The Little Owl

[Silvertree]

Tonka bean and vetiver with brown sandalwood, oak bark, almond, and beeswax.

[geophagustapajos]

This really gives the impression of petting a very soft owl, it is smooth and creamy soft and edged in powder. I would say the tonka bean comes across as the most prominent note and it is buttery and fragrant.The almond is subdued, the beeswax is present but not overwhelming. I'm not exactly sure I am able to pick up the rest of the notes though I'm sure they are playing supportive background roles here.

 

I find this to be an owl you could take to the office with you. My one caveat here is mind how much you apply because despite the impression of softness this one has big owl energy throw and sillage. I kind of want to add it to some lotion- it gives me body butter vibes.

 

[doomsday_disco]

If you have tried A Breton Sorceress, this is really similar to that one. So similar, in fact, that I would not recommend getting both.

 

It makes sense that they'd be similar, as they both contain tonka bean, oak, and almond notes. I get a lot of those notes from both, but especially the tonka and oak from this one (the almond is most prominent in the beginning). The vetiver in this is really light. In fact, I don't think I'd be able to pick it out if I didn't know it were in this -- but it is a subdued, grassy variety, not a smoky one. Oddly enough, my skin is not really picking up the beeswax, which is usually a pretty loud note, but maybe it will become more prominent with age?   The main difference between this scent and A Breton Sorceress is that one has a bit of muskiness from the ambrette seed and some welcome spice from the allspice. With The Little Owl, it's mostly tonka and oak on me with some sandalwood beneath the oak and a hint of vetiver, and it ends up being mostly a slightly powdery tonka by the end of the day.

 

I'm going to have to deathmatch these two since they are so very similar, but I wore this one on Monday, and A Breton Sorceress on Tuesday, and I think that one is winning out due to the allspice.

[amoray]

This is a warm soft brown scent. I definitely get sandalwood and oakiness in this. My skin must amp it. At first it's Tonka Bean and Sandalwood a woodiness. Then as it dries I get more of the beeswax. The beeswax is very nice in this and while honey tends to overwhelm me on most things this has a soft honey/beeswax scent that tempers the woodiness. It is like lying in fresh clean hay while chewing on a bit of beeswax. Maybe there are some sandalwood shaving sprinkled about. And over it all is a warm blanket of Tonka Bean. When I smelled this in the jar I thought "whew sandalwood", but I'm glad I gave it a chance because it's very cozy and soft when wearing. 

[Casablanca]

Soft, brown, fuzzy-powdery, and a bit feather-down fluffy.

 

Tonka is most prominent for me, smelling pale and a little vanillic and cloud-like, but the other notes lean brown and grounding. Sandalwood and oak suggest their woods, but I don't notice vetiver adding its own. Beeswax comes into its own later on. The almond is present throughout, but mild on my skin.

 

The Little Owl is a quiet scent, suitable anywhere, though a little too powdery for me.

[monocainsheresy]

I agree with the "fresh clean hay" and "body butter" assessments above. This is cleaner and smoother than I expected - creamy and cloudy rather than warm and fuzzy. Tonka is definitely the dominant note, followed by the beeswax and almond lending a certain polish. I can't smell the sandalwood or oak outright, but I can sense they're doing some heavy lifting keeping the rest of the scent grounded. There is a slight suggestion of green from the vetiver. Unisex, but leaning ever so slightly masculine in my opinion.

 

It's like if you set Smug Yale Alchemy Lab out in the sun to dry. This is the coumaric hay scent I have always wanted.

[puellacaerulea]

Based on the notes, I expected a warm, brown, woody scent in the vein of Judgmental Longhorn or Partridges in the Snow. That impression is there thanks to the tonka and sandalwood, but the almond and beeswax are the dominant notes in this blend. I get a warm, woody base, with the beeswax and almond adding a light, almost honeyed sweetness on top that adds a sort of creamy, fuzzy, vanillic quality to the blend. Over many hours of wear, the beeswax and almond fade a bit and the tonka and sandalwood come out more. Overall, a warm, floofy, pleasant scent. Low-ish throw and long wear time.

[Threemoons]

Been wearing this one for two days now, and at the end of the day, the tonka, vanilla, and beeswax are the main notes that come out -- getting almost no vetiver, but there is a little bit of a background "darkness/herbiness" that keeps the vanilla from becoming a gourmand on me.  I kind of wish the sandalwood and vetiver were more forthcoming, but they are definitely playing a role in keeping this from becoming a tonka candy bar on me!  This would be a fun one to layer with a harder-hitting patchouli or leather scent, I think.

[Claire-of-the-Valley]

When I first got this, I did not like it. It's now had a few weeks to settle in and it's improved. When I first tried this it was really sharp, pungent, not very sweet, and incredibly long lasting. Just way too powerful all around.

 

It is still a strong scent, but it's settled into something earthier and sweeter, which has helped a lot. The sandalwood is finally coming out mixed primarily with vetiver, I think? There is something that in the backdrop that might be oak. I'm not familiar with tonka bean, so I'm not sure if I'm smelling that or not. As the scent settles in I start to get a little beeswax. It eventually shifts into something a little too sweet but still earthy. As a scent, I feel like it really encapsulates the color brown and I can see how it's representative of the owl that inspired it.

 

It still doesn't start out as the most mellow of scents but it's definitely eased up from where it's started and it's grown on me because of that.

[Lucchesa]

Lovely! Warm and snuggly, with good wear length. I’m getting lots of tonka and oak and a soft sandalwood all sweetened by a little beeswax. No discernible vetiver, which is a shame, but it’s still lovely. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Lucchesa
Autocorrect

[roseus]

This starts off very oaky on me, with a hint of vetiver and almond. It reminds me of study, or a softer cousin of The Antikythera Mechanism. It gets a little less woody as it wears, with more soft sandalwood and a bit of beeswax coming out to smooth edges and sweeten slightly. 

[artisjok]

I was testing a shea-heavy scent last night from another company, and it was way too strong on the note for me to enjoy it. This Little Owl is somehow so similar to that scent, & I’m totally surprised. It’s a bit more sophisticated, but still not my jam. 

[zankoku_zen]

Feathers, smoke and almond. Medium throw and wear length. 

[becca_s]

This one starts out with the brown sandalwood and vetiver on me. It is dry, warm and slightly smokey. Sandalwood tends to be a dominating note on my skin. In the background I get the Tonka and almonds.  They add sweetness and complexity to the scent. I only get the tiniest hint of beeswax. This is a warm, slightly dry and woodsy scent on me, with a hint of sweetness from the Tonka and beeswax. It smells like being outdoors, in a forest. I will be interested to see how this ages, because I love beeswax and I hope  that the beeswax and Tonka might develop more on my skin with some aging.

 

Edited to add - I have been wearing this for the last few days and it is gorgeous. I get more Tonka and oak bark now. I find it a sophisticated, woodsy blend with some warm Tonka in the background. This is one of those scents I could wear everyday 😍

Edited April 20, 2023 by becca_s