Unboxing Beauty

I love Commodity fragrances and one of the best things I purchased from them initially was their 15 piece Portfolio Set  ~ it really gave me a chance to try the majority of their fragrances, broken down by Collection.   I have two of these sets, as they were a fantastic deal at the time and now I am down to my last set.  Alas, Commodity no longer sells their 15 piece set ~ I hope they will in the future. As I reviewed the full sized Gold, I thought I would use my LAST (sobs)  Portfolio Set to describe the scents.

I was not paid for this review and all reviews are my own honest opinion and  I never have been asked to write copy for a brand.  This blog post might contain promo codes, affiliate and referral links, which using my links will help generate a small commission that helps support my blog at no extra cost to you.

Started back in 2013, Commodity Goods offered 20 high quality fragrances, created in collaboration with artisans, using elemental names such as Moss, Gin and  Gold.  Within two years Commodity went from an online shop and into Sephora, where they became a best seller.   Alas, Commodity grew too fast and by March 31st, 2019, Commodity, without warning, closed down and Sephora just sold off all the stock at deep discounts.  The owner of Europerfumes, a US distribute of niche fragrances, Vicken Arslanian, decided to seize the day and purchased Commodity in November 2019.   There was some reorganization, a count of current supply and then the restock began by July 2020 and have relaunched.   The future of Commodity will have new fragrances and a more interactive understanding of their scents.

Commodity Platinum Collection: rich, indulgent and luxurious fragrances ⁣
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By Mecredis / Fred Benenson – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

𝙏𝙤𝙣𝙠𝙖 is one of my favs ~ rich, deep, spicy, warm and dry

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Almond Oil, Indian Davana Oil, Cardamom Oil
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱:Lotus, Magnolia Oil
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Venezuelan Roasted Tonka Absolute, Peru Balsam Absolute, Australian Sandalwood Oil, Laos Benzoin Resinoid ⁣

“Rhythm and music inspire and help me create perfumes and play with sustainable raw materials to bring something different and meaningful to a fragrance. I love to play the piano, and the melodic, syncopated rhythmic patterns of jazz awaken my very personal and provocative style.” — Guillaume Flavigny, Master Perfumer

 © Galina Barskaya 

𝙊𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙨 is another top favorite mixing spices, rich patchouli, white florals, with warm earthy Italian orris and vanilla. Soft, vintage and creamy.

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Carrot Seed Orpur, Pink Peppercorn, Italian Bergamot, Coriander Seed
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: White Lily of the Valley, Tea Blossom, Patchouli Oil, Moroccan Cedarwood
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Italian Orris, Vetiver Oil, Vanilla Madagascar Orpur ⁣

⁣“Orris root was my muse for this fragrance. When I contrasted it with floral elements like iris and combined sparkling aldehydes, an unexpected, cool effervescent effect was created—an inebriating skin-like sensuality.”— Stephen Nilsen, Master Perfumer

By Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen List of Koehler Images, Public Domain

𝘽𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙩 is a bit of a disappointment as I really smell alcohol initially. Once it dries down, I really smell the grassy tones of vetiver and light florals and white musks. I didn’t really pick up on any of the citrus notes as the alcohol overrode the initial top note scents

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Italian Bergamot, Brazilian Green Mandarin Oil, Clementine Oil
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: Jasmine Sambac Absolute, Moroccan Spearmint Oil, Egyptian Geranium Oil
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Patchouli Oil, Vetiver Oil, Blonde Musks, Violet Leaves⁣

“I love citrus. I love its freshness. It is addictive in an energizing way. A superior quality Italian bergamot was my starting point with this fragrance. Its slightly unripe citrus notes are much more alive, like a refreshing tonic that awakens the soul.”—Stephen Nilsen, Master Perfumer

By Ratel – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

𝙑𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 has a very fruity boozy top note. But then the dry, creamy notes of cedarwood, sandalwood and patchouli kick in several minutes later. Not my favorite but it is a really nice scent

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Apple, Petalia®, Blackberry
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: Sampaquita, Jasmine Vintage Oil
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Haitian Vetiver Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Indonesian Patchouli Oil, Australian Sandalwood Oil⁣

“For me, being a perfumer is like being a chef or painter—taking ingredients and coming up with your own recipe, your own creation. I was about 16 years old when I first smelled vetiver, and it’s been one of my favorite raw materials ever since.”—Caroline Sabas, Master Perfumer

 © Alexander Maksimov 

𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 is another favorite of mine. It’s like walking into a private library, full of wooden bookcases & leather bound books. Then the cinnamony incense kicks in ~ this is a luscious rich experience

🎶 𝗧𝗼𝗽: Black Leather, Oregano Essence, Juniper Wood Essence
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: Cacao Bean Absolute, Myrrh Resinoid, Cade Essence, Akigalawood®
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Styrax Resinoid, Cedarwood Essence, Haitian Vetiver Essence, Cistus Labdanum Essence from Concrete⁣

“Leather is a very personal and passionate source of inspiration for me. I wear black leather almost every day. I love the feeling of it, the way it sounds, the way it smells, its magnetism. My preference for leather is luxe, thick, ultra-shiny, velvety to the touch and very redolent. I measure my leather by a mixture of shine, thickness and suppleness and, of course, its sensual scent.”—Rodrigo Flores-Roux, Master Perfumer

Commodity White Collection:  bright, fresh and uplifting fragrances

By vxla – Flickr: Pool-side Mimosas at The Standard Hotel, CC BY 2.0

𝗠𝗶𝗺𝗼𝘀𝗮: Bright sparkly citrus right off the first spray, then a bit of jasmine, but not overpowering and drying down to a light powdery floral-musk. Brunch anyone?

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Lemon, Bergamot, Blood Orange, Mandarin
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: Orange Blossom, Black Pepper, Sheer Jasmine
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Orris, Musk, Blond Wood

“Mimosa flowers bring optimism in the winter through their bright yellow blossom. The inspiration for this fragrance is this rush of energy and light radiating all around the tree when everything is still asleep. This incredible tree blooms bringing an instant brightness as you see the reflection of these golden blossoms illuminate all their surroundings.”—Olivia Jan, Master Perfumer

By William (Ned) Friedman – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,

𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗮 is one of my favorites!! Sharp green florals, minty citrus then the magnolia and ylang ylang kick in. This has rose in it, but honestly the rose is being drowned out by the magnolia, ylang ylang and waterlily before it

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Waterlily, Dewy Greens, Grapefruit, Eucalyptus
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: Geranium, Magnolia, Ylang-ylang, Violet, Rose
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Amber, Oakmoss, Musk, Sandalwood, Vanilla Extract

“I drew inspiration from the majestic beauty of southern charm when magnolias are in full bloom. From trips to Charleston, Savannah and New Orleans, seeing for the first time the beauty of the magnolia tree in full bloom left a lasting impression from its striking character and distinct fragrance. The sun-soaked petals of blooming magnolias left a magnificent memory of how the sweet smell of spring lingers through the air from dawn to dusk evoking a clean freshness.”—Donna Ramanauskas, Master Perfumer

By James St. John – Gold nugget (Australia) 4, CC BY 2.0

𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱 is a scent that I reviewed before as I have the full sized bottle (#prgifted) The first blast of this perfume is a warm vanilla, then followed by a sweet, minty scent & the rich, aromatic benzioin and amber, similar to a traditional smokey incense scent. As it dries down, I can smell the dried woodsy tones even more with the spiciness of the tonka bean. This is one sexy scent but it is not overpowering ~ you will have to get close to someone to really appreciate the full notes ~ further away, it just adds a bit of mystery and makes you want to lean in & breathe in this scent

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Bergamot, Juniper Berries, Camphor
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: Molten Amber, Vetiver, Benzoin
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Creamy Musk

“Gold has a rich history of being associated with gods, power, beauty and wealth. It’s strong, sleek and polished. Its purity exudes luxury and demands a rich sensuality when capturing its essence in liquid form. With its grandeur, Gold was truly established around a feeling of indulgence and the ability to draw attention from across a room.”—Donna Ramanauskas, Master Perfumer

By Acagastya – Own work, CC0

𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻 has such a lovely opening note watery, fresh green floral with a cucumber-musk dry down, but it has no long-lasting power. If you want a more delicate fragrance, Rain is perfect.

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Dewy Green Accord, Bergamot, Lemon Verbena
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: Jasmine, Freesia, Lotus Blossom
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: White Amber, Water Musk, Sheer Woods

“I love to listen to the rhythm of the rain falling from the sky. It’s soothing, playful and refreshing, and, for me, it creates a sense of happiness. As a child, I loved to walk in the summer showers and feel the droplets of water shimmering on my shoulders as sparkling dewdrops fell on the leaves and flower petals–bright, clean, shiny and fresh. It brings to mind that a rainbow will always shine after the rain”– Ketrin Leka, Master Perfumer

By Daiju Azuma – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5

𝗡𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗿 ~ I can smell the bitter sweet scent of pomelo & bergamot initially, then the sharpness of neroli married with honeysuckle, followed by a light musk and woodsy scent. It’s syrupy sweet with a sharp zest.

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Juicy Pomelo, Italian Tangerine, Bergamot
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: Neroli, Honeysuckle, Cedarwood
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Orange Blossom, Liquid Musk, Vetiver

“For Commodity Nectar, I was inspired by the luminous beauty of neroli that captures an elegant radiance and refreshing zest of the bitter orange tree. Highly scented, the freshly-picked petals are so sweet and sparkling. I wanted to evoke a paradise of sunlit citrus further touched by the breezy white floral notes of orange blossom to create a tantalizing, distinctive aroma of vibrancy.”—Mathieu Nardin, Master Perfumer

 

Commodity Black Collection: dark, moody and intense fragrances

By snowyowls – File:Liji.jpg, CC BY 2.5 

Book doesn’t have rose in it, but aniba rosaeodora (Bois de Rose) a tree that is known for its warm, woody, mossy and floral scent.  The scent I picked up on first is a warm green herb ~ I was thinking basil and cilantro.  As it dries down, I do smell the fresh woodsy cypress and cedar from the amyris.  The final base note is the smooth silky sandalwood.   

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Virginian Cedarwood, Bois de Rose, Eucalyptus, Bergamot
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: Alaskan Cypress, Amyris, Amber
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Musk, Sandalwood, Velvet

“My most cherished scent memories as a child were in the library experiencing real books which created a world of wonder and exploration. Living now in a technological world filled with iPads, Commodity Book takes you into the New York Public Library to recapture the experience of yesterday: turning the pages and breathing in the smell of dry paper mingling in with the open fresh air.”—Ketrin Leka, Master Perfumer

By IvoShandor – Own work, CC BY 2.5

Moss  opens up with a blast of green, herbal citrus, followed by a unique cooling scent of eucalyptus and florals and then finally settling down to a warm cedar based fragrance with a hint of musk.  It’s not what I think moss smells like but more like walking through a forest filled with orange trees.   It is a stunning fragrance

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Grapefruit. Elemi, Bergamot, Petitgrain, Ozone
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: Eucalyptus, Orange Blossom
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Cashmere Woods. Cedarwood, Musk, Amber, Oakmoss

“My love of nature allows me to spend a lot of my time outdoors, being grounded and conscious of the earth’s natural resources. Breathing in the fresh crispness of a walk in the woods, taking early morning hikes alongside a babbling brook filled with moss-lined rocks covered in dew releases a vibrant energy through the open trails between the blue sky and the roots of earth, connecting my personal space with nature.”—Donna Ramanauskas, Master Perfumer

By Isokivi – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Velvet is spices and nuts with its cloves, vanilla and almond notes ~ it’s creamy, sweet and smoky all at the same time. The sweetness continues with coconut and marzipan scents and then finally dying down to a warm sweet woodsy mix.   There is rose in here, but I couldn’t pick it out with all of the sweet gourmand scents.  This is a cup of chai by the fire.

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Roasted Almond, Clove Buds, Coconut Water
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: Heliotropine, Vanilla Flower, Velvet Rose Petals
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Blonde Woods, White Birch, Black Amber

“I love working with rose. It is simultaneously dewy fresh and petally soft. For Commodity Velvet, I was inspired by the image of vibrant pink Turkish Rose Petals floating gently over a mysterious, dark background of richly warm vanilla and black amber with a delicious touch of roasted almond drifting in the air.” – Jerome Epinette, Master Perfumer  

By w:Arnold Henry Savage Landor – “Tibet and Nepal” as digitized by the Internet Archive’s text collection., Public Domain

Wool is a sweet bowl of apples and citrus,  served up in a fragrant wooden bowl.  As it dries down from that initial fruity sweetness, the lavender and vanilla come through, with  a backdrop of smoky woods.  It certainly doesn’t smell like wool but more of the essence of wearing your favorite warm sweater.

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Mandarin, Grapefruit, Apple
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: Basil, Fresh Ozone, Cedarwood, Lavandin, Armoise
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Amber, Haitian Vetiver, Gray Musk, Bourbon Vanilla

“I was inspired by the comforts of home on a cold winter’s night snuggled beside a crackling fire wrapped in the soothing softness of the most precious handcrafted material of a silky wool blanket beneath me. The feeling radiates a completely comforting mood when my skin feels the soft touch of wool, both warm and sensual with a luxurious touch.”—Donna Ramanauskas, Master Perfumer

By MuseumNext – Gin and tonic, CC BY-SA 2.0

Gin is has such a peppery lime scent to start out with, then a sweetness is added to the mix and then rounding it out with a smoky light incense scent of patchouli and woodsy musks.  It’s like starring in a 1930’s film noir, with murder and intrigue. This is the most masculine of the scents I have tried, but it is still unisex. 

🎶𝗧𝗼𝗽: Juniper Berry, Grapefruit Juice, Lime
🎶𝗠𝗶𝗱: Ginger Leaf, Freesia, Labdanum
🎶𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: Patchouli, Smoky Oak, Musk

“This fragrance transports me to a special place, gathering for cocktails where the atmosphere is deep, dark and mysterious. The ambient glow from candles contrasting with the textures of wood and leather mixed with the soulful spirits of heart-to-heart conversations lend a refreshing, yet sensual haven to delight the senses.”—Olivia Jan, Master Perfumer 

To purchase these scents, Commodity sells them both in full size 100mL at $105.00 each (click here to purchase), 10 m travel sizes at $30.00 (click here) and they have a sampler sets, starting at $14.00 up to $58.00, featuring both 2 mL and 10 mL sprays (click here to purchase). 

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