Steamed Rainbow

Another nostalgic fragrance I ordered and adore!! Got this due to people saying it smells like a pool, which is one of my favorite scents, and I couldn't agree more! However, I feel like this smells more like a blow-up pool full of hose water than a hotel pool, but that isn't at all a complaint! Very fresh, slightly metallic and rubbery, and very layered and unique!

Such a lovely, if somewhat ephemeral, scent. It's so interesting how the notes here combine to make something completely different than its components, i.e., the humid scent of water vapor rising from a freshly watered lawn on a warm, sunny day. It's so serene and delightful to be suspended in that ethereal, dewy moment where that is all you smell. If you let your mind pick it apart too much, it will, and you'll start to smell the violet and the mandarin and the mirage falls away. But allowing yourself to live in that moment where you are suspending your disbelief is what the art of perfume is all about. Very creative, unique, and successful as a fragrance, not just art for the sake of art. 9.5/10.

I didn't think I could find a fragrance I like less than The Soft Lawn (IA, 2021) but here we have it. The absolute worst smelling, musty, mildewy mess of a fragrance I have ever sniffed. If you have ever wondered what a backed up garbage disposal left for a month might smell like, look no further than Steamed Rainbow. This is the first and only D.S. & Durga fragrance I have ever smelled, and while I am still curious about the brand, this one really threw me off. I love a stinker, but this is just a mess.

This scent is definitely experimental, which I love since a lot of the scents I choose emulate a memory or a place I've been. The vapor notes mixed in with some of the grass and resin remind me of the spring and summer seasons in south Florida I've experienced as a kid. It definitely gives liminal space as a scent while still being clean and appealing. I think of how much swimming I've done in chlorine pools, playing in the playgrounds at parks, and even the smell of humidity and pretrichor during hurricane season. A must-have, I may say.

I can imagine how this scent might appeal to people who live in a dry climate. I’ve heard people describe the scent as being reminiscent of the air when stepping off a plane in a tropical locale. However, if you live somewhere like the PNW, as I do, this scent might just remind you of the musty basement suite you lived in in your early 20s, or the eternally damp towels in your bathroom. All that being said, I do find that there is something very intriguing about this scent. It does have a cool factor. But if it reminds you of a damp used bath towel, it might not be something you’re gonna want to wear.

This scent is unreal, telling a specific and nostalgic story I can hardly believe. It opens with a plastic smell - think brand new pool toys or a Slip 'n Slide - then settles into petrichor and vetiver, transporting me to May in a Mediterranean climate. In Portland, we call this false spring, with fleeting patches of humid sunshine amid hailstorms. Steamed Rainbow reminds me of manicured gardens, wild forest trails, and a blooming lupine patch behind the Linnton Community Center. A couple of hours later, it smells like the end of a sunny day by water - warm, aquatic, and uniquely floral. Unforgettable.

Initially, I had no idea what to expect when I received a fragrance sample. However, I was pleasantly surprised! It's like taking a dip in a fruity, floral, steamy bubble with a dash of vanilla. The scent is perfect for a girl’s night out or a date night during the fall and winter season. I even layered it with Baccarat 540, and it complemented it very well. I'm completely sold and ordering a full-size bottle right away!