NAVA Black Crystal Candy Apple Review

Brand: NAVA
Availability: Limited Edition Halloween 2015
Notes: Black Vanilla and Black Vanilla Musk dust the apples and sweet plum infuses the scent from far beneath. Black Musk and Black Amber swirl around the apples as if magick has been cast to create a black crystal candy apple fit for a witch

First impression out of bottle: Fresh, crisp apple, like the scent of biting into a beautiful crisp Fuji.

Fresh, watery apple

Freshly applied: Same juicy, crisp apple, with a hint of purple fruit (plum) and now there's a gorgeous blackened musk and amber swaddling the crisp fruit notes. Predominantly amber, very little bit of musk

Drydown: The apple in this reminds me very much of Solstice Scents Cellar, but without the stone note that I hate. It has that almost watery, transparent apple juice scent. The musk is making it a bit spicy and blackened, and the amber smells kind of dusty and golden, almost like hay.

After several hours: This dries down to a slightly fruity musk-amber combo. I'm glad this one is more juicy and fruity up front, vs. Black Crystalline Black Fig which was ALL MUSK from the beginning. However this shares a similar dark musk character with the Fig perfume. I don't know if I love it unreservedly, but I like it better in this application. Compared to Black Santalum Cider this is far fresher and more perfumey. That one is evocative and realistic, this one is more of a perfumer's interpretation of apple. 

Fruity, non dusty amber and musk

Longevity: Several hours. Not bad, but not as good as NAVA's heavier offerings 
Sillage: Low-medium. Not heavily spiced, so I don't get the cloud of autumn scent thing going on but the musk and amber give it a strength that a pure-apple scent wouldn't have.

Would an [X] lover love this? Uh, would an apple lover love this? Most definitely. This is juicy apple without the soapy note many plain apple scents have. I don't know why I expected a caramel apple scent, but it is not that. It has sweet notes, yes, but it's mainly fresh apple with musky amber, and it's gorgeous.

Would an [X] hater love this? This would be great for someone who likes fresh apple in real life but finds apple perfumes fall short of their expectations. But if you hate the scent of apples, this is a bit too straightforward. It's not going to change hearts or minds for those who dislike apples IRL.

Where am I? Biting into a crisp, perfect apple on a fall morning, while wearing an elegant golden amber musk perfume. 

Where would I wear this? This scent screams Autumn and daytime to me. I could definitely wear it in the springtime as well, as it has that fresh cool feel, and no spice notes that read Autumn-exclusive.