Dear John
Lush (2004)

Dear John by Gorilla Perfumes [Lush] (2004) is a fragrance inspired by Simon and Mark Constantine's lost father, and is expectedly grounded in the masculine fragrance tropes of yore. Taking a more impressionist approach to the styles of the 1960's and 1970's, Dear John is a pastiche of popular olfactive elements from the era and remembrance of things their father used to like, recalling notes of lime aftershave and coffee alongside the usual "men's cologne" notes. All told, this is delivered in the usual simplstic and naturalistic Lush manner, as both Constantines are amateur perfumers using mostly absolutes in their designs; but if you haven't made peace with their perfume-organ-in-a-bedroom manner of composing fragrance yet, you shouldn't even be reading this or any review for Lush fragrances. Stick to your classic French composition or Arabian esoterica and leave the DIY vibes alone, as there is only disappointment for you here. As a note, this was originally released as a scent for B Never Too Busy to Be Beautiful, the short-lived artisanal perfume spin-off brand of brother Mark Constantine.

The opening of Dear John does indeed open with a puff of lime and bitter coffee, mostly conjured as a dry introduction to the richer and sweeter meats buried deeper within. The lime burns off alongside the coffee notes to reveal coriander and clove, the latter which merges wth some lavender and tonka to reveal the canned shave foam energy of fragrances like Rive Gauche pour Homme by Yves Saint Laurent (2003). Now before you go crazy, this isn't exactly a replacement for that long-lost and vaunted unicorn from the Tom Ford era of YSL, but Dear John will scratch some of the same itch. Ultimately, this is not a fougère, and goes differently with pine and cedarwood in the base, beefed up by a nutty vetiver oil that Lush likes to use, similar to what's in Smuggler's Soul (2014). There is a bit of musk in the finish here as well, and the whole thing wears beautifully soft but long at about 10 hours, making this the perfect cozy masculine extrait de parfum for cooler weather when you're tired of designers. There once existed an entire range of scented products for this but alas, they are ancient history anymore.

Dear John ended up in the black label range like so many Lush scents after they see a drop off in sales, not discontinued per se, just made in much more limited numbers and usually sold for much more money per ounce, released a couple times a year to physical stores and otherwise available only online from the brand. Very few Lush scents ever actually go away for good, and when they do, they tend to reappear as a black label scent for the old heads that love them. As such, Dear John may not be the best value unless you're a fan of the brand and particularly love what's being offered here. Sweet, rounded clove masculines sorta died out into the 90's, with things like Halston Catalyst (1990) being the last one out getting the lights until Rive Gauche pour Homme came along to mix up clove and fougère tones into a wearable perfume take on Barbasol. Dear John is once again a more vague scent-memory version of the style, but I think it warrants attention and love all the more for that reason. Thumbs up

A nice slightly spicy/fresh clove, with a bit of woodiness to it. Very wearable and I think it's a fair priced hidden gem!

It's not bad at all, but to me it smells like a bitter Eau de Cologne. In Lush style.

Gather round kiddies, whilst uncle relates a serendipitous tale of fragrant derring-do. My quest begins in John Lewis, fruitlessly seeking a sample of the new AdP. As usual, no sign of it. Crestfallen, I repair to the top floor cafe, seeking solace in an overpriced bacon sarnie. Loins girded, it's back to the fragrance section for another look-see. There's that new Spicebomb Intense! Not bad at all...bit much for summer though.

Emerging happier yet ultimately unfulfilled, I make my way to M&S, having heard tell of another sale. En route, I spy the Lush store and chance my arm, recalling great things about that new sandalwood, Smuggler's Soul. There it is! One spray to the right arm, jolly good. Oooh, bit skanky innit! Hang on, what's this? 'Death and Decay'. Sounds right up my olfactory alleyway. Two sprays to the left arm. Hmmm, that's nice. I'll see how this develops. Now on to M&S, before those heavily discounted green/beige t-shirts/slacks are sold out. Hello, a teapot for a tenner! Yes please! Lid's a bit fiddly but you can't argue with the price.

Oh my, this 'Death and Decay' is rather good! Shall I treat myself? Why not! I've paid more for samples! Back to Lush it is. What! There's an oil in the same scent! Dab, dab. Funny, smells nothing like it! Eh? I see... I misread the label earlier. I've been wearing 'Dear John' all along! Odd name, same as that limp 80s sitcom. Not sure I like this Death and Decay one. Lilies and jasmine. No, I don't. Shall I get Smuggler's Soul? Not today, don't be greedy.

Right, enough fannying about, I've run out of space for further testing anyway (goes to till).

My lucky find is a delightful, fresh, classical-styled citrus/vetiver, made more interesting by a dry, spicy foil provided by light clove and coffee notes. Nothing groundbreaking, no, but very decent. Safe as houses (except for cloveophobes, maybe), and would make a good inexpensive gift for any male relative who has outgrown his sweet tooth. Longevity good, projection lowish but adequate (from 8 sprays). Great for summer.

Review of the re-issue in 2010 by Gorilla Perfumes, previously B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful:

Lemon and lime opening that turns honey-like and then almost greasy smelling, sort of coconut-oily. The central arrangement of clove, coriander, cinnamon and nutmeg generates an unmistakable effect of… wait for it… Lebkuchen. But those Lush signature citrus notes adamantly refuse to let Dear John evolve into a properly gourmand treat. And that's not all: there's a weird, burnt match-like smell late in the day. All of which leads me to enquire, Dear John, what exactly would you like to be?

Starts off really zesty, spicy and crisp, really lovely, however that first impression is quite short lived, and the lime, pine and coriander fade into the background very quickly. All that's left afterwards is a boring and very standard soapy scent. Hugely disappointing, because it really smells great to start off with. I guess I was just expecting something more unusual and special, since that's what I love about LUSH scents. The staying power is pretty pathetic, after half an hour it's almost completely gone. The one thing I do like about this scent once it's dried down and almost faded is the sort of gourmand cookie note that comes out, however it's not listed in the notes so I'm not sure where that comes from.