Nui Cobalt Designs *Reviews composed in 2021 That snappy Gemini season energy finally kicked in for me today (and my nose is finally healed albeit a bit crooked but functioning after a nasty fall- gotta love the natural grace of a Cancer, haha) and I bring to you long-overdue ramblings from one of my favourite houses of fragrance (Many thanks to Josh and Forest at Nui Cobalt Designs for allowing me to sample and be reunited with the following fragrances). Without further ado... Kazzate: Tiramisu (The beloved Italian classic: golden vanilla lady-fingers infused with espresso and Marsala wine, then layered with sweet mascarpone, and finished with a fine dusting of cocoa. Wear when you need to slow down and restore calm. It’s a uniquely grounding and stabilizing blend.) A textbook rendering of a classic decadent dessert magically smooshed into a vial. One wave of the applicator wand and then huff of the wrist and you immediately recognize the iconic dessert with layers of espresso drenched buttery lady-fingers (along with a hint of booziness of wine; this is an adult indulgence after all), sweet whipped cream mixed with mascarpone and a dusting of cocoa powder for that familiar bitter chocolate finish of a picture-perfect Tiramisu! There is also a drop of Nui's superb honey hiding in the espresso dipped syrup lady-fingers and the dry down reminds me of my beloved Malarkey from last year's lineup with the egg whipped cream. Mmm, one dab and you are in heaven with Kazzate and on me, this perfume lasts well into the next day bringing my nose to my wrist for one more huff and rumble of my stomach throughout the night. Pish-Tosh: Passionfruit Custard Tart (A bright, tropical tang complements smooth vanilla custard cradled in classical shortbread crust. Wear for protection against interpersonal drama and discord. It instantly conjures a sunnier disposition and enchants any room with the spirit of levity.) As it says on the tin, a bright tropical fruit evenly balanced vanilla dessert with a non-soggy bottomed shortbread crust fragrance. Passionfruit and the word Pish-Tosh are such underused stars of ingredients in perfumery and everyday vocabulary, Nui Cobalt is here to correct that! On me, there is another fruit possibly apricot mixed with the beautiful tartness of the passionfruit, plum and vanilla adding just a bit of more grounding element and again I smell a drop of Nui Cobalt's trademark spring honey at the base with the buttery shortbread. Just superb! For longevity, Pish-Tosh (I love saying that) goes on to enchant and brighten my mood for a full 8 to 10 hours and fades down to crumbly shortbread biscuit finish with a hint of lemon zest like in Hogwash from last years menu. Napping in a Flower (As they go about their days, bees are sometimes known to fall asleep inside the blossoms from which they take their nectar. Few things are cuter than a fuzzy little bee booty poking out of the petals with their tiny snoring snoots full of pollen. Tender ripe apricot, Bulgarian lavender, spiced summer honey, plum blossom, daylily, honeysuckle, and ylang. Wear this relaxing scent to unwind and decompress. It’s particularly supportive of deep and rejuvenating sleep.) One of the most endearing names and descriptions of a perfume this fragrance showcases all of Nui Cobalt's strengths from the realistic dreamy lavender in the vial that translates the same on the skin to the gorgeous florals and fruits to the vanilla sweetness of the ylang and of course the legendary honey that is kissed with a dusting of spice. It's surprisingly uplifting and but yet morphs somehow to a pleasant sleep promised scent potion that calls for one more huff as drift off. Like the brightness of sunshine on flowers and pollen before the blessed lull of dreams claims you. Aptly named. Preposterous! Strawberry Shortcake (Sun-ripened strawberries are sliced fresh over soft vanilla cake and topped with a scant teaspoon of whipped cream. Wear to dispel stress and anxiety. It serves to ease the mind and soothe the spirit.) There is always that one dessert or perfume which everyone else around adores but unfortunately doesn't work with your palate or nose for whatever reason and sadly Preposterous! was that one blend for me. I need to finally admit to myself that even though this perfume is phenomenal in the vial capturing the unmistakable aroma of freshly sliced homegrown strawberries (complete with pips!) dipped in cream on my skin this oil oddly morphs to strawberry hair conditioner with vanilla cake and amplifies with intensity for far too long. This one isn't for me and I envy all those who had the same experience in the vial to their skin. Oh well, I still plan to use every last drop in a whipped soap deep hair treatment this summer. *Please remember everyone's skin chemistry is different and what one note does on my skin will not happen on someone else or vice versa. That's the magic of perfume oils. If a blend intrigues you, try it. You never know what you will love unless you sample the unknown. Nephophilia 2.0 : Love of Clouds (The love of clouds.A fluffy melange of pink cotton candy, ivory cashmere, silk tree blossoms, blush suede, and steamed vanilla. Wear this playful scent to turn heads and lift spirits.) It started with a kiss of coconut from Nui Cobalt then banana and now cotton candy; there is no going back nor do I want to. This house of fragrance can make me fall in love with every note I thought I despised and should avoid like the plague. Here we have the epitome of sweet elegance and romance, it indeed smells of what you could only imagine the inside of a cloud lit by the dying rays of the sun would surround you in fragrance wise. The cotton candy is the star of this oil but it is transformed into a crystalline vanilla with a lick of creamy seductive suede that is a million miles from anything resembling a pre-teen noxious fug. This is how you do cotton candy scents and elevate it to the troposphere! For those familiar with Nui Cobalt's masterpiece Starlight & Spidersilk as well as the Hollywood Royalty quality in Ailurophilia, meet their love child. Continuing thoughts: I was fortunate enough to purchase the original variation of Nephophilia and then was kindly sent the second on request for this review and I must say I only notice the slightest difference between the two. Both are stunning, however personally I love the steamed vanilla background aroma in Nephophilia 1.0 that wafts over my senses and takes to my skin chemistry. I still adore both and hope Nephophilia becomes a permanent catalogue option. Everyone needs to try this beauty especially if you think you can never love a cotton candy scent! Chionophilia: Love of Snow (The love of snow.A cool blend of cotton flower, marzipan, Nui’s inscrutable Cold accord, coconut flakes, frosted fir, whipped white honey, and copal. Wear for comfort, joy, and to nurture loving connection.) Other noses have commented that Chionophilia is a sister scent to the smash blend known to those in the indie realm as Snow Cat and even Mauna Kea or Arctic Fox and from the applicator wand I must agree with those comments, however, on my skin Chionophilia morphs after a few moments on my skin to an amplified soapy venture I wasn't expecting and I believe the culprit of that transformation is the copal swirling with the cotton flower. Sadly this isn't a love for me and I'll keep my workplace gems Snow Cat and Mauna Kea and find another scented use for Chinophilia. *Please remember everyone's skin chemistry is different and what one note does on my skin will not happen on someone else or vice versa. That's the magic of perfume oils. If a blend intrigues you, try it. You never know what you will love unless you sample the unknown. Arch Nemesis (The formidable foe, reflection of the Shadow Self. A fiery blend of bayberry bark, clove bud, pipe tobacco, ginger root, coriander, pinyon pine, and tart cherry wine. Wear to invoke your primal force and ferocity.) This is a swirling black and red slashed cape with a pine sigil embossed on the breast of a villain of the north exiting a burning dining hall whilst dramatic music pounds in the background. This is the scent of one of the betrayers at the iconic Red Wedding scene from A Song of Ice and Fire and I absolutely adore this perfume. It's charged and is indeed has a primal element to it. There is also a magnetic seductive quality to Arch Nemesis which only makes sense if you stop to think- everyone secretly loves and falls for a villain in the end. Cobalt Druid: Uncrossing (Banish the bad vibes with this time-honored Conjure blend for cleansing and purification. Blue vervain, white sage, and pungent bay leaves are woven into a delicate bouquet of young lavender and fresh, dewy rose.) On application I'm greeted by a vase of green stemmed roses in a vase somehow thriving in sparkling seawater then a dreamy lavender emerges along with sage and bay leaves. It's a beautiful mystical blend that I can't stop huffing. In many ways, Uncrossing reminds me of another of my top favourites from Nui Cobalt called Anthophilia and even my personal custom fragrance made by Forest. I get the same realistic nectar of roses, freshly snipped stems, and aquatic elements from a crystal vase. Uncrossing is more mysterious than those mentioned other scent potions and somehow calls out to all my water placements in my chart at the same time. Cobalt Druid: Seduction (A boldly sensual blend for enticement and attraction. Opulent flowers, piquant cloves, warm scarlet musk and hoodoo roots tangled in a potion of simmering vanilla.) This one is for all those who fell under the spell of Sultry, sadly I only liked Sultry and have the same reaction to this sibling fragrance. Very exotic, powerful and I respect the magic behind this oil but I don't think I could wear this outside the house and prefer Charisma Bonus, Love or Seduced by Spidersilk to get the same effect for myself and attention with the alluring vanilla, musk, and floral aspects. Cobalt Druid: Peace (A gentle blend to instill a sense of calm and tranquility. Bulgarian lavender and honey are tucked into a soft bed of cooling clary sage and meditative sandalwood.) This a lulling sweet lullaby of a fragrance that works wonders whether day or night. I'm always in awe of the mysterious properties of Nui Cobalt's scent potion oils, and Peace is another choice pick for that category. The honey is lovely alongside the realistic lavender buds and I can't recommend enough this shop's creamy sandalwood accord that always elevates every blend it touches. I could bathe in Peace and happily drift far away. Athena Drakaina: The She-Dragon (The She-Dragon.An ebon altar swathed in sacred smoke, dragon’s blood resin, spiced pomegranate, black leather accord, bay laurel leaves, hibiscus flower, nocturnal musk, and agarwood. Wear to invoke Her sacred ferocity and mete out swift justice.) This shop does some amazing things with underappreciated notes and here pomegranate is cast as the main lead and shows off beautifully with the hibiscus and naughty leather. Although named for the goddess of wisdom who has many sides, I can't help but think of Persephone in dark battle armor back from the underworld when I smell this oil, it's an incredible balance of duality of sweetness and darkness. A reminder to never underestimate anyone. Cobalt Druid: Love (Intimacy in a bottle. A blend to enhance your natural magnetism and power to forge passionate connections. The softest sugared rose dances with resplendent vanilla in flickering candlelight.) A Pre-Raphaelite painting in a bottle. Somedays you just need to smell elegant and from a painting or stained glass window and that's exactly what I receive and feel like when I dab on Love. This is a gorgeous blend with soft vintage rose, downy powder and realistic sweet singed creamy beeswax candle wax hiding in the background. Just magnificent! Brava! Malarkey: Bread & Butter Pudding (A comforting scent to ease your mind and sooth your nerves after dealing with dishonest people. Twice-baked slices of soft white bread, salted butter, rich vanilla custard with a modest sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon.) When Malarkey melds with my chemistry it morphs to spiced bread pudding with realistic thick vanilla custard and the distinct aroma of freshly prepared french toast but the vanilla custard and light cinnamon stand out the most. Hours later and I get a creamy crumbly nutmeg and a richer vanilla base (and I swear a drop of warm honey). It's something else and a tribute to British culinary traditions and old-fashioned baking secrets. Malarkey is never sharp, overly sweet or spicy, waxy or artificial smelling and just like Poppycock, it's perfectly executed. I always try to envision what the food from one my all-time favourite cinematic treasures would smell like and Malarkey is what I would be drinking if I were invited to attend the lost boys' dinner from HOOK. It's straight out of my dreams as this is happy thoughts and warm hugs. [says with nose to wrist] It's Bangarang. Nui Cobalt Designs Comments are closed.
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28th of January 2023) NOTES/COMBINATIONS and Stones CURRENTLY ON THE HUNT FOR: Naughty Licorice/Star Anise Cardamom Cardamom Cake with Roses Smoky Honey & Leather Leather and Florals Pomegranate Colder Tuberose scents Smoked Florals with Cinnamon and Honey Graham Cracker and Incense Double strand of Rose Quartz or Moonstones or Black Tourmaline Chainmaille Jewellery Houses of Fragrance and Interest on the Horizon (shops that contain such temptations): LurkerAndStrange Good Spirit Wolf Rapt In Maille ToadStoolSoaps DSH Perfume Baphomet&Co Harvest Moon Haven Granny Hootenanny's Shop
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