LavenderCoffee
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Everything posted by LavenderCoffee
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A dab'll do ya with this one. It's a wonderfully persistent but soft leather, well worn and warm, carrying the scent of its owner/wearer. This isn't nearly as "leather goods store" to my nose as something like You're A Daisy, but it is predominantly leather. Herbal lavender cologne pops out, then settles as the oil dries, perfect for a gentleman detective or anyone in search of a subtle leather/cologne vibe. Fresh lime wedge is certainly not happening here, but the cologne has a nice citrus slant. I just purchased the bottle this week, but I'm not sure how long it's been in stock waiting to be claimed, so it could possibly be aged? Anyway it's lovely and nicely balanced.
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This is unapologetically bold when wet, and sweeter than I expected, but not in an unpleasant way. The bottle has only rested 24 hours, so it might need to settle longer, but it's been consistent during that time. The opium and cognac, along with whatever mephitic bits, hang out in the top range, while benzoin, amber and patch surround the tobacco base. It's decadent. There's almost a suggestion of banana here? Maduros? Idk. Nothing acrid or bitter, just richness and a swirl of pleasantly intoxicating fumes. I didn't get anything spicy or smoked at first, but after 20-30 minutes, the tobacco seems to have dried with the oil, and I definitely get a touch of spice and some smoke. It's soft and warm and resinous, and the fumes have decreased in strength but still seem to give everything a bit of shimmer - a diaphanous tobacco dream. It hangs out here through the hour mark, close to the skin. So much quieter than where it started, but so good! And *very* different from the previous Witches' Lace.
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Let this one rest after travel for sure. Cedar in combination with some of the other notes will complain loudly about the trip. Even now after the better part of a month of rest, I could swear this has narcissus in it, but I like that note anyway. I think these must be swamp witches, in their sugary mossy lace among the cedars.
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I was ready to full size this one too, but the delicious dankness wears off after 30 mins, and it becomes a lovely dandelion scent with lightly honeyed weed in the background. It's very pleasant but I would prefer to retain more of that initial hit. Recommended for those hesitant to try the weed note, and for dandelion enthusiasts.
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Freshly applied, this smells exactly like chocolate buttercream frosting. Agree with wolf_truffles, it's making me want to take a bite of myself. Creamy, sugary, vanilla-chocolately, crying out for a cupcake and sprinkles to go with it. Definitely not a chocolate ganache.
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Revised review: I thought I had Wild Nights figured out, but it's just too wild to pin down! TLDR; Many morphs, ends with black musk. When I tested this the first time I didn't get much vetiver, but each subsequent time there is a burst of smoky vetiver when first applied, even though the listed note is smoked patch. As the smoke settles down, a red musk/patch/vanilla ensemble takes shape. I don't get much jasmine, the vetiver/patch play off each other really well, and the black musk quietly skulks around in the background. It seems like the cardamom sugar is just dusted over the top. Quite slinky! After a couple hours, the sugar becomes more pronounced even though the cardamom remains fairly subtle. I get a sugary patch with vetiver and vanilla. Hubba hubba! I love that this scent has great staying power, but after the sugar sweet phase tapers off, the black musk is the last note standing ...and I do not love a black musk solo. Sad trombone. Thanks for the wild ride, wild nights!
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I wasn't sure if candle wax would necessarily equate to beeswax, but this is absolutely a treat for beeswax folks. I get a candy-like lotus take on Val from the Yule collection, in which the lotus fades gradually and leaves a sweet skin close beeswax after several hours of wear. The smoke is fairly subtle on my skin, would love to see that note gain strength with age.
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Really digging the black cherry in this, especially since it hangs out through the drydown and intertwines deliciously with chocolate mint and anise. There's definitely almond and musk here, but they don't dominate the blend on my skin. Would love a bit more throw, but it seems to hold onto my skin for a good part of the day.
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I didn't know I needed a blueberry coconut gardenia scent, but I'm loving this. I'd call it a gentle spring floral with interesting underpinnings. I had a 2020 ménage with gardenia that obliterated my senses with its potency, so I was nervous about that happening here, but after two tests with Jest, that hasn't been an issue. The blueberry musk is subtle but adds a unique tint, like the backdrop of the label art, and the coconut is also pretty chill - not too tropical leaning imo. I don't get much clearly discernable neroli until later in the drydown, where it adds some warmth.
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This is another "does what it says on the tin" and it's quite lovely, but I can't help thinking I smell like breakfast when I wear this. Creamy honey oatmeal, coming right up!
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I can't hang with the lacquer note in this one, maybe because of the pairing with iron or leather (I suspect the leather). After resting a week, a fresh application of Warrior Couple is like going into the shed and huffing fumes. It does calm down eventually, but it's still too sharp for me. Don't send me to the front lines! Lacquered bamboo in Martial Arts was not a problem (MA is my favorite of the Shungas I've smelled this year), so YMMV, as ever.
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Amor, To Show That He Was Pleased, Approvingly (In Silence) Sneezed
LavenderCoffee replied to Seajewel's topic in Lupercalia
I am getting exactly the notes listed, it's remarkably realistic. The sweetness is amplified when the oil is wet, but after it dries this is absolutely lemon sugar honey cakes (I'm seeing mini cakes with a layer of vanilla cream in the center) dusted with candied flowers. There is more richness from the honey than from the vanilla cream, I suppose since it was baked in and it has some caramelized sort of thing happening. Mayyybe a hint of powdered sugar? Anyway this is delightful. -
100% this is grape soda when freshly applied. It goes to grape jelly on the drydown, and I like that it's not crushingly sweet. Agree that it could be fun for layering.
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I'm not getting any apple but I don't miss it. I like orchid and I love Great Vampire Bat (Incense touched jungle orchid) so I was curious if there would be something similar from the orchid/incense here, but this is more in the realm of a soft orchid centered floral with incense in the other room. Low throw.
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I was really hype to try this one, but falls a bit short for me. When freshly applied, the rich earthy mushroom is the star, but it fades dramatically as it dries, and honeyed incense takes over. It's a lovely soft skin scent, not overly smoky or sweet, and I'd actually recommend it to folks who are hesitant to try a mushroom scent
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Fleur de lait, right out of the gate! My skin really grabs onto this lightly funky dairy note. It settles down after initial application, hanging out in the background throughout wear. I like how it adds depth and complexity to the rose and peony. Ultimately not my kind of floral scent, but it's a lovely composition.
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This reads like Elephant is Slow to Mate Lite on my skin, which is not a bad thing. Lighter on resins, and softly creamy. There's almost something slightly sparkly about it, but I can't explain that at all, it's just nice. Not getting much throw.
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Lovely subtle skin scent. This is one where the honey dust doesn't take over on my skin, it's a pleasant cherry-on-top sort of note here. Toasted rice and sandalwood doing a good job grounding the sweetness. Not getting much crimson musk at all though.
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Goes on with a rush of lemon cream and settles into an ambery golden lemon-touched skin musk.
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Tested from a decant rested for a week. I can understand the comparison between Ice Age Baton and Muddy Armadillo, but this is an entirely different scent experience, even though the notes are similar - I find it soft and cool and brittle where MA is booming and warm and rich. I don't get mud or dirt from either blend, but I do get something sharp and unpleasant like gasoline when I first apply this one. That goes away fairly quickly and I get the cool, chalky vanilla cacao, threaded through with tobacco. It stays close to the skin for me and fades within a few hours.
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Of the lemony lupers I've tried this year, this one is the least sweet, and it seems to go somewhat bitter on my skin. I wouldn't normally go for an apple scent, but I don't think that is causing the issue.
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White tea can be pretty sharp, but on my skin, all of the other notes are smoothing it out. It's very pretty and soft. I never would have thought white tea and cocoa could work together, but I'm getting a hint of the honeyed cocoa combo that's been popping up in other collections.
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Another stunner with a mushroom note! The lacquer here isn't as intense as it is in Warrior Couple, and that tasty russet amber from Bronze Dildo is working its magic bringing the earthy notes and the sweeter notes together. There is a bit of a shift from the wet phase to the dry phase for sure, but I love an oak note, so I'm enjoying how that steps forward and changes the tone.
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Seems like this one is consistent - I get a wave of white tea and neroli up front, but it calms down into a soft neroli champaca combo. Kinda disappears on me but could be a subtle springtime blend.
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This is entirely more pleasant and subtle than the name implies! I wish it had a bit more throw, but I can't stop smelling myself. I really like the mushroom in this, more than the honey pot mushroom blend this year. The pepper does provide a nose tickle, but nothing aggressive. This is very well blended, imo, I can pick out most of the notes if I'm looking for them, but it forms a cohesive scent: a warm fuzzy earthy wood blend, with a bit of salt and spice. The color impression I get is reddish brown.