This is a kind of old look I did, that I realized I didn't upload on my blog. I suck at multi-tasking so maintaining both a blog & an instagram account can be quite a pain >.<
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
Review & Recommendation: Sweet Anthem's Enchanted Collection
As you can tell from my previous reviews (click on the tag on the right or here), I'm a huuuggee fan of Sweet Anthem. I think their scents are of amazing quality and smell like high end perfumes, so when Meredith offered to send me some free samples, I was ecstatic.
Here's how everything came:
I was kinda "unlucky" this time, because unlike the Fall Collection that didn't work out for me, this collection works amazingly on me. So this ended up happening:
Yup. I bought the entire set of 4 10 ml perfumes. Nope, Meredith didn't ask me too or offered any discount/freebies. Yup. I have a shopping problem.
So here's the reviews, done blind as always until the TL;DRs are written. If anything in the notes surprise me, I write an overview.
Omg I LOVE this! At first, I got some delicious fruity chewy candy, but now I'm getting this cool, light floral-fruity fragrance that has something very mildly bitter grounding it and making it so much richer and more complex.
After about 10-15 min, I'm getting this powdery sort of vanilla scent and that's the main part of the scent. I still love it, but the initial scent is so much better. The powdery vanilla makes me think of vanity tables with too much lace & frills, or Nanette Lepore type of scents, but there's something in this that keeps it cool and light, stopping it from going too powdery. I guess the interior design equivalent of this scent would be the shabby chic style, where items that are typically garishly twee are arranged in a way that they become elegant instead. This is what I'm talking about:
I way prefer the initial scent, but this part is nice enough that I'll still consider getting a full size of this.
TL;DR: Fruity chewy candy turning into a cool, light sort of powdery vanilla.
I think I smell roses in this but it could be a suggestion from the name. I definitely smell very fragrant honey and it's kind of weird, but I'm getting hints of what smells like candied cherry tomatoes. The candied cherry tomatoes start smelling closer to green grapes after about 15 min, so maybe it's a grape note taking its time to settle. The green grapes are those Japanese kinds that's really fragrant (similar to Japanese green grape candies) and has an almost jelly-like texture.
There's a slightly waxy and woody scent at the bottom of this, so the scent ends up smelling like honey spilled on a rustic wood table, with candied tomatoes/green grapes served on top of it, while the smell of roses wafts in from the gardens. That may not sound too tempting, but it's really a pretty scent. The scent makes me think of a fresh-faced beautiful young woman, living in a picturesque farm house that looks like this:
TL;DR: Honey, roses & green grapes in a picturesque countryside kitchen.
Overview: Huh. I don't know how tomato leaf smells like, but I wonder if it smells like candied tomatoes or green grapes.
This is such an intoxicating scent. First, there's leather. I'm a sucker for leather. Masculine, bitter leather. I just get so weak in the knees. At the same time, there's this musky sort of floral blended into it, but the scent still stays pretty masculine. The scent makes me think of trysts in grand libraries (think the Beauty & the Beast library) with a really hot, old-fashioned guy in a suede jacket.
It's a heavier scent and can get a bit heady in hot weather, so watch out for that. I find it very seductive, but I'm still wondering if this is a scent I'd wear frequently enough to justify buying a full size.
TL;DR: Hot trysts with a hot guy (or masculine leaning woman) in the Beauty & The Beast library.
At first, I got this masculine sort of bitter green that reminds me of hunting lodges. Then, I start getting hints of that scent that I usually associate with purple calcium supplements. The amazing thing is, it never turns into purple calcium supplements and stays amazing. Yes, there's that "purple" sort of smell (vaguely artificial grapes/blueberry/blackberry-ish) that I personally find a tad cloying, but this version has a cool and watery touch to it. It's the kind of cool water that almost has a metallic taste to it.
Like a lot of Sweet Anthem scents, this smells luxurious and can easily pass of as a high end mainstream scent. This scent is perfect for those who love "purple" sort of scents but need a more luxurious, high-class version of it that's suitable for attending the Met Gala. If I'm picking an ad for this scent, it'll be this picture:
When the scent dries down on me, it becomes this smells like cool, fresh water –so fresh that's it's sweet –coming out a metallic pipe. I hate purple scents so I'm not crazy over this scent, but I have to admit Sweet Anthem did a good job making it tolerable. I wouldn't buy a full size of it, but I didn't mind wearing this scent the whole day while testing it.
TL;DR: Purple scent turned high end.
Overview: I think it's the osmanthus. It likes creating that chalky calcium supplement sort of scent.
Here's how everything came:
I was kinda "unlucky" this time, because unlike the Fall Collection that didn't work out for me, this collection works amazingly on me. So this ended up happening:
Yup. I bought the entire set of 4 10 ml perfumes. Nope, Meredith didn't ask me too or offered any discount/freebies. Yup. I have a shopping problem.
So here's the reviews, done blind as always until the TL;DRs are written. If anything in the notes surprise me, I write an overview.
_______________________________________________
Black Queen
"Apple, Linden Blossom, Oakmoss, Tonka Bean"Omg I LOVE this! At first, I got some delicious fruity chewy candy, but now I'm getting this cool, light floral-fruity fragrance that has something very mildly bitter grounding it and making it so much richer and more complex.
After about 10-15 min, I'm getting this powdery sort of vanilla scent and that's the main part of the scent. I still love it, but the initial scent is so much better. The powdery vanilla makes me think of vanity tables with too much lace & frills, or Nanette Lepore type of scents, but there's something in this that keeps it cool and light, stopping it from going too powdery. I guess the interior design equivalent of this scent would be the shabby chic style, where items that are typically garishly twee are arranged in a way that they become elegant instead. This is what I'm talking about:
 |
| A lot of the items in this room look like something your grandma or Dolores Umbridge would like, but properly arranged, they look elegant. Image courtesy of betterdecoratingbible.com |
I way prefer the initial scent, but this part is nice enough that I'll still consider getting a full size of this.
TL;DR: Fruity chewy candy turning into a cool, light sort of powdery vanilla.
_______________________________________________
Briar Rose
"Beeswax, Rose Otto, Tomato Leaf, White Amber"I think I smell roses in this but it could be a suggestion from the name. I definitely smell very fragrant honey and it's kind of weird, but I'm getting hints of what smells like candied cherry tomatoes. The candied cherry tomatoes start smelling closer to green grapes after about 15 min, so maybe it's a grape note taking its time to settle. The green grapes are those Japanese kinds that's really fragrant (similar to Japanese green grape candies) and has an almost jelly-like texture.
There's a slightly waxy and woody scent at the bottom of this, so the scent ends up smelling like honey spilled on a rustic wood table, with candied tomatoes/green grapes served on top of it, while the smell of roses wafts in from the gardens. That may not sound too tempting, but it's really a pretty scent. The scent makes me think of a fresh-faced beautiful young woman, living in a picturesque farm house that looks like this:
 |
| Everyone needs to add driving in the Tuscan countryside to their bucket list. Gorgeous photography by Alex Polli |
TL;DR: Honey, roses & green grapes in a picturesque countryside kitchen.
Overview: Huh. I don't know how tomato leaf smells like, but I wonder if it smells like candied tomatoes or green grapes.
_______________________________________________
Red Queen
"Cardamom, Fig, Honey, Leather, Rose, White Pepper"This is such an intoxicating scent. First, there's leather. I'm a sucker for leather. Masculine, bitter leather. I just get so weak in the knees. At the same time, there's this musky sort of floral blended into it, but the scent still stays pretty masculine. The scent makes me think of trysts in grand libraries (think the Beauty & the Beast library) with a really hot, old-fashioned guy in a suede jacket.
It's a heavier scent and can get a bit heady in hot weather, so watch out for that. I find it very seductive, but I'm still wondering if this is a scent I'd wear frequently enough to justify buying a full size.
TL;DR: Hot trysts with a hot guy (or masculine leaning woman) in the Beauty & The Beast library.
_______________________________________________
Snow White
"Petit Grain, Osmanthus, White Musk, Vetiver"At first, I got this masculine sort of bitter green that reminds me of hunting lodges. Then, I start getting hints of that scent that I usually associate with purple calcium supplements. The amazing thing is, it never turns into purple calcium supplements and stays amazing. Yes, there's that "purple" sort of smell (vaguely artificial grapes/blueberry/blackberry-ish) that I personally find a tad cloying, but this version has a cool and watery touch to it. It's the kind of cool water that almost has a metallic taste to it.
Like a lot of Sweet Anthem scents, this smells luxurious and can easily pass of as a high end mainstream scent. This scent is perfect for those who love "purple" sort of scents but need a more luxurious, high-class version of it that's suitable for attending the Met Gala. If I'm picking an ad for this scent, it'll be this picture:
 |
| I really want to know how they took this picture if the flare effect isn't from editing. Awesome photo by Daniel Tam |
When the scent dries down on me, it becomes this smells like cool, fresh water –so fresh that's it's sweet –coming out a metallic pipe. I hate purple scents so I'm not crazy over this scent, but I have to admit Sweet Anthem did a good job making it tolerable. I wouldn't buy a full size of it, but I didn't mind wearing this scent the whole day while testing it.
TL;DR: Purple scent turned high end.
Overview: I think it's the osmanthus. It likes creating that chalky calcium supplement sort of scent.
Creating a Cashmere Dupe Using Life's Entropy's Lip Theories
I was playing with Life's Entropy's lip theories recently...
Yup. 3 parts Quantum + 2 parts Transformation + 1 part Osmosis = Cashmere dupe
This is awesome because I can't support Lime Crime as a company (google "Lime Crime controversy" and you'll see the whole litany of shady shit the owner has pulled), but I do like griege shades. Here's the result on my lips!
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Discworld Inspired: The Luggage
I wanted to create several EOTDs that's Discworld inspired but still wearable for work. This one is inspired by The Luggage –a ball of murderous rage disguised as a harmless wooden trunk.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Tutorial: Glittery Green & Teal Eye
 |
| Excuse the dry lids >.< |
It actually works well without the glitter too:
Anyway, here's the tutorial for it:
 |
1. First, apply tape to get a really crisp line. To figure out the angle of the tape, use your lower lash line as a guide, and let the tape follow its upwards curve. Apply a green eyeshadow to about 2/3rds of the inner half of your eye.
2. Apply the teal shadow to the outer 1/3, and bend it together with the green.
3. Apply the gold highlighting colour to the rest of your lids and blend the green & teal shadow tightly with a small, stiff brush.
4. Apply the eyeliner. The tape will also help you get a crisp wing in this step.
5. Remove tape (and apply mascara if you don't have eyelash extensions like me). Apply a light blue eyeliner on the inner half of your lower lash line and a dark blue eyeliner on the outer half of your lower lash line, and blend them in the middle. If you don't have colourful eyeliner, grab a white liner, line your lower lash line, and pat eyeshadow on it. You can finish here or pat on a glitter adhesive where you want to apply glitter.
6. To get the glitter spaced out randomly, I drop it on a tissue, press my fingers against the glitter, then tap whatever glitter my finger picked up on my lids.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Review & Recommendations: 4 Scents from HoG's Summer Collection
I ordered from Haus of Gloi's (HoG's) Summer collection last year but ended up procrastinating on the reviews since I rock at procrastination.
Then HoG announced Komodo's getting discontinued since the mangosteen note has been discontinued by their suppliers, so I thought I better finally write up the review so people can decide whether or not they should snap it up now.
So for HoG's scents, it's important to remember they smell differently across different mediums. That's why a scent that smells amazing in a whipped soap can smell completely gross in pumpkin butter or perfume oil versions. I love HoG's scents in their bath products, but the same scents in perfume oil version often doesn't work on me. That's why I'll mention which form I'm reviewing each scent in.
I only got these scents in pumpkin butter & whipped soap versions and for a more detailed review of HoG's whipped soaps, you can head here. I've discussed the pumpkin butters here and there, but I realized I never really went in depth with my pumpkin butter review:
HoG's pumpkin butter has become my standard for all body butters. They leave my skin extremely soft yet they get absorbed so fast! They're usually absorbed within 3 minutes, 5 minutes max depending on how wet my skin is prior to application. I end up comparing every moisturizer, indie and mainstream, to these pumpkin butters, and so far the only product I like as much is Haunt's skin glossing oil.
Texture-wise, it's like softened butter, and spreads very easily. Before being absorbed into your skin, it leaves a thin layer of oiliness and a honey-type of stickiness. Real honey, not the fake kind. If you're buying real, pure honey, they're actually not that sticky. One way of testing your honey to make sure it's not mixed with sugar is to smear it on your hands then put tissue over it. With real honey, you should be able to peel the tissue off easily, without ripping it.
The scent's very strong –when I put it on my legs, I can smell it even if I'm sitting up. The smell lingers on your skin until the next morning. This has better throw than a lot of solid perfumes I have.
So on to scent reviews!
As soon as I put it on, the most prominent smell in the pumpkin butter is this wood incense smell. It's the smell of unlit incense, which can be awesome for some people, but for people who grew up in Asia, it smells like an old, dank, dimly lit store that's often manned by an old Chinese man in a singlet or an old Chinese woman in shapeless short-sleeved shirt and pants. There's still the mangosteen, but it's not as fruity and fragrant as in the whipped soap and smells more dull and muted. The plant stalks bit also doesn't smell as fresh, and smells more like plant stalks that have wilted for a day under a hot sun.
I'm still a huge fan of this scent in whipped soap version though, and will probably buy it again in whipped soap version, and maybe even try out the bubbling scrub version.
 |
| Not pictured, The Brier Path whipped soap & Komodo pumpkin butter because I stupidly finished them up before taking this photo. |
So for HoG's scents, it's important to remember they smell differently across different mediums. That's why a scent that smells amazing in a whipped soap can smell completely gross in pumpkin butter or perfume oil versions. I love HoG's scents in their bath products, but the same scents in perfume oil version often doesn't work on me. That's why I'll mention which form I'm reviewing each scent in.
I only got these scents in pumpkin butter & whipped soap versions and for a more detailed review of HoG's whipped soaps, you can head here. I've discussed the pumpkin butters here and there, but I realized I never really went in depth with my pumpkin butter review:
__________________________________________
Pumpkin Butter Review
HoG's pumpkin butter has become my standard for all body butters. They leave my skin extremely soft yet they get absorbed so fast! They're usually absorbed within 3 minutes, 5 minutes max depending on how wet my skin is prior to application. I end up comparing every moisturizer, indie and mainstream, to these pumpkin butters, and so far the only product I like as much is Haunt's skin glossing oil.
Texture-wise, it's like softened butter, and spreads very easily. Before being absorbed into your skin, it leaves a thin layer of oiliness and a honey-type of stickiness. Real honey, not the fake kind. If you're buying real, pure honey, they're actually not that sticky. One way of testing your honey to make sure it's not mixed with sugar is to smear it on your hands then put tissue over it. With real honey, you should be able to peel the tissue off easily, without ripping it.
The scent's very strong –when I put it on my legs, I can smell it even if I'm sitting up. The smell lingers on your skin until the next morning. This has better throw than a lot of solid perfumes I have.
So on to scent reviews!
__________________________________________
Komodo
"Mangosteen, Tahitian vanilla bean, dragon blood resin and faded tropical blooms."Whipped Soap
Oh my gods, this is gorgeous! It smells like the perfumed version of mangosteens (ie. more fragrant and none of that fruit sap scent actual mangosteens come with), with that scent you get when you cut thick, juicy plant stalks. If you've tried Fresh's Mangosteen perfume, it's that same mangosteen note. When I wash this down, the scent that lingers on my skin is this sweet, tropical fruit medley that smells so familiar. It's a scent I've smelled before as a child, and probably in some mainstream soap or shampoo version. It's a really gorgeous scent.Pumpkin Butter
/u/minkishly gave this to me because she hated the scent no matter how hard she tried to like it, and that confused me. The whipped soap smelled so great! As soon as I tried it, I got it. The first clue I got was that I don't smell the same, fragrant mangosteen in the tub, and got more of the plant stalk bit.As soon as I put it on, the most prominent smell in the pumpkin butter is this wood incense smell. It's the smell of unlit incense, which can be awesome for some people, but for people who grew up in Asia, it smells like an old, dank, dimly lit store that's often manned by an old Chinese man in a singlet or an old Chinese woman in shapeless short-sleeved shirt and pants. There's still the mangosteen, but it's not as fruity and fragrant as in the whipped soap and smells more dull and muted. The plant stalks bit also doesn't smell as fresh, and smells more like plant stalks that have wilted for a day under a hot sun.
I'm still a huge fan of this scent in whipped soap version though, and will probably buy it again in whipped soap version, and maybe even try out the bubbling scrub version.
__________________________________________
Sanctum
"Muskmelon, coconut water infused with bergamot flower, kaffir lime, polished ho wood and sticky benzoin."
Whipped Soap
I was wondering how watermelon and coconut would smell like, and somehow, it ends up smelling like a melon chewy candy. It's soooo delicious! As I wash the soap down, I'm getting this lime spritz sort of scent, only the spritz part is with a very sharp and dry in a wooden way.
__________________________________________
The Brier Path
"Sun drenched trail leading to a day dream of ripe berries and woods rose, rich forest loam, ozone, dark amber and cream."
Whipped Soap
If any of you reads Discworld novels, I thought this smells like what walking up to Margrat Garlick's cottage would smell like. It starts with this sweet flowering garden scent –a medley of berries and florals. There's a bit of a herbal sort of smell, which I'm guessing is from the loam. The herbal smell is more of an old English apothecary sort of herbal. As you wash it off, you get hints of this wood & thatch sort of cottage scent. |
| I imagine Magrat's cottage looking like a less manicured version of this. I first saw this on Pintrest, but can't find the original source or the location of this cottage anywhere. |
__________________________________________
Zazz
"Tart cranberry, pink grapefruit, sparkling champagne all shook up with crushed ginger root."Whipped Soap
I'm getting that champagne note that smells like fizzy citrus, and the other fruits mixed into the scent makes me think of pink champagne. The fizz gets really, really spicy and even has a wood resin sort of bite to it as I wash it down, which I think is the ginger root at work.Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Review & Recommendation: 11 Scents from Arcana's Cocktails for Charity, Honey and Venom, & Meow Collections
I ordered Ajevie's decants for Arcana's Cocktails for Charity, Honey and Venom, & Meow collections, but only just got my decants since I had them sent to Singapore. A lot of the scents I ordered are sold out already, so I'm only reviewing the scents that are still available for purchase. So if you want to purchase Arcana, you can go to either of these sources:
Since the scents available are spread out between these stores, I'll list out where you can purchase each scent from to make things easier. Arcana sells out quickly though, so the listings may have changed.
For my previous Arcana reviews, which include a discussion of their longevity and sillage, you can click on the Arcana label on the right or here. As usual, reviews are done blind until the TL;DR's written. If anything surprises me, I write an overview.
The first thing that hit me is that kind of oily sort of of gourmand note that's often referred to as pancakes/donuts/funnel cake/etc. It was cloying at first, but started getting lighter. There's a maple syrup sort of sweetness and something else in this that reminds me of Pumpkins Crave Bacons, and I love it as much as I love Pumpkins Crave Bacons. This just has more of a wood resin sort of dryness to it and a real soy milk sort of milkiness to it.
By 10 min, it smells really close to Pumpkins Crave Bacons, so I need to sniff both at the same time.
TL;DR: A light version of that pancakes/donuts/funnel cakes note with a maple syrup-like sweetness and a real soy milk sort of milkiness.
Overview: Here are the notes for Pumpkins Crave Bacon:
Now that I'm sniffing them side by side, they're definitely very different. Cat's Whiskers is warmer and more "oily" in scent, and also has that wood resin sort of dustiness to it. Pumpkins Crave Bacon is cooler, with a drier sort of bacon. You also get pumpkins in it, which can go slightly tart on my skin. The bacon in both scents are also very different; Cat's Whiskers is maple syrup drenched, streaky, and oily bacon, Pumpkins Crave Bacon is dry, savoury, maple-glazed bacon. If I'm asked to pick my favourite out of the two, I'd pick Pumpkins Crave Bacon.
- Arcana's eBay account – Fast shipping, comes with tons of samples
- Pretty Indulgent – I have not purchased from here
- That Bohemian Girl – Ships fast, had no issues with my transaction
- The Rhinestone Housewife – Ships fast, had no issues with my transaction
- The Soapbox Co – I have not purchased from here and they do not carry any of the scents reviewed below
Since the scents available are spread out between these stores, I'll list out where you can purchase each scent from to make things easier. Arcana sells out quickly though, so the listings may have changed.
For my previous Arcana reviews, which include a discussion of their longevity and sillage, you can click on the Arcana label on the right or here. As usual, reviews are done blind until the TL;DR's written. If anything surprises me, I write an overview.
_____________________________________________
Cat's Whiskers
"Only for true sybarites. Rich eggnog, dark rum, a suggestion of waffles, a hint of smoky bacon, and 1 tiny drop of sparkling mint." (Arcana, Pretty Indulgent)The first thing that hit me is that kind of oily sort of of gourmand note that's often referred to as pancakes/donuts/funnel cake/etc. It was cloying at first, but started getting lighter. There's a maple syrup sort of sweetness and something else in this that reminds me of Pumpkins Crave Bacons, and I love it as much as I love Pumpkins Crave Bacons. This just has more of a wood resin sort of dryness to it and a real soy milk sort of milkiness to it.
By 10 min, it smells really close to Pumpkins Crave Bacons, so I need to sniff both at the same time.
TL;DR: A light version of that pancakes/donuts/funnel cakes note with a maple syrup-like sweetness and a real soy milk sort of milkiness.
Overview: Here are the notes for Pumpkins Crave Bacon:
"Sugar pumpkin with maple, nutmeg, and smoky bacon accord."
Now that I'm sniffing them side by side, they're definitely very different. Cat's Whiskers is warmer and more "oily" in scent, and also has that wood resin sort of dustiness to it. Pumpkins Crave Bacon is cooler, with a drier sort of bacon. You also get pumpkins in it, which can go slightly tart on my skin. The bacon in both scents are also very different; Cat's Whiskers is maple syrup drenched, streaky, and oily bacon, Pumpkins Crave Bacon is dry, savoury, maple-glazed bacon. If I'm asked to pick my favourite out of the two, I'd pick Pumpkins Crave Bacon.
_____________________________________________
Cupid the Archer: Silver
"Petitgrain, sweet coconut, Omani frankincense, tiare petals, and silvery narcissus." (Arcana, Pretty Indulgent)
When I first opened the bottle, I got coconut water –not artificial coconut but actual coconut water. Not the soft drink type of coconut water either, it's the kind of coconut water that's fresh from a newly opened coconut. On my skin though, I just got a burst of smoke at first. It worried me a bit but after three minutes I start getting this very rich musky coconut. There's the scent of tropical flowers mingled into this. The tropical flowers tries to lighten the scent, but overall the coconut weighs it down and it becomes a very heavy, heady scent.
The coconut bit start reminding me of sun tan oil after 10 min, with slightly piercing florals. The florals kept getting more and more piercing on me to the point where it smells like obnoxiously perfumed sun tan oil. The initial scents are just so perfect, that I'm cursing my skin chemistry right now. I think this scent will smell heavenly on a different skin chemistry!
TL;DR: Obnoxiously floral perfumed sun tan oil.
The coconut bit start reminding me of sun tan oil after 10 min, with slightly piercing florals. The florals kept getting more and more piercing on me to the point where it smells like obnoxiously perfumed sun tan oil. The initial scents are just so perfect, that I'm cursing my skin chemistry right now. I think this scent will smell heavenly on a different skin chemistry!
TL;DR: Obnoxiously floral perfumed sun tan oil.
_____________________________________________
Cupid the Archer: Gold
"Bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate, cocoa absolute, spiced rum, 10 year aged cruelty-free beeswax absolute, and a pinch of blood orange." (Arcana, Pretty Indulgent, Rhinestone Housewife)
I got delicious cocoa wafting up, but at the base there's an off smell that didn't reveal itself to be this waxy orange until 2-5 min into the scent. Theo cocoa is the richest, dark chocolate that makes me drool. The orange part smells like the gooey, liquid centre of an orange chocolate truffle. Unfortunately, the waxy part makes me think of these sort of orange-flavoured wafers:
It just spoils the entire scent for me. Luckily, after about 30 min, the cocoa is the most prominent part of the scent, and the part that wafts around as I walk. If I go close to the skin, I still get orange wafers, but if I avoid sniffing too close, it's rich, decadent dark chocolate.
When the scent dries down after about 2h, the scent that gets left behind unfortunately smells like curdled milk on me.
TL;DR: The most luxurious orange chocolate truffle smushed between artificial orange wafers.
I get fragrant almond milk with something savoury, which makes me think of large chunks of chopped almonds. It really smells like chopped almonds. Actual chopped almonds, not a romanticized almond. Sure, the bit that smells like almond milk smells like a perfumed version of almond milk, but the savoury part smells like actual almond chunks. They even have that fibrous sort of smell. I feel like I'm sniffing a high-fiber, trail-mix sort of muesli with lots of almond, served with the most fragrant, sweet almond milk. I'm actually getting hungry sniffing this. I'm not sure how I feel about this scent. I love this scent, I'm very impressed by it and it makes me hungry....but it's like BathSabbath's November Coming Fire, which smells like the most gastronomically orgasmic lamb chops –it's not really something I want to scent myself with.
As it dries down, the scent becomes closer to a Japanese milk pudding flavoured chewy candy, with hints of wood.
TL;DR: Fragrant almond milk with actual chopped almonds.
Overview: Huh, on second sniff, I can smell a bit of the whiskey, which I think is the reason for the almond milk bit smelling as fragrant as it does. I think the amber resin, vetiver & balsam's the one that adds realism to the savoury chopped almond scent.
Oh wow. When I opened the bottle, I got hit by that fragrant, thin honey note I just love. The kind that has an almost wooden touch to it and will be a melodic high note if it were a sound. This one has wood though. Old wood. Only it's not the kind of old wood that reminds you of coffins and grandparents' homes like NAVA's old wood. This is the kind of wood that makes you think of Indonesian palaces that are rich in history –it's dark, rich, almost incense-like. For the Asia-based readers, don't worry, this does not smell like a mama-san store/your grandma's altar/one of those old Chinese store manned by an old Chinese man in a singlet.
It's a very seductive scent and definitely makes me think of mystical Indonesian myths and legends. If I'm asked by the Indonesian tourism board to pick a scent that would represent Indonesia (the way we'd like to be represented...not how Indonesia actually smells), this is it. I need a full bottle of this. It's a matter of national pride.
TL;DR: Indonesian myths & legends.
Overview: Holy crap. That's it. There's oud in this and this smells so close to the Sumbawan oud I get from my dad's friend! I wonder if the oud Julia uses is Sumbawan oud.
Oooh....this is a burst of fruits. It smells like a pink fruit punch, but with something vegetable-ish that I can't place. The scent ends up smelling like a pink fruit punch from a healthy juice bar, where they add stuff like wheatgrass, ginger and cayenne pepper to make the juice healthier and help you detox/balance/whatever.
TL;DR: Pink fruit punch made healthy.
Overview: I'm guessing it's the ginger grass, chai & green musk making it smell like a healthy vegetable juice.
This is musky and sugary, in a soft, pink way. I don't know if I got pink from the suggestion from the scent's name, but it's very girly, and feminine, and just makes you think of soft, pink rooms. The sugary bit is cool and light, and not the piercing sort of "sugar" note that's similar to Aquolina's Pink Sugar.
Unfortunately, after 10-15 min, I start getting a bit of a searing, fizzy tartness that reminds me of room sprays. It's a really lovely scent, but I just can't get over that room spray bit.
TL;DR: Pink musk room spray.
 |
| This is actually a soap! You can buy it from LoveLeeSoaps on Etsy. I've never tried this company though! |
It just spoils the entire scent for me. Luckily, after about 30 min, the cocoa is the most prominent part of the scent, and the part that wafts around as I walk. If I go close to the skin, I still get orange wafers, but if I avoid sniffing too close, it's rich, decadent dark chocolate.
When the scent dries down after about 2h, the scent that gets left behind unfortunately smells like curdled milk on me.
TL;DR: The most luxurious orange chocolate truffle smushed between artificial orange wafers.
_____________________________________________
Fanning the Fur
"Almond, vetiver, luxuriant amber resin, coconut milk, peru balsam, and whiskey." (Arcana, Pretty Indulgent, Rhinestone Housewife)I get fragrant almond milk with something savoury, which makes me think of large chunks of chopped almonds. It really smells like chopped almonds. Actual chopped almonds, not a romanticized almond. Sure, the bit that smells like almond milk smells like a perfumed version of almond milk, but the savoury part smells like actual almond chunks. They even have that fibrous sort of smell. I feel like I'm sniffing a high-fiber, trail-mix sort of muesli with lots of almond, served with the most fragrant, sweet almond milk. I'm actually getting hungry sniffing this. I'm not sure how I feel about this scent. I love this scent, I'm very impressed by it and it makes me hungry....but it's like BathSabbath's November Coming Fire, which smells like the most gastronomically orgasmic lamb chops –it's not really something I want to scent myself with.
As it dries down, the scent becomes closer to a Japanese milk pudding flavoured chewy candy, with hints of wood.
TL;DR: Fragrant almond milk with actual chopped almonds.
Overview: Huh, on second sniff, I can smell a bit of the whiskey, which I think is the reason for the almond milk bit smelling as fragrant as it does. I think the amber resin, vetiver & balsam's the one that adds realism to the savoury chopped almond scent.
_____________________________________________
Honey & Venom
"Honey amber, black amber, smoky oudh, black vanilla, and kyphi." (Pretty Indulgent, Rhinestone Housewife)Oh wow. When I opened the bottle, I got hit by that fragrant, thin honey note I just love. The kind that has an almost wooden touch to it and will be a melodic high note if it were a sound. This one has wood though. Old wood. Only it's not the kind of old wood that reminds you of coffins and grandparents' homes like NAVA's old wood. This is the kind of wood that makes you think of Indonesian palaces that are rich in history –it's dark, rich, almost incense-like. For the Asia-based readers, don't worry, this does not smell like a mama-san store/your grandma's altar/one of those old Chinese store manned by an old Chinese man in a singlet.
It's a very seductive scent and definitely makes me think of mystical Indonesian myths and legends. If I'm asked by the Indonesian tourism board to pick a scent that would represent Indonesia (the way we'd like to be represented...not how Indonesia actually smells), this is it. I need a full bottle of this. It's a matter of national pride.
 |
| A photo I took of a barong dancer. Yup, he's jumping over fire. |
TL;DR: Indonesian myths & legends.
Overview: Holy crap. That's it. There's oud in this and this smells so close to the Sumbawan oud I get from my dad's friend! I wonder if the oud Julia uses is Sumbawan oud.
_____________________________________________
Jabberwoking
"Fresh gingerroot with ginger grass, strawberry, satsuma, raspberry, ruby grapefruit, apricot, chai, and green musk." (Arcana, Pretty Indulgent, Rhinestone Housewife)Oooh....this is a burst of fruits. It smells like a pink fruit punch, but with something vegetable-ish that I can't place. The scent ends up smelling like a pink fruit punch from a healthy juice bar, where they add stuff like wheatgrass, ginger and cayenne pepper to make the juice healthier and help you detox/balance/whatever.
TL;DR: Pink fruit punch made healthy.
Overview: I'm guessing it's the ginger grass, chai & green musk making it smell like a healthy vegetable juice.
_____________________________________________
Paddling the Pink Canoe
"Dragonsblood, vintage patchouli, citron, pink salt, pink musk, and amber." (Pretty Indulgent, Rhinestone Housewife)This is musky and sugary, in a soft, pink way. I don't know if I got pink from the suggestion from the scent's name, but it's very girly, and feminine, and just makes you think of soft, pink rooms. The sugary bit is cool and light, and not the piercing sort of "sugar" note that's similar to Aquolina's Pink Sugar.
Unfortunately, after 10-15 min, I start getting a bit of a searing, fizzy tartness that reminds me of room sprays. It's a really lovely scent, but I just can't get over that room spray bit.
TL;DR: Pink musk room spray.
_____________________________________________
Giggle Water
"Champagne infused with tropical white blossoms, citron, mango, sweet skin musk, and green galbanum." (Pretty Indulgent)
At first I got a burst of mangoes but then it becomes that fizzy citrus scent that's often referred to as a champagne note, with the mango in the background to make it smell like a tropical fruit champagne cocktail. The fizzy citrus bit is definitely prominent and it starts getting sharp and almost woody at times. Unfortunately, the fizzy citrus bit also gets so amplified on my skin that it drowned out the other subtler scents, and this scent ends up smelling a bit one-dimensional on me after about 20-30 min. If I force myself to keep sniffing it until my nose gets used to the assault of the fizzy citrus note, I can pick up subtler scents like crushed, fresh, young green leaves, and mangoes. Unfortunately, the only thing I can catch when the scent is wafting around is just that single fizzy citrus note.
TL;DR: Fizzy citrus assault, with crushed, fresh, young green leaves, and mangoes hiding in the flank.
_____________________________________________
Sitting Pretty
"Sugared rum poured slowly over warm, sensual vanilla musk." (Pretty Indulgent)
This reminds me of Pumpkins Crave Treats in that warm, brown sugar pie sort of way. If you've ever tried Momofuku's crack pie, it's similar to that scent, only a bit more perfumed.
This one has an oily, margarine-like quality to the scent though, and it ends up being much more heavier than Pumpkins Crave Treats. In suffocatingly hot, tropical weather, it gets too cloying and heavy, unfortunately. There's also hints of a raisin-like sweetness, similar to Possets' Gelato: Vaniglia and Solstice Scents' Kitchen.
TL;DR: Oily, margarine version of Momofuku's crack pie with raisin-like sweetness.
 |
| You can get the recipe for this here from epicurious.com. The pie is basically made up of sugar, egg, vanilla, and cream. It sounds disgusting but it's really like crack – you can't stop eating it even though you know you'll hate yourself afterwards. |
This one has an oily, margarine-like quality to the scent though, and it ends up being much more heavier than Pumpkins Crave Treats. In suffocatingly hot, tropical weather, it gets too cloying and heavy, unfortunately. There's also hints of a raisin-like sweetness, similar to Possets' Gelato: Vaniglia and Solstice Scents' Kitchen.
TL;DR: Oily, margarine version of Momofuku's crack pie with raisin-like sweetness.
_____________________________________________
Travelers
"A deep, dark blend of labdanum resin, worn leather, Mysore sandalwood, smoked resins of frankincense and myrrh, red dragonsblood, kush, and a hint of zazz." (Pretty Indulgent)
Crap. This kinda reminds me of a Chinese medicine store. One that tries to be brightly lit and modern, but the resulting scent is bitter Chinese medicine, a bitter, sterile smell, red joss sticks, and some lush, musky Lampberger room fragrance trying valiantly to hide all the other scents.
It does get more luxuriously musky with time, but it's still mostly red joss sticks. Definitely a more luxurious, perfumed version of red joss sticks, but still red joss sticks. It's the way you can create a gourmet mac & cheese with 5 types of cheese and truffle oil, but it's still a mac & cheese. Red joss sticks reminds me of my grandma's creepy altar that glows red at night, so I'm not a fan of this scent.
TL;DR: Luxurious red joss sticks.
It does get more luxuriously musky with time, but it's still mostly red joss sticks. Definitely a more luxurious, perfumed version of red joss sticks, but still red joss sticks. It's the way you can create a gourmet mac & cheese with 5 types of cheese and truffle oil, but it's still a mac & cheese. Red joss sticks reminds me of my grandma's creepy altar that glows red at night, so I'm not a fan of this scent.
 |
| You can fancy it up all you want, it still smells like your grandma's creepy altar. Image courtesy of agarscentsbazaar.com |
TL;DR: Luxurious red joss sticks.
_____________________________________________
Twirling the Pearl
"Rich, golden honey, marshmallow, lavender milk, soft musk, and a tiny hint of green galbanum." (Pretty Indulgent)
Ok. I'm confused. On one hand, there's this light, watery lavender that makes me think of lavender toner swiped across your face during a spa treatment during. At the same time, there's the most realistic marshmallow note I've ever encountered. It's so realistic, it goes straight to my stomach and makes me hungry. But the lavender toner bit is inedible. It's two awesome scents combined together to confuse my brain —can I eat it, or should I keep my mouth shut?
As it dries down, it becomes powdery lavender marshmallow with freshly cut plant stalks. I love this marshmallow note so much, I hope Arcana does an entire marshmallow collection!
TL;DR: Lavenders and marshmallows.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)