tinyvulture

I received a sniffie of this, and I can’t remember the last time I had such an immediate positive reaction to a scent. Like, “MUST hunt down bottle, NOW!” Oh my God, it’s so gorgeous. Luscious golden honey, with the slightest hints of sweet vanilla and I’m also picking up sassafras…that root beer scent…not sure where that’s coming from. Ah, well, now it’s gone and I’m getting buttery honeyed richness. Want to slather it all over. Yes. Love.

For a time, I got kind of burned out on red musk blends. Now, smelling The Arbor, that seems crazy. It's making me love red musk all over again. There’s something grapey about this perfume, even though no grape is listed in the description. It also reminds me of gas station incense. You know what I mean? Where you can get 10 incense sticks for a dollar and there’s 20 or 30 different types to choose from, each designated with a dot of color on the end of the stick, but they all smell basically the same, like patchouli and fruit. Well, anyway, that’s what this reminds me of. I can’t pick out any of the other specific floral notes -- it’s all red musk and patchouli to me. And I love it.

First there’s a rush of coconut and a sexy floral note that I thought was jasmine, but I guess it’s champaca. This perfume is tropical and gorgeous and totally smells like sex, haha. The sugar cane is noticeable, too, adding a candy-sweetness to this coconutty, sensual blend. I totally want a bottle now.

I went through a phase of loving red musk because it’s so bold and sexy, but lately I find myself appreciating black musk. It’s more understated, but its soft warmth does a good job here of toning down the brashness of red. There’s a lot of clove. The myrrh and patchouli are very sweet. They sort of smell like Coca-Cola. No trace of the mandarin orange for me. This reminds me of the studio where I practice yoga, for some reason. So it’s making me feel really calm. Soft, sweet, incense-y. It would make a lovely room spray, too.

I’m glad other reviewers said it – this smells like pot! And heavy, heavy vetiver. I can’t pick out any of the other notes because I just keep thinking “oh my god, I smell like weed.” Yuck!

I’m not sure how the fizzy carbonated quality of ginger ale was captured in a perfume oil, but here it is. At least for the first minute or so after application, it’s straight up ginger ale. Then the “fizz” goes away and the rum and orange notes come out to mingle with the ginger. A festive, cheery, summery scent. It will be useful for fighting off the winter blahs.

Red musk usually amps on me like “Whoa! Who bathed in red musk?” But here, it’s super soft. I think the amber helps soften it. Tobacco and herbal notes in the background. Pretty, but soooo soft. In a few minutes, it’s barely there.

At first this smells like buttery caramel. Then the butteriness fades, and I smell sweet marshmallow goodness. Faintly, I start to smell fireplace scents, like charred wood and ashes. Also a little bit of cinnamon? Wasn’t expecting that. Overall, a sweet cinnamon blend that I have to sniff very closely to pick out the marshmallow. And after just a few minutes, I have to sniff very closely to smell anything at all!

At first, this is all spicy carnation. It’s like Pink Moon ’07 but with less throw. Soon, the leather appears. Then, faint tobacco and coffee notes, which don’t stick around very long. I like how the feminine carnation and masculine leather play off each other. Really interesting combination.

I can pick out each note separately – hippie patchouli, soft cocoa, and sunny hay. Normally, I love all of those notes. But there’s something here that is just not interacting well with my skin. It smells like stale popcorn that’s been left in a hot car or something. I think it’s the way the hay is combining with the other notes. Sounds like it is working out great for others, though. Off to swaps!

Yum! After an initial, confusing, “Fruit punch?” moment, I get mouthwatering apple cider, heavy on the cinnamon. I like how the sweetness of the apple is tempered by the tartness of lemon and orange. Wish I could smell the butterscotch liquor more – or at all. I love the apples and cinnamon, just not sure if I need a whole bottle.

Dark, yet beautiful. Smoke rising out of a spooky forest on a cold night. As you approach, you realize you’ve stumbled upon a witches’ bonfire. The chilly air is heavy with not only the smoke from their fire, but thick, resinous incense smoke as well. Pine, smoke, frankincense and styrax are the dominant notes. Now I want to wear this all winter.

This is my kind of perfume! I can indeed smell the creaky wood, the smoky dying embers, and the chilly, heavy fog (which is a combination of cold/rain notes, without ozone, which is perfect since ozone turns sweet on me.) It’s a scent that makes me want to put on a sweater, as though I can feel the damp cold closing in. So oppressive and hopeless, yet the scent is somehow beautiful. My only slight criticism is that I wish it were stronger. It fades too quickly.

It’s been a long time since I’ve tried a honeysuckle blend from the lab, and today I see that we are still not friends. The rose is lovely but, before I can even pick out any other notes, the honeysuckle appears and goes all turpentine on my skin. Boo.

First sniff: maple leaves and fir needles. Amazing! A minute later, the wildflower honey appears. It really does smell like wildflowers and honey, ha. Add faint fruity, nutty, and boozy notes from the plum leaves, hazelnut, and cognac, and all of a sudden my nose is a little confused. The herbal, astringent qualities of the fir grow stronger and stronger, and now I’m not enjoying it so much. I love Samhain, but this is like a fruitier and far more herbal version of Samhain that isn’t really working out for me.

Think of a shop that sells bushels of ripe, sweet apples, gourmet teas, and colorful bunches of fresh flowers. That’s what this scent is. I can’t pick out any specific floral notes. The tea note takes a minute to assert istelf. No sign of ginger or amber, but that’s OK. It’s an apple-y autumn blend that’s not all apple. Lovely.

Salted chocolate at first. Like a salty, buttery version of Bliss. Then the incense starts to come out. It’s not very strong, so I'm left with faint incense mixed with faint remnants of chocolate. No kelp or sea plants, that I can pick up. I love how it started out.

Happily, this is all vanilla honey and soft, powdery brown musk on me. It's sweet, cozy and comforting -- which is not what I imagine when I think of Henry Fuseli, but that's OK! I'm not picking up the patchouli or magnolia at all. Reminds me of a baby's scent (not baby powder, that's different.)

Lovely, dangerous, slick, and bitterly cold: chilly white sleet-like notes with a hint of vetiver, a breath of smoky asphalt, and winter wind. At first there is slushy snow, piercingly cold, combined with a sharp vetiver note. Then a perfumey, floral sweetness appears out of nowhere and confuses my sense of smell. I was expecting something dark. Pure, biting, cold. But this is kind of girly. The vetiver has disappeared completely. There are a lot of other wintry blends I prefer.

Imagine drinking an ice-cold blended pina colada while relaxing at a fancy Hawaiian resort, without a care in the world. The scent of tropical flowers is carried on the breeze. The coconut note is similar to Obatala, but Obatala is clean and refreshing, while Tiki Princess is sweet and fruity. Really wish I’d picked up a bottle of this. A perfect scent for lazy summer days.

This is baby scent taken to the highest idealized level, the perfect encapsulation of a mother’s love for her precious baby. Baby powder is the strongest note, followed by soothing lavender and gently spicy carnation. Think of a baby’s sweet skin, fresh out of the bath and lightly dusted with baby powder. Ahh, you just want to keep breathing it in!

As the name implies, a spicy, light blend. Love the sassafras and clove together with the caramel-sweetness of brown sugar. Reminds me of snickerdoodle cookies. Just the tiniest hint of plum adds an interesting, fruity depth. A little foody for everyday wear, but really a charming scent.

Sticky sweet honey drizzled liberally over quince and mandarin. And then the cognac shows up and keeps it from being overly foody. I always love BPAL’s cognac note. This oil is sweet and fruity, yet rich and sexy. I thought there was rose in it, too. I’m getting something light and floral in the background.

On first application, heavy resin, pine and cedar notes give this oil a very masculine feeling. It’s a bold, strong scent. Light, citrusy neroli and sweet saffron pop up after a few minutes and make it a little more playful. Makes me think of a forest at sunset. Golden light shining on towering trees.

Dirt, dry earth…combined with something sickly sweet, like caramel? I’m biased…dirt scents just aren’t for me…but yeah, really not enjoying this one much.