Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: A wonderful rich pound cake with loaded with heavy cream.
First impression out of bottle: Buttercream
Freshly applied: Cheap buttercream frosting
Drydown: Generic sweetness. Less cheap-smelling than at first but not special or expensive-smelling.
After several hours: Same
Longevity: High
Sillage: Low Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? I think a gourmand lover would find this to be uninteresting and for me, it doesn't compete with other great gourmands (from Cocoa Pink and other brands.)
Would an [X] hater love this? No this isn't going to convert a gourmand hater.
Where am I? Eating cheap gas station versions of Twinkies, not the real thing.
Where would I wear this? I wouldn't.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Cocoa Pink Medieval Review
Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog Fall/Winter (N/A Spring/Summer)
Notes: Raw sugar crystals, white rum, sweet fennel and orange blossom met with dark exotic myrrh.
First impression out of bottle: Rum, orange, and herbs.
Freshly applied: Powdery resiny myrrh and rum.
Drydown: Mmm the herby fennel really pops out here. I think the orange I smelled before was orange blossom mixed with fennel and making me think of an orange-fennel salad my friend once made. This is fresh, herbal, and sweet in a surprising, vegetal way. I like the combo of food-sweet from the sugar crystals and the earthy sweetness from the myrrh. Weirdly, and maybe again it's the scent association, but it almost smells savory like herbs in olive oil dressing.
After several hours: This loses some of its complexity and becomes more straight fresh/sweet.
Longevity: Medium
Sillage: Low Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? I think if you like licorice, anise, and fennel notes then this would be an unexpected twist. It smells like...salad...but also kind of sexy and earthy.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think if you hate herbs/fennel especially you will hate this. It's very unromantic, and honestly
Where am I? Eating fennel orange salad at a summer party.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, summertime, springtime.
Availability: General Catalog Fall/Winter (N/A Spring/Summer)
Notes: Raw sugar crystals, white rum, sweet fennel and orange blossom met with dark exotic myrrh.
First impression out of bottle: Rum, orange, and herbs.
Freshly applied: Powdery resiny myrrh and rum.
Drydown: Mmm the herby fennel really pops out here. I think the orange I smelled before was orange blossom mixed with fennel and making me think of an orange-fennel salad my friend once made. This is fresh, herbal, and sweet in a surprising, vegetal way. I like the combo of food-sweet from the sugar crystals and the earthy sweetness from the myrrh. Weirdly, and maybe again it's the scent association, but it almost smells savory like herbs in olive oil dressing.
 |
| Yummy fennel salad |
Longevity: Medium
Sillage: Low Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? I think if you like licorice, anise, and fennel notes then this would be an unexpected twist. It smells like...salad...but also kind of sexy and earthy.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think if you hate herbs/fennel especially you will hate this. It's very unromantic, and honestly
Where am I? Eating fennel orange salad at a summer party.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, summertime, springtime.
Cocoa Pink Bavarian Coconut Cake Review
Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Rich creamy custard cake sprinkled with toasted coconut.
First impression out of bottle: Sweet coconut
Freshly applied: Sickly sweet caramel coconut with butter
Drydown: Still a bit sickly, butter cake with coconut. Has kind of a rancid butter smell.
After several hours: Same as drydown.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium high
Would an [X] lover love this? I'm a gourmand lover and a coconut lover and I'm not a fan. I think Cocoa Pink can do milk/cream notes well, but the custard in this smells like scalded milk to me. Unpleasant. If you want to give it a try, I get the feeling it would be good on different skin chemistries.
Would an [X] hater love this? If you hate milk notes or custard notes because they tend to smell burnt or sickly to you, maybe give it a pass.
Where am I? Eating coconut mixed with burnt microwave popcorn butter.
Where would I wear this? I wouldn't wear it, but if it smelled more like what I imagined, I'd wear it for daytime and warm weather.
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Rich creamy custard cake sprinkled with toasted coconut.
First impression out of bottle: Sweet coconut
Freshly applied: Sickly sweet caramel coconut with butter
Drydown: Still a bit sickly, butter cake with coconut. Has kind of a rancid butter smell.
After several hours: Same as drydown.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium high
Would an [X] lover love this? I'm a gourmand lover and a coconut lover and I'm not a fan. I think Cocoa Pink can do milk/cream notes well, but the custard in this smells like scalded milk to me. Unpleasant. If you want to give it a try, I get the feeling it would be good on different skin chemistries.
Would an [X] hater love this? If you hate milk notes or custard notes because they tend to smell burnt or sickly to you, maybe give it a pass.
Where am I? Eating coconut mixed with burnt microwave popcorn butter.
Where would I wear this? I wouldn't wear it, but if it smelled more like what I imagined, I'd wear it for daytime and warm weather.
Cocoa Pink Signature White Review
Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: a blend of delicate shea blossoms, rice flowers, vanilla cream, sweet sugar and heliotrope with delicate undertones of amber and sandalwood.
First impression out of bottle: Clean sweetness.
Freshly applied: Sweet amber and floral pops out a little, reminds me a lot of Alkemia's Carmen VII at this point.
Drydown: Lovely medley of flowers, smooth clean cream, powdered sugar, and a hint of fruity-floral that reminds me a bit of lilac mixed with cherry/almond (from the heliotrope I believe.) I like the blend of food and non-food sweetness here. Very fresh and clean but soft and sweet, not at all laundry-like or zesty.
After several hours: Same soft, smooth clean white smell.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Low/Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? I think anybody who likes subtle scents will like this because it's so light but complex and fun. It's a wonderful and different "fruity-floral" that doesn't have too many obvious notes. Nothing competes, everything blends well.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think if you dislike fruity florals or florals in general, you might find this too princessy.
Where am I? A tea party with a white color scheme.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, summer, spring.
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: a blend of delicate shea blossoms, rice flowers, vanilla cream, sweet sugar and heliotrope with delicate undertones of amber and sandalwood.
Freshly applied: Sweet amber and floral pops out a little, reminds me a lot of Alkemia's Carmen VII at this point.
Drydown: Lovely medley of flowers, smooth clean cream, powdered sugar, and a hint of fruity-floral that reminds me a bit of lilac mixed with cherry/almond (from the heliotrope I believe.) I like the blend of food and non-food sweetness here. Very fresh and clean but soft and sweet, not at all laundry-like or zesty.
 |
| Like a white-themed tea party |
After several hours: Same soft, smooth clean white smell.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Low/Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? I think anybody who likes subtle scents will like this because it's so light but complex and fun. It's a wonderful and different "fruity-floral" that doesn't have too many obvious notes. Nothing competes, everything blends well.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think if you dislike fruity florals or florals in general, you might find this too princessy.
Where am I? A tea party with a white color scheme.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, summer, spring.
Comparison Post: Golden Corn Cakes vs. Potluck vs. Iowa
In comparison posts, I compare indie scents with similar notes lists. This allows me to cull my collection so that I have no repeats, and it may also be helpful for other people to decide which sounds most appealing.
The Contestants:
Possets Iowa (this one starts out with a crystallized vanilla...then there is a hint of turbinado sugar, and a large dose of an accord based on wheat...and a small amount of a whiskey-like addition) Permanent Collection
Haus of Gloi Golden Corn Cakes (Corn cake baked to a golden perfection, topped with butter and honey) Limited Edition Autumn
Cocoa Pink Potluck (True Southern-style cornbread set out next to our honeyed, buttered oatcakes and warm zucchini bread.)
General Catalog (Autumn/Winter) (N/A during Spring/Summer)
Scent Characteristics:
Iowa smells like an overcooked, crunchy cornbread cookie with a ton of butter. I'm surprised I enjoy the butter in here- it smelled rancid in Cream and Mrs. Rabbit's Carrot Cake, but it fits well in here. Like luxurious fresh salted butter, not the unpleasant microwave-popcorn note I got in the past. This smells like the brown underside of cornbread- not the yellow fluffy middle part, but the crispy edge.
Potluck starts out with a lot of zucchini/banana bread character. On the drydown, the prominent zucchini bread smell goes away and it's mostly oatcake and butter with a hint of cornbread. Sort of like a not-too-sweet spicy oatmeal cookie scent.
Golden Corn Cakes is a very well balanced, full-smelling honeyed butter and cake/bread smell. It smells of cornbread in the bottle, honey in the initial application and early dry stages, and the cornbread pops out again in the later drydown!
Iowa smells like an overcooked, crunchy cornbread cookie with a ton of butter. I'm surprised I enjoy the butter in here- it smelled rancid in Cream and Mrs. Rabbit's Carrot Cake, but it fits well in here. Like luxurious fresh salted butter, not the unpleasant microwave-popcorn note I got in the past. This smells like the brown underside of cornbread- not the yellow fluffy middle part, but the crispy edge.
Potluck starts out with a lot of zucchini/banana bread character. On the drydown, the prominent zucchini bread smell goes away and it's mostly oatcake and butter with a hint of cornbread. Sort of like a not-too-sweet spicy oatmeal cookie scent.
Golden Corn Cakes is a very well balanced, full-smelling honeyed butter and cake/bread smell. It smells of cornbread in the bottle, honey in the initial application and early dry stages, and the cornbread pops out again in the later drydown!
How similar are they?: These are very different in my opinion. I think that Iowa is the least cornbread-y of the three. It turns into that brownish burnt-edge smell that baked goods get. It's quite pleasant except that it turns "thin" near the end of its life. Potluck is a mishmash of different baked goods, and the spice turns it into a bit more of an oaty biscuit scent. They all have quite a bit of butter in them, which is successful in all three. Golden Corn Cakes is unique in that it's completely scrumptious. I can't stop sniffing it. It does have a common vibe with Potluck, but is more luscious.
Sillage: Golden Corn Cakes has the highest sillage, and the most robust/full scent that carries. Potluck has slightly less throw and is a bit "flatter." Iowa is harder to smell at a distance, and after it's sat on the skin for a while it really turns flat.
Longevity: Golden Corn Cakes has the best longevity and ages on the skin the best. It smells just as scrumptious throughout its entire life. It lasts the whole day. Iowa sticks around a long time, but not in a wearable form. After the golden-burnt opening it turns flat and blackened and even though I can smell it when sniffing my wrist, the actual scent isn't great for the rest of its life. Probably 5-6 hours of wear. Potluck has similar longevity to Iowa in that I can detect it for 6 hours, but it changes so much from the opening that I'm not really interested in what's left after a few hours. Mostly turns into a spiced oat smell after the first hour.
Destashing any?: I only have a sample of Iowa and Potluck but I'll probably destash them. I can't imagine ever craving a "cornbread" scent and reaching for either of these over the beautiful Golden Corn Cakes.
NAVA Polichenelle Review
Brand: NAVA
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Warm Woody Clove Smoke, Vanilla Bean & Marshmallow Extract, Indian Kewda Attar Incense, Amber and White Musk
First impression out of bottle: Damp woodsmoke, wood, and clove
Freshly applied: Wet, very sweet clove syrup and smoke
Drydown: As the perfume dries, the scent "dries out" too. Instead of being so wet and syrupy, this becomes a little rougher like split wood sprinkled with spices. The incense complements the sweetness but isn't the star player. The smoke is there grounding the clove, but it's not a HEY SMOKE scent. The marshmallow plays with the vanilla and it's got this sweet fluffy foodie thing that's so lovely without being sickly.
After several hours: Sweet, fluffy clove with a lovely spiced wood background
Longevity: High
Sillage: High
Would an [X] lover love this? Anyone who likes spice, especially clove, really needs this. It's a fresh/different take on a spice that has been done to death in a million holiday/foodie scents.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think even someone who shies away from spice will find this perfume wearable. The wood, smoke, and sweetness are all perfectly mingled with the dark, mysterious clove. This doesn't smell cliché or like anything you've smelled before.
Where am I? Toasting marshmallows in the wilderness and smelling clove cigarettes on the cold breeze.
Where would I wear this? This is one of those awesome perfumes that would work well in cold or warm weather. I could wear this for a nighttime event because it's sexy and bold, but it's not too spicy or brash, so I can wear this for daytime too. Especially because the smoke is so delicate and wouldn't make anyone think I'm burning toast.
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Warm Woody Clove Smoke, Vanilla Bean & Marshmallow Extract, Indian Kewda Attar Incense, Amber and White Musk
First impression out of bottle: Damp woodsmoke, wood, and clove
Freshly applied: Wet, very sweet clove syrup and smoke
Drydown: As the perfume dries, the scent "dries out" too. Instead of being so wet and syrupy, this becomes a little rougher like split wood sprinkled with spices. The incense complements the sweetness but isn't the star player. The smoke is there grounding the clove, but it's not a HEY SMOKE scent. The marshmallow plays with the vanilla and it's got this sweet fluffy foodie thing that's so lovely without being sickly.
 |
| Imagine this, but laden with sticky clove syrup |
After several hours: Sweet, fluffy clove with a lovely spiced wood background
Longevity: High
Sillage: High
Would an [X] lover love this? Anyone who likes spice, especially clove, really needs this. It's a fresh/different take on a spice that has been done to death in a million holiday/foodie scents.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think even someone who shies away from spice will find this perfume wearable. The wood, smoke, and sweetness are all perfectly mingled with the dark, mysterious clove. This doesn't smell cliché or like anything you've smelled before.
Where am I? Toasting marshmallows in the wilderness and smelling clove cigarettes on the cold breeze.
Where would I wear this? This is one of those awesome perfumes that would work well in cold or warm weather. I could wear this for a nighttime event because it's sexy and bold, but it's not too spicy or brash, so I can wear this for daytime too. Especially because the smoke is so delicate and wouldn't make anyone think I'm burning toast.
NAVA Carnival Arcane Review
Brand: NAVA
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Black Kettle Corn with tendrils of black spun sugar that weave, like a web, though ethereal funnel cakes drizzled with aged black Crystal vanilla musk, Crystalline Syrup and sweet & salty accords
First impression out of bottle: Fluffy Kettle Corn
Freshly applied: Salty-sweet popcorn, over an almost fruity syrup base. I don't smell Crystalline that much...it's fruity and a bit "thin" smelling.
Drydown: Still lovely Kettle Corn, but now the thin/fruity syrup smell has been replaced with a really nice musky sweet smell. Crystalline vanilla is generally a pure, fluffy, musky vanilla and that comes across here, but it's a bit less complex and more playful/cotton-candy-like. I think it's nicely balanced as-is, but I want more of the Kettle Corn scent. I think this would be dynamite with more dark, caramelized notes.
After several hours: Same fluffy soft savory-sweet. Like Rice Krispie treats and cotton candy.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? Gourmand lovers who like salty scents might enjoy this. I've never tried Sixteen92 Shadow Show but this sounds similar, without the metallic notes and earthy notes. It's very straightforward.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think gourmand haters won't like this. It's too straightforward and doesn't introduce any unexpected notes.
Where am I? Making carnival-themed treats for a kid's birthday party. Not actually at a real carnival though.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, spring, summer.
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Black Kettle Corn with tendrils of black spun sugar that weave, like a web, though ethereal funnel cakes drizzled with aged black Crystal vanilla musk, Crystalline Syrup and sweet & salty accords
First impression out of bottle: Fluffy Kettle Corn
Freshly applied: Salty-sweet popcorn, over an almost fruity syrup base. I don't smell Crystalline that much...it's fruity and a bit "thin" smelling.
Drydown: Still lovely Kettle Corn, but now the thin/fruity syrup smell has been replaced with a really nice musky sweet smell. Crystalline vanilla is generally a pure, fluffy, musky vanilla and that comes across here, but it's a bit less complex and more playful/cotton-candy-like. I think it's nicely balanced as-is, but I want more of the Kettle Corn scent. I think this would be dynamite with more dark, caramelized notes.
After several hours: Same fluffy soft savory-sweet. Like Rice Krispie treats and cotton candy.
 |
| Pink fluffy Kettle Corn |
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? Gourmand lovers who like salty scents might enjoy this. I've never tried Sixteen92 Shadow Show but this sounds similar, without the metallic notes and earthy notes. It's very straightforward.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think gourmand haters won't like this. It's too straightforward and doesn't introduce any unexpected notes.
Where am I? Making carnival-themed treats for a kid's birthday party. Not actually at a real carnival though.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, spring, summer.
NAVA Queen Amber Review
Brand: NAVA
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Egyptian Honey Incense warms the Amber glow of scent in an indelicate sense of chins held high, Golden Crowns shining in the sun, jewels of lazuli and gold sparkling to the heavens and on her wrists and behind her ears the gossamer of delicious honey and amber elixir
First impression out of bottle: Dark sticky honey and cinnamon spice
Freshly applied: Fantastic hybrid of foodie syrup and woodsy syrup notes. There is dark mustiness from sacred wood as well as a robust, caramelized, nutty honey note. The "cinnamon" impression isn't really cinnamon but a complex blend of nutty brown spice that is super intriguing.
Drydown: The deep woodsy resin notes are making me think of a super dusty and mysterious antique shop, with hidden magical treasures. The honey is still super strong, sweet, and syrupy-smooth. The nuttiness I talked about earlier is still there. It's like strong, earthy toasted nuts/wood.
After several hours: Sticky, spicy honey and dancing wood and resin notes.
Longevity: High
Sillage: High
Would an [X] lover love this? If you love resin scents. try this. It's totally unique and special while still highlighting what you love about amber. Honey-lovers also need to give it a chance, though it's sultrier and more exotic than you might be used to.
Would an [X] hater love this? If you think amber is "powdery" or sickly, think again. This is a totally sexy, earthy, sweet amber that is nothing like the soft skin scents you've tried.
Where am I? Drinking spiced tea with a huge dollop of honey in an antique shop, while talking to a woman who may or may not be a sorceress.
Where would I wear this? Nighttime, for sure. This is seasonless: the spice and nutty notes make it a holiday-friendly snuggly scent, but the bright sticky resin would be really great on a hot summer night as well. Year-round and all-occasion signature-scent worthy.
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Egyptian Honey Incense warms the Amber glow of scent in an indelicate sense of chins held high, Golden Crowns shining in the sun, jewels of lazuli and gold sparkling to the heavens and on her wrists and behind her ears the gossamer of delicious honey and amber elixir
First impression out of bottle: Dark sticky honey and cinnamon spice
Freshly applied: Fantastic hybrid of foodie syrup and woodsy syrup notes. There is dark mustiness from sacred wood as well as a robust, caramelized, nutty honey note. The "cinnamon" impression isn't really cinnamon but a complex blend of nutty brown spice that is super intriguing.
Drydown: The deep woodsy resin notes are making me think of a super dusty and mysterious antique shop, with hidden magical treasures. The honey is still super strong, sweet, and syrupy-smooth. The nuttiness I talked about earlier is still there. It's like strong, earthy toasted nuts/wood.
After several hours: Sticky, spicy honey and dancing wood and resin notes.
Longevity: High
Sillage: High
Would an [X] lover love this? If you love resin scents. try this. It's totally unique and special while still highlighting what you love about amber. Honey-lovers also need to give it a chance, though it's sultrier and more exotic than you might be used to.
Would an [X] hater love this? If you think amber is "powdery" or sickly, think again. This is a totally sexy, earthy, sweet amber that is nothing like the soft skin scents you've tried.
Where am I? Drinking spiced tea with a huge dollop of honey in an antique shop, while talking to a woman who may or may not be a sorceress.
Where would I wear this? Nighttime, for sure. This is seasonless: the spice and nutty notes make it a holiday-friendly snuggly scent, but the bright sticky resin would be really great on a hot summer night as well. Year-round and all-occasion signature-scent worthy.
NAVA Ghost Velvet Review
Brand: NAVA
Availability: Limited Edition NAVAlloween Pt. 1 2015
Notes: Our velvet blend (Haunted ghost-like Jasmine, vespers of Vanilla bean, soporific musk all weave the scent of Eternal Ankh Vanilla Absolute) with the utterly beautiful accord of our SL Crystalline. Thick, rapturous vanilla velvet blanket for a ghost to keep warm in the dead of night or as a cozy blanket of velvet scent
First impression out of bottle: Sweet, caramelized vanilla
Freshly applied: Gooey vanilla and a hint of flowers
Drydown: The gooey, caramelized vanilla dries into the characteristic NAVA Crystalline, which is a slightly musky, fluffy true vanilla. The jasmine pops out more and becomes a co-star with the dreamy vanilla. Like in the other Velvet blends, the jasmine is complemented by all the other notes and is made to feel more true/realistic despite not being a lone single note. This evokes a very fluffy, creamy, pure white jasmine. It smells sexy because it's jasmine, but it's not a sexed-up scent.
After several hours: Same creamy, intermingled jasmine-vanilla musk. It's now revealing these wonderful tropical, fresh nuances. There's now a note that reminds me of coconut cream.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium-high
Would an [X] lover love this? I think jasmine fans will really like this rendition
Would an [X] hater love this? I don't know if a jasmine-hater would like it, it's very pure and I can see where the vanilla (turning to coconutty vibes) might be a bit sweet and strong. I don't feel the scent itself is too assertive, but if your nose is bothered by sweet or white florals, maybe it's not for you.
Where am I? Hiking through the jungle to a really luxurious resort surrounded by waterfalls.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, summer, spring. It was released this fall but I really think I'll be getting a lot of use out of it with the warmer weather.
Availability: Limited Edition NAVAlloween Pt. 1 2015
First impression out of bottle: Sweet, caramelized vanilla
 |
| Creamy white vanilla |
Drydown: The gooey, caramelized vanilla dries into the characteristic NAVA Crystalline, which is a slightly musky, fluffy true vanilla. The jasmine pops out more and becomes a co-star with the dreamy vanilla. Like in the other Velvet blends, the jasmine is complemented by all the other notes and is made to feel more true/realistic despite not being a lone single note. This evokes a very fluffy, creamy, pure white jasmine. It smells sexy because it's jasmine, but it's not a sexed-up scent.
 |
| Pure white jasmine |
After several hours: Same creamy, intermingled jasmine-vanilla musk. It's now revealing these wonderful tropical, fresh nuances. There's now a note that reminds me of coconut cream.
 |
| Tropical, sweet, and fresh |
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium-high
Would an [X] lover love this? I think jasmine fans will really like this rendition
Would an [X] hater love this? I don't know if a jasmine-hater would like it, it's very pure and I can see where the vanilla (turning to coconutty vibes) might be a bit sweet and strong. I don't feel the scent itself is too assertive, but if your nose is bothered by sweet or white florals, maybe it's not for you.
Where am I? Hiking through the jungle to a really luxurious resort surrounded by waterfalls.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, summer, spring. It was released this fall but I really think I'll be getting a lot of use out of it with the warmer weather.
NAVA Kashmir Velvet Review
Brand: NAVA
Availability: Limited Edition NAVAlloween Pt. 1 2015
Notes: Our velvet (Haunted ghost-like Jasmine, vespers of Vanilla bean, soporific musk all weave the scent of Eternal Ankh Vanilla Absolute) blended eerily into the phantasm of red musk in our SL Kashmir. Nuances of blue Frankincense lie underneath pulsing with Blood Musk.
First impression out of bottle: spicy, almost edible dark jasmine
Freshly applied: Smooth soft vanilla-jasmine with a hint of the type of spice and sweetness you get from a root beer float.
Drydown: Sweet vanilla jasmine and red musk. NAVA's Kashmir note is a spiced red musk that is pretty divisive. I see people who adore it and people who hate it. To me, it's a root-beer-ish spicy smooth scent. Very much a strong "musky" note, but without the body odor nuance of some heavier musks. I personally like it in this blend, but I wouldn't say I'm the biggest fan. The jasmine in this is very smooth and "fantasy"-like. It's not a fresh, plant-y jasmine, nor is it a heavy indolic note. It smells like a clean bathroom with open windows surrounded by trellises draped in jasmine. It's soft, clean, sweet, and very pure. The Eternal Ankh vanilla note in the Velvets REALLY highlights the sweeter plush aspects of jasmine. The whole blend makes me think of draped red velvet robes, soft and lush.
After several hours: Same sweet musky vanilla jasmine, with slightly less spice from the Kashmir musk. I love that the spice in this isn't differentiated, it doesn't smell like cooking spice sitting on top of flowers. It smells of really fine Nag Champa. It doesn't have a smoky, strong incense smell, but if you are a fan of Nag Champa you'll recognize that same smooth duskiness in here. It's not at all overwhelming though, just a hint.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium-high
Would an [X] lover love this? A jasmine-lover would adore this. It is a jasmine blend, sure, but it ends up being one of the most accurate jasmine soliflores ever, because the red musk and vanilla enhance the natural aspects of the flower without overpowering it. And if you love nag champa and gentle incense smells, this will be a wonderful subtle blend for you to enjoy.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think jasmine-haters will find something they love here. Most jasmine-haters don't hate the scent of a jasmine flower, they hate the pale and stinky imitations that a lot of perfumes have. This is an unexpectedly pure jasmine that smells like the soul of the flower.
Where am I? Draping myself in pink velvet after taking a bubble bath with pure jasmine essences and oils, burning fine incense and luxuriating in all the wonderful scents.
Where would I wear this? Nighttime, daytime, spring, summer. I love this scent, and I think it's sexy enough for a date but not too slinky to make it inappropriate for daytime or work.
Availability: Limited Edition NAVAlloween Pt. 1 2015
Notes: Our velvet (Haunted ghost-like Jasmine, vespers of Vanilla bean, soporific musk all weave the scent of Eternal Ankh Vanilla Absolute) blended eerily into the phantasm of red musk in our SL Kashmir. Nuances of blue Frankincense lie underneath pulsing with Blood Musk.
First impression out of bottle: spicy, almost edible dark jasmine
Freshly applied: Smooth soft vanilla-jasmine with a hint of the type of spice and sweetness you get from a root beer float.
Drydown: Sweet vanilla jasmine and red musk. NAVA's Kashmir note is a spiced red musk that is pretty divisive. I see people who adore it and people who hate it. To me, it's a root-beer-ish spicy smooth scent. Very much a strong "musky" note, but without the body odor nuance of some heavier musks. I personally like it in this blend, but I wouldn't say I'm the biggest fan. The jasmine in this is very smooth and "fantasy"-like. It's not a fresh, plant-y jasmine, nor is it a heavy indolic note. It smells like a clean bathroom with open windows surrounded by trellises draped in jasmine. It's soft, clean, sweet, and very pure. The Eternal Ankh vanilla note in the Velvets REALLY highlights the sweeter plush aspects of jasmine. The whole blend makes me think of draped red velvet robes, soft and lush.
After several hours: Same sweet musky vanilla jasmine, with slightly less spice from the Kashmir musk. I love that the spice in this isn't differentiated, it doesn't smell like cooking spice sitting on top of flowers. It smells of really fine Nag Champa. It doesn't have a smoky, strong incense smell, but if you are a fan of Nag Champa you'll recognize that same smooth duskiness in here. It's not at all overwhelming though, just a hint.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium-high
Would an [X] lover love this? A jasmine-lover would adore this. It is a jasmine blend, sure, but it ends up being one of the most accurate jasmine soliflores ever, because the red musk and vanilla enhance the natural aspects of the flower without overpowering it. And if you love nag champa and gentle incense smells, this will be a wonderful subtle blend for you to enjoy.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think jasmine-haters will find something they love here. Most jasmine-haters don't hate the scent of a jasmine flower, they hate the pale and stinky imitations that a lot of perfumes have. This is an unexpectedly pure jasmine that smells like the soul of the flower.
Where am I? Draping myself in pink velvet after taking a bubble bath with pure jasmine essences and oils, burning fine incense and luxuriating in all the wonderful scents.
Where would I wear this? Nighttime, daytime, spring, summer. I love this scent, and I think it's sexy enough for a date but not too slinky to make it inappropriate for daytime or work.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Cocoa Pink Genevieve Review
Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: Fall/Winter 2015 (N/A during Spring/Summer)
Notes: Sweet milk, bourbon vanilla, sandalwood, burning sage & smoke
First impression out of bottle: Milk and toasted smoothness.
Freshly applied: Same toast-y milk scent with the bite of dried green sage. The sage is very warm and earthy here- not savory like turkey stuffing but herbal and clean like a witch's kitchen. A bit of tartness like Ava Luxe Milk (tart in a dairy way, not unpleasantly sour though.)
Drydown: More smooth toastiness now, like if you could have toasted rice krispie treats floating in a pool of cream. Really creamy and lush but not sugary. Love the pop of sage here. The smoke note is not super strong, it’s like a wisp of gray kitchen smoke. I love that this has a toasted scent without smelling burnt or woodsy. It's very light, soft, and clean, while having a pleasant earthy substance.
After several hours: Same but faded to a faintly smoky and sweet white skin scent.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium at first, then fades to a low but persistent skin scent after a few hours. Better throw and longevity than something like Caramel Popcorn Balls, which is weaker and softer.
Would an [X] lover love this? I think gourmand lovers would adore this. If you like herbs of any sort or faintly smoky scents, this is perfect.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think even people who shy away from milky scents and find they go sour will love it- this is so pleasant and inoffensively creamy
Where am I? Eating rice krispie treats in a witch's kitchen.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, work, weekend. It feels very warm and cozy for autumn, but I could wear it year round, honestly.
Availability: Fall/Winter 2015 (N/A during Spring/Summer)
Notes: Sweet milk, bourbon vanilla, sandalwood, burning sage & smoke
First impression out of bottle: Milk and toasted smoothness.
Freshly applied: Same toast-y milk scent with the bite of dried green sage. The sage is very warm and earthy here- not savory like turkey stuffing but herbal and clean like a witch's kitchen. A bit of tartness like Ava Luxe Milk (tart in a dairy way, not unpleasantly sour though.)
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| The sage here is not burnt in a blackened way, but pleasantly warm |
After several hours: Same but faded to a faintly smoky and sweet white skin scent.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium at first, then fades to a low but persistent skin scent after a few hours. Better throw and longevity than something like Caramel Popcorn Balls, which is weaker and softer.
Would an [X] lover love this? I think gourmand lovers would adore this. If you like herbs of any sort or faintly smoky scents, this is perfect.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think even people who shy away from milky scents and find they go sour will love it- this is so pleasant and inoffensively creamy
Where am I? Eating rice krispie treats in a witch's kitchen.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, work, weekend. It feels very warm and cozy for autumn, but I could wear it year round, honestly.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Alkemia Carmen 7 Review
Brand: Alkemia
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Spiced Pear, Lychee Fruit, Praline, Vanilla, Magnolia, and Amber
First impression out of bottle: Fruit, musk, amber. Fresh and girlish.
Freshly applied: A beautiful soft feminine vanilla pops out and amber becomes more prominent. It’s starting to smell like a mainstream amber-vanilla blend (not in a bad way.)
Drydown: The white florals are unfurling and there’s a sugared undercurrent that I think is the praline note mingled with the amber/vanilla. The fruits are also there now but it’s 30% fruity-floral and 70% vanilla-amber-sweetness. Very balanced. I love the magnolia in this. Overall, I’m reminded of some kind of sexy scent from Victoria’s Secret, only it’s more sophisticated and high quality. The amber is a very “clean” one and it smells of washed and powdered skin, not too sweet and a bit fresh. Almost like a clean cotton scent, but without the screechy laundry-detergent feel of that type of note. Reminds me of the "baby" undertone of certain Johnson & Johnson products, but NOT like baby oil. It really reminds me of that lavender baby body wash/lotion they sell in the purple bottle.
After several hours: Complex sweet muskiness.
Longevity: Medium high
Sillage: Medium high
Would an [X] lover love this? I think if you enjoy mainstream fruity-floral perfumes, or anything in the warm/amber/vanilla family, you will love this. Especially if you find yourself loving on some mainstream sweet/girly scents from the likes of Victoria's Secret or Bath & Body Works. It’s not strongly lychee or pear, so look elsewhere for true fruit scents of that nature.
Would an [X] hater love this? If you are generally opposed to sweet, girlish scents, this might turn you off. If you exclusively wear witchy, dark stuff, this won’t appeal. But I like both dark AND light things, and this is a perfect, non-cloying girly scent. Great for any friends who are not yet inducted into the creepy-fun world of indie perfume and would want something non-threatening and beautiful. Also great as a stocking stuffer for younger friends or family, as it’s not Baby Prostitute perfume, but would be appropriate for anybody from the ages of 13 onward.
Where am I? I feel like Gisele shooting a perfume commercial, wrapped in flattering golden pink lighting.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, weekend, probably out to dinner even because it's kind of sexy in a non-sexual way. Girly and super pretty.
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Spiced Pear, Lychee Fruit, Praline, Vanilla, Magnolia, and Amber
First impression out of bottle: Fruit, musk, amber. Fresh and girlish.
Freshly applied: A beautiful soft feminine vanilla pops out and amber becomes more prominent. It’s starting to smell like a mainstream amber-vanilla blend (not in a bad way.)
Drydown: The white florals are unfurling and there’s a sugared undercurrent that I think is the praline note mingled with the amber/vanilla. The fruits are also there now but it’s 30% fruity-floral and 70% vanilla-amber-sweetness. Very balanced. I love the magnolia in this. Overall, I’m reminded of some kind of sexy scent from Victoria’s Secret, only it’s more sophisticated and high quality. The amber is a very “clean” one and it smells of washed and powdered skin, not too sweet and a bit fresh. Almost like a clean cotton scent, but without the screechy laundry-detergent feel of that type of note. Reminds me of the "baby" undertone of certain Johnson & Johnson products, but NOT like baby oil. It really reminds me of that lavender baby body wash/lotion they sell in the purple bottle.
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| Something fresh, clean, and comforting |
After several hours: Complex sweet muskiness.
Longevity: Medium high
Sillage: Medium high
Would an [X] lover love this? I think if you enjoy mainstream fruity-floral perfumes, or anything in the warm/amber/vanilla family, you will love this. Especially if you find yourself loving on some mainstream sweet/girly scents from the likes of Victoria's Secret or Bath & Body Works. It’s not strongly lychee or pear, so look elsewhere for true fruit scents of that nature.
Would an [X] hater love this? If you are generally opposed to sweet, girlish scents, this might turn you off. If you exclusively wear witchy, dark stuff, this won’t appeal. But I like both dark AND light things, and this is a perfect, non-cloying girly scent. Great for any friends who are not yet inducted into the creepy-fun world of indie perfume and would want something non-threatening and beautiful. Also great as a stocking stuffer for younger friends or family, as it’s not Baby Prostitute perfume, but would be appropriate for anybody from the ages of 13 onward.
Where am I? I feel like Gisele shooting a perfume commercial, wrapped in flattering golden pink lighting.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, weekend, probably out to dinner even because it's kind of sexy in a non-sexual way. Girly and super pretty.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Haus of Gloi Golden Corn Cakes Review
Brand: Haus of Gloi
Availability: Limited Edition Fall (recurring)
Notes: Corn cake baked to a golden perfection, topped with butter and honey
First impression out of bottle: Savory cornbread with a hint of sweetness.
Freshly applied: Honeyed butter and toothsome cornbread. Heavy on the honey.
Drydown: Honey with a hint of savory gourmand-ness. It's quite a bright golden scent, not super toasted or dark. Sweeter than I expected, which is nice. More honey than anything else. Like a gourmand, autumn honey with a rich baked goods background.
After several hours: Mm I love the syrupy deep honey with slightly earthy golden bready cake background. It's a really balanced honeyed bread/cake scent that smells more homey and less exotic than Arcana Ganesh.
Longevity: Medium
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? I love honey and gourmands, this ticks all my boxes. It probably will suit your tastes if you like Arcana Yellow Cake, Ganesh, or Aestas. If you like Solstice Scents' sweeter stuff, this will also be a hit.
Would an [X] hater love this? Gourmand haters could give this a try, though I'll say it's straightforward and unsurprising as far as sweet, foodie stuff goes. This is a good, non-spicy fall gourmand but if you dislike or have issues with honey notes, this won't be for you.
Where am I? Eating corn muffins at home on a brisk fall day.
Where would I wear this? Autumn, winter, daytime, work, home. It's really cozy and sweet. I would even wear this for a date, because I think sweet gourmands like this go over well with dudes in general.
Availability: Limited Edition Fall (recurring)
Notes: Corn cake baked to a golden perfection, topped with butter and honey
First impression out of bottle: Savory cornbread with a hint of sweetness.
Freshly applied: Honeyed butter and toothsome cornbread. Heavy on the honey.
Drydown: Honey with a hint of savory gourmand-ness. It's quite a bright golden scent, not super toasted or dark. Sweeter than I expected, which is nice. More honey than anything else. Like a gourmand, autumn honey with a rich baked goods background.
 |
| Heavy on the honey and butter |
After several hours: Mm I love the syrupy deep honey with slightly earthy golden bready cake background. It's a really balanced honeyed bread/cake scent that smells more homey and less exotic than Arcana Ganesh.
Longevity: Medium
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? I love honey and gourmands, this ticks all my boxes. It probably will suit your tastes if you like Arcana Yellow Cake, Ganesh, or Aestas. If you like Solstice Scents' sweeter stuff, this will also be a hit.
Would an [X] hater love this? Gourmand haters could give this a try, though I'll say it's straightforward and unsurprising as far as sweet, foodie stuff goes. This is a good, non-spicy fall gourmand but if you dislike or have issues with honey notes, this won't be for you.
Where am I? Eating corn muffins at home on a brisk fall day.
Where would I wear this? Autumn, winter, daytime, work, home. It's really cozy and sweet. I would even wear this for a date, because I think sweet gourmands like this go over well with dudes in general.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Common Brimstone Cake or Death Review
Brand: Common Brimstone
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Luscious red velvet cake blends beautifully with elegant cognac for a delicious gourmand perfume experience
First impression out of bottle: Caramel
Freshly applied: Duncan Hines frosting- really cheap and with a food-coloring aftertaste/smell
Drydown: Stinky BO mixed with Duncan Hines chocolate frosting. Something super stinky and plasticky is making this turn awful on me.
After several hours: I couldn't keep this on for more than an hour.
Longevity: ?
Sillage: Low
Would an [X] lover love this? I'm a gourmand lover who loves almost all food scents. This one sucks and I hate it.
Would an [X] hater love this? A gourmand hater will certainly not be converted by this.
Where am I? I don't even want to talk about it. Maybe eating frosting from the jar at the sleepover after a high school track meet. Where I'm stinky and dirty and I don't even want the frosting, it's just...there.
Where would I wear this? Nowhere!
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Luscious red velvet cake blends beautifully with elegant cognac for a delicious gourmand perfume experience
First impression out of bottle: Caramel
Freshly applied: Duncan Hines frosting- really cheap and with a food-coloring aftertaste/smell
Drydown: Stinky BO mixed with Duncan Hines chocolate frosting. Something super stinky and plasticky is making this turn awful on me.
After several hours: I couldn't keep this on for more than an hour.
Longevity: ?
Sillage: Low
Would an [X] lover love this? I'm a gourmand lover who loves almost all food scents. This one sucks and I hate it.
Would an [X] hater love this? A gourmand hater will certainly not be converted by this.
Where am I? I don't even want to talk about it. Maybe eating frosting from the jar at the sleepover after a high school track meet. Where I'm stinky and dirty and I don't even want the frosting, it's just...there.
Where would I wear this? Nowhere!
Common Brimstone Abhaile Review
Brand: Common Brimstone
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Rich notes of carrot cake and hot chocolate create a luxurious feel, while chestnut and cinnamon keep this from being too sweet. A base of French vanilla completes the gourmand experience
First impression out of bottle: Carrot cake
Freshly applied: Mm, dark sweet carrot cake with a bit of nuttiness.
Drydown: There's something like spicy musk that's making this more than a simple "cake" scent. It's kind of a gingerbread scent but with a little twist. I like it a lot more than Possets' Mrs. Rabbit's Carrot Cake which was kind of rancid/buttery on me. The nuts and cinnamon are more prominent now. It smells like spicecake.
After several hours:
Longevity: Medium
Sillage: Low
Would an [X] lover love this? If you enjoy spicy/sweet gourmands with a twist this is a good one. It smells expensive. I wish the sillage were higher, but that's my only complaint.
Would an [X] hater love this? I don't know if a gourmand hater would like this. It's a little different than a literal cake scent, so perhaps the musky spiciness would be appealing.
Where am I? Eating spiced cake and wearing expensive nighttime perfume
Where would I wear this? Daytime, nighttime, autumn, winter.
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Rich notes of carrot cake and hot chocolate create a luxurious feel, while chestnut and cinnamon keep this from being too sweet. A base of French vanilla completes the gourmand experience
First impression out of bottle: Carrot cake
Freshly applied: Mm, dark sweet carrot cake with a bit of nuttiness.
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Drydown: There's something like spicy musk that's making this more than a simple "cake" scent. It's kind of a gingerbread scent but with a little twist. I like it a lot more than Possets' Mrs. Rabbit's Carrot Cake which was kind of rancid/buttery on me. The nuts and cinnamon are more prominent now. It smells like spicecake.
After several hours:
Longevity: Medium
Sillage: Low
Would an [X] lover love this? If you enjoy spicy/sweet gourmands with a twist this is a good one. It smells expensive. I wish the sillage were higher, but that's my only complaint.
Would an [X] hater love this? I don't know if a gourmand hater would like this. It's a little different than a literal cake scent, so perhaps the musky spiciness would be appealing.
Where am I? Eating spiced cake and wearing expensive nighttime perfume
Where would I wear this? Daytime, nighttime, autumn, winter.
Common Brimstone Constance Review
Brand: Common Brimstone
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: a comforting bakery blend of cookie dough, fresh baked bread, rich butter cream, butter, and a cup of white tea with a sprinkling of sugar.
First impression out of bottle: Buttery, slightly salty cookie dough
Freshly applied: Cookie dough made with super salty butter
Drydown: Buttery cookies and baked bread. This isn't horrible but I've smelled a lot of gourmand/bakery blends and this is just not super special. If it were a little more "voluptuous" or strong, it might be a great perfume, but it's a tad thin-smelling.
After several hours: Butter cookies, but very faint.
Longevity: Medium
Sillage: Low
Would an [X] lover love this? If you're a gourmand lover with high standards, I don't think this will cut it. It doesn't smell sophisticated or particularly realistic.
Would an [X] hater love this? I don't think gourmand haters will find anything new or exciting here.
Where am I? Sort of like sitting outside a kitchen where someone is baking a lot of different things. But not a very good depiction of it.
Where would I wear this? If it worked better on me, daytime, spring, fall
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: a comforting bakery blend of cookie dough, fresh baked bread, rich butter cream, butter, and a cup of white tea with a sprinkling of sugar.
First impression out of bottle: Buttery, slightly salty cookie dough
Freshly applied: Cookie dough made with super salty butter
Drydown: Buttery cookies and baked bread. This isn't horrible but I've smelled a lot of gourmand/bakery blends and this is just not super special. If it were a little more "voluptuous" or strong, it might be a great perfume, but it's a tad thin-smelling.
After several hours: Butter cookies, but very faint.
Longevity: Medium
Sillage: Low
Would an [X] lover love this? If you're a gourmand lover with high standards, I don't think this will cut it. It doesn't smell sophisticated or particularly realistic.
Would an [X] hater love this? I don't think gourmand haters will find anything new or exciting here.
Where am I? Sort of like sitting outside a kitchen where someone is baking a lot of different things. But not a very good depiction of it.
Where would I wear this? If it worked better on me, daytime, spring, fall
Common Brimstone Godfrey's Cordial Review
Brand: Common Brimstone
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: mixes poppies with honey, vanilla, cinnamon and clove.
First impression out of bottle: Powdery sweet baby oil
Freshly applied: Old-fashioned baby oil with a hint of spice
Drydown: There's a hint of soft gold honey, some spice, but it's mostly that round, musky sweetness that smells like really expensive baby oil. It's not gross and chemical-y or too sweet, but it smells SUPER babyish/old-fashioned. I actually don't hate it but I doubt I would wear this much. There's something more sophisticated and resinous that stops this from being a purely face-cream scent.
After several hours: Not much spice left, mostly sweet round baby oil. This is a very simple but expensive-smelling scent. It smells like a luxurious midcentury ladies cosmetic product.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? I think if you love the scent of baby oil, old-fashioned cosmetics (like Pond's Cold Cream, Nivea, etc), or powdery scents in general, you will love this.
Would an [X] hater love this? If you hate powdery scents, this is not for you. I like it a bit, but I'm sensitive to powder and it's a little simplistic for me. I think with a touch more spice I would enjoy it more.
Where am I? Applying Nivea/Ponds before bedtime in a sophisticated powder room.
Where would I wear this? To bed, daytime, spring, summer
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: mixes poppies with honey, vanilla, cinnamon and clove.
First impression out of bottle: Powdery sweet baby oil
Freshly applied: Old-fashioned baby oil with a hint of spice
Drydown: There's a hint of soft gold honey, some spice, but it's mostly that round, musky sweetness that smells like really expensive baby oil. It's not gross and chemical-y or too sweet, but it smells SUPER babyish/old-fashioned. I actually don't hate it but I doubt I would wear this much. There's something more sophisticated and resinous that stops this from being a purely face-cream scent.
After several hours: Not much spice left, mostly sweet round baby oil. This is a very simple but expensive-smelling scent. It smells like a luxurious midcentury ladies cosmetic product.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? I think if you love the scent of baby oil, old-fashioned cosmetics (like Pond's Cold Cream, Nivea, etc), or powdery scents in general, you will love this.
Would an [X] hater love this? If you hate powdery scents, this is not for you. I like it a bit, but I'm sensitive to powder and it's a little simplistic for me. I think with a touch more spice I would enjoy it more.
Where am I? Applying Nivea/Ponds before bedtime in a sophisticated powder room.
Where would I wear this? To bed, daytime, spring, summer
Sixteen92 Hecate Review
Brand: Sixteen92
Availability: Limited Edition Halloween 2015
Notes: Tart cranberry, benzoin, fir needle, dark chocolate, smoldering incense, dry leaves
First impression out of bottle: Dragon's Blood and chocolate-covered dried cherries
Freshly applied: Fruity and chocolatey incense. I loooove the Dragon's Blood note in here, it's a very warm red incense, almost fuzzy and slightly musky.
Drydown: While the opening smelled like a jug of Kirkland brand chocolate-covered berries, the drydown is more sophisticated. This is now a combo of kind of fresh tart fruit, a woodsy dark chocolate note, and still that strong incense. I really love this- it's mostly incense on me, with nuances of earthy and foodie notes. The fir and dry leaves provide a slightly darker, earthier background, but they're not super apparent as individual notes. Something about the tart cranberry, which lends some astringency, along with the sweet soft chocolate, wrapped in dusky incense is really magical. This is one of my favorite incense perfumes and I have a ton.
After several hours: Sweet incensey chocolate. This is way more complex and nuanced than Solstice Scents' Grey's Cabin, a chocolate incense smell which is one of the only SS scents I don't own in full size because it has a really flat feeling.
Longevity: Medium
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? I think anyone who enjoys berry scents, Dragon's Blood, incense in general, or even red musk (this has a similar warm fuzzy feel) will really love this.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think if you hate incense, this might be a good slightly brighter take on it. It's not ultra fresh or overly fruity, so if you particularly can't stand any incensey notes, this will likely not be for you. I find it far less headshoppy than I Saw Goody Procter With the Devil, so there's that.
Where am I? The cottage of a witch at Thanksgiving.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, weekend, evening. It's not super sexy but it has a dark feel that would work well at night. It feels very autumnal, I don't think I'd wear it come springtime.
Availability: Limited Edition Halloween 2015
Notes: Tart cranberry, benzoin, fir needle, dark chocolate, smoldering incense, dry leaves
First impression out of bottle: Dragon's Blood and chocolate-covered dried cherries
Freshly applied: Fruity and chocolatey incense. I loooove the Dragon's Blood note in here, it's a very warm red incense, almost fuzzy and slightly musky.
Drydown: While the opening smelled like a jug of Kirkland brand chocolate-covered berries, the drydown is more sophisticated. This is now a combo of kind of fresh tart fruit, a woodsy dark chocolate note, and still that strong incense. I really love this- it's mostly incense on me, with nuances of earthy and foodie notes. The fir and dry leaves provide a slightly darker, earthier background, but they're not super apparent as individual notes. Something about the tart cranberry, which lends some astringency, along with the sweet soft chocolate, wrapped in dusky incense is really magical. This is one of my favorite incense perfumes and I have a ton.
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| Hot, red, and incensey |
After several hours: Sweet incensey chocolate. This is way more complex and nuanced than Solstice Scents' Grey's Cabin, a chocolate incense smell which is one of the only SS scents I don't own in full size because it has a really flat feeling.
Longevity: Medium
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? I think anyone who enjoys berry scents, Dragon's Blood, incense in general, or even red musk (this has a similar warm fuzzy feel) will really love this.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think if you hate incense, this might be a good slightly brighter take on it. It's not ultra fresh or overly fruity, so if you particularly can't stand any incensey notes, this will likely not be for you. I find it far less headshoppy than I Saw Goody Procter With the Devil, so there's that.
Where am I? The cottage of a witch at Thanksgiving.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, weekend, evening. It's not super sexy but it has a dark feel that would work well at night. It feels very autumnal, I don't think I'd wear it come springtime.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Deconstructing Eden These Are the Days of Wine and Honey Review
Brand: Deconstructing Eden
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: The last of the sunflowers, rich honey and beeswax, tolu balsam, tonka bean, cedar, liatrix, palo santo wood, elemi essential oil, silky musk and of course, a splash of wine
First impression out of bottle: Dark sweetness
Freshly applied: Grape cough syrup/Flintstones vitamins
Drydown: Mm this is kind of swelling up and getting more voluptuous. DE scents tend to do that if they smell sharp at first. I'm getting a bit of citrus, a REALLY silky musk that smells almost like velvet, some woodsy brown notes, a bit of tobacco (liatrix is in the tobacco family), and a very sweet pinky red wine note. I can't say this reads super honeyed to me. It's more warm, golden, and like fresh beeswax.
After several hours: This scent smells very reddish-pink to me like a beautiful sunset. The harsh grape notes are gone and it's a pinky red golden scent, like warm fabric and smooth wine. This scent is languorous, luxurious, sexy in a bohemian way without relying on spice, incense, or patchouli.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? If you love wine scents, this is a really special, not-too-literal sweet wine scent with great honey and wood accents.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think even if you're not a huge fan of alcoholic or wine scents, this captures the warmth and color of a glass of wine without the harshness or the weirdness of wearing a scent inspired by alcohol.
Where am I? Lying in a field of warm golden grass, surrounded by friends drinking and eating.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, nighttime, summer, autumn, weekend. Probably not work although it doesn't actually smell like wine. But it gives me a really calm, afternoon-nap feeling which is not optimal for a workday.
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: The last of the sunflowers, rich honey and beeswax, tolu balsam, tonka bean, cedar, liatrix, palo santo wood, elemi essential oil, silky musk and of course, a splash of wine
First impression out of bottle: Dark sweetness
Freshly applied: Grape cough syrup/Flintstones vitamins
Drydown: Mm this is kind of swelling up and getting more voluptuous. DE scents tend to do that if they smell sharp at first. I'm getting a bit of citrus, a REALLY silky musk that smells almost like velvet, some woodsy brown notes, a bit of tobacco (liatrix is in the tobacco family), and a very sweet pinky red wine note. I can't say this reads super honeyed to me. It's more warm, golden, and like fresh beeswax.
After several hours: This scent smells very reddish-pink to me like a beautiful sunset. The harsh grape notes are gone and it's a pinky red golden scent, like warm fabric and smooth wine. This scent is languorous, luxurious, sexy in a bohemian way without relying on spice, incense, or patchouli.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? If you love wine scents, this is a really special, not-too-literal sweet wine scent with great honey and wood accents.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think even if you're not a huge fan of alcoholic or wine scents, this captures the warmth and color of a glass of wine without the harshness or the weirdness of wearing a scent inspired by alcohol.
Where am I? Lying in a field of warm golden grass, surrounded by friends drinking and eating.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, nighttime, summer, autumn, weekend. Probably not work although it doesn't actually smell like wine. But it gives me a really calm, afternoon-nap feeling which is not optimal for a workday.
Deconstructing Eden Shemhazai Review
Brand: Deconstructing Eden
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Frankincense, myrrh, French cypress, saffron, bergamot, teak wood, black pepper, sage, mahogany and oak moss.
First impression out of bottle: Frankincense and myrrh.
Freshly applied: Fruity green resins. Myrrh has kind of a warm, honeyed fruit thing going on, whereas frankincense has that green, almost pine-like aroma. I definitely smell the black pepper but it's not too much.
Drydown: Still bright and evergreen-y from the cypress. This smells a little fresh and green but also woodsy and brown. I would say this is a unisex scent. It smells like expensive aftershave. Very sexy and warm but fresh at the same time.
After several hours: Warm woodsy coniferous scent. Less herbal and complex than Deconstructing Eden Mercutio, and a bit damper.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? If you like evergreen/pine/cypress scents then you will love this. Or if you are a sucker for frankincense/myrrh combos, this is one of the best greenish ones I've tried.
Would an [X] hater love this? If you hate fresh scents, this has a warm undertone that makes it more wearable and not so EVERGREEN. The pepper is very subtle and just underscores the warmth along with the sage, so you don't end up smelling like roast chicken.
Where am I? Playing in a cypress grove on a warm day after taking a dip in a lagoon.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, outside, spring, summer, maybe into colder weather. I think this would be amazing on a man, and I don't love it as much on me because I go for sweeter florals.
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Frankincense, myrrh, French cypress, saffron, bergamot, teak wood, black pepper, sage, mahogany and oak moss.
Freshly applied: Fruity green resins. Myrrh has kind of a warm, honeyed fruit thing going on, whereas frankincense has that green, almost pine-like aroma. I definitely smell the black pepper but it's not too much.
Drydown: Still bright and evergreen-y from the cypress. This smells a little fresh and green but also woodsy and brown. I would say this is a unisex scent. It smells like expensive aftershave. Very sexy and warm but fresh at the same time.
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| Smells like a wet Darcy drying in the warm sun. |
After several hours: Warm woodsy coniferous scent. Less herbal and complex than Deconstructing Eden Mercutio, and a bit damper.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? If you like evergreen/pine/cypress scents then you will love this. Or if you are a sucker for frankincense/myrrh combos, this is one of the best greenish ones I've tried.
Would an [X] hater love this? If you hate fresh scents, this has a warm undertone that makes it more wearable and not so EVERGREEN. The pepper is very subtle and just underscores the warmth along with the sage, so you don't end up smelling like roast chicken.
Where am I? Playing in a cypress grove on a warm day after taking a dip in a lagoon.
Where would I wear this? Daytime, outside, spring, summer, maybe into colder weather. I think this would be amazing on a man, and I don't love it as much on me because I go for sweeter florals.
Deconstructing Eden Haunted Review
Brand: Deconstructing Eden
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Ghostly roses, ethereal lilacs and wisteria. Pale, pale Asian lilies on a soft bed of delicate woods and ambergris.
First impression out of bottle: Ladylike lilies and lilac
Freshly applied: Very lush white lilies. My dad hates the scent of lilies because they remind him of funerals, but I don't necessarily have that association. To me, lilies are very rich but also very clean. They remind me of expensive hotel bathrooms.
Drydown: Yep, still a bit bathroom-y. I don't think it's super soapy necessarily, but that clean scent just makes me think of bathrooms. I get the lilac and the wisteria, but I think those aren't helping the issue. It's a little old lady-ish but also a little soapy/not rich enough. It's not really giving me a ghostly impression, it's just like a ritzy hotel powder room.
After several hours: Same white clean floral lily scent.
Longevity: High
Sillage: High
Would an [X] lover love this? I think if you love the scent of lilies, you will really enjoy this. I love wisteria and lilac but they don't save the fragrance for me.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think if you are not a fan of funereal type flowers, this will definitely offend your sensibilities.
Where am I? Pink ladies' powder room.
Where would I wear this? To have afternoon tea. Daytime, spring, summer.
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Ghostly roses, ethereal lilacs and wisteria. Pale, pale Asian lilies on a soft bed of delicate woods and ambergris.
First impression out of bottle: Ladylike lilies and lilac
Freshly applied: Very lush white lilies. My dad hates the scent of lilies because they remind him of funerals, but I don't necessarily have that association. To me, lilies are very rich but also very clean. They remind me of expensive hotel bathrooms.
Drydown: Yep, still a bit bathroom-y. I don't think it's super soapy necessarily, but that clean scent just makes me think of bathrooms. I get the lilac and the wisteria, but I think those aren't helping the issue. It's a little old lady-ish but also a little soapy/not rich enough. It's not really giving me a ghostly impression, it's just like a ritzy hotel powder room.
After several hours: Same white clean floral lily scent.
Longevity: High
Sillage: High
Would an [X] lover love this? I think if you love the scent of lilies, you will really enjoy this. I love wisteria and lilac but they don't save the fragrance for me.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think if you are not a fan of funereal type flowers, this will definitely offend your sensibilities.
Where am I? Pink ladies' powder room.
Where would I wear this? To have afternoon tea. Daytime, spring, summer.
Deconstructing Eden Autumn ’15 (the Gourmand Version) Review
Brand: Deconstructing Eden
Availability: Autumn 2015 Limited Edition
Notes: Warm Autumn spices, a hint of cider, saffron, leather, tolu balsam, dark amber, cedar, maple leaves, moss and a drop of patchouli.
First impression out of bottle: Savory leather and apple cider
Freshly applied: New car leather, saffron (which always gives me a savory-spice feel), patchouli, and a teensy bit of apple.
Drydown: More warm spice coming out now- not just saffron but the traditional Autumn Spice kind of thing. There's a drop of golden sweetness from the amber I think, and it's a very well balanced sweet-spice-earthy-leather scent. I don't love leather but even I can appreciate how nice this smells.
After several hours: Similar to the drydown but sweeter and with a bit less leather. Lovely morph-y blend of woods/leaves, resin, spice, and leather. Unisex. Crisp leaves, a bit of apple, the leather of your boots, and various exciting woodsy smells.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium high
Would an [X] lover love this? I think somebody who likes leather would really enjoy this. It's a true leather scent, but it doesn't just smell like a handbag, it smells spicy and warm and softened by wear. If you like earthy scents, this is a surprising and very autumnal earthy scent that is light on the spice, so it's not generic at all.
Would an [X] hater love this? I'm a leather hater and I still find this...better than tolerable. I have worn it for a few hours and while it's not my favorite scent, I can still sniff it and appreciate it, rather than scrubbing it off.
Where am I? Taking a walk on a brisk but sun-warmed autumn afternoon.
Where would I wear this? Autumn, daytime, on a hike, to an outdoorsy event.
Availability: Autumn 2015 Limited Edition
Notes: Warm Autumn spices, a hint of cider, saffron, leather, tolu balsam, dark amber, cedar, maple leaves, moss and a drop of patchouli.
First impression out of bottle: Savory leather and apple cider
Freshly applied: New car leather, saffron (which always gives me a savory-spice feel), patchouli, and a teensy bit of apple.
Drydown: More warm spice coming out now- not just saffron but the traditional Autumn Spice kind of thing. There's a drop of golden sweetness from the amber I think, and it's a very well balanced sweet-spice-earthy-leather scent. I don't love leather but even I can appreciate how nice this smells.
After several hours: Similar to the drydown but sweeter and with a bit less leather. Lovely morph-y blend of woods/leaves, resin, spice, and leather. Unisex. Crisp leaves, a bit of apple, the leather of your boots, and various exciting woodsy smells.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium high
Would an [X] lover love this? I think somebody who likes leather would really enjoy this. It's a true leather scent, but it doesn't just smell like a handbag, it smells spicy and warm and softened by wear. If you like earthy scents, this is a surprising and very autumnal earthy scent that is light on the spice, so it's not generic at all.
Would an [X] hater love this? I'm a leather hater and I still find this...better than tolerable. I have worn it for a few hours and while it's not my favorite scent, I can still sniff it and appreciate it, rather than scrubbing it off.
Where am I? Taking a walk on a brisk but sun-warmed autumn afternoon.
Where would I wear this? Autumn, daytime, on a hike, to an outdoorsy event.
Deconstructing Eden Catherine de Medici Review
Brand: Deconstructing Eden
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Oakmoss, precious woods, spices and cinnamon in the base. Ripe peaches, jasmine sambac and roses in the heart and top notes of very understated citrus and bergamot.
First impression out of bottle: Cranapple cocktail juice
Freshly applied: White floral room spray, peach brandy, and cinnamon
Drydown: The moss is more apparent now. It smells like an autumnal table decoration with dried moss, spices, and some fruits scattered around. I would say the spicy green moss is the strongest note at this point. The peach takes on a more peach-gummy feeling and settles into the background along with the jasmine. Part of me likes this and part of me thinks this smells like a crafts store in September! I think this would be an awesome room scent, but I don't know that I want to smell like it.
After several hours: Still similar to the original drydown, but the peach comes back a little more. I get a bit of fragrant wood now and some voluptuous sweet jasmine. Kind of weird because I definitely don't associate jasmine with autumn, but it's also kind of interesting. This is now a peach/jasmine/oakmoss/wood scent with a very small hint of cinnamon but not too much.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? If you like jasmine, this is a bizarre but really pretty and unexpected take on it. This is a really cool dry oakmoss scent, so if you are looking for a sweet, dry oakmoss thing this would be great.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think if you hate moss notes, this will be too dusty/mossy for you. The peach and jasmine are really pretty but subtle in here so they may not redeem the scent for you.
Where am I? At a pumpkin patch/hay festival. Wearing jasmine perfume.
Where would I wear this? Maybe to carve pumpkins. It has a really weird feel like I could ONLY wear it on the hot Indian Summer days of September/early October and NO OTHER TIME of the year.
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Oakmoss, precious woods, spices and cinnamon in the base. Ripe peaches, jasmine sambac and roses in the heart and top notes of very understated citrus and bergamot.
First impression out of bottle: Cranapple cocktail juice
Freshly applied: White floral room spray, peach brandy, and cinnamon
Drydown: The moss is more apparent now. It smells like an autumnal table decoration with dried moss, spices, and some fruits scattered around. I would say the spicy green moss is the strongest note at this point. The peach takes on a more peach-gummy feeling and settles into the background along with the jasmine. Part of me likes this and part of me thinks this smells like a crafts store in September! I think this would be an awesome room scent, but I don't know that I want to smell like it.
After several hours: Still similar to the original drydown, but the peach comes back a little more. I get a bit of fragrant wood now and some voluptuous sweet jasmine. Kind of weird because I definitely don't associate jasmine with autumn, but it's also kind of interesting. This is now a peach/jasmine/oakmoss/wood scent with a very small hint of cinnamon but not too much.
Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium
Would an [X] lover love this? If you like jasmine, this is a bizarre but really pretty and unexpected take on it. This is a really cool dry oakmoss scent, so if you are looking for a sweet, dry oakmoss thing this would be great.
Would an [X] hater love this? I think if you hate moss notes, this will be too dusty/mossy for you. The peach and jasmine are really pretty but subtle in here so they may not redeem the scent for you.
Where am I? At a pumpkin patch/hay festival. Wearing jasmine perfume.
Where would I wear this? Maybe to carve pumpkins. It has a really weird feel like I could ONLY wear it on the hot Indian Summer days of September/early October and NO OTHER TIME of the year.
Deconstructing Eden Black No. 1 Review
Brand: Deconstructing Eden
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Milk white skin, a haze of clove cigarette smoke, burning leaves and the blackest patchouli in my collection
First impression out of bottle: Spiced smoke
Freshly applied: Sweet smoke, spice, and patchouli
Drydown: Man I love how almost JUICY the patchouli is in here. I never thought I'd enjoy such a strong patch note but I do. It's altered by the haze of clove smoke (it REALLY does smell hazy!) and it almost starts to smell like those spiced pinecones that people decorate with in the wintertime. A little green and resiny, a little spicy and brown. I was expecting a much drier scent than this. It's sweet and dark and a bit fresh, but also a little spicy. It's not as smoky as you'd expect- more like toasted cloves than real smoke.
After several hours: FACCCCKKK. I understand it now. I *get* patchouli, completely and entirely. I feel like this scent is 80% patchouli, but it's delicate, juicy, like a crushed green leaf. There's a bit of clove and spice, but really it's all just ephemeral ingredients writhing around the patchouli and conspiring to make it smell absolutely glorious.
Longevity: High
Sillage: High
Would an [X] lover love this? A patchouli lover would be like YEAH BUDDY and bathe in this.
Would an [X] hater love this? A patchouli hater would smell this and be like WAIT A MINUTE, IS THAT YOU, PATCHOULI? Everyone needs to try this.
Where am I? Heading home from a death metal concert by way of a dark forest path after a rainstorm.
Where would I wear this? I love the juicy earthiness, so I would absolutely wear this during the day. To me it's so green it doesn't read sexy/nighttime but for a man, it might be. I prefer sweeter scents for night wear, but this is a year-round one for me.
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Milk white skin, a haze of clove cigarette smoke, burning leaves and the blackest patchouli in my collection
First impression out of bottle: Spiced smoke
Freshly applied: Sweet smoke, spice, and patchouli
Drydown: Man I love how almost JUICY the patchouli is in here. I never thought I'd enjoy such a strong patch note but I do. It's altered by the haze of clove smoke (it REALLY does smell hazy!) and it almost starts to smell like those spiced pinecones that people decorate with in the wintertime. A little green and resiny, a little spicy and brown. I was expecting a much drier scent than this. It's sweet and dark and a bit fresh, but also a little spicy. It's not as smoky as you'd expect- more like toasted cloves than real smoke.
After several hours: FACCCCKKK. I understand it now. I *get* patchouli, completely and entirely. I feel like this scent is 80% patchouli, but it's delicate, juicy, like a crushed green leaf. There's a bit of clove and spice, but really it's all just ephemeral ingredients writhing around the patchouli and conspiring to make it smell absolutely glorious.
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| Wet, wonderful patchouli |
Longevity: High
Sillage: High
Would an [X] lover love this? A patchouli lover would be like YEAH BUDDY and bathe in this.
Would an [X] hater love this? A patchouli hater would smell this and be like WAIT A MINUTE, IS THAT YOU, PATCHOULI? Everyone needs to try this.
Where am I? Heading home from a death metal concert by way of a dark forest path after a rainstorm.
Where would I wear this? I love the juicy earthiness, so I would absolutely wear this during the day. To me it's so green it doesn't read sexy/nighttime but for a man, it might be. I prefer sweeter scents for night wear, but this is a year-round one for me.
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