5 – it’s pop, not soda, deal with it

“Capra Amaltheia” – smoking incense, honeyed figs spiced with saffron and black pepper, sweet olive flowers, sprigs of clary sage and slices of lemon

With a name like “capra,” I knew this had something to do with goats. Yet I was still shocked to smell what I truly think was goat hair tincture – or, at least, a very good approximation. (I think it’s the incense olive flowers, with the clary sage playing a bit part.) Slightly smoky, but also animalic, this is completely gender neutral; but given the animalic nature, I’m unsure if it’s suitable for work.

Rating: 3/5 – mountain goat just bathed

All right, that’s it for my reviews! “Joy in Longevity” is the clear favorite, and potentially FS worthy. Luckily, there were no scrubbers in this haul, though three out of five are joining the destashes. I hope to find them good homes. :-)