Idôle EDP by Lancome

Today's blind grab from the goodies from my friend is one that I might have passed by in the store, although I might have been tempted to stop because the juice is such a pretty pink (and sometimes the delicate and lovely and soft grab my attention in spite of myself).

Per Lancome, this is considered a "fresh floral," and the top notes are bergamot (citrus), juicy pear, pink peppercorn; the middle notes are rose and jasmine; and the base notes are white musk, vanilla, patchouli, and cedardwood.

Based on the notes alone, some may put this in a fruity floral camp, and at first application I did get a distinct pear note that immediately dropped down to give place to the rose (and yes this rose is another bright, raspberryish rose) and the white musk. Some other sites said that it has a chypre edge at the base, but I'm not getting that (or the patchouli) at all.

As it dries: I waved it under my husband's nose. Since it was still fresh, he blinked a little bit and said, "That's a little more...sharp than I expected?" Sharp, for him, covers a world of notes, but usually tends to mean it hasn't faded down much so he is reserving judgment. For me, I find it to be veering more toward a "classic" floral, with very clean lines, and the fruit seems to be serving to keep it from going too dry or too floral. It feels like a bright late spring day, one where the sky is brilliantly blue, clouds are fluffy, and the air has a small bite still (hasn't yet decided to go heavy or muggy).

There is something about this that reminds me a little of church camp in the late 80s/early 90s, where hairspray and perfume and chatter, and the absolute essence of femininity, swirled around the dorms as everyone got ready for church. For that alone, I'm loving it a lot. It's happy, and feminine, and has a bit of an edge, but also is soft and contains moments of quiet reflection, too.

The longer it sits on my skin, the patchouli, an extremely soft one, slowly steps forward and reminds me of a shawl that has been carefully packed away (the way they used to be shipped eons ago) in patchouli and roses, so when you lift it out you get the faint whiff of far away places and adventure, while still feeling like you don't have to leave home if home is safe and comfortable. Throughout it all, the rose weaves and dances and rises then drops back down again, keeping this firmly in the floral camp, but also teasing the senses with, "But I'm more than a floral!" And it is!

It's happy. Comforting, but not in a smothering way. It has edges, but is soft. It comes forward, then falls back to rest quietly on my skin. It's charming and bright, and makes me feel much prettier than I woke up feeling, and that alone is probably a big mark in its favor lol. This feels like it will pair well with any kind of day. Blue? Put this on. Happy? Put this on. Ornery? This may encourage you to act on it, but in a way that lightens the heart and makes you giggle for the rest of the year. Melancholy? Put this on, and let it wrap around you and remind you that beauty and life and light still exist. (I think this will also be beautiful on a brisk autumn day, where the nose may be cold and the sky may be gray, but the breeze wafts this around and fills the air with glorious perfume and a reminder of sunshine and hope.) It's a delightful mix of contrasts, and I'm so glad I have it!

Miss Dior EDP by Dior

I know, I know, this blog usually focuses on Indie/niche perfumes. However, a dear lovely someone sent me some perfume samples, and...well, what is one to do but to dive head first into them? (I have to admit, people who send/give/throw perfume at me rank pretty high on my list, by default.) Yesterday, I smelled like a melange of deliciousness (because the box came in yesterday and so I had to dab on as many as I could, of course), and now today I am starting my lovely exploration of them individually.

I had in mind that this would be the one I tried first, by itself. I was amused and tickled when I reached into my "grab bag of awesome" and pulled out the first one I touched, and it ended up being this. I love when a plan comes together.

According to Dior, Miss Dior "celebrates the beauty of a sensual Grasse Rose wrapped in fresh notes and woven with a lively Rosewood." According to Fragrantica, this has "dominant notes of roses, the Damask rose and May rose from Grasse, to be precise. The rest of the composition consists of a fresh opening of lemon, mandarin, pink pepper and a sensual accord in the base that includes rosewood and patchouli." Hmmm, rose/s? Note of death? We'll see how THIS goes.

At first application: I don't really get the rose, but I do get fresh and light, clean, a little powdery (but not talcum powder, more like...ahhh sometimes rose can go a bit powdery). Also, according to Dior, this is a "sensual floral fragrance." Sometimes those haaate me, but so far this is...pretty. Pretty and light and soft and I'm not getting the citrus, but am getting what could be the pink pepper.

As it dries: Ohhhh, there at the bottom is a soft rose note. But a fresh rose. Not heavy. Slightly sweet and raspberryish (like a sweet rose musk) the way some roses can go. Rounding that out is the mandarin (adding more to the sweet notes here, I suspect).

I just left the room for a minute (had a face mask on and had to wash my face) and when I stepped back into the room, ooooooh! That was pretty! There! There's the rose--soft and lovely! And the rosewood! Mmmm! It's definitely not coming up on my skin the way it lingers in the room, but it's so pretty and bright. (I also ran and shoved my arm under my husband's nose while he is working, and his face lit up and he nodded very emphatically, then mouthed, "I like that one a lot!" in the middle of his meeting lol.)

This is, as Dior described, wrapped in fresh notes. For me, that means it lies clean on the skin. Doesn't get heavy or muddied or muddled at all. It floats a bit around me, not quite the way warm laundry on the line can give that clean floaty vibe, but nearing that territory. I don't really get the patchouli that is mentioned, but there is something to the base that could be it (although it merges with the musk, for my nose). To me, perfumes can have moods, and although Dior says this is sensual (and perhaps it is on someone else's skin), this is more happy, bright, friendly, outgoing. (Although, to be fair, this is making me think it would be fun on a date night, so maybe there is something to be said about the sensual aspect.) And it's also really pretty. Delicate. Light. (Should I go dress up now? I feel like that would be appropriate.) If someone walked past me smelling this, it would make me smile and be grateful for allll the lovely smells out in the world.

Santal Basmati EDP by Affinessence Paris

I approached today's sample with caution. I really couldn't bear a repeat of yesterday, and had decided that 1) I would open this vial and sniff first and 2) move along if anything about it reminded me of yesterday's offering.

Thankfully, when I very slowly and very carefully opened this up, oooooohhh! I immediately got a lovely creamy fruity note with a whirl of sandalwood.

The Luckyscent notes for this are: Mysore sandalwood, basmati rice, patchouli, iris, and cashmeran.

At first application, my husband and I both agreed: We liiiike this one!

What was fruity smooths out immediately and is no longer fruity, but is rather the bright edge of a really yum sandalwood. A hint of toasted rice, that is then mixed with warm milk so it becomes creamy and soft, comes through.

As it dries: This sandalwood is gorgeous. I love sandalwood, but too often juuuust when I think it'll behave on my skin, it turns into mosquito repellent and I have sadness and woe. This, instead, when I close my eyes and focus on the fragrance, makes me think of soft soft sandalwood shavings that I can crumble with my fingertips, and that never go splintery or sharp at all. The iris comes in shortly after, and gives this a beautiful edge of a powdery lift. I suspect the cashmeran is what holds this all together in one snuggly, warm, cozy hug.

Another perfect autumn/winter fragrance, and yet there is something light enough about it that when I stepped outside for a moment (into heat and humidity that coats like a second skin), this sparkled. Absolutely sparkled. It's light, airy, delicious, and comes across as something decadent but also...a bit serene, calm, soothing. It's light, but steady. Soft, but knows how to stand firm. Warm, yet cool.

I don't ever really get anything that yells patchouli at me (although I do think it hangs around in that fruit note, and gives some heft to the woody notes of the sandalwood). The way this blends and merges is a beautiful balance together and also on my skin.

I think, maybe, just perhaps, I may have found the sandalwood I have been looking for for years. Am in love. 

New York Intense EDP, by Parfums de Nicolai

Today's blind grab is one that I've been curious about for a little while. This, supposedly, leans more masculine than the unisex ones I tend to gravitate toward, so I figured this might be worth exploring.

I have regrets.

The Luckyscent notes for this one are: bergamot, Sicilian lemon, cloves, thyme, cinnamon, black pepper, pimento, oak moss, vetiver, amber.

On paper, this had potential. I like a good oak moss, and a decent vetiver can make things smokey and delicious and warm and a bit astringent to give a bite.

At first application: Ohhhh no. I have made a very bad decision today. At first, I thought it was just me, but when I put it on my husband, he gave me a wrinkled nose and a very sad look like, "What?!?! I thought you looooved me?!?!"

But I had hope! Sometimes when things go on so...strikingly, sometimes they snuggle down and get cozy and warm (especially when amber is mentioned) and...

Nope.

The oak moss is really dominant, like HI I'M OAK MOSS, and normally I like a good oak moss, but when it's making me want to run away from myself...ehhhh not so much. And, I hate to say it, but this one is so...itself that it's making me feel nauseated as I sit here (I don't even have to wave my arms to get a waft...it just oooozes up from my skin).

This comes across on my skin as a men's fragrance from the 80s, which isn't terrible if one is in 1984, just snorted a pile of blow, and is sporting a nice wide-collared polyester shirt, a pinkie ring, big gold chains around the neck, while huffing a cigar and possibly contemplating taking out the head of the other crime family that runs the town. But...today? Ehhh. However, that image really does say New York Intense, and I'm absolutely feeling that vibe. Boy, am I ever.

This one reminds me of the saying: No matter where you go, there you are. I can't get away from myself fast enough.

To be fair (and this is one reason I am still posting a review, instead of slinking away into silence), it does feel like it could be amaaaaazing on someone else's skin, but it is not MY skin. So, if these notes sound worth a try, do try it. At the very least, you'll have an experience, and sometimes that's worth the cost of a sample vial.

Paris LA EDP by A Lab on Fire

Today, I decided that I need to lean on the lighter side of things, so very deliberately pulled from "my" pile of fragrances I've been wanting to try. I discarded a couple of florals (I am NOT feeling floral today, no way, no how) so it really wasn't exactly a blind grab, but after the last tuberose went by, I said, "Okay, whatever hits next is it." I admit that I was pretty relieved when I saw this in my hand.

According to Luckyscent, the notes for this one are: key lime, ginger, cola accord, neroli petals, coriander seeds, thyme, macaron accord, amber, and musk.

I had some...trepidation about that coriander. Sometimes coriander goes directly to sweaty underarm funk. Sometimes, it's more polite and holds the base and "dirties" up whatever I'm wearing juuuuust enough to make it a tad flirty. Sometimes, it acts like it will behave and then goes to skunk. So.

At first application, this is ooooh yum. Lickable, tasty vanilla, with a touch of that cola, and macaron (without any hint of coconut, and I'm glad for that). It immediately passed the sniff appreciation test for both me and my husband. (He said, "Oooh! I like this one!")

As it dries down, some of the key lime lifts up from somewhere underneath and gives the cola a bit of fizz. The thyme stays low, waaaay low, but it keeps the sugar from going too overboard. And the coriander? Well, now, I think that has decided to play nice after all. It's coming across as a bit of a woody note (probably with help from the thyme), and dances on a slightly herbal edge while fluttering some eyelashes and promising long slow walks on the beach.

On my husband, the wood lifts up even more than on my skin, and the vanilla takes on a slightly masculine purr. On me, the ginger seems to weave in and out, but never comes across as ginger, but more so something that helps out that cola note to keep from going flat. I don't really get the neroli petals, unless it's helping along the slightly creamy vibe I'm getting.

As it dries further, the coriander does go a tad more dirty, but it continues to behave just enough to help hold the sweetness of this one in check. I do feel somewhat like a confection, and it's tempting me to go find a sun dress, a big hat, and pretend I have nothing better to do than sit around being delectable. Since that would only last for about two minutes before I get bored, I've decided that this is a perfectly fun, bright fragrance with a lot of interest and notes, and that relies on the vanilla/macaron to keep it from being anywhere close to staid. It's bright, sweet, and pretty, and seems like it would wear well any time of the year. (And it's rather delicious on both men and women.)

No. 7 Le Sel de la Terre EDP by Thomas Kosmala

I looked at the random pile of fragrances still strewn across my desk, reached in and grabbed. Today's fragrance comes from a perfumer I'd never heard of (sorry), but I'd added to the list because my husband says he likes fresh and "marine" type notes.

The Luckyscent list of notes for this one: bergamot, Italian lemon, fresh marine notes, aqua, fresh floral, fresh wood, musk. In their description, they said that it was like a "white shirt freshly pulled from the dryer..." with a "salty undertone...enough to suggest the mineral tang of the beach."

At first sniff in the vial: Ohh, I think I may like that.

Application on my skin and his? Ummm, nope. And as it began to dry? Nopenopenopetynope.

My first take: "It smells soapy." When I looked at my husband, he was very gingerly holding his arms out like he was an airplane, and making faces. "I think I'm going to let this one sit for a little bit," he said.

As it continued to dry, y'all I don't know what it is in this one, but it made my stomach churn. The ingredient list indicates fresh or freshness, and perhaps for someone with less cynicism and sarcasm that may be the case, but I suspect I am a weeeee bit toooo something for this to ever lean fresh on me. Unless fresh means, "Go wash your mouth out with soap, young lady!" I could see that.

We both have let it sit for a while (managed to not scrub it off), and there were some things my husband said he was somewhat liking about it, but when you have to make yourself sit still so you don't get any of the waft, that's not necessarily the sign of a win.

There were a lot of things about this one that had potential, but the...execution died completely and without mercy on my skin. I don't get a lift from the citrus, I get a sliiiiight hint of the bergamot (like the back end of a nice cup of Earl Grey), and the fresh woods and florals are...I dunno. I'm suspecting that when they said "fresh marine" they may have been looking at someone after a hard day of military training, but that's as close as I'm going to give it.

Sadness. Woe. Definitely going in the "Do I give this or toss it," pile.

Voix Humaine 8 EDP, by Filippo Sorcinelli - SAUF

Summer has hit here, and the humidity levels are of the sort that bring sinus headaches and thoughts of running away to Alaska in winter. Which means it can be difficult to get back into trying samples. However, despite the humidity, curiosity said, "Why aren't we playing with those lovely lovely vials," and so I blind-grabbed another.

The Luckyscent notes for this one are: bergamot, cardamom, elemi, ambrette, jasmine, orange blossom, amber, leather, olibanum, milk mousse, musk, and vanilla.

At first application, my husband said, "Wow, the vanilla is pretty dominant. It smells like opening vanilla," and he waved vaguely at the kitchen. We both agreed that it was definitely not a sweeter more sugary vanilla, but that deep woody and warm vanilla that comes from vanilla pods.

Within minutes, we both are finding it fascinating that sometimes what seems to disappear on his skin (or drop down really quickly) will hold on me, and what disappears on me seems to hold better on him. This is one that immediately went all snuggly skin scent on him, whereas on me, the vanilla leaned over to the cardamom and leather and said, "Let's play."

Along with the frolicking leather/vanilla, a faint under note of something that sometimes comes across as fresh pine, or a deep resin (which I suspect is the olibanum, since olibanum is basically frankincense, and frankincense can range from church incense to pine to other resins) helps to round out and flirt with the vanilla beautifully (while the bergamot flirts from the other side).

We both liked how it seems to shift around a bit initially. This did not in any way get the "Oh gross, urinal puck," face from him (as a couple of the ones that had orange blossom in them did). For me, it's leaning slightly toward the "wood pudding" fragrances that I simply cannot get enough of, but this has a lighter touch, and the musk has a slightly messy hair, sultry vibe to round out the edges and make this a little less snuggly and a little more leather corset.

I suspect the jasmine and the leather are partly giving that sliiiiightly animalic growl, but mmmm they play so well with the rest of the other notes, and the ambrette is adding a "clean skin" lift so it doesn't come across as heavy as some of the notes indicate it could.

This is...delicious. I actually think I could wear this out in the humidity and heat without it feeling stifling, but it will also be delightful on chilly days, and in the long dark days of winter. This fragrance feels like...light and home or like looking across at someone you love while an autumn sky fades from silvery lavender to navy, and a freshly baked vanilla something or other wafts itself around you, and waaaay off in the distance you get the scent of hewn logs. This is love and home, and...sigh...I may actually have to get a bottle.

Shihan EDP by Piotr Czarnecki

Today's grab was simply due to the color of the vial. The juice in this is a pretty soft rose pink color, and that was good enough for me. (Note: this is not the she version, but I suspect that also would have a pretty color.)

The Luckyscent notes for this are: whiskey, coffee, tobacco, pepper, cinnamon, incense, myrrh, spicy accord, ambrette, labdanum, benzoin, amber, musk.

In the vial, this has already intrigued me. It hits with the spices, the musk, a touch of amber, and a sly slide of whiskey.

On the skin: Oooooh! Um. I know it won't taste like it smells, but I really want to lick my arm right now. I adore, adore, adore a sexy but assertive fragrance that hints at being soft. One that says, "I've got some edges and mystery, but know how to cuddle." The cinnamon in this is smooth, really smooth, not hot or fiery or painful. I think it's the benzoin that is rounding this out, giving body, and smoothing the edges (benzoin is often used as a lighter amber note, to round things out or cream them up, and according to one website, benzoin has a sweet vanilla balsam woody vibe with a touch of resin). This has a hint of kick, a touch of spices and incense (making it feel slightly exotic without making me think I've come face to face with a tiger), and on the faaaaint back end of it all has a touch of what I call banana wood pulp. Slightly fruity, while standing in a hardwood forest.

As it dries, the myrrh comes forward a bit, which seems to add more layers and complexity at a time when many fragrances are beginning to thin out and tone down. The problem with that? Myrrh often comes across on me as halitosis breath. Here's this beautiful, rich, complex, rounded fragrance, and then waaaay underneath? Halitosis.

*sadness
*woe

Overall, I really do like this one. It has a lot of qualities I enjoy. It's rich and snuggly, but...if you get too close you may want to ask it to use some mouthwash.

Heartless Helen by Penhaligons

Today, I deliberately reached into the pile I'd made for me. This is a pile of perfumes that I stretched myself to get, as most are very feminine and I tend to lean unisex, but it appears that the husband does like me to smell like a lady now and then so I decided to give these a try.

Besides, I thought it would be fun to watch how he would respond to smelling like a flower. So.

According to Luckyscent, the notes for this are: mandarin orange, tuberose, creamy woods

This goes on with a mighty dose of "HI! I'm TUBEROSE!" but in the creamy way that tuberose can make you question what you are smelling. Is it sweet? Is it creamy? Is it a gardenia? A urinal puck? Something else?

As it dries, the tuberose softens some, allowing the creamy woods to come forward (although it's, to me, less woods and more creamy/white floral mixed with something that may at moments come across like rosewood). Every now and then, there's a faint citrusy vibe that I am going to say is the mandarin orange (but that's a really optimistic claim from what I'm smelling on my skin).

When I sniffed it on my husband, there is more of a soft sandalwood-esque essence that comes through, and I do like how his skin picks up more of the wood note, but overall this is pretty mild in the wood department, and very very tuberose (without the rubber tire, intense blast that I tend to appreciate, and much more soft and reminiscent of gardenia).

It's pretty. I would never be able to get away with it on a muggy summer day here in the south though. It sits on my skin and humidity would turn it into a smothering blanket of nope. However, I can see this being a bright pick-me-up in the dark dull days of winter, where you need something cheerful, comforting, and, dare I say, pretty.

Eau Duelle by Diptyque

I blind grabbed this morning, and have to admit that I was pretty happy when Eau Duelle was the pick. This is one I've loved for years, but I wanted to get another sample because I was (finally) feeling almost ready to buy a bottle, and I wanted to be sure (after having used up several other samples a while ago lol).

This time, though, the husband is on the journey with me, and I am very curious about his take.

According to Luckyscent, these are the notes (for the EDP version): pink peppercorn, juniper berry, cardamom, cypress, frankincense, calamus, Black ceylan tea, cistus, Bourbon vanilla, vanilla pod, vetyver, cypriol, ambroxin.

At first application, he sniffed, smiled, and said, "Oh! I like that!" Immediate pop of wood shavings, a touch of bite, and vanilla. He sniffed a little longer and said, "This reminds me a little of one of those lotions you used to wear when we were dating." Ah, yes, Victoria's Secret vanilla lotion. Every time I walked into a room after putting it on, I'd hear, "I smell chocolate chip cookies!" This does have that vanilla, baked goods undercurrent (especially on me).

As it dries, on him it seems to hold the wood shavings better then it does on me, although he keeps saying it smells like the lotion, and is picking up a lot of vanilla. On me, it goes all snuggly wood-puddingesque, and whispers sweet nothings in my ear while we take long walks on the beach. This really was my first "wood pudding" vibe love, and although it does remind me of Lune Feline (or vice versa) this one has a softer touch with the musk, a little more on the wood, and will always make my heart sigh and melt.

To me, this is the perfect autumn day fragrance. Dark low skies, cold temps, leaves falling from trees, and this on a scarf or wafting around you? Perfection.

On this gray, rainy, tropical storm incoming kind of day, I'm glad that this is what I picked out. It's a perfect reminder to find the joy, the light and bright and sparkly things that make our hearts happy, in life.

Escentric 02 by Escentric Molecules

I grabbed this one today because it was the biggest of the sample vials (and has a spray top). I've been wanting to try this one for a while, so was happy to go directly to it.

The Luckyscent notes for this are: Ambroxan, vetiver, muscone, orris, elderflower.

At first spray, it is bright and happy. But, when it lands on the skin it became a long sniff and then a, "Hmm I think this smells like a grandmother," from my husband lol. He is giving it the benefit of the doubt and promised to let it sit before he judges it much further.

On me, I get the ambroxan weaving among the vetiver and orris. The vetiver gives it a little bit of an edge (vetiver can go a bit astringent like on me, depending on how it is used), and I keep getting something that smells like a citrus note (which may also be the vetiver, but now I'm going to look up elderflower to see if could be contributing to that feel.

Interesting: Elderflower can range from floral-herbal to light and clean to even a bit balsamic, so I'm wondering if that is also contributing a bit to the astringent edge.

As it dries, it feels sheer, weightless. A light easy-to-wear fragrance, that almost feels a bit like being at a perfume counter where there's a bunch of smells vying for each other but somehow they all come together as you walk by.

Surprisingly, my husband just walked back to where I was and declared, "I like this. A lot!" For him, he gets a tiny bit of Irish Spring soap on one arm, but over all it gives him a slightly marine/sunny day feel.

That is a perfect description for this: If you need a recipe for happiness, this just might be it. It's hard to feel crabby or cranky when this light and bright fragrance is weaving around in the room, flirting on the skin, and sending smiles where it goes. I appreciate how sheer and weightless, how clean and bright, it comes across, while still having presence and staying power. Delightful!

Bois d'Hiver by Ex Nihilo

This was another, "Let me reach into the pile and grab what hits my hand first." The notes from Luckyscent are: "Pink pepper, cardamom, heliotrope, cyclamen, white cedar, sandalwood, patchouli, cypriol, musk."

At first application, both of us went, "Ooooh! I like that!" It comes across as clean, masculine, bracing. Almost like a really high-end after shave that hits the skin with a cold edge. It begins to soften immediately though. Within minutes, on him it had leaned into a softer clean linen vibe, with marine undertones. On me, it still held a more astringent edge, but not at all unpleasant.

Story time: as we were sniffing this, I told him that when I was younger (and, maybe, perhaps ummmm even now) when I was at a mall or a conference, if I smelled a particularly wonderful fragrance on someone, I would follow that person or go stand by them for a little while just so I could enjoy. This reminded me of those moments, and I said, "If you walked by me with this on, I'd follow you." This is a great mix of soft on the skin, snuggling pretty close, but still gives enough waft that it gently intrigues and makes me want to get closer.

When I close my eyes and try to picture this as an object, I get a tailored white button down shirt, but the sleeves are rolled up and the top buttons are undone. It has structure, but give. It's a little unapproachable while also being warm and personable. I am enjoying the edges and contrasts.

As it dries further, the patchouli keeps a solid and steady base, but doesn't scream head-shop incense at all. It's simply quietly sitting there in the corner crooning softly at my skin. I think it's the heliotrope that rounds out the edges on this, softening it up a hair, but the other notes are balanced so well that the whole really blends beautifully (no major note stands out or shrieks for attention). I wish I could describe this one better: it's a little powdery, a little soft, but still has a nice bracing edge, and really wears well on both my skin and his. A total win for both of us, surprisingly so. Straight to the top of the list with this one!

Slowdive by Hiram Green

Today's fragrance experience was based on grabbing a sample vial based on color alone. This one looks pretty in the vial, a deep ambery color that looks like it should smell amazing.

The fragrance notes for Slowdive from Luckyscent are: neroli, orange flower, tobacco blossom, tuberose, honey, dried fruit, resin.

When I opened the vial, the honey and dried fruit tried to dominate the orange flower, and I thought it could be an interesting combination.

At first application on both his and my skin: Oh, no, this smells like a urinal cake. We both looked at each other and decided that we wouldn't scrub it off, since it does have some potential, but this next half hour may be a little rough on both of us. To be fair, the orange blossom does come forward more, but the dried fruit and honey edge is almost too sweet. There is nothing light or lilting about this at all, and it comes across as something being used to mask other smells.

The longer it sits, it does smooth out, become a bit more mellow. The tobacco flower is coming more forward on me, while the honey is going a bit powdery on him. We both wrinkled our noses and went, "Ehhh."

It does fade down, but the honey becomes even more powdery on me (it seems like it hit a certain point on his skin and decided to hole), the orange blossom fades quite a bit, and the resins lightly slide under it all.

Over all, not a win. For either of us. But I suspect with the right body chemistry, this could be really good. It's just not ours.

Lune Feline by Atelier des Ors

What better way to spend some time in a pandemic than to convince the husband that he absolutely needs to try some fragrances with me. This is the man who, for most of our marriage, never even drank coffee, but last year decided to do so and discovered that he liked it. I figured I had some decent odds here, so happily went to Luckyscent, wandered through different scent profiles, and came up with a bag of fragrances to try. After impatiently waiting for the goodies to arrive, I set aside time for some sniffs and sorted the fragrances into "our" pile, "his" pile, and "my" pile. He won't know day by day if what he's trying is unisex, masculine, or feminine. And I think we both are looking forward to this journey. (Well, at least I am lol.)

Immediately, Lune Feline by Atelier des Ors made it near the top of the sniff test pile. Today, at the start of this experiment, I decided it would be a good starting point since it's listed as Unisex.

The notes for Lune Feline are: cinnamon, cardamom, pink pepper, green notes, cedar, ambergris, woods, styrax, vanilla, peru balsam, and musk.

I have been looking for a while for the perfect "wood pudding-esque" vibe. Something warm, woody, cozy. That makes me feel all snuggly. This delivers, perfectly, on a moody and cold and rainy day. (I suspect that this would be a bit too heavy for southern summer days, but will be an utter delight in autumn.)

At first application, I could smell the cinnamon, but it faded down pretty quickly. On him, the balsam and some of the cedar stays a bit more forward. On me, the ambergris and vanilla cuddle up together and get sexy. In his words: "This isn't masculine, but I REALLY like it." In my words, "Mmmm."

As it dries down, it holds very well. It reminds me a bit of Diptyque's Eau Duelle, but this has a more caramel edge, and frankly the woods seem to hold up a bit more on his skin as well as mine, although my skin still seems to enjoy hanging on to the vanilla a bit more, also.

Four hours in, and it has faded a lot on him, with faint notes of cedar, a touch of vanilla-y caramel, and the balsam whisping about. My skin seems to be following his trajectory, but may be feeling a bit more defiant in letting it go.

Overall, this is a win for both of us. Perhaps a bit too gourmand for some men, and he did admit that it wouldn't be his first choice, but also agreed that he really liked the smell of it and had no objection to smelling like a caramel wood pudding. For me, as someone who loves gourmands, and how vanilla can play around and soften stronger notes like cedar or woods, this is a perfect treat. I can't wait (already) for autumn to get here. I suspect I will be reaching for it again.