What's That Smell? TUBEROSE

In the "What's That Smell?" series,  I'll explain some of the less obvious perfume notes that crop up in many indie perfumes. Keep in mind my descriptions and comparisons are based on my own experiences and your impressions may not be the same. Perfume notes are NOT ingredients. They can be natural essences, artificial isolated compounds that imitate the natural substance, blended accords, or a combination. Therefore, the note you like in one perfume may be unrecognizable in another. As with all sensory, subjective things, your mileage may vary.

Tuberose is the Big Mama of white floral notes. It's bold and distinctive. In large amounts, it can really take over a fragrance, but in small amounts it can lend a nice depth without killing the vibe. Tuberose can only be described as waxy, fatty, and lactonic (creamy, milk-like.) If you imagine crushing the petals in your hands, instead of getting a juicy, fresh fragrance, you'd get a rich and creamy type of scent. And actually, tuberose smells almost salty in large amounts. It's pretty much the flower version of coconut milk. It's dense, rich, and not sweet exactly, but very powerful. It smells distinctively tropical and summery. If I had to break it down into non-hand-wavy adjectives, I would say tuberose smells like a mix of salt, coconut milk, beeswax, a tiny pinch of sugar, and gardenia.

Some people report that tuberose scents make them nauseous. From my own experience, when my hormones are out of whack, my nose amplifies tuberose's natural saltiness and I end up with a very confused and upset nose. I think one of the big mistakes people make with tuberose is they expect it to smell like gardenia, which is tuberose's more well-behaved, sweet, prim cousin. If you go into a tuberose fragrance expecting something unusual and bold, you won't be disappointed. It's one of the most unique and characteristic floral notes around.

I must note, as with all white florals, tuberose does contain indolic nuances (no way around it, indoles smell like feces.) But if you've ever smelled a sexy, dirty human who smelled natural and good, you know that indolic/dirty notes shouldn't be feared. In tiny amounts, they can be a powerfully magnetic scent component, giving you great balance and interest in what could otherwise be a bland scent. The nausea/distaste many people associate with tuberose is, I believe, partially due to its indole content (like with jasmine) and partially because of its distinctive salty-sweetness. 

Perfumes featuring tuberose: 

• Ava Luxe Fleur d'Oranger: This fragrance uses the natural lusty, strong scent of tuberose to anchor the famously fleeting scent of orange blossom. Orange blossoms are technically white florals, but they are some of the hardest to capture in scent form. Many perfumers default to using an orange zest scent in their place, which you know, if you've ever smelled a real orange tree in bloom, is no substitute. The indolic, broad tuberose in this provides a booster in longevity and strength for the wimpier orange blossom/neroli notes and allows this perfume to retain its sweet, full scent for longer. 
• Solstice Scents Nightgown: Oh, Nightgown, you are a polarizing beast. Because this perfume uses sweeter florals like tiare (Tahitian gardenia) and an ultra-luxurious white chocolate/vanilla blend, it both amps up the sweetness of the tuberose, and starts a bit of a messy fight with the natural saltiness of the flower. I have noticed this scent definitely smells funky if I'm not in the right mood/hormonal state to appreciate it. It's a very tenuous/delicate balance of sweet and salty. If you catch it at the right moment, on the right day, in the right season, this scent is one of the most intoxicating, sensuous floral-gourmand blends in existence. Ever had salted caramel? It can go wrong, but it can go SO, SO right.
• Cocoa Pink Fleurs Siagne: This is a really easy-to-like blend. It's entirely composed of flowers: jasmine, tuberose, rose, and orange blossom, and the more distinctive sweetness of rose and jasmine keep the weirdness of tuberose in check. The orange blossom is the light top note, the rose the rich, pink base, and the tuberose the broad, smooth heart. I love this fragrance because the tuberose, which is such an assertive note, doesn't have to fight for prominence here, and thus it ends up being a very pleasant and tame component. 

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.

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. 

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.

Deconstructing Eden Legare Review

Brand: Deconstructing Eden
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Mahogany, magnolias, gardenias, spanish moss, iced tea and petitgrain

First impression out of bottle: Cologne and bergamot 

Freshly applied: Mmm floral but green cologne smell. Sophisticated and unisex like something in a fancy hotel shower.

Drydown: The soft white florals are blossoming (har) now and making this way less green/cologne like. The petitgrain (which generally smells like bergamot) is prominent but it's not a citrusy scent. I can smell a really true, golden brown iced tea. I can smell the flowers from the garden, the mossy-woodsiness of the trees lining the drive, and a fresh pitcher of iced tea straight from the fridge. I think if you love Lady Nada, this is like a slightly less frilly/girly version. It combines a certain citrus freshness with a pillowy white flower vibe.

Drinking tea in a flower garden in the South

After several hours: Still cold brown tea and white florals. I would say at this point the white florals are more voluptuous and prominent, comprising at least 50-60% of the scent. The iced tea in this really provides the perfect fresh/cold background, but is maybe only 25-30% of the entire scent. It's not zingy like lemon tea or over the top, just cold and dark and sweet. The moss and mahogany are giving an earthy but not dirty foundation. I don't think this is masculine, but I can easily see a man wearing it because it kind of melds with the skin's natural scent. It smells glorious but if I didn't know the notes, I might not be able to say with certainty that it was floral tea. It's not a literal gourmand, much more of an atmospheric one. 

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium

Would an [X] lover love this? I think somebody who likes white florals would really enjoy this, as it's a fresh but NOT green take on the theme. If you like unisex perfumes that aren't your basic hurr-durr Green Fresh Cologne, this would also be interesting. Finally, if you're a tea fan you will probably love it, but be warned it doesn't literally smell like tea leaves. The scent gives the suggestion of the temperature, briskness, and color of iced black tea without being overtly astringent or herbaceous.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think white floral/tea haters would definitely like this, as it's a very clever mixture of the two, and it's not too obvious. Tea scents can be sour/bitter, and this is neither. White florals can be too sweet or heady, and this doesn't have that issue either.

Where am I? Drinking iced tea on a pristine white porch.

Where would I wear this? Definitely a great spring/summer scent. It's too bad it's winter, or I would really want to wear this a lot. I see this as a daytime scent. It's perfect for work or weekend as it's inoffensive but whimsical enough to be fun. 

Sarawen The Piemaker Review

Brand: Sarawen
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: berry pies, pale musk, apple spice, tuberose, amber

First impression out of bottle: Red berries and white florals

Freshly applied: Stately tuberose and raspberries

Sophisticated tuberose is the loudest note at first

Drydown: Very good but faint light red berry note, non-obnoxious tuberose, and a large dose of a generic perfume smell. It sucks because I like all the elements alone here, but together they are turning bland. Nothing is offensive (surprising, considering how nasty berry notes can go, and ditto for tuberose) but I expected a more exuberant, unusual end result. It's basically a light and inoffensive tuberose perfume with a faintly fruity undertone. I get no spice or heavier gourmand (pie crust etc) notes. 

After several hours: All gourmand notes are gone, but maybe a hint of berry remains as a pink tone to the tuberose.

Longevity: Low
Sillage: Low medium. I was expecting something more powerful- you've got powerhouse tuberose and some heavy gourmand notes up in here but it turns out a bit watery, which is the worst.

Would an [X] lover love this? Gourmand-floral lovers (of which I am one) may like it if their skin chemistry is right. I personally disliked it, as the reason I enjoy gourmand-florals is that they are unusual and funky. This smells generically floral. 

Would an [X] hater love this? If you have been curious about white florals but find them all heavy and cloying, AND you like very subtle scents, you may enjoy this. 

Where am I? Sitting in an empty dance hall after the flowers and cakes have been cleared from a wedding. Mostly empty air with a hint of fruit and flowers.

Where would I wear this? Daytime, work, weekend, summer, spring. It's too light for me to enjoy regularly. 

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. 

Cocoa Pink Tahitian Monoi Cake Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Vanilla cake batter injected with candied citrus, moist white cake smothered in whipped buttercream icing touched with nuances of Polynesian Monoi oil.

First impression out of bottle: Buttered white toast (huh?)

Freshly applied: Buttery pound cake and white florals

Drydown: This is SO not a delicate pale white cake scent. This is a brash yellow pound cake, heavy on the butter and super rich in scent and feel. There is a touch of candied citrus I think, but it makes me think more of like...kumquat or something more tropical than standard lemon. It's not a citrus-y scent overall. The white florals/Monoi are so pretty and SO weird combined with the cake. Someone reviewed this and said it was weirdly great and it straddled the line between gourmand and floral and they were so right. It doesn't smell like...flowers on a cake...or cake infused with flowers. It smells exactly 50/50 real Monoi oil with luscious gourmand cake.

The cake element smells like this picture

After several hours: More of the same, though I'd say the Monoi has now taken the wheel and this is a predominantly floral scent with nuances of buttery gourmand notes. Honestly this is a total weirdo of a scent. It makes me think of a sweet girl who is totally crazy and who can be fun but a lot of trouble. 

Very realistic fresh monoi oil

Longevity: High
Sillage: High

Would an [X] lover love this?  If you like cakes and florals you might like it, but it's not as friendly as SS Cameo or something similar. It's a little odd and it might be unsettling. Think more of the weirdness of SS Nightgown. You can't quite land on if it's food or flowers. I do adore white florals when the moon is right (literally, white florals smell better to me at some points in my cycle) so I will hang onto this.

Would an [X] hater love this? If you hate white florals or cake this is probably going to weird you out and it definitely won't convert you.

Where am I? I'm a weirdo on a tropical vacation.

Yep, basically Rayanne if she ever went on an island vacation

Where would I wear this? I might wear this as a daytime scent but then again, it's a little kooky. I think this would be easier for me to use in a bath & body application. I don't know if I want to smell like this all day.

Possets Capezzoli di Venere Review

Brand: Possets
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Start with a perfectly roasted chestnut for a smooth and proper base for the softer things to come. Around that wrap ganache made of buttercream and gardenia kissed mocha which will melt your heart as it expires from love in your mouth. Enrobe with bitter dark chocolate. 

First impression out of bottle: Hazelnut mocha frosting.

Just the frosting

Freshly applied: Sharp nutty frosting mixed with something sweet and floral

Drydown: The notes start to blend a little better, I get a beautiful mocha cream with a creamy white floral note. Unfortunately, I think it's the buttercream aspect, it gets a bit sharp, almost like cherry or something, and I wish it would smooth out a little because it's getting synthetic and plasticky.

After several hours: Ok I do like this, but with reservations. It's a beautiful, unexpected foodie-floral blend that marries the disparate sugary frosting notes with white gardenia. Unfortunately something about the mix does have a hint of sunscreen/plastic about it that prevents it from being a total knockout. I think this is a case of the gardenia being a tad bit cloying. It's sort of straddling the line of meh and pretty. Kind of like Solstice Scents Nightgown is on me too. Some days I adore it, some days I detest it. Very confusing.

White florals and chocolate with something a bit artificial like sunblock

Longevity: Medium-high
Sillage: Medium

Would an [X] lover love this? Gourmand-floral lovers who like Nightgown should try but with caution.

Would an [X] hater love this? If this sounds at all icky or you hated SS Nightgown, run away! This is a tricky one.

Where am I? At a bridal shower with too-sweet/girly decorations, food, and floral arrangements.

Where would I wear this? I probably won't, but if I do it'll be strictly for daytime during not-too-hot spring months.

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.

NAVA Alyssum Champagne Crystalline Review

Brand: Nocturne Alchemy/NAVA
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Egyptian Alyssum, Effervescent Champagne White Grape, a drop of Silver Sandalwood-Musk Accord and Crystalline Vanilla Bean whole

First impression out of bottle: Powdery sweet flowers at first, a teensy bit honeyed and green like linden blossoms. This reminds me of linden blossoms crossed with jasmine

Freshly applied: There’s a hint of sugary floral like what you get from gardenia. This also has quite a clean-laundry feel, a little bit of the cotton blossom vibe, like that Bath & Body Works scent from years ago. It’s like 70% beautiful white floral and 30% fabric softener. It settles into something truly heavenly- the fabric softener becomes a more natural bright fizzy green (from the champagne I believe) that nuzzles into the fluffy white sweet blossoms, and it’s a very intoxicating but strangely innocent white floral. For those of you who haven't smelled alyssum, I would describe it as: 

• 60% jasmine (pillowy, white)
• 10% linden blossom (a little honeyed and green and an eensy bit sharp)
• 30% gardenia (mature, a bit sugary, tropical)

Beautiful fresh floral alyssum scent

Drydown: As it dries, it’s basically the alyssum along with a pillowy, marshmallow like vanilla musk. The Crystalline note is used fantastically here- it melds with the flowers so I don’t get the delineated notes, I get a musky floral enveloped in creaminess. All the laundry scent is GONE as the linden-type scent has decreased, which is awesome. It’s so soft, so sweet, romantic but innocent. This is probably my favorite floral I’ve tried in months.

The florals are later joined by a beautiful fluffy creamy vanilla

After several hours: More of the same, the pillowy white vanilla musk and beautiful white florals are seamlessly intertwined and neither takes over the other.

Longevity: Crazy high. I can smell this on my wrist (where I applied then washed it off) and on my hair (where I didn't even specifically apply it) more than 8 hours later.
Sillage: High. I can smell it when I'm walking around, which is my favorite. I know a lot of people like subtle scents, but I love to smell my perfume.

Would an [X] lover love this? A white floral lover would LOVE this. It's something slightly different- less polarizing than jasmine, less traditional than gardenia or tuberose. I think the initial laundry scent might be off-putting, but that phase is gone after a few minutes, and what it turns into is worth it.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think a white floral/sweet floral hater would find this too sugary. I think it has less potential to be cloying than, say Solstice Scents Nightgown (one of my favorites) but it could still be too sugary on someone who likes earthier scents.

Where am I? I'm in a secret garden surrounded by white flowers

Where would I wear this? Everywhere...I would wear this daytime, nighttime (it's sexy in a purring way), and though it would be perfect for spring and summer, I know I'll still break it out in cold weather because it's just that gorgeous.

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.