Vaudenilla

Disclaimer: I loathe alcohol. Not due to any moral qualms, no, it is the wretched smell and taste of the stuff which makes me clutch my pearls. (Yes, even on my twenty-first birthday, I forwent any drunken shenanigans… I have a very delicate constitution. ) This very old imp is effervescent and pine forward. Thankfully my stomach agrees with it more than other “alcoholic” perfumes I’ve smelled. After some time on my skin, It does almost smell…. a little dusty. I am mostly chalking that up to the age of this thing, but that is something I’ve also picked up in perfumes with aldehydes (chanel no.5 is a great nemesis of mine) - something I do suspect is in this blend. I don’t hate it, but I’m happy I only have an imp. I do wonder if this would layer well. Wear time: 6 hours of full-blast, but it is still detectable close to skin about 8 hours later. Sillage: Close to skin.

This is quite aged (so do be aware that newer versions may smell different.) On my skin, Kill-devil is caramel left on a burner just a touch too long. There’s something woodsy, certainly, but I think the honey in this is really making the oak note lean plasticky or burnt on me. This really works on my mom, however, and on her it smells sweet and sandal-woody. Wear time: about 7 hours (it is always the ones we don’t love that linger, no?) Sillage: Strong.

To my nose, this is a lovely delicate violet. Reminiscent of vintage parfums, Faustus exudes an air of sophistication and class. The frankincense and violet do err a touch powdery- a quality I quite enjoy in perfumes. Blessedly I do not pick up any cinnamon, as usually it leans towards craft-store for me. Wear time: 5 hours maximum. Sillage: Delicate.