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smellsgood2014-08-10 09:26 pm
tasyfa) wrote in smellsgood2014-08-10 09:26 pm
Some OLLA decant circle reviews
Just a few so far; I'm testing stuff slowly as this is the worst summer in ages for hayfever so I want to be careful not to make my allergies worse!
For reference, I am a complete newbie at doing fragrance reviews. Also, I have an uneducated nose and I'm somewhat synesthetic - everything presents in colours. So these may not be that helpful to other people but maybe they'll be entertaining, lol.
STREETS OF DETROIT
BPAL notes: Black musk accord, Ethiopian myrrh, and motor oil.
In the vial: dark warmth. It smells like a smooth, thick liquid.
Wet on skin: develops a slight sharpness with a texture like wet wood shavings, which I associate with incense-y smells.
Drying: a sweet edge coming out that lightens the colour in the middle – kind of like a ribbon of caramel in milk chocolate. Mind, it doesn't *smell* like either of those, just *looks* like them! The texture is smoothing out now and the scent is sticking closer to skin without the wood texture. Also, my left wrist is slightly brighter smelling than my right wrist.
Dry: the throw has increased some – I don't have to hold my wrist to my face to smell it now – and the scent has gotten some texture back. It's also gone a bit acrid and also a tiny bit powdery, which is giving it more of a burnt-edges parchment feel.
Overall: like it, don't love it. It also makes me a bit congested when it gets to the burnt paper stage, unfortunately, and I had to wash it off. But I enjoyed the steampunk palette!
Additional note: the longevity on this was nuts. I couldn't find the bottle of surgical spirits so I used various other methods, including hand soap, dish soap, witch hazel + alcohol spray, body wash, and hand scrub. Even after all that, there was still the faintest whiff of incense when I pressed my nose to my wrist the following day.
CAFÉ MILLE ET UN NUITS
BPAL notes: Shisha and thick coffee brewed with cardamom pods, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, and nutmeg.
In the vial: very sweet, almost bubblegum like. Unexpected!
Wet on skin: the sweetness turns into a vague floral almost immediately, with very light incense behind it.
Drying: developing a blankness in the middle, like the scent that should be there is missing. The incense is now more of a faint spice and the vague floral is still there, but only around the edges when sniffing close up – it does make up most of the light throw, though.
Dry: a lightly spiced floral. It's nice enough, but really not what I was looking for from this – I wanted coffee! It's stabilised into a gentle scent with minimal throw, very much a 'lean in and smell me' kind of scent, and I think it will stick around as-is for a good long while. From reading other people's reviews, that sense of a blank spot may mean this one needs aging, so I shall put it aside to revisit in a few months.
Later: yup, stayed exactly the same.
QUINTESSENCE OF DUST
BPAL notes: The passing: beeswax and smoke, yellowed paper and well-worn leather books, droplets of spilled ink, faded incense, blood-tinged salty tears, and the metal of the knife that skewers that illiterate zombie philistine’s portrait.
In the vial: candle wax with a hint of incense or smoke. Definitely feels like the warm yellow of candlelight.
Wet on skin: slight deepening of the scent, like polished wood.
Drying: no real change.
Dry: the sweeter aspect of the beeswax has emerged so the waxy scent is honey-tinged, and it sits over the background of wood and paper, which has acquired a dryness. It does indeed smell like old books and candles. I like it. It's a comforting colour with light throw.
Later: the paper/parchment scent is tickling the back of my throat a little; a scent to be mindful of, then. My flatmate said I smell like a magic shop.
Much, much later: still a hint of waxy honey when I press my nose to my wrist the next morning, so some 18 hours and several hand washings later.
IAN
BPAL notes: A flicker of hero worship, tempered by naivety and an innately kind nature: shaggy leather, sweet rum absolute, and patchouli.
In the vial: kind of a generic warm sweetness, with a blank spot.
Wet on skin: a sharper grassy note emerges. Definitely smells green. Dappled sunlight through summer leaves.
Drying: same as wet, just a bit stronger – I can smell it when my wrist is down at my side.
Dry: the patchouli has come out to play now and brought an earthier aspect to the scent, eliminating the blank spot. That just enhances the impression of sitting under a tree in the summer. It's comfortably warm and there is a certain innocence to it, like it's maybe the last hazy days before starting high school. A rather nostalgic, rose-coloured-glasses feeling.
Later: the throw has softened to just a few inches but the scent hasn't changed. An earthy golden green. I really like this! Makes me want to break out the Urban Decay 'Stash' eyeliner *g*.
For reference, I am a complete newbie at doing fragrance reviews. Also, I have an uneducated nose and I'm somewhat synesthetic - everything presents in colours. So these may not be that helpful to other people but maybe they'll be entertaining, lol.
STREETS OF DETROIT
BPAL notes: Black musk accord, Ethiopian myrrh, and motor oil.
In the vial: dark warmth. It smells like a smooth, thick liquid.
Wet on skin: develops a slight sharpness with a texture like wet wood shavings, which I associate with incense-y smells.
Drying: a sweet edge coming out that lightens the colour in the middle – kind of like a ribbon of caramel in milk chocolate. Mind, it doesn't *smell* like either of those, just *looks* like them! The texture is smoothing out now and the scent is sticking closer to skin without the wood texture. Also, my left wrist is slightly brighter smelling than my right wrist.
Dry: the throw has increased some – I don't have to hold my wrist to my face to smell it now – and the scent has gotten some texture back. It's also gone a bit acrid and also a tiny bit powdery, which is giving it more of a burnt-edges parchment feel.
Overall: like it, don't love it. It also makes me a bit congested when it gets to the burnt paper stage, unfortunately, and I had to wash it off. But I enjoyed the steampunk palette!
Additional note: the longevity on this was nuts. I couldn't find the bottle of surgical spirits so I used various other methods, including hand soap, dish soap, witch hazel + alcohol spray, body wash, and hand scrub. Even after all that, there was still the faintest whiff of incense when I pressed my nose to my wrist the following day.
CAFÉ MILLE ET UN NUITS
BPAL notes: Shisha and thick coffee brewed with cardamom pods, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, and nutmeg.
In the vial: very sweet, almost bubblegum like. Unexpected!
Wet on skin: the sweetness turns into a vague floral almost immediately, with very light incense behind it.
Drying: developing a blankness in the middle, like the scent that should be there is missing. The incense is now more of a faint spice and the vague floral is still there, but only around the edges when sniffing close up – it does make up most of the light throw, though.
Dry: a lightly spiced floral. It's nice enough, but really not what I was looking for from this – I wanted coffee! It's stabilised into a gentle scent with minimal throw, very much a 'lean in and smell me' kind of scent, and I think it will stick around as-is for a good long while. From reading other people's reviews, that sense of a blank spot may mean this one needs aging, so I shall put it aside to revisit in a few months.
Later: yup, stayed exactly the same.
QUINTESSENCE OF DUST
BPAL notes: The passing: beeswax and smoke, yellowed paper and well-worn leather books, droplets of spilled ink, faded incense, blood-tinged salty tears, and the metal of the knife that skewers that illiterate zombie philistine’s portrait.
In the vial: candle wax with a hint of incense or smoke. Definitely feels like the warm yellow of candlelight.
Wet on skin: slight deepening of the scent, like polished wood.
Drying: no real change.
Dry: the sweeter aspect of the beeswax has emerged so the waxy scent is honey-tinged, and it sits over the background of wood and paper, which has acquired a dryness. It does indeed smell like old books and candles. I like it. It's a comforting colour with light throw.
Later: the paper/parchment scent is tickling the back of my throat a little; a scent to be mindful of, then. My flatmate said I smell like a magic shop.
Much, much later: still a hint of waxy honey when I press my nose to my wrist the next morning, so some 18 hours and several hand washings later.
IAN
BPAL notes: A flicker of hero worship, tempered by naivety and an innately kind nature: shaggy leather, sweet rum absolute, and patchouli.
In the vial: kind of a generic warm sweetness, with a blank spot.
Wet on skin: a sharper grassy note emerges. Definitely smells green. Dappled sunlight through summer leaves.
Drying: same as wet, just a bit stronger – I can smell it when my wrist is down at my side.
Dry: the patchouli has come out to play now and brought an earthier aspect to the scent, eliminating the blank spot. That just enhances the impression of sitting under a tree in the summer. It's comfortably warm and there is a certain innocence to it, like it's maybe the last hazy days before starting high school. A rather nostalgic, rose-coloured-glasses feeling.
Later: the throw has softened to just a few inches but the scent hasn't changed. An earthy golden green. I really like this! Makes me want to break out the Urban Decay 'Stash' eyeliner *g*.
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Body chemistry is a fascinating thing. I got an early introduction - my mom's signature scent was Shalimar, and when I was little, she would let me put a bit on at Christmas and for special occasions. It smelled wonderful on her and very similar on me. Then I hit puberty and suddenly it smelled awful (and still does). I was so disappointed!
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I will never stop being fascinated by body chemistry differences. Sarah and I sometimes put on the same perfume at the same time and 15 minutes later they smell like they don't even have any ingredients in common.
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Café Mille Et Un Nuits sounds amazing. Street of Detroit is also one that I think I might like. Been kicking myself for not participating before the last round.
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