Anfar 1950

Luna

Odyssee IV

Sabbia - I immediately get hit with leather after I spray this on my skin. Then, a whisp of saffron, and the passionfruit fights to make its way to the front. There is an insistent front of that oud, reading to me as woody leather. I'm thinking on the dry down I get the amber and vanilla, joining the faint fruit in bringing an understated sweetness. I can eventually catch the rose, which despite being a floral only adds to the wood and leather aesthetic. This is marketed as unisex, and though I enjoy many unisex scents, there is unfortunately too much leather and oud in this for me (typically masculine notes). 

Zenit Rouge

Dolce & Gabbana

D&G Anthology: La Roue de la Fortune 10 - The second perfume I ever loved, bottle purchased from the duty-free on an overnight ferry from Kristiansand, Norway to Aarhus, Denmark. The scent of hopeful spring, with the promise of love and adventure in the coming season. It's a daytime scent for me, bright for sunny days, nostalgic, daring, and optimistic.

D&G Anthology: La Temperance 14 - This is a soft spring scent, a combination of creamy florals, a touch of fruit, and an underlying musk that combines into a slightly woody spiciness. It doesn't have a far throw, but I do think it lasts a long time. The pink pepper and fruitiness that you initially get while wet fades rather quickly. People who like iris, violets, and orange dreamsible will like this. I wouldn't say not to a bottle, though I do hold a higher place in my heart for La Roue de la Fortune.

The Only One - Sample: Oooh, this is nice. It is immediately complex, with homemade caramel twining with violet and bergamot. Sweet yet warm, floral yet citrus. This seems to me a scent for sunny, cold days. Though coffee is listed as a heart note, I do not easily grasp it (thankfully). Perhaps that's the genius of blending it with vanilla and patchouli. It's not too powdery; pure luxury. Though I do not love florals as a whole, violet remains one of my favorites, and it alongside the iris brings just the right hint of femininity. I would quickly say yes to a full bottle of this.

Fear BOOtique

Enchanted Forest

Jimmy Choo

Illicit - Sample: Right away you get the sweetness, and soon enough the alcohol burn dries away to reveal honey, warm yet fresh, and something slightly spicy. Oh, is it ginger?

Not resinous enough to be amber forward, and not woody enough to be earthy. Bitter orange keeps it from being too sweet. A wee bit of "department store" scent lingers, but only a wee bit so I don't mind. There's some vanilla hiding, as well. As it dries down, I may pick up a bit of rose, but not in a dusty way. Fully dry, it's warmer, like the softest sweater. Good for cold weather. This veers towards gourmand, which I'm okay with. I wouldn't say no to a bottle of this. Sweet, warm, fresh.

Origins

Ginger Essence - One of my first adult scents. My mother wore this when I was a teen, and I got a free bottle from a college roommate who was going to discard it. It is brilliant in its simplicity: spicy citrus invokes fresh ginger; a bright scent for fall days. It is that snap of ginger zing that prevents it from being a too juicy, too tart. An elevated ginger ale! This would also be enjoyable as a linen spray, a candle, or a soap. Warm, fresh, bright. 

Paco Rabanne

1 Million - The first perfume I ever loved. My father bought me a bottle after I showed him the beloved sample, and when I packed my life into a single suitcase to move across the world, it came with me. It's definitely a winter scent for me, the epitome of "warm & spicy" to cut through the Norwegian snow. 

Olympea - Sample: Wet on my skin I get an immediate fresh citrus burst, which quickly crystalizes into salty warmth. The vanilla and florals then come through. I'd say that the ginger flower is stronger than the water jasmine. The soft, warm, and woody base notes stop this from being a summery scent, for me. It seems to straddle the line between luxury and casual. Fully dry, I want to say that this is a spring scent when the weather is still chilly, or a late fall scent to ease you into winter. Not unappealing, but not extraordinary either. Soft, warm, simple.

Paris Hilton

Passport in Paris

Seance

Cemetery