On the Scent: DS & Durga

Review by David Newton

There's a new fragrance house on the block: DS & Durga. Strictly speaking not exactly new; the brand formed in 2007, but they have just crossed the pond from their native New York and are ready to delight the UK with their unique, high-end fragrances.The DS part of the name is musician David Seth Moltz, who creates the scents' formulae, and Durga is architect Kavi Moltz; she creates the quirky brand imagery. Together they make perfume and cologne in small batches using premium-sourced raw materials and all scents are created exclusively in-house. A modern take on history and tradition (especially American) seems to be DS & Durga's USP, so I thought I would try out three of the company's signature scents.

BURNING BARBERSHOP

How could I resist putting this one on first? Burnt/woody/bonfire type scents have been a "thing" for a good few years now and this one is a fantastic addition to the genre. Why Burning Barbershop? Because through the dominant smells of charred wood, come softer undertones of the shaving tonics lavender, spearmint, lime and vanilla. It's heady, strong, rich, masculine...not for the faint-hearted.

ITALIAN CITRUS

Next up, almost the polar opposite of the Burning Barbershop... a beautiful Summery hit of lemons from Italy. Yes, at first it's like dousing yourself in lemon juice: sharp and tangy... but as I left it on, the scent really mellowed and became much richer, softer and a delight to wear. There are notes of blood orange, chinotto, green mandarin, ambrette seed and clean musk in there too. You will find yourself yearning for that Summer vacation... or at least I did. I've noticed throughout my life that whenever I have worn a citrus-y scent like this, people always comment about how nice it smells and ask what it is. I fully expect that reaction with Italian Citrus.

SIR

Finally Sir... and I would put this at the half way point between the first two. A really beautiful, rich (but not overpowering) scent. Probably for men...but not necessarily so. Described as "a grand chypre of choice materials: aged Indonesian patchouli, storax amber, grandiflorum jasmine, & mace," you will find a well-balanced combination of the spicy and floral. A great evening scent, and as the name implies, a complement to a well-dressed man about town.

The verdict? A really great new fragrance brand to discover and very much up Wylde's street: the scents are strictly limited-edition and created from the highest-quality ingredients.

DS & Durga perfumes are available from Roullier White from £98

DAVID NEWTON