I am now at the last of my samples and it is honestly a bit of a let down. This journey has been fun, educational and it stretched me into a new discovery zone. When I first smelled Haymaker off the atomizer tip, it hit me with this clean, soapy cedar that honestly smelled amazing. It was the kind of cedar that makes you want to spray immediately, sharp, fresh, and almost sparkling. But once it hit skin, that cedar and soap combo stepped way back and the top turned into a bright citrus and ginger bomb with almost a little menthol-type edge to it. For the first 30 minutes it felt like the opening was determined to stick around forever.
Eventually the ginger citrus eases up and lets the geranium peek through, and that’s where things start to settle into something really solid. A sweet amber starts to come in behind it, and that earlier soapy note creeps back in, cleaner, smoother, and honestly stellar at this point. This is easily the freshest of any sample I’ve tried from HappyLand. If E. J. Wells hadn’t made a freshie yet and decided to pour all of that fresh energy into one fragrance, it would smell like this.
About an hour in, the citrus steps into a supporting role and the cedar returns, rounded out by the amber that softens everything without making it heavy. Even with the warmth coming in, Haymaker stays incredibly fresh from the opening all the way into the dry down. Even a woody-amber base does not discourage it. So this one, my brothers, was an ultimate pay off!
With moderate projection for 3-4 hours, it will last on your skin throughout the rest of the day. For an evening out, one or two sprays to freshen it back up again and you are good to go.