PicoBlog

Maybe, like me, you first heard about Future Society via TikTok. I was inundated with ads by them. Honestly it kind of made me less interested, it felt gimmicky and cheap (clearly I have not been paid to write this post). But after listening to this interview with the founder of Future Society on the Perfume Room I developed a new appreciation and interest in what they were doing. All of their fragrances are inspired by extinct flowers. They used DNA sequencing and then tried to recreate what they thought the plants smelled like. It’s a cool concept.

Here’s how they explain it: In 2017, synthetic biologists extracted samples of extinct flowers from the Harvard Herbarium. Through DNA sequencing, scientists identified genes that might encode fragrance-producing enzymes. They printed these codes and inserted them into yeast, which were cultured through a fermentation process to produce scent molecules. We gave these molecules to world-renowned perfumers to formulate the fragrances found in our Scent Surrection Collection.

Fragrance usually references things that exist in our world as we know it now, so to be able to use science to travel back in time and develop something no longer accessible to us is an interesting concept. I love a compelling story behind a fragrance line and Future Society hits a home run for me here.

Overall I like this brand. I love the design and packaging. The price point is affordable and reasonable. I like their subtle message about sustainability by highlighting how these plants became extinct in the first place. And all of their fragrances really open up and change over time— they are not linear scents! I love that.

The actual scents are interesting and different from a lot of what I find trending on the market right now (no big gourmands here!). Of the 6 I can only see myself regularly wearing one but there are some really interesting scents in this collection. A lot of people love the ones that didn’t vibe with me— perfume is so incredibly personal, always remember that when you’re reading fragrance reviews! What I hate you may love. Keep reading for my reviews, ordered from my least favorite to my favorite.

Extinct flower: Orbexilum stipulatum
Last recorded in 1812 on the North American Plains. Extinct by Buffalo Migration.

You know when you’re hungover and really tired and you go outside to do something, maybe something as simple as a walk through the park to try to clear your head. But every scent and sound and color is just too much? That’s sort of how I feel about Grassland Opera. I don’t hate it, but it just feels like a cacophony of things that assault my senses when I’m still waking up and not quite ready for them. There are too many directions to focus on and this does not create a lovely symphony in my nose. It has a fuzzy, powdery quality that adds to that hangover feel for me. 

I have a strong hate for patchouli. I can sniff it out in any fragrance. I’m not saying this is what turns me off on this one but it’s a contributing factor. If you’re a patchouli fan maybe this will hit different for you.

I pick up a citrus, mossy, fuzzy vibe. It smells bright green and yellow. It might be nice as a soap. It’s just a little too loud for me. If you want to smell squeaky clean and green this one may be for you.

NOTES
Top: Bergamot, Clary Sage, Ginger, Fig Leaves
Mid: Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, Mimosa
Base: Sandalwood, Patchouli, Guaiacwood, Akigalawood, Ambrofix

Extinct flower: Wendlandia angustifolia
Last recorded in 1917 in India’s Western Mountains Extinct by Drought.

This smells yellow to me, golden rod yellow. I pick up on that grapefruit immediately and it sticks around. It smells like straw and dead grass and the bottom of a horse’s hooves. It’s like you were rolling around in hay and then tried to wash up real quick but didn’t do a great job so the barn floor is still sticking to your skin. This is not a bad smell— it’s interesting. It starts to tell a story then kind of fizzles out a little, not letting go of that eucalyptus and grapefruit. A bad whiff of this reminds me of a cough drop. But a good inhale is a little more woodsy.

Remember how I said I’m not a fan of patchouli? Akigalawood which lives in the base notes of Invisible Woods is a synthetic molecule that was fractionated from patchouli oil. So again, blame my low rating of this on that sneaky patchouli.

NOTES
Top: Grapefruit, Eucalyptus, Ginger
Mid: Rose Absolute, Chamomile
Base: Iris, Akigalawood

Extinct flower: Shorea cuspidata
Last recorded in 1998 in Borneo. Extinct by Logging.

When I was in college I went to Okefenokee Swap in Florida with Chip and Cathy. We listened to Tom Petty’s Wildflowers album on the drive there and I remember scream singing every song while hanging our heads and hands out of the car windows. It was a blissful trip. We rode a boat on the Okefenokee to look for alligators and other swamp creatures. We were delighted to be outside of our element, exploring a new part of the country. Chip didn’t put on sunscreen and his face was beet red by the end of the day. We slept on some beach that night, or maybe the next night. We drove back to our college town in Indiana smelling like swap and salty sea and adventure.

Floating Forest smells like that trip to me. Mossy and green, hopeful, a little aquatic and spicy, bright. It’s a clear-headed scent and one I might reach for on a sunny day for outdoor activities but I can’t see this in my regular rotation. This fragrance has a buzz to it, it’s a little electric. I could still smell a faint hint of it on my wrist the next morning and it made me smile, as if being reminded of a sweet memory.

NOTES
Top: Black Pepper, Bergamot
Mid: Freesia, Waterlilly, Rose Absolute
Base: Cedarwood, Salted Musk, Wet Stones, Papyrus, Driftwood

Extinct flower: Hibiscadelphus wilderianus
Last recorded in 1912 on the Hawaiian Southern Slope. Extinct by Deforestation.

This is a big fruity floral and I haven’t smelled anything like it before. I did not like it at first, but then it really mellowed out on my skin and opened up in interesting ways. It feels juicy and rich. I see dripping pink fruit when I smell it. I’m transported to a rain forest, it’s humid and my skin is sticky and there’s a big blast of fresh air that hits me and it’s all dark pink flowers and tropical fruits. I pick up mango and guava even though there’s no trace of them here. The pink sugar adds a sweet finish that I’m not mad at.

This is the sweetest and most feminine of the bunch. If you’re a gourmand girl this might be the one for you. This is for someone who isn’t afraid to leave an impression. It’s tropical and rich and bold.

NOTES
Top: Bergamot, Red Currant, Pink Pepper
Mid: Turkish Rose, Lychee, Pistachio, Magnolia
Base: Vetiver, Ambroxan, Pink Sugar

Extinct flower: Leucadendron grandiflorum
Last recorded in 1960 in the Western Cape of South Africa. Extinct by Wildfires.

Have you seen the movie The Love Witch? It follows the story of Elaine, a beautiful young witch, who moves to Arcata, California after her husband mysteriously dies. Witchcraft is acceptable in the town and Elaine goes to a shop where she buys ingredients to make some potions. Reclaimed Flame smells like what I think the inside of the shop in The Love Witch smells like.

This is an orange scent to me. The grapefruit and bergamot come in hard at the opening and stick around for a while but then a little leather and lipstick creep in and after that there’s a faint trail of herb and mint that hang around. This one smells close to Invisible Woods to me. Maybe it’s the same big opening with that top grapefruit note. But I like this one better. I can pick up that eucalyptus on paper but it doesn’t come through as strong on my skin. It’s a little witchy but in a natural homeopathic kind of way. A good witch would wear this. I wouldn’t be mad if someone was wearing this on a packed Muni train in the morning, and even better if she was a witch.

NOTES
Top: Bergamot, Grapefruit
Mid: Geranium, Turmeric, Eucalyptus
Base: Armoise, Chamomile

This is my favorite scent of the 6 that Future Society offers. There is something really lovely about Haunted Rose that immediately won me over as soon as I smelled it on my skin. It’s subtle, warm and spicy, rich and velvety, fresh but not too bright, just a lovely easy scent that I could see using in semi-regular rotation. I weirdly smelled vanilla in this one even though there are no vanilla notes in it. Maybe it’s the sandalwood and ambroxan showing their face in the dry down— this lands in a place I really like.

I am newly obsessed with rose. I never would have thought rose perfume would be something I like (much more on this in another post) but I guess this tracks with my likes. It’s a complex rose. Spicier than it is sweet although it has a little sweet note in it. It feels like walking into a warm house on a frigid day, something is cooking in the kitchen and the house feels like it’s just been cleaned. You walk into a den lined with books and plop onto a brown leather sofa, someone brings you a plate of warm cookies and a cup of chamomile tea. The floral notes make it appropriate for Spring but this one could live in Winter just as easily. I am a big fan of Haunted Rose and will be getting a full bottle.

Notes
Top: Black Pepper, Saffron
Mid: Rose Absolute, Passionfruit
Base: Ambroxan, Sandalwood

Thanks for reading if you got this far. This will be a new series so tell me if there are brands you’re curious about that you want me to review. Or just tell me what you thought and which Future Society scent you would wear - maybe I’ll send you the scent from my discovery kit.

Smell you later! 🌺

xo

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