Sarah Baker Perfumes: Symmetry

This morning is warm and rainy at 81 Degrees F. Kind of odd weather so I reached for my travel spray of Sarah Baker's Symmetry - touted to be a refreshing take on oud. I was quite excited to see that the nose for this scent is Chris Maurice, and that he tinctured real oud and agarwood for this blend himself. It was a steal during the sample sale, so I snagged it.

notes: bergamot, petitgrain, neroli, orange blossom, amber, cypriol, musk, Laos oud.

With the current weather, this morning seems the perfect time to try it out. The citruses come out first, as to be expected, in an intriguing vitamin-chalk melange. Reminds me just the tiniest bit of those immunity boosters to drop in water.

And then the oud comes out a bit spicy, and I think of black pepper from how delightfully abrasive and astringent it is. Over time it softens, into a blend that smells like heated skin after a brisk walk through the sun. It's quite wonderful and sensual while maintaining a clean freshness.

I love this for casual every day wear and could certainly content as a signature scent. It may be slightly masculine but still falls securely in the unisex range.

sibling scents: montale dark aoud, atelier cologne trefle pur

Sarah Baker Perfumes: Jungle Jezebel

notes: orange, banana, grape, peach, bubblegum, rose, tuberose, ylang-ylang, amber, sandalwood, civet, vetiver, vanilla, tonka bean

It is a clear sunny day at 80°. A gorgeously warm morning.

Jungle Jezebel seems to be polarizing in its heady sensuality and yet on me it emanates naturally like a creamy floral aura that emphasizes feminine power. Softly rounded, steamy breath, and fleshy petals characterize this scent. Rightly so, having been inspired by Divine -- a memorable character of dazzling sexuality.

As far as the exotic qualities, it's only exotic to the folks who haven't ever lived in the tropics. These are the scents I grew up with and I find myself at ease to be surrounded in Jungle Jezebel's hothouse bouquet. The civet is quite tame, having smelled some heavy handed animalic powerhouses such as Papillon Artisan Perfumes Salome, Strangers Parfumerie Sangre Dulce, Prin Mandodari, and practically every single Tsvga Perfume offering. Now these are animalic.

Jungle Jezebel smells only slightly humid, like a sun-warmed plumeria, in comparison. Ultimately it is gorgeous and tempting, a curious aura that beckons others into coming just a little closer until they've buried themselves in your arms. This seductive scent is deliciously tactile.

siblings in the fragrance world: dsh perfumes hansa yellow, robert piquet fracas, b never too busy to be beautiful keep it fluffy, parfums jeffrey dame duality woman

Loree Rodkin: Gothic I

Sunny warm weather today.

Oily amber sweetened with vanilla. Resinous, sticky, and candy-like. There is only the smallest hint of patchouli for me and it seems to be doing its best to support the star of this fragrance -- an animalic amber reminiscent of true ambergris. Unfortunately, whatever it is does not play well on my skin. The "amber" smells similar to that in Dhajala by Xerjoff.

On the right person, I can tell that it would smell amazing. I imagine it working beautifully for a woman with sophisticated, sensual elegance. It's a bit too formal for my style, but it's gorgeous sniffed from my dabber vial. On the other hand, there are a lot of amber-vanillas out there and for a much more affordable price. I do have to acknowledge that this is possibly the richest, most natural smelling vanilla perfume I've smelled. Like scrapings from the pod.

Senyoko: Hora de la Verdad

 Sunny weather, 83 Degrees F.

Brash and vibrant, Hora de la Verdad or in English "Hour of Truth" tells the story of a bullfighter's passion and violence. Senyoko's official site calls it the "essence of bullfighting in its relentless fragrance, battling the scents of the world all day long". I find that it is arresting in its abrasiveness.

The florals come through as a clean soapiness underneath the bitterness of the blood accord. The scent is transparent, ambient, and atmospheric. I find that it is a fantasy blood, metallic and sharp as the blade of the matador. It is not a gentle scent but I have been fascinated enough to reach for it over and over. I do find that it leans masculine for a unisex scent. I think it bracing zing of it is great for a warm summer day but I believe it would wear well in most any season or weather. I do have some doubts about winter, even though the notes listed are typically found in cozier blends.

• Top Notes white pepper, thyme, Spanish saffron & blood accord
• Heart Notes Turkish rose absolute, jasmine & narcissus
• Base Notes hyraceum, leather, cedar, guaiac, birch, castoreum, musk, oak moss, civet, Spanish labdanum & oud

DSH Perfumes: Orion

 Sunny, 81 Degrees F.

"A soft warm kitten fur scent" is the tagline for this perfume and it delivers. I can't handle most musk perfumes as they generally overwhelm my nose and eventually give me splitting headaches. Orion is gentle, soft, and so lovely.

I don't find musk to smell dirty or skanky ever. Those are usually reserved for notes like ylang, coriander, cumin, and pepper for me -- maybe that's indicative of the scents I notice on people. Orion continues the trend by smelling clean with the barest hint of soap-powder florals and woods. The hints of  sandalwood, mimosa, and iris in the mix give a fresh just-washed quality, without smelling perfumy.

I am fascinated by the addition of pussywillow accord, referred to as the "c*m tree" in some circles. Haha! I don't pick up any distinctive secretion-like notes. Ultimately, it smells like a clean body in the middle of an afternoon nap. Cozy, warm, and fuzzy. Two thumbs up. Stellar date night scent -- confirmed by all parties.

These are the notes, per the DSH page: Ambrette Seed, Civet, Honey Musk, Kitten Fur (Accord), Mimosa Absolute, Modern Scents, Musk, Orris Root, Pussywillow (accord), Sandalwood, Siam Benzoin, Warm Milk, White Bunny Fur (Accord)

L'Artisan Parfumeur: Haute Voltige

Sunny, 88 Degrees F.

Without looking at the notes: lemon-lime car air freshener. After looking at the notes, I can see where they tried to make a pomegranate accord. I'm not too familiar with pomegranate...the last time I ate any was years ago.

There's a sugary scent in here that reminds me quite a lot of the rim of a margarita glass. I have no idea where peony is supposed to come in...maybe the citrus and spice that I'm getting. It's very nice, maybe not quite my style but I'll use up my sample with pleasure.

Grown Alchemist: Hydra-Repair Day Cream

Drizzly. 84 Degrees.

Might be odd that I'm writing about a facial moisturizer in a perfume blog, but the scent of this cream is so light and lovely that I wanted to give it a mention.

I happened to see it at a discount store and was pleasantly surprised that the ingredients were solid. It was a steal, so I bought it never having heard of the brand before. And soon after, a perfume shop that I follow on social media mentioned this brand and one of their salespersons raved about the scent being a summery "orange creamsicle".

Alright. There is definitely a whiff of tangerine in here. It's more of a juicy citrus-floral. But not the heady hothouse flowers. Grown Alchemist lists camellia and geranium on the front, as the primary scents and I think that those are probably the best two notes to go by. If I didn't know the ingredient list, I would swear it was palmarosa. It is a rose-adjacent scent. More like rosehips with the juicy tang, and it does have rosehip oil as a major ingredient.

Anyway, lovely lotion. I can't wear it on my face as it feels to greasy but I have been very happy using it as a hand cream and will be keeping a lookout for it.

Wit & West: Reserve Perfumes

I got a little sample pack from Wit & West when they had their summer sale. While I've been very pleased with the different scents in general, their "reserve" perfumes are in a whole 'nother league.

I got samples of La Valse, The Violetear, and Gardenia Ono; which I've been wearing over the past month.

La Valse

TOP: Black Pepper

HEART: Rose Bourbon, Rose Absolute

BASE: Vanilla Bean Tincture, Patchouli, Benzoin

A creamy rose that smells as soft and sweet as a bed of rose petals. Light and airy enough for the summer, though I imagine it would be lovely in other seasons.

The Violetear

TOP: Bergamot, Iris Enfleurage Extrait (In-House Extraction)

HEART: Lavender, Rose Absolute, Mimosa

BASE: Tonka Bean, Frankincense, Oakmoss

The clean soapy qualities of oakmoss really stand out in this composition. It's so delightfully fresh, with lavender and powdery flowers like iris, rose, and mimosa rolling out the proverbial violet carpet for its entrance.

Gardenia 'Ono

TOP: Key Lime, Vanillin

HEART: Gardenia Absolute, Champaca

BASE: Tonka Bean, Sandalwood

'Ono means delicious in Hawaiian, and that's really the best word to describe this scent. It smells like eating a Belgian waffle next to gardenias in full bloom. Just lovely.

Abel: Black Anise

Rainy Weather. 75 Degrees F.

Top Notes: Star Anise

Heart Notes: Cacao, Black currant

Base Notes: Tobacco

There are perfumes that smell tame and pretty, and then there is Black Anise. Somehow it morphs to give two different experiences on myself and on my partner, with both of us definitively agreeing that it smells better on him.

On my skin... it opens up like an old, musty ship with boozy casks smashed open and pouring all over the salty waterlogged woods. I believe my skin amplifies tobacco. My intuition tells me there's more to this scent than the notes indicate.

On his skin... it is a smoky licorice liqueur. It is art in a cocktail glass. There's a hint of fruity sweetness, and the tobacco hovers in the background giving complexity and depth.

It projects within arms length after the top notes have faded -- about twenty minutes in this weather. I might prefer this scent in fall and winter. Perhaps this scent will be more forgiving in the colder months.

DSH Perfumes: Maui

Sunny weather. 79 Degrees F.

I've found over the years of testing many offerings from DSH Perfumes, that I most prefer them in voile format. I like the way the scent slowly permeates the space around me, transforming the atmosphere into whatever time and place inspired it.

Maui takes me to the beach when I have to be indoors on a lovely sunny weekday like this one. No "salt" or floral sunscreen in this one. It's a coconut husk with the barest hint of musk and creamy sandalwood and cedarwood. I can close my eyes and live at the beach with just a breath.

Unisex and summery, but perfect for any daydream-filled day.

Categories: Ambrette Seed, Archives / Retrograde Files, Bergamot, Coconut Milk, Coconut Pulp co2,  Hawaiian Sandalwood, Musk, Orris, Sandalwood, Tahitian Vanilla, Vanilla, Virginia Cedar

Dusita: Anamcara

 Sunny weather. 85 Degrees F.

Anamcara, or "Soul Friend" in Gaelic per the perfumer Ms. Umavijani, first opens with a blast of delectable jasmine tea -- the most natural smelling I have come across in a perfume. Think of opening a tin of the fancy loose leaf kind, in silk bags, the scent engulfing your face as soon as the lid comes off.

And then a spoonful of sweet orange blossom honey. A peach accord...reminiscent of osmanthus.

As it dries down, the floral and woody accords become more prominent. I get the soft powders of rose and sandalwood. It retains a gentle sweetness at this point. The orange blossom honey teases at the edge.

In a warm climate, this fragrance lasted about two hours on me with a detectable skin scent lingering for another two hours or so. I think the temperature makes a big difference in how a fragrance performs, with most perfumes opening very loud and fading very fast in general for me. The performance is impressive for a fragrance that uses natural ingredients -- the justification for the high price of a full bottle.

I love this scent but the sweetness of jasmine and orange blossoms can become overbearing and tired for me after a few hours. I've rarely reached for this scent, and I mostly prefer it for the more temperate days. The heat can truly make it go nuclear.

• Top: blood orange, orange flower, freesia
• Heart: tea accord, peach, apricot, vanilla absolute, rose de mai, tuberose absolute, jasmine sambac
• Base: patchouli, sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver

Solstice Scents: Chiffon

Sunny weather. 77 Degrees F.

I've fallen in love with this sweet lemon-tinged scent. I've inhaled a cake without the calories. It opens with lemon myrtle - which does have a lemonish quality but is not quite as sharp and pungent.

Because I'm using the perfume oil rather than an alcohol based scent, it does sit close to the skin and afford more staying power in the top notes. I imagine the Eau de Parfum version of the same scent projects further and has more staggered steps in revealing its elements.

I've found that Solstice Scents is very good about describing the qualities of each scent. Chiffon is indeed exactly as described. Solstice Scents has fully delivered on the promise of an ethereal chiffon cake. It strongly reminds me of Xerjoff Casamorati Lyra but with slightly less intensity and complexity, which actually allows it to be infinitely more wearable. For people who love this particular gourmand scent profile such as myself, there is certainly a place for both scents on the shelf.

Because the scent sits close to the skin, it is comfortable to wear in the heat. The oil format helps with longevity as well. And while it is a gourmand scent, the vanilla-musk base of the dry down is comfortably unisex. We can all smell delicious.

Notes: lemon myrtle EO, white amber, white musk, vanilla