Prism Head

Lemon squeezed over damp mushrooms sounds like a mistake, but here it opens the door to an entire underworld. SARAH BAKER Prism Head is a deep, earthy perfume that lets a sharp beam of light through the darkness.

Mushrooms, geosmin, and lemon arrive almost simultaneously. Geosmin provides the smell of wet earth, mushrooms a fleshy dampness, and lemon cuts through the scene with a freshness that isn't joyful, but electric.

Miguel Matos places cannabis and costus beneath the surface. Their vegetal, carnal, and somewhat untidy warmth waits like a storm, while musk and vetiver spread a twilight, dry cloud around the center.

Later, frankincense and patchouli take on a larger role. They give the composition a smoky, earthy seventies vibe, like an object found in a crevice between time and place.

On the skin, the lemon first clashes with the dampness, then becomes merely a pale reflection above the frankincense and vetiver. It's not for lovers of clean citruses or tame earthy scents; the mushroom and costus are not hidden here.

Prism Head ends like a prism buried in wet earth: you no longer see the source of light, but the lemon's ray still breaks the darkness over smoke and patchouli.