Dirty fragrance notes
- Spearmint, thyme, tarragon, oakmoss, sandalwood
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Latest Reviews of Dirty


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After careful consideration, I left the store without the fragrance ... or the girl.


The opening is remarkably straightforward - if you'd like your shot of morning vigor by way of mint and tarragon, then please step right up sir. To me, this is the organic hippy spiritual cousin of L'eau D'Issey... here's an uppercut of FRESH!!! Wake up!!!
The backbone of this fragrance is text book fougere (if a bit light on the oakmoss) with some neroli and sandalwood thrown in to give it a soapy, soft dry down and it just works. The spearmint never really goes away, which gives this some true character and keeps it in its own realm - if you don't like mint, this isn't for you.
If you do like a brisk and fresh finish sans aromachemicals, then Dirty is entirely on point. You can notice the slightly rough quality to the blending, but it doesn't detract from enjoyment.
I generally don't dig the hipster vibe and general aesthetic of Lush shops... I'm a bit too cranky and curmudgeonly in my outlook to enjoy it. But some of the things they make really win me over, and this is one of the nicer examples.


Ha ha! I get it…Dirty is anything but.
Did the folks at Lush really think they were being funny slapping the Dirty label on this immaculately crisp, sparkly, citrus-and-herb composition? If I ignore the utterly inapt name I can enjoy the brisk blend of tarragon, lavender, mint, and thyme over a plain woody base note, but Dirty doesn't hold a candle to the more stimulating green herbal arrangements at the heart of scents like Eau de Campagne, Calamus, Virgilio, or Silences.
On the other hand, it is pleasant and extremely cheap, so if you're looking for a green pick-me-up on an Axe budget, Dirty just might be your thing.

This will make a nice hot weather frag for sure, and the price is very reasonable.

The opening of dirty is mint and tarragon. Luckily we're working with spearmint and not peppermint, so it goes on smooth alongside the piquant tarragon and will wake you up in the morning if your coffee isn't up for the task. From there, we shift to thyme and lavender, the latter being fougère 101 material. It's a perfectly seamless transition and frankly is done better than dozens of similar throwback barbershop hopefuls being pumped out by much more prestigious houses than lil' old Lush. It's a unique thing overall that a house which is almost content to rebel against centuries of dynastic perfume house tradition, pomp, circumstance, and perfume development as a culmination of generations worth of layering ideas can nail something that itself is the product of such development on it's first try almost blind, but once the heart is there and in place the mint and tarragon no longer seem as shockingly brisk. Afterward, we're in oakmoss and sandalwood territory. There is of course coumarin here, as there almost needs to be in order for it to finish the way it does, but it's that raw tonka absolute variety and not the refined perfumers variety, which again lends itself to the organic DIY nature of Lush. Dirty simmers down into a mighty fine daywear scent at the end, with the moss, tonka, and wisps of that mint coming and going through the lavender. It's not a revolution to be sure, but it just "gets" that vintage grooming smell without a half dozen florals littering the pyramid. Projection is good, longevity is great, and layered with the other products, the perfume will send waves and waves of minty fougère freshness all day.
Dirty won't have the pedigree needed for the aristocratic types that place stuff like Bond, Creed, Lutens and Xerjoff on a pedestal, nor will it has the complexity and sophistication of folks used to niche fragrances in general. Designer guys probably already know the Lush line, as chances are they have a local Lush shop in a nearby mall and walk past it (smelling it before seeing) on their way to the Macy's counter, so venturing inside (with nose pinched) will yield a tasty treat for about $50 a bottle. A lot of Lush perfumes admittedly feel amateurish, like the garage punk rock equivalent of the niche scene, lacking the social graces, education, and refinement of their peers, but come in swinging like a baseball bat to the nose, hence why the young and hip simply love them. Dirty, one of the rare gender-specific scents in their catalog (as most are unisex), doesn't particularly feel anti-establishment, just simple, neat, and tidy. Something like Dirty could have easily come from a Victorian barbershop back in the day, especially considering that stuff made by Geo F Trumper isn't exactly swimming in notes either, but the deal maker/breaker here is going to be that spearmint. Either you love or hate it, and there are plenty of also-good barbershop scents without it. A good simple grooming scent, with a farm-to-table vibe for the Whole Foods avocado toast crowd. Thumbs up.


With that, there's Dirty. It certainly doesn't smell like any other scent out there. It's got a lot of toothpasty mint, and what I'm assuming is lavender provides a perfumey brightness as well, so it's a very "up" kind of smell. Then there's the tarragon, which somehow gives Dirty a weird fleshy undertone, almost like a meaty smell. All together, it makes for a baffling perfume. Lemon chapstick? Minty breath with the volume amped up to 11? Sort of, but it mostly smells like a mix that would make perfect sense as a wake-you-up Lush soap, but made into a perfume, where it smells completely absurd, but in a way that's weirdly compelling. If you're a Lush fan(atic), you'll probably enjoy Dirty, but if you're not, it's unlikely to win you over.

It does exactly what it says. Very refreshing and a bit spicy. An interesting and clean smell that stands out on its own. Great price I think, 160g body spray but lasts surprisingly long.
A nice pick-me-up!