Dancing the Night Away in Disco by Zernell Gillie
Perfume review
I walked into my local niche perfume shop one day after work with the intention to smell a fragrance house they did not carry. Sad. Instead, I was guided on a fresh, green, spicy journey that made me rethink my biases.
My most extensive prior experience with tea scents was Elizabeth Arden Green Tea. It never stood out to me as a must-have scent, just something light, fresh, and clean that sought no attention. This was something you sprayed when you wanted to make a polite impression. Other tea scents I’ve sampled also fell into the same category: inoffensive, muted, and grassy.
As I’ve aged, I’ve embraced bolder and spicier scents that may border on polarizing to those with sensitive noses. I’ve fallen victim to the dark amber, patchouli, tobacco scents that end up giving me a headache if I’ve accidentally oversprayed. The chase of the strong-but-not-overpowering scent is everlasting.
The happy medium between shy and bold scents, the scent family that I know I can always return to and find familiar enjoyment from, is citrus. In fact, the majority of my collection has citrus as a prominent element.
Imagine my surprise when I first sniffed this “tea” scent and I inhaled a perfect balance of fresh, spicy, citrus, with plenty of depth to round out the experience. *insert Thanos perfectly balanced meme* Had I known the notes before smelling, I most likely would have passed on the experience. Disco by Zernell Gillie was exactly what I wanted without knowing it. The tea note is fleeting and quickly overshadowed by the bergamot, but together they give freshness with some depth. As it dries down, it becomes spicier and deeper as the amber, lavender, and saffron come through. Throughout the day, it gradually becomes sweeter and woodier from the tobacco, patchouli, and cedar, still with hints of citrus and saffron peeking through. The name does evoke what a 70s disco could smell like: a diverse mix of sweet and masculine perfumes from the attendees twirling around the dance floor, with faint whiffs of tobacco from the smokers coming in and the ever-popular patchouli and citrus common in perfumes for all time. Unfortunately, no cocaine, booze, or sweat notes are present, but this was never supposed to be a “photorealistic” disco club scent.
In terms of wearability, Disco is not so pungent that it can’t be worn in a casual environment, but with heavier application it would be appropriate for an evening out. It does last through a whole day and can still be detected on skin the following day, kudos on its longevity.