tinyvulture

I will buy anything with star jasmine listed among the notes! Unfortunately, this one didn't work out. The orris is far more noticeable than the jasmine or the honeysuckle. I was hoping for the jasmine to be front and center. Orris is sweet, so dry, so powdery. Not really getting any other notes out of it, so I will swap.

RED MUSK!! As often happens, red musk overpowers eveything else. The mimosa, clove, and florals make an amazing backdrop. It's like a heavily floral version of Smut. I would wear this often...sexy and fun!

Lilac and lily, with a pop of nectarine sweetness. The citrus quickly fades, and it's strictly florals for a bit. The green tea appears next, and the beeswax smooths all the notes together. No ginger or bergamot for me. I'm beginning to think I'm just not a lilac lover. It always feels too mature and staid for me. Off to swaps.

A bouquet of fresh, white and blue flowers, dew still on the petals. I like it, though I'm unable to name any particular flowers at first. After it dries down, the rose note becomes noticeable, and also something really lush -- oleander? This is very pretty and work-appropriate, it will go into the rotation.

Bright, bold honeysuckle, with wildflowers and green grass faintly in the background. This note is strong and long-lasting. I'm still smelling it 8 hours later. I prefer it once it dries down, when it goes all sweet and powdery. Reminds me of the honeysuckle that thrives here in the spring, a very true floral perfume.

Strong patchouli and leather notes. Masculine, sexy, powerful. I'm not getting any cardamom. But I am noticing the blackcurrant, tart and dark. I would love this as a room scent. I love how the tart fruit offsets the earthy patchouli and leather.

Soft, pretty florals -- lotus and champaca -- with dry, paper parchment. A sweet, dry, powdery scent. I think the lotus is a little too candy-sweet, as it can be with my chemistry, for me to wear this regularly. But it's very nice and I'd wear it on occasion.

From my googling, cade = tar. This is an unsettling perfume. Like mildew mixed with tar. Not for me.

At first, this is a sexy combination of dark patchouli and sweet cherry-cola labdanum. But what it dries down to is exactly the same as a 10-year-aged amber SN oil that I have. Warm, incredibly resinous and grainy, so sweet. Of course I love it. 12 hours later it's still there, wow!

The "milky white fluid" must be coconut milk. I'm getting a strong coconut milk crossed with the "sour milk" note of Milk Moon. The iris is lowkey. A creamy floral, emphasis on creamy. It's not TOO sour on me, as Milk Moon was. I think I like it, weird as it is!

A sweet, resinous floral blend. I'd say the narcissus resin is the most prominent note, followed by frankincense. I'm not getting any amber. It's astringent at first, almost like nail polish remover, but nice once it dries down.

Think rich, creamy, sugary, almond pralines. Reminiscent of other BPAL praline blends like Pralines and Powdered Sugar and Gluttony. The nuttiness of King Cake is what sets it apart. I love the roasted almond aspect of this blend. I'm not really getting any brioche, butter or cream cheese notes. Just sweet, crunchy pralines! So strong and long-lasting.

Here we have Snake Oil's spicy, incense-y vanilla, with loads of extra sugar and vanilla added. Not getting much of a honey note -- just overall sweetness. I love its girly,playful sexiness and musky warmth. So glad to have a bottle!

I've long been a fan of the Somnium category, and lavender blends in general, for bedtime. And yet I never laid my hands on a bottle of TKO until now! It's the queen of all the lavenders, isn't it? Just herbaceous, healing lavender, and smooth, not too sweet, vanilla. TKO is more medicinal-smelling than sweet, overall. Just taking a couple sniffs of it really chills me out. Five stars.

Strong foody notes - vanilla and sugar cane mingled with a spike of tart grapefruit. Like a slice of buttery citrus pound cake. Think "Eat Me" + grapefruit!

Oudh and frankincense resins vie for dominance here. The rose is just floating around in the background, and I'm not getting any chamomile. I love resinous blends, so even though at first application there's something sharp, almost like acetone, I wait patiently. I'm rewarded with a scent that dries down beautifully. Lovely resin and floral combination, and finally the barest hint of chamomile...without the frankincense making it too "churchy" or too similar to Rose Cross. Thumbs up.

Gunpowder!

First impression - lavender and a very earthy, almost vetiver-like, tobacco note. Reminds me of The Scales of Deprivation...in that it's a very "masculine" blend yet heavy on lavender which I typically associate with more feminine blends.

After a few moments I get hints of more exotic notes...the patchouli, the benzoin, the champaca. I am liking it more now. The lavender has chilled out, it's barely noticeable except as a cooling background note. This is very "chill hippie dude" scent. It's very close to the skin.

Vanilla mint, very similar to the rare Snowblind. Faint hints of rose, marshmallow, and fruity red currant make it a little more vibrant and complex. It's not a particularly strong scent on my skin, and not something I'd wear to work as it's quite foody. It sure is pretty though.

I don't think I've ever seen rose and coconut together before. OMG, it's so lovely! The tonka and orchid add to the lush, romantic floral vibes. The Spanish sage adds just the right touch of clean herbal for contrast. Such a complex, gorgeous, romantic blend! Love love love.

Licorice-tinged opium! Is it the wormwood that smells licorice-y? Something certainly does. There's the soapy-clean ozone note as well, seamlessly blended with the powdery, dreamy opium. So unique. As far as ozone blends in my collection, I'm going to be more of a purist and stick with Lightning, but I'm enjoying this very much.

The first notes to hit me are bold, sensual red musk and tart red wine. Reminds me of a less-sweet Mme. Moriarty. Moments later, I'm also able to pick out the honey and oudh. I'm not getting any cinnamon or cardamom. It's very pretty but I probably have enough red musk blends for now.

Can't go wrong with the syrupy sweetness of benzoin! The juniper makes me think of the chilly forest at night, combined with the nag champa incense. No musk, no tobacco on me at first. Unfortunately the tobacco soon becomes very powerful, and it reminds me too much of smokers. This scent is hard to describe. Like the scent that lingers after a hippie party in the woods?

Very close match to the star jasmine I grow in my backyard. A little spicier. I love the beautiful simplicity of this single note. I need to see how it compares to Sampaguita as that's also a single note jasmine.

Coconut and milk, very similar to Obatala. Maybe a tad sweeter. Others get very little coconut, but it's definitely the strongest note on my skin. Later, the honey/burnt sugar comes out. It's still very Obatala, so I will swap since I already have plenty of Obatala.