Startled Toad

[cyborgcap]

Golden amber and coconut with frankincense, frothy vanilla, carnation, sweet aged patchouli, and lemongrass.

 

So, so beautiful. Startled Toad quickly became one of my favorite scents. Starts off very lemony but that quiets in the first half hour to a sweet vanilla lemon (but not as gourmand as that sounds) with the patchouli and frankincense juuuust peeking up beneath it. I'm not really into patchouli at all but it's intoxicating in this scent, gives just the right amount of depth to play off the brightness of the lemongrass. Overall a pale yellow-green scent, fresh and sweet but won't bowl you over in it's intensity.

[Lucchesa]

So, I put this on my left elbow today, with three other scents on wrists and other elbow, and an hour or so later walked to the post office. And let me preface this by saying that I almost never get throw with anything I like. Oh, big bad vetiver might pitch all over the place, but amber, vanilla and carnation? Never. The clerk on the other side of the counter said, as she weighed my package, "Oh, you smell good! What are you wearing?" And my heart did a little dance of joy. It was definitely Startled Toad; the shunga on my other elbow had already faded as green tea scents always do on me, and Hades and Hedylogos may have been supporting players, but another five hours later I can still smell the coconutty goodness of Startled Toad in the crook of my elbow.

 

This is the first coconut scent I have loved. It Sifts from Leaden Sieves was too dry, the Pearls too faint, but this is lovely. Lemongrass can be shrill on me but it is positively gentle here, just suggesting a citrus note. This is a sweet patchouli and weaves together beautifully with the amber, carnation and vanilla. And it has throw! I am excited about finding a bottle. And then I'll get the label art! (I had to look it up after you all were raving about it.)

[dementia_divine]

Many of the Lupers that I reviewed in 2015 didn't end up getting posted on the forum. This was one of them.

 

In the decant: Patchouli, frankincense, amber, carnation, and coconut. What an odd combo!

 

Wet: Spicy carnation (which is a note that I amp), resins, patchouli, and lemongrass. The coconut is present as well, and it isn't long before the carnation, lemongrass, and coconut reign, with the other notes taking a background role. Curiouser and curiouser!

 

Dry: Carnation and lemongrass continue to reign, but the coconut adds this plastic-y vibe to the scent that I'm not particularly fond of.

 

Verdict: Oh, Startled Toad, I really wanted to like you, because you have the best label artwork from this year's Lupers. Alas, it seems we cannot be friends.

Edited June 18, 2018 by dementia_divine