Brown Girl Jane // Discovery Set // Individual Reviews Below
Brown Girl Jane is, by all accounts, #thatgirl for many in the #blackownedfragrance space. I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that the cleanliness of the overall brand design and vision didn’t elevate it to the next level. That was a lot of “didn’t” usage. Unlike some brands that may smell overly synthetic, or some that go a little too avant garde in the begin - Brown Girl Jane did stick in the lane of nice scents that don’t offend and delivered well.
Bahia // 6.5/10
We lived, laughed, and loved with gardenia notes… We really did. I love white florals, all except GARDENIA. This is no fault of the brand, of course, but gardenia always strikes me as just somewhat stomach turning unless dosed correctly. Bahia is far from the most offensive in this respect. It doesn’t screech and mercifully the gardenia fades into the background as a clean musk takes over. If I were to reach for a gardenia scent that (shockingly) stays away from the stomach churning waxiness that I don’t love about most modern gardenia scents, I’d stick with Gardenia Petale by Van Cleef, personally.
Casablanca // 6/10
Again, this is not an offensive scent. It starts off with an interesting combination of cardamom and marshmallow, but it dries down so quickly to a somewhat tart (think the mouthwatering quality of Ombre Leather) and powdery sweetness. It’s this linearity that I think I would find cloying throughout the day, sadly.
Lamu // 8/10
Surprising no one, a summery coconut citrus concoction is among my winners. Here I get the same gardenia note, thankfully turned down several notches so that it places nicely with a hint of lactonic coconut and citrus. This particular combination of coconut and citrus strongly reminds me of a flanker to Light Blue called Light Blue Sun, which I believe has been discontinued. Where the lemon and coconut of Light Blue Sun play the role of competing, albeit delicious, ice cream flavors in my cup, Lamu harmonizes these notes much more seamlessly. The whole Light Blue collection is my ride or die, but Lamu might just deprioritize Light Blue Sun for me.
Dawn // 5/10
Tart in a somewhat acrid way? The olfactory version of milk curdling due to a citrus fruit. Not unbearable but not enjoyable.
Dusk // 6/10
Almondy sandalwood. Safe, quiet, and somewhat creaming. Limited projection at best.
Dare // 7/10
Intriguing “earthy” leather and cherry combination. Subtle hint of something with a dirt-like quality I’m confused by I’m also impressed by it being something different.
