lavenderfrost

Lucchesa - wow, thank you!  You're certainly welcome to revisit later when you're not so tired.  I'm no stranger to exhaustion, myself.  And I'm pretty much open to anything, though it'd be nice to have recs that are at least somewhat easy to obtain. 😅 

I put myself up for scent-profiling years ago in my twenties, and thought I'd come back to it to see how much the scent-recs would change to match how I've changed?
 

Basics:  

35 y/o cis female gemini Bisexual Disaster™ with PCOS and combined-type ADHD, single and supporting my disabled mother.  I work in a call center, I like Shakespeare, historical romance novels, mythology, history, and Fandom, but rarely have the energy for a whole lot these days between working 12-hr shifts and coming home to play reluctant housekeeper and chef on top of that.  
 

In short - I'm your typical first-world adult woman.  Yay?

When I do have the energy, I read horoscopes for fun even though I know astrology is bullshit, pay more attention to politics than is even remotely healthy.  Warren 2020, y'all.  I love history documentaries on Netflix and Dan Carlin's Hardcore History podcast.  Am still the kind of person who packs her reading tablet (yay technology!) and music wherever she goes, but often forgets her keys and debit card.  Current fandoms include: xianxia novels by MoXiang TongXiu, Yuri!!! On ICE, Marvel/MCU, Voltron, and Captive Prince.  My AO3 history will send me straight to Hell even before they find out I'm not religious.  

Dark sides of my personality include severe depression, anxiety, shyness, perfectionism, brutal self-criticism, rejection-sensitive dysphoria and executive dysfunction.  Am coping, but the struggle is real.  I over-think everything to death (partly b/c ADHD means my brain never shuts up) and am slow to adapt to change.

Body type:
5'8", fat (using as a simple descriptor, not an insult or cry for reassurance), dark dishwater blonde, medium gray-blue eyes, pale af, cool-skinned.  Classic PCOS body type.

Style:
I can't really afford much in the way of style.  I wear polos and pants to work every day b/c dress code, and that's gotten to where it's basically 95% of my wardrobe.  I don't have the patience to do shit with my hair beyond chopping it off 1-2x/year, and I avoid makeup like the plague b/c I also don't have the patience for it.  I still wear shit-tons of black for practicality's sake b/c I have to mix and match literally everything, when I get the chance to wear colors I like cool colors more than anything else.  Warm colors make me look sickly.  Have relaxed a little bit about wearing prints, but I still hate wearing logos.  I don't paint my nails anymore b/c I have lost the patience for it.  I keep them trimmed/bitten down as short as possible without it being painful.

My taste in fragrance runs toward the floral and aquatic and spicy.  Mortal enemies include any patchouli at all, super-powerful wood scents, and "earth" fragrances.   I'm an air sign, what can I say?

I love feminine fragrances in theory, but almost never end up wearing them b/c I feel like they don't fit me.  Ditto with over-the-top "sexy" scents.  I'm  not a fan of gourmand perfumes, though I don't mind certain gourmand notes like vanilla and spice mixed in with other non-gourmand notes.  Am open to more gender-neutral scents (and actually looking for recs) b/c I'm wondering if they may be a better fit.

That's about all the relevant stuff I can think of.  Anyone who wants to know more is always welcome to ask.

(2015 Decant)

In The Imp: Caramel.

Initial Application: Still caramel. Some of the coconut and a sharp freshness that I'm assuming is the Delphinium starts to come through after a minute. Keeps it from being too foody for my taste so far.

30 Minutes Later: The delphinium fades to the background, but I think the amber and tobacco leaf are stepping in now? I definitely smell currant, and I have no idea what asian spice is used, so I don't know if I'm smelling it. Also not sure what bpal's opium note smells like, so I can't tell with it either.

3 Hours Later: Caramel, coconut, and tobacco leaf. I think.

Verdict: Considering ordering a bottle. I don't like gourmand blends, but there are other ingredients that keep this from smelling 100% like food, so it works. It's sweet and starts off cool, but warms up on the dry-down.

Have you tried Tombstone? That's a very spicy Vanilla IMO. Similar to Snake Oil on me but without the patch.

 

Alas, Tombstone ended up being straight-up cedar on me. ^^;;

 

liz?

ava?

mouse's sad and long tale?

hesiod's phoenix?

when stars are weeping?

 

the fragmented alice scent at century guild, who in the world am I is a gorgeous lavender vanillla, as is tko

 

I'll make a note of TKO and Mouse's Long & Sad Tale, the rest may not be do-able since they're LE's? But I'll look into them, at least.

 

I second the Tombstone recommendation, but you have to like sassafras in order to enjoy that one. If it's not your thing at first, let it age for a while, and try it again, as the vanilla comes out more with age. Tombstone has my favorite vanilla note. It may be too foody for you, though (as it's kind of like a creamy root beer float with some cedar).

 

annemathematics listed some really good recommendations. Definitely try Ava -- if you don't like it, it won't be difficult to rehome. Sadly, I didn't get much vanilla from Who in the World Am I, but it definitely fits the 'floriental' description. Everyone should try TKO!

 

If you haven't already, try Dorian!

 

Eclipse might end up being too gourmand for you, but you could give it a try and see what notes your skin chooses to bring out the most. On me, it's mostly almond, vanilla, and cinnamon, but you may get more of the frankincense and heliotrope.

 

"All the glory, warmth and majesty of the sun — darkened. A delicious blend of bitter almond, vanilla, frankincense and heliotrope, with a drop of cinnamon."

 

If you don't mind peach blossom, try Tamora.

 

"Amber, heliotrope, golden sandalwood, peach blossom and vanilla bean."

 

Here is a list of everything with a vanilla note on the Lab's website. (There are other vanilla notes listed in the directory that you can click on as well, such as bourbon vanilla and vanilla absolute.)

 

I'll try Eclipse, and Dorian did always look interesting. Tamora went straight-up peach cobbler for me. ^^;;

Thanks for the help!

Anyone got recs for spicy vanillas that aren't necessarily gourmand? Like, vanilla-tinged "florientals" and the like? I want to dip my toes more into the sweetness of vanilla, but hate smelling like food. ^^;;

To give you an example of vanilla blends I dig - I kinda like Euphrosyne and Lyonesse, and really like my bottle of Hod v2. Dolce Stil Nuovo and Three Brides have a nice vanilla flower smell in them that I enjoy as well. I don't like Snake Oil (yeah, blasphemy, I know) because it's got patchouli - that note makes me physically ill, so it's a 100% dealbreaker. Honey doesn't make me ill, but I also don't really like the smell, so O was a no-go when I tried it.

For your creative side,

Muse

A light, invigorating floral and citrus blend. Tuberose, lotus and jasmine with a hint of lime.

 

For your love of mythology and dualistic nature,

Persephone

Beautiful, radiant daughter of Demeter... her loveliness was so exquisite that even Hell itself could not resist her. Pomegranate and rose.

 

For your Shakespeare-loving, deep thought-having side,

Ophelia

Wistful and vulnerable: lotus, water blossom ivy, stargazer lily and white rose.

 

For your curious daydreamer side,

Pandy

Fresh white musk, honeycomb, sweet apricot, elemi, orange blossom, and mischievous pink pepper.

 

For your modern woman side,

Jezebel

Biblical witch, priestess of Astarte, and general troublemaker. A true role model for today's upwardly mobile Modern Woman. A gloriously decadent blend of honey, roses, orange blossom and sandalwood.

 

And just because I have a hunch,

Love-In-Idleness

Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell:

It fell upon a little western flower,

Before, milk-white, now purple with love's wound,

And maidens call it love-in-idleness.

Oh man, I nearly cried when Ophelia was discontinued - I love it so much and I only have an imp of it! It's become a Special Occasion scent. Persephone was one that I tried and it unfortunately didn't go so well on my skin.

I'll make a note to check out Love-In-Idleness and Pandy. Muse is already on my future-orders wishlist, this just bumps it up on the priority scale.

Thought I'd give this a shot for the hell of it.

Basics:

Late 20's

Gemini

Female

Bisexual

Non-religious

My MTBI type is INFP.

I'm introverted (and very shy until you know me), idealistic, curious, creative, and a non-stop daydreamer. I tend to be torn between hopeless romanticism and cynical realism, with a sarcastic streak and a love of puns. I have an Associate degree in Graphic Design and a penchant for singing, though my voice is very rusty. I have ADHD, which shows in my tendency to get sidetracked and bored very easily. I have trouble functioning without listening to music (very eclectic tastes), and I'm the kind of person who'll carry 2 paperbacks and an mp3 player in her purse at all times, but sometimes forgets to pack her cell phone or wallet.

I like reading non-fiction and well as fiction. I've loved Greek mythology since childhood, and Shakespeare since adolescence. (A Midsummer Night's Dream is my fav play.) In terms of fiction, my poison tends to be Fantasy/Sci-Fi, horror, poetry, and historical fiction (esp. lady-centric historical fiction). In terms of non-fiction; lots of history, politics, feminism, and art/design books, with some psychology thrown in here and there. I'm also unabashedly fangirly - my fandoms of choice at the moment are Doctor Who and Marvel Comics/MCU.

For all that I like history and old/classic things, I definitely don't feel like I was born in the wrong era. I'm quite fond of technology, indoor plumbing, modern medicine, and having the right to vote.

My fashion sense is...whatever I can afford that doesn't look too horrible. I wear lots of black, though less because I'm partial to the color and more because it's versatile and can go with anything. On my very limited budget, mixing and matching is a requirement. I prefer wearing solid colors to prints, and at least 75% of my shirts are blue, though my all-time favorite color is purple. I don't like wearing things with logos.

I hate makeup and don't do much with my hair; just wash it, condition it, and brush it. When I get really wild, I may pull it back in a ponytail at the nape of my neck. I also don't wear jewelry very often - I tend to feel like it's wearing me, in a weird way. I do, however, paint my nails periodically - I generally prefer blues and purples when it comes to the colors I pick.

In short, my style is the essence of Plain Jane. Partly for financial reasons, and partly because I just don't like being very fussy about it.

As for the negatives...I'm brutally self-critical and prone to depression and anxiety, but not one who romanticizes it. I'm no Jaques - when I'm depressed, I'm miserable and constantly looking for things to either distract me from it or help me feel better. I don't relish melancholia. I have trouble adapting to big changes and, as contradictory as it may sound, I tend to have difficulty keeping any sort of routine. I don't usually take criticism well - I don't necessarily lash out at the person criticizing me, I just tend to internalize it and use it as one more reason to beat myself up. There are times when my habitual day-dreaming will bite back; I'll obsess over worst-case scenarios until I give myself a panic attack sometimes. I over-think everything.

My fav scents generally tend to be florals and aquatics. Patchouli literally makes me ill. Very earthy scents usually leave me feeling like I'm suffocating, and I tend to not like smelling like food, though fruity florals will sometimes get a pass.

...wow. Was that too long?

In The Imp:

What it says on the label - roses, leaves and a lovely aquatic note.

Immediate Application:

Stays pretty much the same. This actually smells to me like it could be unisex, or even a mens' aftershave.

Dry-Down:

The scent stays pretty consistent - cool, clean, and fresh. Definitely like an aftershave. I think any salty aquatic is going to be like that for me.

Mental Image:

A beautiful brownstone apartment or house up northeast in the autumn, and a charming, well-dressed, ridiculously attractive Significant Other cuddling on the couch with you as you watch the leaves fall outside your window. Stealing kisses, talking about your day, making Thanksgiving plans. You turn to plant your nose into the nape of his neck and just breathe deep for a moment while he chuckles and strokes your back.

Verdict:

Very nice. Bears re-testing, I don't know yet if I want a bottle. I'm so glad the Luper deadline's been pushed back!

Oddly enough, all I got was molasses with a little bit of musk. I love rose and know what red musk smells like on its' own, so I'm pretty sure it's the opoponax that causes it to do that on my skin.

It's not horrible at all, and I'd say if you like darkly sweet foody scents, this is definitely right up your alley. I just don't dig foody scents. (Aside from the occasional fruity floral, anyway.) Passing this decant on to someone else.

This was a freebie I was wary of, but it's surprisingly nice.

In The Imp: Coconut and rum.

Immediate Application: Fruity coco-nutty rum, and between this and other fragrances I've tried, I think I know what tobacco leaf smells like on its' own. (I grew up in a family of non-smokers who didn't chew tobacco either, so I never smelled this stuff before.) It's either surprisingly sweet, or that's the coconut working with it.

Dry-Down: Coconut and tobacco, the rum falls back just a tad.

Mental Image: Absolutely dead-on for a Loa blend.

Verdict: Not for me in terms of being a perfume I'd use regularly, but fun to try.

In The Imp: Jasmine, tonka (I think), and either fig or vanilla. Or both.

Immediate Application: The roses come out just a tad, and then the coffee bean. It's not too intrusive, though. IDK what mahogany smells like on its' own, so it may or may not be in there, I can't necessarily tell. There's a sharpness to this that may be it? Again, idk. Seems like it could just as easily be the tonka. The "undertone" at the back of my nose reminds me a little of Moscow, I'm assuming that's from the jasmine.

Dry-Down: Jasmine tonka coffee? ^^;; Not unpleasant, but not me.

Verdict: Nah. Worth a shot, but I'll probably pass it on.

In The Imp: Sweet rosemary

Immediate Application: The rosemary sharpens a bit, and the rose comes out a little. Alas, the orange blossom is so subtle I can't really tell it's there...and then it starts to stink. Like, stink stink. DAMMIT.

Dry-Down: Didn't last that long. Had to wash it off. I don't think there's any individual note in this that dislikes me. Orange blossom and rose are lovely on me when they're in the right blend, and rosemary has worked for me in other blends, it's more that this particular mixture of notes just doesn't agree with me. I'm sure it'd be lovely on others, though. It was certainly nice enough on me before it started to turn.

Mental Image: You really, really don't want to know. Seriously. I'm trying to avoid thinking about it myself.

Verdict: Definitely a big giant NOPE. This leaves me sad, because I'm still searching for a nice floral orange blossom scent that's not ruined by patchouli. I had such high hopes for this one.

In The Imp: EEEE! Flowers!!!

Immediate Application: Mmmm, YES. FLOWERS ALL OVER THE PLACE. AND SNOW. I SMELL THE SNOW. AND MORE FLOWERS.

Dry-Down: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

Verdict: WAAAAAAAAANT.

Also? Ditto what everyone else says - the throw on this one is HELLA strong, so apply with a light touch.

In The Imp: Grapefruit and orange.

Immediate Application: I start to smell the Freesia and the snow note, as well as other soft floral notes. I have no idea what helichrysum or rockrose smell like on their own, so I can't actually identify them, but I'm assuming they're there.

Dry-Down: Overall, a nice cold citrusy floral. I loves me some neroli/orange blossom and wish there were more of it in this, but I still can't complain. It's pretty, and pretty is what I was hoping for.

Verdict: Jeeze. Another one where I can't figure out if I want a bottle or not. >.>;;

In The Imp: Very Sharp - almost like greenery. Must be the narcissus.

Immediate Application: Still sharp, but some of the sweetness starts poking through. It actually smells very masculine to me. Like mens' aftershave. ^^;;

Dry-Down: The sharpness and iciness gives way to sweetness, and it's still pretty unisex.

Verdict: I keep going back and forth about getting a bottle.

In The Imp: Welp. Definitely lots of cold almond.

Immediate Application: A sort of peppermint smell starts to come through? I think? After a few minutes it goes soapy on me, which isn't necessarily something I mind, but I'm not crazy about it either.

Dry-Down: The soapiness fades and leaves behind a sweetness that's not actually reminiscent of food. I kind of like this stage.

Verdict: It's good, but I'm not sure about liking it enough to get a full bottle. Definitely bears re-testing in a few days when I'm not in the middle of Shark Week to make sure, and even if I don't get a bottle, the imp is worth keeping.

Another frimp I'd never have ordered for myself. The description shows it's really not my thing at all, but I gave it a try in the name of being a good sport.

Starts out surprisingly sweet, almost...minty? IDK. I'm having trouble picking things out. More things come through, idk what is what since I'm not sure what most of it smells like, and in the end it ends up smelling like the home fragrance section of every craft and sewing supply store ever. It's got that same sweetness and spice thing going. (O HAI CLOVE HOW YOU DOIN?) No idea what notes are causing it, because again, idk what most of this stuff smells like on its' own.

Definitely not for me, but not as OMG HAHAHA NO THANK YOU as I was expecting? ^^;; (Not that I assumed it'd be bad, I'm just a florals and aquatics girl, myself.)

Frimp that came with my bottle of Peacock Queen. Nice, but not me. Lots of baked goods, not enough rose. I'm not a fan of smelling like literal desserts, so this is up for swaps.

(Decant of the 2012 release.)

Oh dear God, this one is amazing. I love roses and thought I had my quota filled with my 5ml of The Rose and imps of Rose Red and Harlot - hahaha! I'm going to have to scrounge to buy a 5ml of this before it goes away, because HOLY CRAP.

I won't go to the trouble of typing out a description of the phases of the scent, because it stays pretty true the entire time. It's a perfectly full bloom straight from the florist's refrigerators, less greenery than Rose Red or The Rose, but still very chilly. Definitely haughty, it knows how gorgeous it is and it will make damned sure the world knows it too.

It's not my personal fav, but my mom loves it and I like it well enough that I'm not giving it to her.

It's very floral in the bottle, but the frankincense pokes through very quickly and dries down to that and sandalwood with flowers in the background sweetening it up. Sandalwood usually eats up everything for me, but this seems to be another rare blend where it behaves.

In terms of impressions, it's very bright white and glittering gold. Definitely evocative of beings of heavenly fire.

In The Imp: A-yup. Lotsa leather. Not the first time I've worn a leathery BPAL (Tintagel popped that particular cherry for me), and while it's not my fav, it's also not a deal-breaker.

Immediate Application: Leather and...is that sharpness from the balsam? And...dirt? Huh. Ok.

30-45 Minutes Later: Ok, now I'm imagining a non-smoking Marlboro Man.

Verdict: Not bad, but not me. This is very ruggedly masculine to my nose - not something I want to wear, but I'll definitely save it for any hypothetical future male S/O that may come my way and be open to testing scents for me.

In The Imp: Sweet apricot. I'm not sure I'm buying the Taming Of The Shrew associations - this Katharina is less hard-headed, more giggly and playful.

Immediate Application: Sweeter apricot.

30-45 Minutes Later: More rounded out - the orange blossom comes out to play and the musk turns it into those hotel-sized bottles of hand lotion that smell nice in a light, unobtrusive way. My grandmother used to keep those bottles, so I'm kind of torn between associating this with playful young girls and little old ladies.

Verdict: Not something that grabs me, but not something I'd swap either. Good imp to keep around because it would be a safe scent for times when you want to smell nice, but aren't sure what's appropriate.

In The Imp: Tintagel meets Snake Oil? Minus the woodsy-leathery-berry-wine stuff? Clearly Igraine wanted to get a litttle freaky that night too, not just Uther.

Immediate Application: Oh, hey Dragon's Blood - what's up? Mind giving me some space, here? *WHEEZE*

30-45 Minutes Later: Softer Dragon's blood.

Couple Of Hours Later: The honeyed vanilla finally pokes through. This stage is kind of nice, but I dunno if it's worth the OMG DRAGON'S BLOOD phase.

Verdict: Meh. I'd like it better if the dry-down phase came sooner. May be up for swaps. Hey - at least it was a frimp!

I'm so happy - I've discovered that layering Water of Notre Dame with The Rose seems to be a GREAT duplicate of Ophelia. Just a tip for those who cried bitterly (like me - I hadn't even gotten to order a 5ml yet! ) when she went away.

If you can't layer, then WoND by itself is also a pretty decent Ophelia substitute. Not identical, but pretty close. I just like amping up the rose a bit, what can I say?

In The Imp: Almost like taking my fav aquatic blends and throwing some berries in. Interesting.

Immediate Application: Sort of...clean berries? Berry shampoo? IDK. It's weird, but I kinda dig it. The clean herbal-y almost-aquatic notes balance out the berry and keep it from going all GAH! FOODY! on me.

30-45 Minutes Later: ...aaaand now it's a sweeter version of Irish Spring soap. This isn't a bad thing, but I'm not in love with it.

Verdict: This is a frimp I wouldn't have ordered for myself. It's nice and I'll use it occasionally, but it's not on the 5ml wish list.