My Deconstructing Eden (DE) order arrived and I'm so freaking excited! I ordered a sample set of all 12 of their Fall scents and got a free sample!
If you read my previous reviews (click here or on the tag on the right), you'll know how much I love the quality of these scents. I really should stop ordering samples because I keep finding more and more scents I want full sizes in, but I still have this fear or missing out and want to try out DE's entire catalogue. DE is really great at making scents I'm in love with, and great at making me fall in love with notes I usually hate, so I really can't cull my list of scents I want to try...I still have 60+ more scents to try out.
Btw, I'm also amazed by how fast these arrived. No idea what shipping gods were with me, but here's the TAT:
Ordered: Sep 6
Shipped: Sep 9
Arrived: Sep 21
I'm used to waiting 3+ weeks for things to arrive, so I was surprised by how fast these arrived in Indonesia.
For this review, I'll review the 1 non-Fall line scent, Theodora, and 5 of the Fall scents. Thanks to DE's amazing throw and longevity, I can only review 2 scents/day at the most, so the review's going slow.
As always, reviews are done blind until the TL;DRs are written. If any of the notes surprise me, I write an overview. I've also started adding a "Final Verdict" section to help me keep track of my perfumes and figure out what to destash, since my perfume collection is starting to get messy. Here are the categories I came up with for my "Final Verdict":
On first whiff, I'm not liking this. It smells like old, sour fruits. After it calms down a bit, I'm wondering if this is a tea note going wrong on me. There's definitely that astringent, sour smell that's similar to a black tea note going wrong on me, only this is a cross between Chinese preserved orange peels and old, yellowing books.
When I sniff closer, I get purple chewable Flinstones vitamins, and this cool florals that I love. Purple Flinstones vitamins always make me gag so I'm having a hard time reviewing this. The floral bit has a floral bitterness to it, it's either jasmines, lilies or orchids. I'm liking the cool floral bit, but I'm not a fan of the rest.
After about 30 min, the florals morphed on me and it smells more like velvety, fresh roses and the purple Flinstones vitamins part calmed down a bit. When I say calmed down, I mean that the it now smells like purple Flinstones vitamins dissolved in water. The astringent bit smells more like old paper now, so now I'm thinking more of those old lady scented floral stationery with juiced purple Flinstones vitamins. Still not a fan.
TL;DR: Old lady scented floral stationery with juiced purple Flinstones vitamins.
Overview: I have this theory that anything listed as "purple" has to be avoided like the plague.
Final Verdict: Destash. Destash. Destash.
Ooooh....the notes that first float up are these sweet, spicy sort of apple cider scent. It has more spices than the usual apple cider though. When I lean in closer for a sniff, I get a more complex scent. There's something smoky that reminds me of the charred wood, and that roasted nuts scent I got from Darling Clandestine's Carny Wedding. It's smoky, yet delicious too. There's also hints of something icy that barely registered in my head for a while, but kept making me think of snow. The scent makes me think of waking up to the remains of a campfire you've used to roast peanuts, on a snowy morning.
After about 10 min, I noticed that the delicious roasted peanut bit is the first to fade. Now the apple cider is the most prominent, but you still get the rest of the scent. As the scent fades, the red apple tartness lasts the longest on me, followed by the smoky charred wood scent.
TL;DR: Drinking apple cider after waking up to the remains of a campfire you've used to roast peanuts, on a snowy morning.
Overview: I think the smokiness may be coming from the patchouli. After trying out more scents, I wonder if the roasted peanuts part comes from the dark amber. It's the same roasted nuts scent I got from Cinnamon Girl, and that contains "deep amber".
Final Verdict: Interesting
Oh. My. God. This is soooo hot. I think this smells better on dudes, and my bf likes it so much, he let me spray it all over him. There's definitely leather, and it's mingled with hints of DE's signature powdery musk, and the sharpness of that note that's often referred to as concrete/stone/asphalt/etc. (other perfumes that have it: Smelly Yeti's Hey, McFly!, Alkemia's Prairie 66, Blooddrop's Moonstone, and Black Violet's Apparition & Komorebi). I normally don't really like that concrete/stone/asphalt note since it reminds me too much of Baygon, a popular Indonesian insecticide, but in DE's blend, it's so subtle and complements the other notes so well, that I don't get insecticide at all. The scent just makes me think of a guy I want to get grope-y with.
After about 5 min, the leather bit becomes that watery scent some leather notes morph into on me, and I'm getting hints of earth. The effect is that I'm thinking of water washing over dark grey stones...with a hot dude frolicking shirtless nearby, obviously. It makes me think more of summer than autumn, actually. Definitely heavier on the rocks than the water bit.
This scent is definitely a deeper, more mature sort of scent. Not old though. Definitely not old. I see it perfect for a guy in his late 20s to early 30s, though I can see this on suave, sophisticated older gentlemen older than that age range. It's a scent I can see on a guy who can spend the week in a suit, moving fast up the corporate ladder, but still have a rebellious, bad boy streak that's so irresistibly hot. I can see this scent being perfect for a guy who looks like this:
TL;DR: A hot, shirtless dude lounging on wet, dark rocks.
Final Verdict: Love
I see the name and I got the feeling that I'm going to regret trying this scent. Sure enough, I get a burning smell as soon as I sprayed it on. Crap...I'm going to hate this right?
Underneath, there's this really, really hot, deep, masculine green scent that makes me think of dark, green trees. I'm so in lust with the masculine green part, I'm really hoping the burning part goes away soon. I'm also getting a very dry, dark wood. I'm not talking about a romanticized wood scent, I'm talking about actual wood. Like the scent you'd get in a woodworking workshop, wood resin and all.
Luckily for me, the burning scent is pretty fleeting and fades fast after the initial, overwhelming burst. Once the scent settles, it makes me think of dark, mahogany tables in a luxurious study with a recently used fireplace, that has deep, dark leather seats, and a smoulderingly hot dude. Like this dude:
This is definitely one of those scents you either love or hate, but I LOVE it. I don't think I can wear it out, and I'm pretty sure my bf would kill me if I tried to spray it on him, but holy crap I still LOVE it.
TL;DR: Dark, luxurious study and a hot dude.
Final Verdict: Love/Interesting
I got a burst of this amazing sweet & tart scent when I first sprayed this scent on, but it's shortly followed by this off smell that makes me think of gasoline.....fortunately, the gasoline bit stays close to my skin. When the scent settles on my skin about 3 min later, I'm still getting that gasoline scent with a scent that makes me think of cool, purple and yellow flowers. I really, really love the floral bit, but I really can't stand the gasoline bit. Why. Why.
I kept telling myself to keep this scent on because maybe, just maybe, the gasoline would fade first and leave behind the amazing cool, purple & yellow flowers part. But of course, the gasoline stayed on my skin the longest and the only scent left on me when the scent dries down. Screw you, gasoline note! A rational part of me is telling me to destash this, but the floral bit is so beautiful, I can't let go of this. I'm going to age it, hoping the gasoline bit goes away.
TL;DR: Gasoline & cool, purple & yellow flowers.
Final Verdict: Age it
Something cloying hit me when I sprayed this on, but luckily it dissipated fast. I'm getting something nutty, a cool, watery scent and warm spices. It's a really interesting mix. It smells like a delicious, nutty spiced candy bar, in a room with fresh white florals floating on a bowl of water. It smells like going to an elegant lady's expensive home and being served freshly baked, organic cinnamon nut granola bars.
By about 10 min, the floral bit is more dominant on me, but I still get the same impression. Definitely an elegant home decorated in all white and cream, because this lady's children will be well-behaved robot children who will never, ever dirty the place. The kind of home that looks like this:
TL;DR: Homemade, freshly baked cinnamon nut granola bars, served in a home so pristine, you dare not even sit down in case you mess up the cushions.
Overview: Huh...I can't really identify the peaches, but maybe it's because it's drowned out by the cinnamon and jasmines on my skin. I mentioned this before, but I think DE's amber turns nutty on me. It's the same nutty scent I got in Autumn ’15 (the gourmand version), which also contains amber.
Final Verdict: Like
If you read my previous reviews (click here or on the tag on the right), you'll know how much I love the quality of these scents. I really should stop ordering samples because I keep finding more and more scents I want full sizes in, but I still have this fear or missing out and want to try out DE's entire catalogue. DE is really great at making scents I'm in love with, and great at making me fall in love with notes I usually hate, so I really can't cull my list of scents I want to try...I still have 60+ more scents to try out.
Btw, I'm also amazed by how fast these arrived. No idea what shipping gods were with me, but here's the TAT:
Ordered: Sep 6
Shipped: Sep 9
Arrived: Sep 21
I'm used to waiting 3+ weeks for things to arrive, so I was surprised by how fast these arrived in Indonesia.
For this review, I'll review the 1 non-Fall line scent, Theodora, and 5 of the Fall scents. Thanks to DE's amazing throw and longevity, I can only review 2 scents/day at the most, so the review's going slow.
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Review Notes
As always, reviews are done blind until the TL;DRs are written. If any of the notes surprise me, I write an overview. I've also started adding a "Final Verdict" section to help me keep track of my perfumes and figure out what to destash, since my perfume collection is starting to get messy. Here are the categories I came up with for my "Final Verdict":
- Love: Most awesome perfume ever. Need endless supplies of it and will swap my first born child for the last drops of it if it's limited edition.
- Like: I like it and may buy a full size of it, but it's not urgent.
- Interesting: I don't really like it or I don't think I can wear it in public, but I appreciate the artistry of the scent. It's like a beautiful but unwearable runway piece you won't buy on your own, but don't mind owning.
- Ok: It's okay. I like it enough, but may destash for a good price to keep my collection manageable.
- Destash: Kill it with fire.
- Age it: Maybe it will smell good one day. One day. Just wait.
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Theodora
"Bulgarian rose absolute, Indian jasmine absolute, sandalwood, dragon's blood, frankincense, purple plums, Madagascar ginger, and precious spices."On first whiff, I'm not liking this. It smells like old, sour fruits. After it calms down a bit, I'm wondering if this is a tea note going wrong on me. There's definitely that astringent, sour smell that's similar to a black tea note going wrong on me, only this is a cross between Chinese preserved orange peels and old, yellowing books.
When I sniff closer, I get purple chewable Flinstones vitamins, and this cool florals that I love. Purple Flinstones vitamins always make me gag so I'm having a hard time reviewing this. The floral bit has a floral bitterness to it, it's either jasmines, lilies or orchids. I'm liking the cool floral bit, but I'm not a fan of the rest.
After about 30 min, the florals morphed on me and it smells more like velvety, fresh roses and the purple Flinstones vitamins part calmed down a bit. When I say calmed down, I mean that the it now smells like purple Flinstones vitamins dissolved in water. The astringent bit smells more like old paper now, so now I'm thinking more of those old lady scented floral stationery with juiced purple Flinstones vitamins. Still not a fan.
TL;DR: Old lady scented floral stationery with juiced purple Flinstones vitamins.
Overview: I have this theory that anything listed as "purple" has to be avoided like the plague.
Final Verdict: Destash. Destash. Destash.
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Fall 2015
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Autumn ’15 (the gourmand version)
"Warm Autumn spices, a hint of cider, saffron, leather, tolu balsam, dark amber, cedar, maple leaves, moss and a drop of patchouli."Ooooh....the notes that first float up are these sweet, spicy sort of apple cider scent. It has more spices than the usual apple cider though. When I lean in closer for a sniff, I get a more complex scent. There's something smoky that reminds me of the charred wood, and that roasted nuts scent I got from Darling Clandestine's Carny Wedding. It's smoky, yet delicious too. There's also hints of something icy that barely registered in my head for a while, but kept making me think of snow. The scent makes me think of waking up to the remains of a campfire you've used to roast peanuts, on a snowy morning.
After about 10 min, I noticed that the delicious roasted peanut bit is the first to fade. Now the apple cider is the most prominent, but you still get the rest of the scent. As the scent fades, the red apple tartness lasts the longest on me, followed by the smoky charred wood scent.
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| I finally have the chance to show off this pic! This is the most awesome picture of embers ever. Amazing shot by Josh Tsen |
TL;DR: Drinking apple cider after waking up to the remains of a campfire you've used to roast peanuts, on a snowy morning.
Overview: I think the smokiness may be coming from the patchouli. After trying out more scents, I wonder if the roasted peanuts part comes from the dark amber. It's the same roasted nuts scent I got from Cinnamon Girl, and that contains "deep amber".
Final Verdict: Interesting
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Autumn ’15 (the fougère version)
"A walk in a sleeping forest, cool air, damp earth, falling leaves and a whisper of leather"Oh. My. God. This is soooo hot. I think this smells better on dudes, and my bf likes it so much, he let me spray it all over him. There's definitely leather, and it's mingled with hints of DE's signature powdery musk, and the sharpness of that note that's often referred to as concrete/stone/asphalt/etc. (other perfumes that have it: Smelly Yeti's Hey, McFly!, Alkemia's Prairie 66, Blooddrop's Moonstone, and Black Violet's Apparition & Komorebi). I normally don't really like that concrete/stone/asphalt note since it reminds me too much of Baygon, a popular Indonesian insecticide, but in DE's blend, it's so subtle and complements the other notes so well, that I don't get insecticide at all. The scent just makes me think of a guy I want to get grope-y with.
After about 5 min, the leather bit becomes that watery scent some leather notes morph into on me, and I'm getting hints of earth. The effect is that I'm thinking of water washing over dark grey stones...with a hot dude frolicking shirtless nearby, obviously. It makes me think more of summer than autumn, actually. Definitely heavier on the rocks than the water bit.
This scent is definitely a deeper, more mature sort of scent. Not old though. Definitely not old. I see it perfect for a guy in his late 20s to early 30s, though I can see this on suave, sophisticated older gentlemen older than that age range. It's a scent I can see on a guy who can spend the week in a suit, moving fast up the corporate ladder, but still have a rebellious, bad boy streak that's so irresistibly hot. I can see this scent being perfect for a guy who looks like this:
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| I actually want a picture of a hot, shirtless dude lounging on wet rocks because that'll be the perfect ad for this perfume...turns out, it's almost impossible to go that specific when you're looking for pictures of male models. Female models though? Do you want white, black, or grey rocks? What size and shape do you want the rocks to be? What do you want her to wear? A ball gown? A little black dress? Stockings only? Nothing at all? No problem! Guess no one cares about male models :P Stunning shot by Manny Herreria |
TL;DR: A hot, shirtless dude lounging on wet, dark rocks.
Final Verdict: Love
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Burning Leaves
"Dry autumnal leaves burning on a base of agarwood CO2."I see the name and I got the feeling that I'm going to regret trying this scent. Sure enough, I get a burning smell as soon as I sprayed it on. Crap...I'm going to hate this right?
Underneath, there's this really, really hot, deep, masculine green scent that makes me think of dark, green trees. I'm so in lust with the masculine green part, I'm really hoping the burning part goes away soon. I'm also getting a very dry, dark wood. I'm not talking about a romanticized wood scent, I'm talking about actual wood. Like the scent you'd get in a woodworking workshop, wood resin and all.
Luckily for me, the burning scent is pretty fleeting and fades fast after the initial, overwhelming burst. Once the scent settles, it makes me think of dark, mahogany tables in a luxurious study with a recently used fireplace, that has deep, dark leather seats, and a smoulderingly hot dude. Like this dude:
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| We can work allllll day. Hot photo by Denis Ploskirev |
This is definitely one of those scents you either love or hate, but I LOVE it. I don't think I can wear it out, and I'm pretty sure my bf would kill me if I tried to spray it on him, but holy crap I still LOVE it.
TL;DR: Dark, luxurious study and a hot dude.
Final Verdict: Love/Interesting
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Burnt Flowers Fallen
"Discarded love notes and dried bouquets, a whisper of leather and the fire that consumed it all."I got a burst of this amazing sweet & tart scent when I first sprayed this scent on, but it's shortly followed by this off smell that makes me think of gasoline.....fortunately, the gasoline bit stays close to my skin. When the scent settles on my skin about 3 min later, I'm still getting that gasoline scent with a scent that makes me think of cool, purple and yellow flowers. I really, really love the floral bit, but I really can't stand the gasoline bit. Why. Why.
I kept telling myself to keep this scent on because maybe, just maybe, the gasoline would fade first and leave behind the amazing cool, purple & yellow flowers part. But of course, the gasoline stayed on my skin the longest and the only scent left on me when the scent dries down. Screw you, gasoline note! A rational part of me is telling me to destash this, but the floral bit is so beautiful, I can't let go of this. I'm going to age it, hoping the gasoline bit goes away.
TL;DR: Gasoline & cool, purple & yellow flowers.
Final Verdict: Age it
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Cinnamon Girl
"Deep amber, candied peaches, Jasmine Sambac and lots and lots of cinnamon."Something cloying hit me when I sprayed this on, but luckily it dissipated fast. I'm getting something nutty, a cool, watery scent and warm spices. It's a really interesting mix. It smells like a delicious, nutty spiced candy bar, in a room with fresh white florals floating on a bowl of water. It smells like going to an elegant lady's expensive home and being served freshly baked, organic cinnamon nut granola bars.
By about 10 min, the floral bit is more dominant on me, but I still get the same impression. Definitely an elegant home decorated in all white and cream, because this lady's children will be well-behaved robot children who will never, ever dirty the place. The kind of home that looks like this:
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| Not suitable for actual children...who'll destroy the place within 5 min. Image courtesy of honnews.blogspot.com |
TL;DR: Homemade, freshly baked cinnamon nut granola bars, served in a home so pristine, you dare not even sit down in case you mess up the cushions.
Overview: Huh...I can't really identify the peaches, but maybe it's because it's drowned out by the cinnamon and jasmines on my skin. I mentioned this before, but I think DE's amber turns nutty on me. It's the same nutty scent I got in Autumn ’15 (the gourmand version), which also contains amber.
Final Verdict: Like
