DoubleYou Natural Fragrances Norvège and Zanzibar

by: Miguel Matos

Sometimes the life of a perfume writer can be very hard. Things can happen, like having perfume coming to your mail box every now and then. And then here I am my dear readers, reporting from the trenches of my box of samples. This time to tell you what I have been smelling for some months. I had never heard about the brand DoubleYou until, unexpectedly, I got two bottles of their fragrances. The boxes were so elegant and minimal, with sleek drawings, that I was instantly charmed. I opened the boxes and there they were: Zanzibar and Norvége.

Not knowing anything about this surprise, I sprayed each on my arms and immediately thought: “natural artisanal perfume.” The simple bottles and the label helped too. I had to check on the internet and that is correct. It is natural and it smells that way. Now this can be good or bad, depending on your taste. I have to confess I have yet to be convinced. I am not very familiar with a lot of the natural perfumery brands but I admire Olympic Orchids (although I could never wear them) andFlorascent (I have Tané and it's a great and deep earthy patchouli). Now, for DoubleYou, I am still divided.

DoubleYou is a Norwegian artisanal design brand founded by Cathrine Røsseland. Their two perfumes are inspired by two very different places on Earth, but this is the duality that Cathrine has inside of her too. As the brand's website explains, “growing up with her mother in mountainous Western Norway, Cathrine had always considered herself to be half-Norwegian and half-African. As Tanzania was the birthplace of her father, exploring her African side was a logical, though difficult exercise for her. When trying to make place for her African roots, it had always seemed as if she had to give up on some of her Norwegian identity.” To her great surprise, the trip Cathrine made to Tanzania and Zanzibar made her discover that her dual heritage was rich in contrasts. She wanted to celebrate this double culture character, allowing the African side to be included.

The brand DoubleYou claims to use 100% natural ingredients and with this concept one must be a genius in order to create something great. Most of the attempts result in something you could smell at the herbal shop. I should know, as my attempts to mix natural essential oils almost always smell like some vegan cough syrup. Cathrine worked with hipster perfumer Barnabé Fillion on the development of these two fragrances. He is responsible for other creations for Paul Smith, Le Labo, Aesop and others. Fillion wanted to do something within the belief that “the things he wants to put on his skin should be so pure that you can eat or drink them.” Well, he succeded, at least with Norvège. But no, these juices are not for drinking, it's just an idea.

Norvège Top notes: Fresh grass, Coriander, Magnolia, Vanilla Heart notes: Thyme, Lavender, Opoponax, Dry wood, Coriander, Lemon Base notes: Vanilla, Amber, Sandalwood

Now, about my experience with these fragrances. I am divided. There's a good one and a bad one. But this is only my honest opinion, which I shall explain. I'll start withNorvège. First of all I have to tell you I come from a Mediterranean country where coriander is all over the place regarding cuisine. We put coriander everywhere, from soups to shrimps, from snails to pork and even fish cataplanas. So coriander is a very foody smell if done exaggeratedly. And Norvège is all about coriander and not much else. The initial idea for this perfume was to portray the Norwegian landscapes with a green, cold, kind of alhedydic fragrance without synthetic ingredients. Well, I went to Norway some years ago and I didn't smell coriander in the air in any of the places I visited, North and South of the country. All I can smell here is coriander sauce, the kind of thing you could use as a seasoning for salads, escargots or meat. I even smelled this thing in a coriander Martini some years ago. But perfume? Do you really want to smell like crushed coriander? I get nothing else here (except maybe thyme and lemon, another combo from the kitchen cupboard) and I also tested it by wearing it close to some of my friends who told me I smelled like dinner's ready. There is some green grass in the mix and that brings some added freshness to the scent but at the end of the day it's just that: coriander. I just can't wear this, sorry. It's not perfume in my dictionary and it's certainly not snow, ice, lakes and fjords.

Zanzibar Top notes: Geranium, Clove, Cinnamon, Leather, Siam Wood, Coffee, Cedarwood Heart notes: Oak, Rose, Cardamom, Blackcurrant buds, Ginger Base notes: Sandalwood, Cinnamon

Now, the second fragrance in this line I liked much better, even though, again, I feel that this was made on the kitchen sink. Zanzibar is a woody/spicy scent that screams “natural” too, but in a much better way. This is not foody, although it has a massive amount of cinnamon. But it has some woods and barks and spices combined that make it interesting. I wore this a lot recently and it is very comfortable, verging towards the oriental family which I love. Clove, coffee, cinnamon and sandalwood are very intense notes in this composition. All the other elements give spark and structure to it as this never gets too dense. It fizzes and sparkles, even though there are no citrus to boost it up. There's no need for them to appear. The nose did a very good job in mixing heavy ingredients and making them dance in a lighter way. I would say this is an effervescent woody oriental, very crisp, very dynamic and lively. Zanzibar is also a bit rough around the edges. It's not a polished fragrance, but maybe that's part of its charm, too. This is a very good example of a natural scent that smells natural all the way and still manages to have depth, strength and power. And it's interesting too, going from spicy fresh to woody sweet and creating interchanging sensations along the way. This is one of those perfumes that smell differently every time I wear it and depending on the temperature, being suitable for both summer and winter.