FRAGRANCE | Into the woods with Murkwood Parfum Extrait by Pineward Perfumes

 

After registering in my passive fragrance radar a short couple of months ago, Pineward Perfumes immediately prompted a quick search from me all because of pine. It comes as no surprise because I totally enjoy the likes of Serge Lutens's Fille en Aiguilles and House of Matriarch's Sacre Noir, both of which beautifully use pine as a prominent note. Pineward Perfumes is a very young indie brand, having launched just last year (2020). It has an interesting ethos of being a brand centered on coniferous scents (although understandably not with absolute exclusivity).

A discovery set soon found its way into my cart. But since I don't have the patience to wait for them samples, test each one, then decide on which ones to get full bottles of, place my order, and then wait again, I knew I had to jump the gun with at least one full bottle. After much thought, I settled for a 37ml bottle of Murkwood, the biggest possible size on offer. Yeah, the volume's kind of odd but I guess it's only because we're so used to having 30, 50, and 100ml bottles. The flacon's slender silhouette is reminiscent of Serge Lutens although much smaller, with engravings instead of labels. It comes in a burlap pouch but without any box, similar to what Slumberhouse does. 

The juice is an excitingly dark color, as if hinting at thrilling adventures ahead in a very dark forest. Be careful when spraying, though, as it leaves a stain if sprayed too close. But my, is this an accurate representation of fresh pine! When I first sprayed it, I immediately thought of how our living room smelled last Christmas. The fragrance's coniferous character is undeniable, replete with that familiar damp smell and overarching cool feel. It's just wonderfully spot-on! 

But of course there's more to Murkwood than just a Christmas tree. For one, it's oozing with thick resins that are surpringly only mildly sweet. It's a welcome departure from what I've come to expect with resinous scents. There's a woody aspect to it, too, but it merely plays a supporting role in the background. What completes the woodsy picture this fragrance paints, however, is the surrounding smokiness. It's not a concentrated type of fume like what you'd get from Atelier des Ors's Bois Sikar but more of smoke from wood burning from afar that's been lazily carried by the soft breeze, sifting through the dense forest until it comes to a still, its filtered self lingering in the pine-filled, cold, damp air. 

Murkwood is no beast in terms of projection but it does have legs. The pine mellows after a few hours but remains perceptible, along with the wood, resins, and smoke that are all just as softened by then. It's not a fragrance for everyone but for those of you who love coniferous scents, you really should check this out. I can't say when the proper time to wear this fragrance is because it's more of a mood than anything. As for me, though, Murkwood reminds me of Christmas and it's a mood I seriously can wear any time.