Here's part 2 of my Deconstructing Eden Fall 2015 review! For part 1, you can head here. For my other Deconstructing Eden reviews, you can click here or on the tag on the right.
Anyway, without further ado, here are the reviews....
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":
OMG! This is Haus of Gloi's Ploughman in bubbling scrub form!!! If you read my review for that scent here, you'll know that I'm totally in LOVE with that scent. Unfortunately, the perfume oil version I got smells different from the bubbling scrub version. Besides, the part I love most about that scent is that moment when it's being washed off, and I don't really expect any perfume oil to be able to capture that. I thought I'm stuck smelling that sexy scent only in my shower but holy crap, this is it.
There are hints of earth and a clean, wet green. The earth mingles with the green part to the point where it's not "dirty" at all, but just gives the scent a sexy, masculine bitterness. The green bit gets cleaner and lighter as I wear it until it starts smelling more like an aquatic note.
I'm relying on my memory of how Ploughman in bubbling scrub form smells like, so this may not be completely accurate. My impression is that compared to Ploughman, Driving at Midnight is cleaner, leafier...almost more feminine. It will still smell very sexy on a guy though, so it's a great unisex scent. I also find that the earthy part is less dominant in Driving at Midnight than Ploughman's start, and nearly the same level of earthiness as Ploughman getting washed out –when the earthy part is fading and the scent takes on a more soapy quality. It's the part of Ploughman I'm in love with, so I'm really, really happy. FINALLY.
It still makes me think of a lovable douche though. The kind of guy who's so charming, you keep going back to him even though he's the worst boyfriend material. And you don't even hate him for it because he's just so lovable and honest about it! It still makes me think of Prince Charming from Into the Woods and I'm going to have to use this gif again:
It's clean, fresh, definitely unisex. I want to make sweet, sweet love to this scent.
TL;DR: Ploughman bubbling scrub version dupe.
Overview: Here's the notes for Ploughman:
While here's the notes for Driving at Midnight again:
Final Verdict: LOVE.
I got a strong burst of earth as soon as I sprayed this. Oh crap...is this going to make me smell like I've trekked through a jungle? A cool, slightly sweet dark green scent soon came in afterwards though, and I'm starting to get rich, dark woods. Holy crap, this is amazing. This is a romanticized, perfumed version of riding through a dark, green forest in the arms of a hot dude. I say romanticized, because IRL, horses stink.
The way I'm describing this makes it sound a lot like Driving at Midnight, but this scent is more rugged and more foresty. Green Man makes me think of dry, dark green forest with lots of dry wood. It makes me think of the Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Driving at Midnight makes me think more of wet, delicate light green leaves. This is more of a Kyoto bamboo forest.
It gets cooler and more leafy on me as the scent wears on, but the earth stays to ground it, making it sexy and masculine instead of room spray. It's so freaking hot. I love this. After about 40 min, the scent starts taking on a clean, almost soapy quality on me, but I still love it.
The cool, slightly sweet green part makes me think this scent is for a younger, prettier looking guy, but the dark, earthy part makes me think of a more rugged, mature man. As a result, this is a scent I can easily see on a wide range of ages for guys, from late teens to early 30s. I kinda picture it on a guy who looks like this:
From now on, I'm recommending DE for "hot dude scents."
As the scent fades, it gets more and more clean and soapy on me. I still love it though! Not sure if I love it enough to get another full size in this, but I'm going to need at least an extra sample!
TL;DR: Riding through a dark, green forest in the arms of a hot dude.
Final Verdict: Love.
My first thought when I first sprayed this on was a dissapointed, "Oh, it's that pumpkin spice scent."
Pumpkin spice is definitely an overdone scent for fall, so I was prepared to be bored, but then the scent settled and holy crap. I do love DE's twist on it. It's lighter, more lightly sweet and clean. I think I catch a hint of ginger tea in here too, but I'm not sure. It's not the hot and heavy pumpkin spice scent that sends me into a food coma.
As the scent dries down on me, the fragrant wood resin and spices get amplified, so it becomes a very luxurious spicy wood sort of scent, with pumpkin in the background giving it a deliciousness you can't really identify. I'm crazy over Alkemia's Offering, and this reminds me of a sweeter, less gourmand version of it since Jack O' Lantern's sweetness is a more non-edible, almost floral sort of sweetness.
If I don't have wayyyy too much pumpkin spice scents (Fall 2014 scents got me good...) and 4 bottles of Offering (Alkemia was discontinuing it. I had to do it. ._.), I'd probably be crazy over this and buy a full size immediately. I still want an extra sample of it though, definitely recommend this scent for people looking for pumpkin spice sort of scents that don't make you smell like someone smashed a pumpkin pie into your face.
TL;DR: Light, clean pumpkin spice.
Overview: Oh, no ginger...maybe the spiciness is from the dry leaves.
Final Verdict: Like (may change to Love)
When I first sprayed it on, the first scent that hit me made me think of offices. Other scents started coming in fast though. There's still something sterile and clean in the scent that makes me think of offices with rows of cubicles under harsh, fluorescent light –offices that look like this:
I'm also getting a slightly musky tartness in this scent. The tartness has that acrid, dry quality that makes me think of a black tea note gone wrong, but the bitterness I get isn't the usual black tea gone wrong sort of bitterness –it's more of a sterile, disinfectant sort of bitterness that ends up making me think of offices. I think I smell hints of earl grey tea, but I'm not sure if it's my mind just trying to find a tea note in this.
As the scent wears on on me, the acrid part gets less acrid and now it smells more like dusty, dried lemon peels, and the earl grey tea is definitely there. The clinical bit is still present and still really office like. The musky part amps up to full middle-aged lady's perfume for a few minutes, before calming down and fading. It's as if a middle-aged lady with too much musky perfume got too close to you before breezing off.
The overall scent makes me think of drinking earl grey tea with old, dried lemon peels from a paper cup in the office, after a middle-aged lady with musky perfume has breezed by.
TL;DR: Drinking earl grey tea with old, dried lemon peels from a paper cup in the office, after a middle-aged lady with musky perfume has breezed by.
Overview: I tried sniffing it again and I can't really pick out the leather & whisky individually, but I'm pretty sure they're the ones was creating that "office" atmosphere.
Final Verdict: Ok
This is rocky pumpkins. Earthy, rocky pumpkins. The pumpkins part has a fleshy, watery quality to it...more like boiled pumpkins rather than pumpkin pie. I think DE makes one of my favourite pumpkin notes now! Her pumpkins are light, yet so creamy and delicious. You get that same satisfied feeling in your stomach without feeling like you're about to enter food coma. And it's definitely wearable as a perfume!
After about 5-10 min, I'm getting this fragrant sandalwood too, but it's still mostly earthy, rocky pumpkins. It sounds very "simple" but it's really a gorgeous scent. Definitely not for everyone, but I like it a lot. If I'm still on my pumpkins craze, I'd probably be in love with this scent.
When the scent dries down after about an hour, the scent left on my skin is fragrant, spicy sandalwood with light, sweet pumpkins, and just the barest hints of earth.
TL;DR: Earthy, rocky pumpkins.
Final Verdict: Like
At first, I got a burst of that "purple" smell, but luckily it calmed down. You know those jelly-like grapes that smell really fragrant and candy-ish, almost like Japanese purple grape gummies? I'm getting that. There's a leafy sort of quality to it that I'm thinking more about the actual grapes rather than the candy. Floating around, I'm getting that thin, woody honey note that makes me think of a melodic high note if this scent was a sound. Underneath, staying close to my skin, I'm getting.....conditioner. I don't know what it is about this scent, but it makes me think of mainstream conditioner scents. The scent just keeps getting more and more complex! There's hints of something almost nutty, and something slightly chemical-ish that may be myrrh.
Finally after about 15 min, everything settles down. The result makes me think of a grape conditioner for grown ups –the kind with something that smells vaguely floral and conditioner-ish that you can't identify. It's definitely not a straight up kiddy, artificial grape conditioner, but slightly reminiscent of it. Grape's not my thing, so it's not really for me.
TL;DR: Grape conditioner for grown ups.
Overview: I had to look up what liatrix smells like, and here's what I found from Ayala Moriel Parfums:
Final Verdict: Destash
When I first applied this, I got a burst of this extremely delicious toasted chocolate muesli I used to eat a lot of. When everything settles though, I got sweetened cardboard. There's this chemical-ish bitterness and everything just mixed together to smell like sweetened cardboard. No idea why. I'm so pissed with my skin right now, because the first burst of delicious toasted chocolate muesli smells sooo good.
After about 10 min, I smell a clean, autumn room scent trying to get out but it's still a lot of sweet cardboard. I really don't know what's happening and I'm sure my friends who claim that muesli tastes like cardboard are going to love this.
After about 30 min, the scent got a bit better. It's a red Autumn Yankee Candle sort of scent, the kind that's usually called Fall Harvest, Autumn Air or something like that. There's a bit more smoky wood than what you'd expect from those types of candle, but I'm still not a fan.
TL;DR: Sweetened cardboard turning into Autumn Yankee Candle.
Overview: Huh. The notes sound really, really good! I think I'm going to age this and see what's going on...
Final Verdict: Age it
Anyway, without further ado, here are the reviews....
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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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Driving at Midnight
"Cool night air carries the scent of green leaves and grasses and cooling asphalt."OMG! This is Haus of Gloi's Ploughman in bubbling scrub form!!! If you read my review for that scent here, you'll know that I'm totally in LOVE with that scent. Unfortunately, the perfume oil version I got smells different from the bubbling scrub version. Besides, the part I love most about that scent is that moment when it's being washed off, and I don't really expect any perfume oil to be able to capture that. I thought I'm stuck smelling that sexy scent only in my shower but holy crap, this is it.
There are hints of earth and a clean, wet green. The earth mingles with the green part to the point where it's not "dirty" at all, but just gives the scent a sexy, masculine bitterness. The green bit gets cleaner and lighter as I wear it until it starts smelling more like an aquatic note.
I'm relying on my memory of how Ploughman in bubbling scrub form smells like, so this may not be completely accurate. My impression is that compared to Ploughman, Driving at Midnight is cleaner, leafier...almost more feminine. It will still smell very sexy on a guy though, so it's a great unisex scent. I also find that the earthy part is less dominant in Driving at Midnight than Ploughman's start, and nearly the same level of earthiness as Ploughman getting washed out –when the earthy part is fading and the scent takes on a more soapy quality. It's the part of Ploughman I'm in love with, so I'm really, really happy. FINALLY.
It still makes me think of a lovable douche though. The kind of guy who's so charming, you keep going back to him even though he's the worst boyfriend material. And you don't even hate him for it because he's just so lovable and honest about it! It still makes me think of Prince Charming from Into the Woods and I'm going to have to use this gif again:
It's clean, fresh, definitely unisex. I want to make sweet, sweet love to this scent.
TL;DR: Ploughman bubbling scrub version dupe.
Overview: Here's the notes for Ploughman:
"Well worn leather, dirt n' dandelions, carrot, a pinch of tobacco and a light sheen of feral skin musk."
"Cool night air carries the scent of green leaves and grasses and cooling asphalt."There's nothing similar at all between those 2, so I have no idea how they ended up similar. I'm so, so glad I decided to get all the scents from the collection! If I read the notes for this scent, I would never have tried it because I usually hate "asphalt"notes. From previous experience, "asphalt" and "concrete" notes usually end up smelling like Baygon, a popular Indonesian insecticide to me. I'm so glad I didn't pick and choose with this collection!
Final Verdict: LOVE.
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Green Man
"Earth, moss, dark woods, rosewood, cedar, amber, agarwood, mahogany, green leaves and conifer branches"I got a strong burst of earth as soon as I sprayed this. Oh crap...is this going to make me smell like I've trekked through a jungle? A cool, slightly sweet dark green scent soon came in afterwards though, and I'm starting to get rich, dark woods. Holy crap, this is amazing. This is a romanticized, perfumed version of riding through a dark, green forest in the arms of a hot dude. I say romanticized, because IRL, horses stink.
The way I'm describing this makes it sound a lot like Driving at Midnight, but this scent is more rugged and more foresty. Green Man makes me think of dry, dark green forest with lots of dry wood. It makes me think of the Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Driving at Midnight makes me think more of wet, delicate light green leaves. This is more of a Kyoto bamboo forest.
It gets cooler and more leafy on me as the scent wears on, but the earth stays to ground it, making it sexy and masculine instead of room spray. It's so freaking hot. I love this. After about 40 min, the scent starts taking on a clean, almost soapy quality on me, but I still love it.
The cool, slightly sweet green part makes me think this scent is for a younger, prettier looking guy, but the dark, earthy part makes me think of a more rugged, mature man. As a result, this is a scent I can easily see on a wide range of ages for guys, from late teens to early 30s. I kinda picture it on a guy who looks like this:
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| You know you want to jump on a horse and ride through the forest with this dude. Or not...he's too gorgeous. He could be a serial killer... Amazing photography by Chris Davis |
From now on, I'm recommending DE for "hot dude scents."
As the scent fades, it gets more and more clean and soapy on me. I still love it though! Not sure if I love it enough to get another full size in this, but I'm going to need at least an extra sample!
TL;DR: Riding through a dark, green forest in the arms of a hot dude.
Final Verdict: Love.
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Jack O’ Lantern
"Golden ambers, fat pumpkins, a touch of smoke, soft sweet woods and piles of dry leaves."My first thought when I first sprayed this on was a dissapointed, "Oh, it's that pumpkin spice scent."
Pumpkin spice is definitely an overdone scent for fall, so I was prepared to be bored, but then the scent settled and holy crap. I do love DE's twist on it. It's lighter, more lightly sweet and clean. I think I catch a hint of ginger tea in here too, but I'm not sure. It's not the hot and heavy pumpkin spice scent that sends me into a food coma.
As the scent dries down on me, the fragrant wood resin and spices get amplified, so it becomes a very luxurious spicy wood sort of scent, with pumpkin in the background giving it a deliciousness you can't really identify. I'm crazy over Alkemia's Offering, and this reminds me of a sweeter, less gourmand version of it since Jack O' Lantern's sweetness is a more non-edible, almost floral sort of sweetness.
If I don't have wayyyy too much pumpkin spice scents (Fall 2014 scents got me good...) and 4 bottles of Offering (Alkemia was discontinuing it. I had to do it. ._.), I'd probably be crazy over this and buy a full size immediately. I still want an extra sample of it though, definitely recommend this scent for people looking for pumpkin spice sort of scents that don't make you smell like someone smashed a pumpkin pie into your face.
TL;DR: Light, clean pumpkin spice.
Overview: Oh, no ginger...maybe the spiciness is from the dry leaves.
Final Verdict: Like (may change to Love)
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London Calling
"Leather jackets and combat boots, strong black tea, a drop of lemon and a splash of whisky."When I first sprayed it on, the first scent that hit me made me think of offices. Other scents started coming in fast though. There's still something sterile and clean in the scent that makes me think of offices with rows of cubicles under harsh, fluorescent light –offices that look like this:
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| I don't know why I'm actually nostalgic for these kind of offices. Image courtesy of kompareit.com |
I'm also getting a slightly musky tartness in this scent. The tartness has that acrid, dry quality that makes me think of a black tea note gone wrong, but the bitterness I get isn't the usual black tea gone wrong sort of bitterness –it's more of a sterile, disinfectant sort of bitterness that ends up making me think of offices. I think I smell hints of earl grey tea, but I'm not sure if it's my mind just trying to find a tea note in this.
As the scent wears on on me, the acrid part gets less acrid and now it smells more like dusty, dried lemon peels, and the earl grey tea is definitely there. The clinical bit is still present and still really office like. The musky part amps up to full middle-aged lady's perfume for a few minutes, before calming down and fading. It's as if a middle-aged lady with too much musky perfume got too close to you before breezing off.
The overall scent makes me think of drinking earl grey tea with old, dried lemon peels from a paper cup in the office, after a middle-aged lady with musky perfume has breezed by.
TL;DR: Drinking earl grey tea with old, dried lemon peels from a paper cup in the office, after a middle-aged lady with musky perfume has breezed by.
Overview: I tried sniffing it again and I can't really pick out the leather & whisky individually, but I'm pretty sure they're the ones was creating that "office" atmosphere.
Final Verdict: Ok
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Pumpkin’s Revenge
"Sweet and buttery pumpkin flesh corrupted with black patchouli, sticky myrrh and smoky oud, all spiked with dark spice on a bed of graveyard dirt."This is rocky pumpkins. Earthy, rocky pumpkins. The pumpkins part has a fleshy, watery quality to it...more like boiled pumpkins rather than pumpkin pie. I think DE makes one of my favourite pumpkin notes now! Her pumpkins are light, yet so creamy and delicious. You get that same satisfied feeling in your stomach without feeling like you're about to enter food coma. And it's definitely wearable as a perfume!
After about 5-10 min, I'm getting this fragrant sandalwood too, but it's still mostly earthy, rocky pumpkins. It sounds very "simple" but it's really a gorgeous scent. Definitely not for everyone, but I like it a lot. If I'm still on my pumpkins craze, I'd probably be in love with this scent.
When the scent dries down after about an hour, the scent left on my skin is fragrant, spicy sandalwood with light, sweet pumpkins, and just the barest hints of earth.
TL;DR: Earthy, rocky pumpkins.
Final Verdict: Like
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These are the Days of Wine and Honey
"The last of the sunflowers, rich honey and beeswax, tolu balsam, tonka bean, cedar, liatrix, palo santo wood, elemi essential oil, silky musk and of course, a splash of wine."At first, I got a burst of that "purple" smell, but luckily it calmed down. You know those jelly-like grapes that smell really fragrant and candy-ish, almost like Japanese purple grape gummies? I'm getting that. There's a leafy sort of quality to it that I'm thinking more about the actual grapes rather than the candy. Floating around, I'm getting that thin, woody honey note that makes me think of a melodic high note if this scent was a sound. Underneath, staying close to my skin, I'm getting.....conditioner. I don't know what it is about this scent, but it makes me think of mainstream conditioner scents. The scent just keeps getting more and more complex! There's hints of something almost nutty, and something slightly chemical-ish that may be myrrh.
Finally after about 15 min, everything settles down. The result makes me think of a grape conditioner for grown ups –the kind with something that smells vaguely floral and conditioner-ish that you can't identify. It's definitely not a straight up kiddy, artificial grape conditioner, but slightly reminiscent of it. Grape's not my thing, so it's not really for me.
TL;DR: Grape conditioner for grown ups.
Overview: I had to look up what liatrix smells like, and here's what I found from Ayala Moriel Parfums:
"The leaves of this wild plant have nothing significant about them when fresh. However, when dried, they emanate the most intensely sweet scent, due to their high coumarin content. Dry deer's tongue is warm, powdery, sweet and slightly bitter. The dry leaves can be either tinctured or solvent-extracted into an absolute."
Final Verdict: Destash
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Trick or Treat
"Dark chocolates, jack o' lanterns, honeyed cider, bonfire smoke and a touch of black pepper."When I first applied this, I got a burst of this extremely delicious toasted chocolate muesli I used to eat a lot of. When everything settles though, I got sweetened cardboard. There's this chemical-ish bitterness and everything just mixed together to smell like sweetened cardboard. No idea why. I'm so pissed with my skin right now, because the first burst of delicious toasted chocolate muesli smells sooo good.
After about 10 min, I smell a clean, autumn room scent trying to get out but it's still a lot of sweet cardboard. I really don't know what's happening and I'm sure my friends who claim that muesli tastes like cardboard are going to love this.
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| This taste awesome and not cardboard-y at all. I swear. Image courtesy of thedietshack.co.uk |
After about 30 min, the scent got a bit better. It's a red Autumn Yankee Candle sort of scent, the kind that's usually called Fall Harvest, Autumn Air or something like that. There's a bit more smoky wood than what you'd expect from those types of candle, but I'm still not a fan.
TL;DR: Sweetened cardboard turning into Autumn Yankee Candle.
Overview: Huh. The notes sound really, really good! I think I'm going to age this and see what's going on...
Final Verdict: Age it
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