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

Creamy white 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.

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.

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. 

Deconstructing Eden Theodora Review

Brand: Deconstructing Eden
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Bulgarian rose absolute, Indian jasmine absolute, sandalwood, dragon's blood, frankincense, purple plums, Madagascar ginger, and precious spices

First impression out of bottle: Fruity Dragon's Blood

Freshly applied: Dragon's Blood, berries, and a hint of ginger and whiskey (sometimes DE scents with spice in them smell like whiskey on me!)

Drydown: Unfortunately, this is one of the DE scents that first takes a funky turn on me. There are very few but this is similar to Jasmine House, which turned to straight coriander and whiskey on me. I have a very similar impression from the initial drydown of Theodora. 

After several hours: So the nice thing about DE scents is even when they don't work on me, the drydown is always fabulous. In this case, it doesn't take too long (maybe 5 min) for the scent to morph out of its SPICED WHISKEY loudmouth opening into something far tamer. This turns into a slightly alcoholic (like wine and maybe a hint of brandy) purple-fruit incense scent. Dragon's Blood usually smells "red" and "dry" to me but here it smells VERY purple and almost damp and juicy. I don't get a lot of individual rose or jasmine, but I do smell a faint floral background. I definitely smell a bit of fresh ginger, which is a really nice addition. This is not overwhelmingly incense (maybe 40-50%) and it doesn't smell smoky or powdery. Just very smooth and sexy. 

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium

Would an [X] lover love this? I think incense and plum/berry lovers will really enjoy this. It's not too juicy, not too dry, just perfect.

Would an [X] hater love this? Even if you think you dislike incense or Dragon's Blood, give this a try. I prefer Nag Champa to Dragon's Blood but this blend won me over. Sometimes the note can be too dry, too musky, but this is a very elegant and sexy version.

Where am I? A dimly lit purple tent filled with fruit, incense, and booze

Where would I wear this? Weekend, daytime, nighttime, autumn, winter, spring, summer. I think I might wear this at work but it's not really a work-mood kind of scent. I would put this on to lounge at home but also to go out on a nice date.

Deconstructing Eden Lady Nada Review

Brand: Deconstructing Eden
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Pink lemonade jasmine, pink roses and udambara blossoms

First impression out of bottle: Pink lemonade, like the ultra concentrated sweet and slightly tart stuff from a chain restaurant.

Mmm zesty.

Freshly applied: Delicious pink lemonade mixed with a lush soft floral. The florals in this are mostly rose with a bit of soft white jasmine mixed in at first. Overall absolutely reminds me of a department store perfume but less obnoxious. Like the kind of scent I would have adored as a 15 year old. This shouldn’t be perceived as an insult, it’s lovely and super yummy.

Drydown: Now that the initial fizzy pink lemonade has faded, I get way more jasmine in a sweet, girly, and romantic way. I am surprised by how much I like this interpretation of jasmine. It’s got the creamy lushness I like along with a really beautiful foodie fruit note, and it almost has the effect of feeling tropical. 

After several hours: Fluffy pink and white florals, creamy and lush, with a zesty spark of juicy pink lemonade.

Longevity: Very high, especially on hair and clothing.
Sillage: Medium-high, this is a perfume you can't smell if you sniff your wrist. You have to let it waft about you.

Would an [X] lover love this? Jasmine lovers need to try this fruity tropical take on the note. It's unusual and not indolic/super sexy but it's flirty and cute.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think jasmine haters would actually be fine with this- it isn't stinky or hard to wear like many jasmines. It's really creamy and fresh at the same time.

Where am I? I'm me, as an annoying 15 year old, on a beach vacation, thinking I'm hot shit (I AM THO.)

Where would I wear this? I have worn this during the daytime, summer, fall, and on dates. It's a great all-purpose scent. I think I'll have to retire it during cold weather but maybe I'll take it out when I'm missing summer. 

Possets Courtly Love Review

Brand: Possets
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Coconut (here used more as a serious element rather than a novelty) dances with apricot and a light kiss of vanilla and a very sweet, not stinky, jasmine. 

First impression out of bottle: Apricot jam

Freshly applied: Mm this smells just like KIND bars- Apricot & Almond flavor mixed with the Almond & Coconut flavor. The apricot is  jammy on me, like semi-dried fruit with a concentrated flavor.

Smells like an overpriced fruit and nut bar

Drydown: There's now a little more "perfumey" scent, not so much the straight food scent that it was at first. The coconut pops out too, it smells very much like the coconut in the LE Silver Coconut from Possets, which is a bit musky and vanillic. Mmm now I get a really nice pure jasmine note, very soft and tropical. I think it's mingling with the coconut to give me that beachy/humid feel and I love it. Not stinky or spicy at all! The apricot is still there, but it's almost like a background note now. I love it. The apricot comes back out to play, stronger than the jasmine again and this is my favorite part of the transformation. It's a sweet, pure apricot with nutty nuances from the almond/coconut and a hint of delicate jasmine.

YES, Apricot Jasmine Macarons exist and that's exactly what this smells like

After several hours: The strongest remaining notes are the apricot and jasmine. Super delicious, swirly, and feminine. The mix of notes on the drydown almost makes me think of jasmine tea, in addition to the jasmine/apricot macarons from before. 

Longevity: High. This 
Sillage: High. This has amazing throw for a fruity-floral! Intense, sweet, floral, and powerful.

Would an [X] lover love this? Fruity-floral lovers need it. It's more unusual/unexpected than your mainstream fruity-floral but it's totally beginner-friendly.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think this could appeal to jasmine-haters but they'd need to try a sample first.

Where am I? Having a tea party in a secret garden.

Where would I wear this? This is a spring/summer scent for sure. I'd wear this to a wedding, garden party, or other romantic/girly event. It's super fun and that perfect combo of perfumey and edible that I love so much.

Deconstructing Eden Blanc Review

Brand: Deconstructing Eden

Availability: Formerly permanent, now discontinued, but she may bring it back (you can also check with owner to see if she can sell you even though it's not listed in store)
Notes: White musks, white mint, white jasmine and linden blossoms

First impression out of bottle: The sweetest, earthiest mint, like crushed peppermint leaf in a dewy garden

Freshly applied: Sweet white mint, like minty tea. Then I get a touch of sweet green from the linden blossoms. It never gets that honeyed scent that Possets' linden gets on me, which almost has a sticky pollen feel. This is a clean, refreshing, lightly floral blend with an eensy touch of jasmine. The swirling musks make me think of morning mist or fog, they are not powdery or perfumey, but rather kind of damp and natural.

Minty, misty morning

Drydown: The mint is halway between candied mint and freshly-crushed garden mint. The juicy greenness makes it feel like earth/a garden without actual dirt or grass notes. Someone on IMAM told me they got hardly any mint from this, which I was bummed about, but I'm so happy that it's mostly mint on me.

Love the earthy, cool mint character

After several hours: A whisper of minty musk. 

Longevity: Very bad. This scent disappears on me but I just spritz more on because I'm obsessed with it. I wish it lasted longer.
Sillage: Quite low after the first few minutes. It lingers a little on hair and clothing, and I need to spray liberally to get good throw, but as I noted above, the longevity leaves a lot to be desired. These are all very faint notes, so you can't expect the potency you'd get from a spicy oriental, but STILL. I want it to stick around longer. 

Would an [X] lover love this? I think this is a highly unusual scent and basically everyone should try it if it becomes permanent again. A mint lover might adore it (hello, I do) but other people say they don't get much mint. So it's kind of a toss up.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think a mint hater could come around to this, as it's a very faithful representation of realistic mint. Also musk haters need to try it, as this is some of the best musk blending I've ever smelled. Not powdery, grandma-ish, or cloying.

Where am I? It makes me think of Cinderella trudging home in the morning mist after the ball, her bare foot squelching in the fresh garden herbs, and a single sparkling glass slipper.

Where would I wear this? I love wearing this during the day, especially on hot days. It's no use wearing it to bed as it disappears almost before I fall asleep, but I find it to be a super elegant but fun daytime scent. Very youthful but not childish.

Solstice Scents White Feather EDP Review

Brand: Solstice Scents
Availability: General Catalog, only available in Eau de Parfum, not perfume oil
Notes: Vanilla, Jasmine, Real Gardenia, Saffron, Sandalwood, Spices & More

First impression out of bottle: Super spicy and perfumey. Indoles, saffron, spice, and sour wood.

Freshly applied: Stinky, poopy indolic jasmine. Like flowers that have started to rot and turn brown. The spices and wood and incense are conspiring to smell like decaying wood. Very spicy and dank.

Drydown: All of a sudden, the dank rotten notes dissipate, and a breath of spicy, lush jasmine bursts forth. It is now a half and half hybrid of creamy jasmine illuminated by the moonlight and soft burning incense. The most exquisite gardenia note (SS's own handmade gardenia enfleurage) is helping the jasmine to be more gentle and lush. There is a sweet playful vanilla that plays around the edges of the incense but never takes over.

After several hours: Soft vanilla incense with a hint of the same gorgeous jasmine from earlier.

Photo via VTWiccan

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium. After the initial strong burst, this very quickly becomes a medium-throw perfume. But even though I can't smell it that strongly, other people definitely smell it when passing by or hugging me. I receive a lot of compliments on this one. It also clings to clothing exceptionally well.

Photo via Solstice Scents

Would an [X] lover love this? A jasmine lover would love this, unless some of the notes went funky on their skin. As it is a bit poopy and stinky, this can morph into perfection or hell, depending on your skin chemistry. An incense lover would probably adore this, for a lighter floral take on incense.

Would an [X] hater love this? A jasmine hater would most likely not be converted by this. The only exception I can think is if they had smelled synthetic jasmines before and were put off by the bathroom cleaner ish vibe. Then they need to get a load of this. Incense haters might like this, as it avoids the heavy resin feel of some incense and focuses on the powdery, spa like aspect.

Where am I? Standing next to my parent's jasmine bush at twilight, smelling faint Japanese incense from the altar in the house. Or maybe standing in the doorway of a mountain temple hidden in the Himalayas. Either/or.

Where would I wear this? I have worn this out to dinner multiple times. I love it for that because it's kind of an intimate, romantic scent that does well in low light. I like it for work as well, but the initial smelly opening is NOT pleasant, so I have to be extra careful not to apply it fresh around other people. I will usually spritz it on outside and let it chill out for 1-2 minutes before entering someone else's space. I find it to be a scent that works well in cold weather, as the romantic spiciness makes me feel cozy, as well as hot weather, when you feel like you're constantly sweating. It's one of those scents that melds with your (ugh) body odor to make you smell sultry and hot.