Smoky & Earthy

Birch tar smells like charred wood smoke mingled with burnt rubber and leather—think of a blacksmith's workshop or a bonfire that's been smouldering for hours. It carries an almost medicinal, slightly acrid quality, with whispers of earthiness and creosote (that distinctive smell of old railway sleepers). Rather than pleasant alone, it's an arresting, austere scent that commands attention—smoky, slightly dry, with an undertone of something both ancient and industrial. It's undeniably masculine and rather forbidding.

Oriental

Labdanum smells like walking into an ancient library where leather-bound books meet honeyed amber. It's warm, slightly resinous, and vaguely medicinal—imagine dried apricots dusted with incense, with a subtle leather undertone and a hint of barnyard earthiness. There's a sticky, almost tar-like quality that feels both precious and primal. It's the scent of luxurious comfort with an unexpected roughness, rather like wrapping yourself in a worn cashmere blanket that smells faintly of honey and smoke.