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.

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.

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.