Reviews composed in November 2020 to January 2021 ✴The longer the following perfumes were patiently aged, the more undernote nuances reveal themselves with every wear. Longevity: Shortest (XIII and Bad Apple at 2 and nearly 4 hours) Longest (Ambrille and Sacred Vanille at 14+ hours) One Note At A Time: Bespoke/Custom Fragrance At the beginning of October 2020 I submitted the idea of a bottled quote from one of my favourite books with the specific notes of French Vanilla, Vintage-styled Amber and Marshmallow. The owner showed sincere enthusiasm over my custom's concept and shared his extensive knowledge of different subjects when he suggested additions to my blend with Labdanum and White Musk. He then even went up and above that and obtained a very special component (pheromones) for the perfect final touch when I requested this last minute submission. May I present Ambrille! She's finally home and is so good she made it into general catalogue. From start to finish this was an experience I highly recommend if you have been searching in vain for a specific blend to add to your collection or one special fragrance to drape yourself in. Ambrille (Notes: French Vanilla, Marshmallow, Labdanum, White Musk) This blend dances a fine line between gourmand and naughty vintage with the initial opening of creamy french vanilla along with sweet marshmallow then warms up with the vintage amber and slight caramelly "pop" of labdanum resin. The final notes that leave me 15 hours later are intoxicating white musk and the lingering sweetness of the vanilla and marshmallow. It matches the iconic quote from Rebecca: "I wish I were a woman of 36, dressed in black satin with a string of pearls." and can be worn like a comforting elegant scarf or expensive soft sweater throughout the colder months; which is all exactly what I wanted. ❇the version of Ambrille available on the site does not contain any frisky pheromones. Hand Sanitizer in Harvest Spice (Simmered autumn fruit blends with warm nutmeg and clove spiked with crisp afterthoughts of ginger and cinnamon in the familiar taste of fall) This lux hand sanitizer comes in a rather large 2oz bottle that has stood up well in my handbag and has not broken open accidentally in the months it has been knocking around and accompanying to and from normal every day. The formula contains the required 70% alcohol and it does the job with a vegetal scent with rich autumnal earth and warm comforting spice along with a kiss of fruit (other than pumpkin) that lasts up to 3 hours and is addictive to sneak huffs of when no one is looking. Harvest Spice isn't your average pumpkin aroma and I hope it returns in the the perfume version because it is a fragrance I need to own. I would purchase this lux hand sanitizer again but also would love this in Marshmallow. ✴When I received my finished Custom Fragrance in November all decked out in gift box, a surprise sample was found nestled in the box and I fell hard. Call Girl (Notes: Tobacco, Skin Musk, Roses) Roses can come in many forms from soapy to downright slinky and scandalous and if you are looking for the latter, you have to get ahold of Call Girl because this is an oh so naughty but refined tobacco and rose fragrance. I definitely smell Bulgarian Roses and there is something deeper underneath adding another layer of the rose variety and true to the description on the website I am getting the unmistakable smudge of expensive lipstick or creamy wax violets (however you wish to interpret them). I know this is supposed to tell the scent story of a night encounter in a seedy motel but I can't help but think of a classy well sought after mistress in the 19th-century Austrian or Russian court. It's a bit exotic in ways with the rose petals and the stately tobacco combined with the kiss of violet and silky skin musk elevates this call girl to dame d'honneur! Bravo Redwood! My second order was a bunch of samples that had intrigued me for weeks. Sacred Vanille (Notes: Vanilla, Wood, Copal, Gardenia, Amber, Musk & Spice) It remains a mystery if the copal or the noticeable textural wood note (or the combination) is a particular scent sticking out from my skin that I'm unsure about. The spice and amber is warm and seductive with the sweet butteriness of the gardenia and vanilla. My skin can be so cruel at times as that particular scent I mentioned amplifies and drowns out the lovely gardenia, vanilla and spice. I'm marking Sacred Vanille down for a whipped soap treatment in the coming weeks. Candy Cane layering note This hits the sweet and sentimental spot for me as a beloved family member always smelled of peppermint and when she was away and I was upset, I would sit in a corner and sniff the candies she had secretly stuffed my pockets with. This is refreshing and yet somehow creamy and soft. Candy Cane also has a positive effect on when my stomach is flipping knots at a certain time of the month as after sitting down and smelling Candy Cane for several minutes, I feel so much better. The power of comforting peppermint, it still works even all these years later for me. Krampus (Notes: Mint, Musk, Smoke, Clove & Pepper) All the notes are there in a musky oily and somehow bracing way. I get the peppermint with the dark elements underneath and I know it's not listed but I smell a hint of non-obnoxious black shiny leather hiding in the background with the clove. Krampus is unique with the spice and musk yet completely wearable for every day adding something unfamiliar and sinister. A definite keeper. Elysia (Notes: Notes: Lily of the Valley, Salt, Wood, Musk) This is such a lovely scent for work as it's ethereal and feminine with a twist of poetic floral sweetness and is one of those your skin but better types of perfumes to recommend. This fragrance brings to mind the imagined scent of the dust from trembling butterfly wings. I don't think I have any other lily of the valley perfume that is so soft yet enchanting in my collection. XIII (Description: An unlucky blend of bergamot, tangerine, and lemon. Creaking wood, thunder that rattles the bones. Dark, moonlit waters. All laced with a sweet sliver of hope.) On my skin a hidden sugary aquatic scent amps along with zippy citrus and hidden metal note combination that oddly helps me drift off to sleep after a long dark night. To my nose, XIII leans masculine in a debonair way that is magnetic and yet calming. For longevity, this blends fades within 2 hours and no trace remains when I wake 9 hours later. And I'll just be tucking this alluring oil away for "someday". Bad Apple (Notes: Apple, Musk, Leather) I've been watching way too many Disney, Fairytale, Zodiac/dark sides of signs comparisons because this brings to mind "BAD Snow White". It starts off so innocent at first with gentle wafts of wet realistic apple skin and sweetness of a hidden floral, then a sinister smirk, a violent shuddering thunder and lightning crash over the forest and this woman doesn't need a prince with a flousy name to save her. I love these dramatic types of fragrance transformations. I was a little concerned about the apple but this is a fine blend and takes my imagination away. My only caveat is, I wish Bad Apple lasted longer on me- barely 4 hours on my skin. Top 3 choices (besides Ambrille): Call Girl, Elysia and Candy Cane Redwood Alchemy 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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