We Are The Martians

We Are the Martians is a tribute to Mars from AromAtom, the space-themed line of astrobiologist and perfumer Marina Barcenilla. The real smell of Mars would be acrid, dusty and rusty, so she left that to the classroom and kept the alien, metallic dustiness, then added the warm, comforting smells of home that astronauts might carry with them. It opens boldly on leathery saffron and dry black pepper, with cardamom warming everything gently. A cold metal accord comes through next, paired with smoke and a spicy guaiacwood that give an otherworldly, dusty smokiness. The base is resinous: frankincense, soft cashmere wood and a sweet amber musk that keeps the cardamom friendly rather than bitter. Votes are few. Both voters on longevity say moderate and all three on sillage say moderate, and every voter on time of day chose night. Autumn and winter suit it best, spring in cool weather, and summer is not its season. It is a distinctive scent rather than a background one, so try it before buying a bottle. The eau de parfum comes in 2 ml and 50 ml, with the 50 ml at 75 pounds. It suits people who like spice, smoke and resin with an unusual cold-metal twist, and it sits at the far end of the AromAtom range from the forest scent Ground Control.