Bohoboco Polish Potatoes

created with Ideogram AI and Adobe Photoshop

 Bohoboco Polish Potatoes

Beetroot, Leather, Wheat, Pine, Grass, Potato, Clove, Rose, Heliotrope, Earthy Notes, Soil Tincture, Patchouli, Amber, Benzoin, Vanilla, Oud, Honey, Birch, Hay, Labdanum

As a second-generation Polish American, I was intrigued by the idea of a fragrance that smelled of potato. I wasn't sure how it would work, but I did know that it was likely to be patchouli-forward, as patchouli can smell very much of damp earth, much as potatoes do. I toyed briefly with blind buying Bohoboco Polish Potatoes, but after watching a rather enthusiastic IG video by Blu Blazer Guy in which he extolled the scent's virtues but also warned that it was rather on the strong side, it seemed more prudent to obtain a sample first. And whew, it is powerful, definitely heading into #beastmode territory if more than a couple of gentle spritzes are applied. That's not necessarily a bad thing if you like patchouli (me) but it's horrifying for those who don't (my husband). 

There are a lot of notes listed for this fragrance, but the vast majority of them don't request your attention. It's predominately a patchouli fragrance, bolstered by additional soil-like notes. I'd call it a dirt patchouli, but not a dirty patchouli. It has a clean earthiness, like a chocolate-y patchouli, but with all the warm cocoa-y aspects removed.

Now to answer the most essential question: does this actually smell like potatoes? Yes! But only for about 20 seconds. Within the plethora of dirt-like notes (the beet in addition to "earthy notes," and "soil tincture") there's a moment early on when a noticeable mushroomy/mildewy something peeks out, smelling very much like a raw, freshly cut, potato. Then it disappears, to be replaced by a somewhat similar, cool and dusty leather note. Interestingly, another type of potato-y scent comes in later in the drydown when vanilla makes an appearance. Did you know that vanillin, the chemical that makes vanilla smell so delicious and, well, vanilla-y, is found in potato peels? (This explains why baking jacket potatoes smells so wonderful.) The vanilla is mingled with ambery notes, making Polish Potatoes a bit softer and (a bit) less about the patchouli. 

Polish Potatoes is actually pretty nice and kinda cozy It's nowhere near as weird as it could be, but I'm also going to say it's not as wearable as it should be. Were it a bit less obnoxiously loud, I think I could get away with wearing this on a cold day. Patchouli + vanilla is never a bad thing. If this came in an EDT formulation, I'd buy it, but as it comes currently, it's a bit too #scentmaxxing.

-----------------------
Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.