Miss Addie

[Invidiana]

The next house, No. 55, is kept by Miss Addie Blashfield, the dashing brunette, who has eight or ten boarders, both blondes and brunettes. These are a pretty lot of girls, of pleasing and engaging manners. It is regarded as a first class house, very quiet and orderly and is visited by some of our first citizens.

Night-blooming wildflowers, indigo musk, black currant, and clove.

Anything night-blooming is a win for me, so this lady of the night gets along with my skin chemistry very well. Something in it reminds me of my beloved long-discontinued Midnight. It's all glorious, heady jasmine (and possibly gardenia, possibly even moonflower) that you'd expect to find growing around haunted Garden District houses in an Anne Rice novel. The midnight musk and deep purple shadows of blackcurrant only makes it even more intoxicating. It's like jasmine-scented skin wrapped in a velvet cloak. Wherever the clove is, it behaves. While it must be adding something, maybe a the barest hint of warmth, like the debauchery behind the brothel walls, but stays distant in the background. This makes me want to go read The Witching Hour again.

[MonkeysInk]

This is so amazing, even hot from the mailbox. I stood in front of my house and sniffed and sniffed this one - it reminds me of something that my great-grandmother used to wear (Chantilly, maybe?) in the most perfect of ways. I'm going to let this settle for a few days and then try it again, but if it smells like this even under the worst of conditions I can't wait to see what it's like when it's had a few days to cool and settle.

 

ETA: I went and read the scent notes and reviews of Chantilly, and I suspect it's the jasmine and musk in this that's giving me that scent memory. Part of me wants to go smell Chantilly somewhere to see how close I am about how similar they smell. Another part of me wants to continue letting Miss Addie give me this memory without spoiling it with whatever contemporary Chantilly smells like. I'd be curious to see if another BPALer has the same association.

Edited October 17, 2016 by MonkeysInk

[Ina Garten Davita]

Rich, sweet, lush night blooming floral tempered by a touch of musk. I get the sweetness of the currant as an impression but this isn't a fruity floral to my nose. The clove is so well blended I can't seem to find it.

 

As invidiana said, it makes me want to read The Witching Hour again.

[zankoku_zen]

Heady lush night florals with jasmine and a touch of musk. I get a bit of currant but it just adds a whiff of fruity sweetness. This smells heavy, Southern, and nocturnal. Good throw and wear length.

[Verios]

I picked up a bottle of this off of BTBP's etsy when it went up, because in spite of my usual dislike of overt florals, every other note listed is one that I usually adore. In spite of promising myself I'd give it a few days to settle after receiving it, I ended up wearing it today (I got it yesterday), so I may update this review when I re-test in a few more days.

 

Straight out of the bottle, this is all night-blooming florals (I definitely get jasmine, but it's not as sharp as that can sometimes be on me), but as it settles in later in the day, some of the musk smooths out the florals more, and it's become a floral I would actually wear - the beginning stage is not something I'm in love with (and I'm still sad that I can't get any of the blackcurrant or clove that I can distinguish), but this is a lovely, lush, feminine floral that i can see myself reaching for when I want to have a nice evening out, preferably semi-formal. Not sure this will be a keeper, but it's definitely one I'm glad I gave a try!

 

Edit: I did end up not keeping this, because the initial jasmine overload was too much for me - however, when I gave the bottle to a friend, we both noticed/commented on the fact that the jasmime was not nearly as overwhelming on her, so I clearly amp the heck out of it (which explained a lot as to why that note tends to be a death note for me, LOL)

Edited April 23, 2017 by Vashtya

[AraliaShine]

Grabbed this from the Post's Etsy site because the notes all looked like winners for my skin--and they are.

 

Steamy jasmine blossoming from a rumpled purple velvet, hastily cast aside for a midnight rendezvous.

 

Rich & sultry