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This is a soft, creamy vanilla with a very velvety carnation note, and it's substantially different from either the original or resurrected versions, with much more creamy vanilla, some sandalwood, much more creaminess. It's more sweet, and most significantly, has a very different, gentler type of carnation note - more like a white soft pink carnation; of all the blends I've test, this reminds me most of Morocco (released version) but with barely any spice, and a little of the Jingo-Kogo & Ameratsu vibe, due to the shared (same or similar) sandalwood note that's creamy and musky. Blush-tinged ivory feel, overall, and one I may like for myself! :)

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I agree with fairnymph's review -- sweet and very creamy (and a genuine cream, too -- not one that goes plastic or sour on my skin) with only a very tiny bit of spice. Where Hod Res. was CARNATION!! on my skin, in Hod V2, the carnation takes a major backseat. I loved this version way more than Hod Res., and I wouldn't surprised if the bottle becomes one of my new favorites.

 

EDIT: I actually get something sort of metallic from this upon application, now. When I was on my period, I had to wash it off, it was so metallic. Blech. But now that I'm back to normalcy, the metal smell fades away once it's dry, thank God. I was worried I was going to have to get rid of it, which would have made me really, really sad.

Edited by kikithepirate

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Let me start by saying that Hod and Morocco are two of my most fave BPALs ever. Heck, they're two of my fave perfumes ever. Having said that, I felt Hod v2 was nothing special (well, except for the fact that it smelled pretty much exactly like Hod). It was Hod with a lil less carnation and a lil more perfumey musk. I didn't find it creamy at all, which I would have loved.

 

So what I am saying is, if you love Hod and you already have some, you don't need to go insane to find this. They are very similar and the released version is much, much better IMO.

 

ETA: The Morocco proto, on the other hand, is truly special.

Edited by Persephone76

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I swear this version of Hod has sweet pea in it (a la Aeval or Mouse's Long and Sad Tale). I also don't get much carnation unless it's what disguising itself as sweet pea. I haven't tried Hod in a while, but I remember it being spicy, bold carnation. This one is like some sort of baby sister to Hod.

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Well, I finally got around to putting Hod v2 on my left wrist and Hod Res. on my right wrist, and I thought I'd do a review. I'd just like to say that Hod Res. is one of those that whenever I wear it, the girls at work invariably ask me sometime during the day "WHAT are you wearing? You smell SO GOOD."

 

I thought Hod v2 would just be a more creamy version of that. My reasoning? Because wet in the bottle it smells like a SN Butter if there ever could be such a thing. It's almost unrecognizable as Hod to me. I thought, oh, it'll just mellow out on my skin and smell like a Katrina van Tassel + Hod Res. baby. Woo!

 

Uh, no. Wet on my skin, it's olive brine. OLIVE BRINE. And, more specifically, GREEN olive brine. I then hoped that it would morph or something when it dried. But no, I'm now wearing a dry and dusty green olive brine perfume on my left wrist. What the hell is wrong with my skin chemistry?

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Light carnation, creamy sandalwood, brush of sweet pea. I think the sweet pea is what gives the carnation the sort of 'pink velvet' associations others have noted, and makes it softer. I find this prototype to be less 'spicy' than the released versions.

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This is a lot like the released version of Hod at first (spicy, sweet, comforting, heavenly), but the drydown has a clean, perfumey white floral feel on me that makes this sharper, and it slowly starts to turn more and more to baby powder. I love the released version of Hod (in my bpal top ten), but this one seems to have something in it that isn't working for me.

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To me, this smells like a softer, creamier, sugared version of the released Hod. I'm mostly getting cream, sweet vanilla, soft spicy carnations, and a bit of amber and creamy sandalwood.

 

eta: hm..I got a bottle of this one recently and it's different from my tester, it must be due to aging (unless there are batch differences). I get hardly any sweetness from my bottle and it's not as creamy either, the amber is also more pronounced and the carnation has a metallic tinge that I didn't get from my tester, overall it's a bit sharper and not as well-blended or smooth.

Edited by cfrancesca

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In The Bottle: soft vanilla butterscotch! :eek:

 

Wet On Skin: More yumminess, but there's something else in here too- it's in the background, so it's hard to pin, but it's calling to mind the florals of late springtime when I was a kid. the stuff that blooms in nyc for three days right before it becomes unbearably hot :lol:

 

Dry Down: Oh, this is GOOD. the florals have become more woodsy, and the vanilla/butterscotch combo has become less over the top foody, making for a warm, rich scent that is sweet but not in a i-wanna-chew-my-arm kind of way. more sexy, less cakey. :D

 

In all: Low throw, warm and delectible. I'm finding that this proto of Hod is FAr better suited to my skin chemistry. the released version(s) amped some odd dark musk note that went all wet-cardboard on me. but this version is exactly what i'd hoped the release would be and wasn't.

 

NOW i know what all the fuss is about! ;)

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This is Love's Philosophy on me, with light carnation. :wub2: Way lighter than Hod Res. and much less throw. Gorgeous. Very happy I took a chance on this...

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I've never smelled any version of hod before. I generally like carnations, though I'm not really a floral kind of girl. This is a light and vanillaish floral that is nothing special to me. Very soft throw and not much staying power.

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This is very much a 'pink' carnation instead of a 'red' carnation that I get from the released version. It's subdued but I dunno if that is in a good way. There is more sandalwood in this version as well as it is very dry on me. Amber makes it a bit powdery but not in a bad, high-pitched sort of way. More in a clean, kinda cuddly way. I don't find any of the creaminess that others may be getting either and the reported sugar has skipped town.

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Hod v2 smells very similar to the "no-musk" Infernal Lover, but with a spicy floral kick. It's buttery in the bottle, but on my skin it's a light and creamy vanilla with a realistic carnation note. There isn't much throw, but this would be good for layering.

 

Very pretty.

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A creamy note like the one in Glowing Vulva, underneath carnation.

 

If you like carnation, you will like this. I keep giving that note second chances, and every time I am reminded that I just do not freakin like carnation. Oh well!

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This is the cream from glowing vulva, a lighter carnation note and vanilla, plus possibly some sweet pea? Overall, something in this goes a bit plasticky on me. Very disappointing.

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ooooo, I love this one! spicy vanilla carnation!! smells just like lush's potion to me!! perfect!

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wow, i was sure i would love this! i love carnation scents, and i liked the infernal lover a lot...this smells like infernal lover in the bottle with a hint of something in the background which i cannot describe. on my skin, it starts out as a slightly-foody vanilla, like in infernal lover. then the carnation comes through, and it smells like sour, rotting flowers. what, no! carnation always works on me, so WTF. there must be another floral in here that's going wonky. occasionally rose does, but we are generally good friends, so if there is rose, there is that possibility. this is a huge bummer, as i was really really looking forward to this scent. i think my skin chemistry must be changing lately.

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Origin: from the BPAL Etsy shop

 

Initial Thoughts: I tried the official version of Hod when it was resurrected, looking for a better carnation experience. Alas, the musk amped on me as musk tends to do and drowned out most of the carnation. After seeing the first reviews of this version, I decided to give it a try.

 

In the Bottle: Buttery-sweet vanilla with carnation lurking in the background.

 

Wet: Spicy carnations sitting on top of a deliciously sugary cake. It's an odd juxtaposition at first, but I can't stop sniffing it.

 

Drydown: Sandalwood emerges, which is often a bad sign. Sandalwood is one of those notes that will amp on me. At the moment it seems to be beating down the sugary vanilla note but the carnation is not giving up.

 

Verdict: It mostly balances out to a trio of sandalwood, carnation and vanilla, but the sandalwood is the strongest of the three. I'll try it again in a couple of days, but I suspect this one will need a better home than mine.

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Thoughts before testing: After reading the reviews on this page, I absolutely had to try Hod v2. I'm in a bit of a vanilla and carnation obsessive phase at the moment, so i have high hopes for this.

 

Wet: Creamy, smooth vanilla that's slightly spiced (the carnation?) Very nice.

 

Dry down: The carnation becomes more apparent here and blends with the vanilla beautifully. I'm not picking up any sandalwood.

 

Dry: Spicy carnation, creamy vanilla, and just the lightest hint of sandalwood. :joy:

 

Verdict: This is really a stunning blend. It's perfect for this time of year for me and is instant love.

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I love the sandalwood in this as it makes it all dry, dusty and very woody. The combination of cream and woods and carnation blend together beautifully. The carnations are spicy and slightly sweet adding a good balnce to the dry woods and cream. Love the released version and love this one too!

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In the bottle:

Florals with something heavily creamy.

 

Wet:

This smells almost sour when I put it on, but quickly changes to a creamy floral.

 

Drydown:

The floral I am getting is not carnation. It is way more, um, floral than that. Sorry, but I really don't like most florals and I'm not good at differentiating them.

 

Dry:

This is generic floral with a hint of ozone on me. God's judgment apparently says that this blend needs to go to the swap box. Oh well.

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This is such a morpher! It starts off with thick clods of spicy vanilla cream, then goes to plastic (!), then back to carnation and vanilla...and back to plastic. And then back again. o.O Hopefully more aging will keep it in the creamy vanilla carnation stage and NOT the plastic.

 

EDIT 2/05/16: After years of aging this a thick, sweet, creamy, buttery (French?) vanilla with soft undercurrent of spice from the carnation. This is definitely going to be a go-to comfort scent and I'm glad I was patient and gave it time to mature.

Edited by thatbrownelf

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Buttery and sugar-sweet in the bottle. That kind of scent often doesn't work for me, but I was pleasantly surprised: on my skin, BAM carnation! Ah, that’s better and much more interesting. Light and fresh smelling, with a much subtler sweetness. It is very reminiscent of Morocco, which others have mentioned. Nice, I really like this!

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I haven't gotten my hands on the original Hod yet, but I but I have Hod resurrected, and am still trying to decide about it - it seems different each time I test. I LOVE carnation though and haven't had a lot of success finding carnation blends that I adore, so when I saw this on the Lab's etsy, I snatched it up.

 

 

Wet: Pretty. Very sweet and creamy. Way more vanilla than Hod Res. Less amber, I think. But also less carnation, I am only getting them as a hint. I added a bit more oil to my test patch, and finally found the carnation! This is a very sweet vanilla sugar and carnation scent on me, at this point, whereas I find Hod Res to be more amber and carnation.

 

 

Dry: I am so stuffed up today, but I am being really stubborn and still wanting to test anyway because I am sick an miserable and it makes me feel better! I get carnation, a hint of something green, and vanilla sugar (which for once hasn't turned to plastic on me!). I think I really like it, but I will have to retest when I am feeling better.

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(I think this is the correct place for this review. Purchased a bottle of this on eBay from a seller from whom I've purchased before.)

 

In the bottle: Very sweet vanilla creamy. It reminds me of the smell of, like, an entire tub or bowl of creamy vanilla frosting. If there are other notes, they are hiding under that.

 

On my skin:

 

First, as I apply, the oil's consistency is thicker than I've experienced from most BPAL vials. It's not as thick as my aged Boomslang, but it's getting toward that. 

 

Wet, the vanilla dissipates almost immediately, revealing a softly spiced scent underneath. It's the kind of spice that would be at home in a room full of sweet baked goods, but there's no actual "baked good" note (like, no cake or bread or that sort of thing -- just the spice). Also, something's tickling my nose in a floral kind of way, but it's not identifiable at this stage. 

 

Once it's had several minutes to settle and warm, the spiciness is foremost on me. I'm actually not reading it as carnation as it's spicier than carnation usually is on me. A great deal of the vanilla creaminess comes back, though not the jolt of sugar sweetness. Up close, I also get whiffs of a high floral -- but not overly sweet -- top note. 

 

Settling down some more, the carnation note becomes more apparent. I'm also detecting a note that I'm interpreting as a soft wood (sandalwood?). There's also something (amber? this would be characteristic on my skin) that's letting the vanilla note waft on me. The vanilla isn't strong at this point in the blend, but it does have a goodly amount of throw. 

 

I expect this will disappear on me sooner rather than later (though maybe not super soon), but it is lovely. Comparisons to Morocco are apt. 

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