Rain, grass, dirt. These scents can invoke an intense reaction to a person, especially somebody who is allergic to so many of the scents that she loves! But oh, do I love those scents. As the seasons change and summer's musky, dry heat switches to the crisp smell of wet, decaying leaves of fall, I'm always amazed by how much a single scent can bring me back to a different time of year.

Being a fan of fragrances, I'm no stranger to Demeter, a fragrance company that prides itself on producing singular scents that evoke a memory or an emotion. Their top 30 most popular scents include things as memorable as Jasmine, Baby Powder and Gin & Tonic, while also including more curious scents like Moonbeam, Sunshine and Holy Water. But no matter how obscure or rare the scent, they seem to hit it out of the park every time. In the past I've owned sweeter fragrances like White Russian and Birthday Cake, but as I get older, my nose for fragrances have evolved and recently I've been more interested in unisex scents and musks.

When Demeter asked me to choose a scent memory that went way, way back, I knew I had to choose Thunderstorm. I was always that kid who was excited by the rain. I'd throw on a pair of galoshes and a raincoat and was good to go. I desperately love how you can smell a thunderstorm coming from miles away, and how the smell can linger for hours. When I received my custom blending kit from Demeter, I was curious to pair that recognizable scent with their suggested companions: Sandalwood and New Leaf.

The scent memory invoked by Thunderstorm was everything I imagined. The aroma of wet dirt, wet leaves, and that humid fresh scent that lingers in the air. A quick review on Fragantica reveals that Thunderstorm is a truly formidable fragrance to layer, especially with other scents, so I need to get to work with my experiments!

Sandalwood is probably the most sandalwood-y scent I've ever smelled, beyond legitimate sandalwood. I was reminded of The Nose and Alessandro Gualtieri's hunt for the perfect sandalwood. My nose isn't as complex as his, but I think this one really does the trick! It's woodsy and musky, without being too strong. A single spritz is all you need. Sandalwood is great because it felt like a true unisex scent if used sparingly. I felt like I could wear it layered with a softer, floral scent or alone. I paired it with Thunderstorm but felt it was too strong for me, but my boyfriend really liked the combination so he might use it every once in awhile.

New Leaf is the most curious of the three. To me, it smells like fresh green grass, or a newly sprouting green plant. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but this isn't a scent I'd be willing to put on my body, I'd smell like a garden! However, I love this fragrance as a room freshener. It brightens up a room really quickly.

I think one of my favourite things about Demeter is that they are multi-tasking scents. For example, I use my bottle of White Russian as a personal fragrance as well as a room fragrance when the mood strikes, and I find it worksreally well. I'm not certain if I will use New Leaf ever as a personal fragrance just yet, until I find something else to blend with them, but Sandalwood and Thunderstorm are definitely going to join my personal fragrance rotation in the near future.

If you're a Demeter fan like me, what's your favourite scent? Is it Wet Garden, Gardenia or even LOBSTER? Let me know!

You can find Demeter Fragrances in Toronto at Outer Layer or online at Demeter.

Note: This product was received for review purposes, but all opinions are my own.