Furze is a flowering shrub native to parts of Europe and North Africa, otherwise known as ulex or gorse. It is apparently prevalent in Cornwall, and in the summer, the bright yellow flowers open and perfume the air with a coconut-floral aroma.

In the bottle and in the pot, it has a dense, buttery-powdery-sweet scent, like coconut and cocoa butter. Many reviews and the product notes list neroli and mimosa, as well as coconut and a touch of musk and fruit, but all I get is Play-Doh. When we first got it into the store, a number of my coworkers agreed. To those in countries outside of the US who don’t know, Play-Doh is a sculpting clay for kids that come in a wide range of colours. Very few American children will be unfamiliar with the distinctive scent.

On my skin, which is oily and, I have to assume, acidic, because everything goes sour on me, it smells grassy at first, almost like celery, then settles into the Play Doh scent again, though with a vegetal backnote.

I was looking forward to receiving this solid perfume in March’s Kitchen box. It was such a baffling fragrance in the store, I had to know if it was different in solid form. Sadly, in my opinion, it is not. I tried it on my skin, because skin chemistry will change how a scent behaves, and I didn’t detect any of the neroli or mimosa notes, both of which are scents I adore.

I don’t love it, but I do remember loving Cornwall the one time I visited. After doing a little research on the inspiration, I am developing a sort of fondness. So I’ll keep it, and next time I’m in southwest England, maybe I’ll encounter that springy furze breeze and fall in love with this unconventional scent.

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Diana Sanchez works as a Sales Ambassador for Lush in Southern California. She also writes historical fantasy fairytale retellings under the pen name, Avon Van Hassel. Her website is www.avonvanhassel.com