Casablanca
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Green-mossy cedar and patchouli, and something a little odd... which mellows and improves over time and seems to shape into the cade. Earth mother vibe, though a bit swampy or muddy on my skin.
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Sugared clove against a curtain of amber musk. In the realm of both Black Amber and Sugarcane, and Luke 10:25-37. Love this sugary spice.
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A blast of bitter green wild grasses sounds right. There's a raw, unauthored quality to this: as though a stray hiker found a little-touched, overgrown, and thoroughly overlooked area and opted to spend the day there, maybe sketching, even though it's not what would ever make a brochure or most people's ideas of idyllic nature. It simply is, as it grew, sculpted by the courses of wind and sun and the nourishment of sandy soils. In drydown, the bitterness and greenness subside, and whiffs of powdery orris emerge. I never notice other notes.
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Soothing, frothy waves wash up on my skin --- that's how this one smells on me. I'm seated on gray stones long washed smooth by the timeless flowing tides, and the water washes up and down against the rocks, against me, limning us both in salt and pearlescent froth and mineral seawater. In drydown, I find a lovely, breathy vanilla, which is where the pearlescent quality seems to arise from. There might be a whiff of white rose in it, also; at least, I'm not finding other rose. This pearly vanilla is beautiful, and luring me in like a Siren. (Also a Girl at the Beach...) The linen and general airiness of the scent leave it clean, and the balance of notes is thoughtful and delicate. The salt remains present throughout, though it never overwhelms --- partly because I'm attending more to this pearl note. Aquatics aren't a common purchase or reach for me, but this may be the prettiest one I've sampled in a while. I'm likely to bring in a bottle if I can afford it.
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As you might expect, there's a lot going on for this July eve. This perfume is honestly such an odd olfactory circus swirl that it's tempting to sort of hold up my hands and walk away from review writing, but I'll try. I mentioned a circus. This one brings to my mind an imagined 19th-century one: cymbals crashing, horns blaring, garish masks and spinning tumblers and dancing monkeys and hawking announcers and trinket peddlers. I can pick out these notes from among the imaginary 5-cent booths: lemon, violet, herbs that may include oregano and mugwort, apples, and lilac and something inky and murky. Sometimes, there's a general impression of "candied," as though some of these thingies are sold at faire booths in that sugared state --- that's part of where this mind-picture arises from for me. Candied herbal red currants and apples are what seem to steal the show for me eventually... That's where this dries to. A kitchen-sink notes list (everything and the kitchen sink) can probably venture many directions for many people; this Hall of Mirrors awaits its next subject to reflect.
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Warm bread! Honey cakes! (And oh, there's fennel!) Those are the initial thoughts on applying this, and also "It's uber-harvesty." Along with general grain feels, I find a lot of baked bread and some honey cakes. The fennel is a little black-peppery in tone, and otherwise just like dried whole fennel seed in a seasoning jar. (I love throwing them on pizza.) I love herbs in fragrances, so I'm happy to smell this here. The honey cakes are short-lived on me; by the time this dries, it's almost entirely warm-baked bread, with a smear of melted butter.
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Huh. I'm going through my friend's decants here, just applying and writing impressions. I throw this on last, with no mental projection first of how these notes might play together. All this to say... I didn't picture anything, but if I had, this probably wouldn't have been it. LTV is soft on me, but what I get is faintly leathery, and definitely salty, mostly clean skin sweat. I picture the soft leather cover of a journal stained from being held too long on a hot day, or soft brown leather stained with sweat from fighting in it, but none of this smells body odory, just salty. Salty, mildly sweat-stained (but clean) leather.
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"Heavy honey" is my first thought on applying this one. Then the dragon's blood resolves out of some of that weight or gravitas, and with him comes a cloud of not smoke, but musk. Lots of musk. Here there be dragons who breathe musk. Copal joins the party, too, hanging back a bit against the wall, but just with a "Hey," now and then. He always has a sacred feel, and is quiet in his connection to the universe... but also darkly wood-grainy and badass. This one is not for me, but it is interesting: a heavy and sweet honey coating a musk-breathing, red-resinous dragon, and his badass but sacred wooden rider.
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Apple Pulp, Amber, and Frankincense
Casablanca replied to Seajewel's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
Lush golden apples, freshly cut and juicy, with frankincense adrift in the background. This could be the aroma of the apples left to entice and distract Atalanta from winning her race --- they would certainly distract me. Amber doesn't stand out on its own for me here, but no doubt it contributes to the sunrise/sunset gold cast over everything in the blend. Despite the presence of incense, this is not smoky. (If it were, I'd probably give in and buy it!) But as it is, I have a lot of apple blends... and only because of that, I won't be carting this. If you love golden apple perfumes, this is one to try. -
Burnt Sugar, Cream, and Strawberries
Casablanca replied to Seajewel's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
First impression: Softly burnt strawberry. Like, bright strawberries just a little bruised and smudged with caramelized burnt goo. A bit later, but while this is still drying, it resolves more into burnt sugar specifically... but the strawberries are still Queen, and the burnt sugar but a lil smudge on their skins. Now and then, as this dries, it reminds me of strawberry pancakes: basically a plate drenched in strawberry maple syrup (and also fresh halved strawberries). I don't find any cream for a bit. But later in drydown, it becomes the pancake part of the overall strawberry maple syrup image I keep getting from this. And I like the blend plenty at that point! I wouldn't mind having these strawberry maple pancakes for breakfast this morning. -
Elder Blossoms, Champagne, and Blackcurrant
Casablanca replied to Seajewel's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
On first application, a delicate, lightly sweet (rather than dry) champagne fizzes up on my skin (and gets on my nose, oops). This is a pretty champagne note compared to some, with fewer nose-tickling fizz-bubbles and a little more sweetness. Elder flowers may be absent --- or they may be that bit of sweetness, since I don't remember smelling them on their own before? A lot of flowers bloom as middle notes, so I wait a bit... and then I think I may have them. They smell like a very light, almost playful, floral honey... nice. They play well with this spring-like champagne. This is a pretty spring blend that may (based on the silence above me) not be getting the attention it merits. But I'm a black currant ho, and where is she? I know she likes to show up late and sneak in. Eventually, I find a little shadow of black currant along the back wall of this party. Sneaking indeed. She is so lovely, and I wish she came into the light more here. But this is a pretty perfume, still. -
Lemon Peel, Jasmine Tea, and Honeycomb
Casablanca replied to Seajewel's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
O my, that's some indolic jasmine. Woof. I can find lemon and a little tea in the mix, trying to break free... but mostly this goes right to the nether-region odors, for both my friend and I. This is a shame --- it did sound pretty. Scrubber. -
I get a bright, bold burst of seedy strawberries from the time I even crack the decant. Those blends where you can even smell the skin of the fruit? That's a lot like this one is for me. I seem to smell the freshly bitten strawberry, but also the little greenish-tan seeds over its surface. Basically, this perfume smells like a strawberry closeup. It takes quite a while for any of the marble to slide out from under the bombastic berry. Once it does, it adds a little smoothness and sophistication. But mostly, this is a potent strawberry blend, suitable for anytime spring through summer's end.
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Airy and floral aquatic-blue musk with a brush of warm leather and, at first, only a lil pinch of salt. At first, this is quite floral, refreshing, and blue. As time passes, it grows some powder on my skin --- still blue, but becoming blue-powdery, like the dust of sea fairies on coastal blooms. After it has dried, it grows a lot more salt on me, and it starts to remind me of the salty residue on skin after the seawater has evaporated. This clearly evokes its art.
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Crane Moon is surprisingly soft and subtle on me. Primarily, it's vanilla orris, suggesting pale feathers --- and also the pale powder of a cockatoo. I find a suggestion of white cocoa powder, as well, but just a tease. In drydown, some warmth builds from cedar and cardamom, though again they are soft. This phase makes me think of nest-building, and by extension homemaking... But then, I already associate cedar with the idea of Home. This one is a soft, delicate, powdery-pale bird with hints of dry warmth.