Diptyque Orpheon Eau de Parfum is a subtle, close-wearing powdery, musky scent that turns more vanillic over time, while jasmine blooms deep in the background, adding a more generalized sense of floralcy. I wish I had more to say–this was a simpler scent journey and perfect for those who prefer scents that don’t change much over time! These are the notes:

• top notes: juniper berries
• heart notes: jasmine
• base notes: powdery notes, cedar, tonka bean

Scent Development

It opened with the bite of juniper berries–crisp, cool, and pine-like–with vanilla to back it up, offering a subtle sweetness before jasmine bloomed sweetly in the background. The powder ended up showing up after about 10 minutes of the fragrance settling on my skin, which gave it a powdery, musky characteristic that seemed to overwhelm the other notes. Everything that was in the opening became vague and diffused, which resulted in them losing their nuance and coming across as a more generic “clean” scent.

Orpheon was linear on my skin; it had a subtle jasmine and woods undercurrent that was dominated by powdery musk that became progressively more powdery and more vanilla (the woods losing out) by the second hour, which lasted through the drydown. Being linear is not a bad thing so long as one enjoys it. I also noticed with this that it wore particularly close to the skin and seemed subtler, particularly for an eau de parfum.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

Longevity

This seemed to be a near skin-scent from the initial application. At best, it hovered two to three inches above my skin and with no sillage. It wasn’t weak per se, as I didn’t have trouble detecting it on my skin when I put my nose close to my wrist. It was shorter-wearing relative to other eau de parfums I’ve tried, including some from Diptyque, and it was hard to detect on my skin after eight hours of wear.

Personal Thoughts

I’m not as well-versed in this scent family, though it’s not the kind of fragrance that pulls me personally, and if it had slightly more projection and better longevity on my skin, it would seem nice enough for something soft, lightly floral and “clean” with a powdery musk.

Available Sizes

• 75ml for $190
• 0.7ml sample for $6

Where to Buy

• Neiman Marcus
• Nordstrom

Diptyque Orpheon Perfume Review

Diptyque Orpheon Perfume Review

UNOM Io Non Ho Mani Che Mi Accarezzino il Volto Extrait de Parfum had a stronger, more citrus-leaning opening with warm spices, but it quickly turned dry, dusty, and leathery with tarry smoke. On my skin, it did not shift much from there, while the final drydown had soft suggestions of amber and tonka bean, but it was so muted and dominated by dry, dusty leather that not much else seemed to stand up to it. Here are the notes:

• top notes: myrrh, galbanum, petitgrain, bergamot
• heart notes: cinnamon, clary sage, styrax, geranium, ylang-ylang, cedar
• base notes: incense, tobacco, benzoin, amber, tonka bean, sandalwood

It kicked off with a blast of bitter bergamot followed by dry, almost smoky, woods with subtle orange, cinnamon, and clove spices. There was a dustiness, almost like dry leather with smoky, gray swirls of tobacco. It was a harmony of well-blended spiced, lightly sweetened orange, the beginnings of a resinous base, and smoky, dry leather.

Over the first two hours, it shifted to drier, dustier, and heavy leather with smoke that smelled a little ashy with slightly soapy orange underneath. There was subtle creamy woods and a touch of vanilla that appeared after three hours of wear that gave it a gauzy feel. It continued in a linear manner with the orange sometimes being less soapy at times. It wasn’t until about five hours that there was a wisp of amber and tonka bean against the orange that removed all soapiness, but it was still quite leathery and dry.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for five hours until it was a skin-scent and about eight hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the first hour of wear.

Personal Thoughts

Tarry, black smoke is definitely not a note that seems to work for me; I don’t know if my skin amplifies it as I feel like it can, but paired with drier leather, it left me desperate for all the other notes listed in the pyramid!

Available Sizes

• 100ml for $240
• 0.7ml sample for $6

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

UNOM Io Non Ho Mani Che Mi Accarezzino il Volto Perfume Review

UNOM Io Non Ho Mani Che Mi Accarezzino il Volto Perfume Review

Oriza L. Legrand Empire des Indes Eau de Parfum is a spiced, amber-vanilla with floral, almond, and resinous facets that is heady without being intensely smoky and woody for the majority of its wear. There was subtle, more incense-like smokiness that flitted in the background but well-woven with the other notes, while the woodiness was smooth, creamy, and strongest in the drydown. The fragrance was sweetly vanilla but spiced and dosed with plenty of amber, benzoin, and myrrh that that it didn’t come across as cake-like vanilla.

Empire des Indes Notes

• top notes: Ginger & Bergamot
• heart notes: Heliotrope, Nag Champa flower and Tolu balm.
• base notes: Benzoin, Sandalwood & Opoponax.

What does Empire des Indes Smell Like?

It opened with the bite of spiced ginger, lightly candied and toasted almonds, and a whisper of bergamot at the end of an inhale. There was a balsamic, heady and spiced vanilla from the tolu balsam married with the heliotrope, which gave an illusion of candied almonds served on a soft, breezy cloud. In the first few minutes of wear, there was a subtle floralcy throughout the scent before it grew warmer, denser, and spicier with thicker, more resinous and amber-like facets.

A dark, rich honey oozed in at the 20-minute mark, which added a bit more floralcy while giving the scent a heavier, thicker, and deeper sweet note. The sense of sweet and spiced amber laced with spiced vanilla dominated with everything else a facet, so sometimes it was more gingered, other times almost nutty, and then occasionally, lemon and honeyed.

There were tendrils of smoky incense and smooth sandalwood that emerged after an hour or so of development. Some of the floracy died back, but it came and went, in waves for the first four hours overall. As the smoky and woody facets filtered through, the fragrance became slightly less vanillic, a little nuttier and caramelized. From the second hour through the sixth hour, it sometimes came across as more ambered, other times darker and more resinous with less spice and smokiness. It seemed to get more caramel-like and less vanillic toward the dry down, especially as the woodiness became more apparent in the base.

Longevity

It lasted for eight hours until it was a skin-scent and about 16 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within three hours of wear.

Personal Notes

Based on a friend’s review of the scent and the list of notes, it seemed like a surefire winner for me, personally, which is why I ended up going for a full bottle from the get-go. (Note: this is a bad idea, typically, and my friend absolutely side-eyes me if I do, but she’s usually on the nose for recs!) The floralcy made it a little less like other ambery scents I have and already love! I also liked how much sweet myrrh was in it for the first half of wear.

These are more subjective feelings based on what I like (or don’t like) in a perfume as well as considering the fragrance against other perfumes I own and love.

Testing Methodology

For testing, I used two sprays to underside of my wrist and forearm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my bottle in June 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Availability

Empire des Indes is available for $165.00/100ml.

If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.

Empire des Indes Samples

We recommend the following retailers for purchasing decanted samples (typically 0.7ml to 2ml in size). This is a fuller list, so individual availability may depend on inventory.

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent
• Scent Split
• Twisted Lily

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

Oriza L. Legrand Empire des Indes Perfume Review

Oriza L. Legrand Empire des Indes Perfume Review

Oriza L. Legrand Empire des Indes Perfume Review

Oriza L. Legrand Empire des Indes Perfume Review

Oriza L. Legrand Empire des Indes Perfume Review

Oriza L. Legrand Empire des Indes Perfume Review

Oriza L. Legrand Empire des Indes Perfume Review

Oriza L. Legrand Empire des Indes Perfume Review

Oriza L. Legrand Empire des Indes Perfume Review

Oriza L. Legrand Empire des Indes Perfume Review

Oriza L. Legrand Empire des Indes Perfume Review

Oriza L. Legrand Empire des Indes Perfume Review

Dries Van Noten Rock the Myrrh Eau de Parfum is certainly an ode to myrrh. It was warm, spiced, and woody with rich, balsamic resins that were sweet, thick, and almost chewy at times. The cypress and pepper were there in the opening, while the cypress amplified the aromatic quality of the composition for the first few hours. It wasn’t a totally linear fragrance, but the difference between the opening and the dry down wasn’t night and day either; it flip-flopped between being more resinous, more ambery to woodier and spicier before becoming more of a soft, spiced amber in the end.

Rock the Myrrh Notes

It is described as “an overdose of myrrh” that is “joined by resins of benzoin and cistus dressed up with cypress and pink pepper.”

• top notes: cypress, pink pepper
• heart notes: myrrh, patchouli
• base notes: suede, benzoin

What does Rock the Myrrh Smell Like?

It opened with fresh cypress, a hint of pink pepper, and thick resinous sweetness. There was a fiery aspect, too, not smoky or ashy, and not quite lit incense. Rock the Myrrh was quite aromatic; warm, spicy, and a little jammy with sweet, spiced woods underlying the gooey resins. After 15 minutes, there was a subtle layer of leather that helped to balance out the balsamic quality of the myrrh.

Through the next three hours of wear, Rock the Myrrh vacillates between warm, spicy, and woody and sweeter and more noticeably thick and resinous. It seemed to settle into a spiced amber-wood base in its drydown that was smooth, warming, and balanced.

Longevity

It lasted for 10 hours until it was a skin-scent and about 16 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the third hour of wear.

Personal Notes

I did enjoy this one quite a bit, enough that I’ll re-wear at a later date to get a better grasp of just how much I enjoyed! I’m not surprised at all, given the notes are exactly the kind of ones I gravitate toward (which means I do have scents in the same vein already!). I was impressed by the longevity and sillage; the kind of sillage where I can sit at my desk and get subtle wafts every now and again without feeling like I’m choking on the scent.

These are more subjective feelings based on what I like (or don’t like) in a perfume as well as considering the fragrance against other perfumes I own and love.

Testing Methodology

For testing, I used a fraction of a 2ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my sample as part of a discovery set in May 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Availability

Rock the Myrrh is available for $305.00 for 100ml or $375.00 for 200ml (refill).

If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.

Rock the Myrrh Samples

We recommend trying one of the brand’s discovery sets before investing in a bottle.

Where to Buy

• Selfridges
• Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten Rock the Myrrh Perfume Review

Dries Van Noten Rock the Myrrh Perfume Review

Initio Mystic Experience Eau de Parfum opens with sweet, mixed red fruits that became more like bitter, black coffee mixed with equally dark powdered cocoa, though there was a musky quality (possibly with a hint of amber initially) that made it less photorealistic than that description might sound. The addition of sandalwood as the amber and musk intensified led to a more animalic, somewhat fruity (but less red in quality) scent that dried down to a soft, slightly spiced and sweet, musky, woody blur.

Mystic Experience Notes

It is described as a “combination of musk and coffee.” The notes are listed as “coffee, musk, vanilla, and patchouli” by the brand, but retailers also listed sandalwood, amber, and oakmoss.

What does Mystic Experience Smell Like?

It was marked by sweet, red fruits in its first 30 seconds, which were slowly steeped in black coffee with a dusting of dark, bitter cocoa. It was no longer so fruity and was darker, deeper, and headier with a very rounded body that wasn’t a photorealistic coffee scent (which isn’t a pro or a con, merely trying to set the stage) that has a warm, nutty coffee kissed by a mix of amber and musk, slightly sweet and musky without being terribly animalic or powdery (where musk tends to go to my nose).

The sandalwood crept in, adding a smooth, woody facet underneath the amber, musk, and vanilla (with a dab of coffee more amorphous in the background) after a half hour of development on my skin. The remainder of the scent’s wear was more linear with the amber and musk taking turns on which was more prominent (musk wins out eventually), whether it was woodier, slightly spiced and golden in its sweetness or a little more animalic and musky (though never strongly animalic).

The musk took over after two hours, and it was sweet, more animalic, though not pungent, with a touch of abstract fruitiness over a smooth, woody base with vanilla warmth. From the second through the sixth hour, Mystic Experience was largely linear. It remained a sweeter musk with an overripened, fruity quality paired that sweetened with vanilla and had a slightly drier, woody base in the drydown.

Longevity

It lasted for three hours until it was a skin-scent and about 12 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were on the lighter side, though it was detectable close-up for much longer than I anticipated.

Personal Notes

It was a less assertive, smoother and more blended–not necessarily in a good or bad way, simply more diffused and less distinct in its note structure–to Black Afgano by Nasomotto. It was a pleasant scent, probably not something that was enough of a draw to buy, but the lack of longevity was the biggest deal-breaker for me personally, especially against the price ponit.

These are more subjective feelings based on what I like (or don’t like) in a perfume as well as considering the fragrance against other perfumes I own and love.

Testing Methodology

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Availability

Mystic Experience is available for $300/90ml.

If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.

Mystic Experience Samples

We recommend the following retailers for purchasing decanted samples (typically 0.7ml to 2ml in size). This is a fuller list, so individual availability may depend on inventory.

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent
• Scent Split
• Twisted Lily

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

Initio Mystic Experience Perfume Review

Initio Mystic Experience Perfume Review

Maison Tahite Carnal Cacao Eau de Parfum is a more floral fragrance with a gourmand leaning, but it was significantly less cocoa-driven compared to other scents from the brand that focus on this note. For me, it was largely floral with tuberose amplifying the strength and longevity of neroli but between mandarine and neroli, the florals seemed more orange blossom-like overall. The drydown saw slight spiced, warmer woodiness but it was still fairly floral and didn’t have massive shifts from opening to drydown.

Carnal Cacao Notes

It is described as “tuberose meets the gourmand sensuality of cocoa.” It includes the notes:

• top notes: mandarine, CO2 LMR Red Pepper
• heart notes: tuberose absolute (India), neroli essential oil (Tunisia)
• base notes: cocoa absolute, ambroxan, mosses

What does Carnal Cacao Smell Like?

It opened with a ripe, juicy burst of mandarin orange, dripping in the heat of late spring with sweet orange blossoms dancing in the background. After 10 minutes, soft tuberose added hazy, diffused white floral facets with the sweetened neroli blossoms. It remained linear from here through the next two hours. The cocoa absolute seemed to add some body and depth but wasn’t really detectable as “cocoa” to my nose.

While the tuberose was clearly there, it worked to support the intensity of the overall floral facets of neroli, which can often weaken over time, but instead, Carnal Cacao’s neroli blossom lingered and lingered, well past the four-hour mark. There was a subtle, darker sweetness–maybe amber, maybe cocoa, too blended for me to pick apart–that weighed down the florals slightly.

After seven hours, the base notes seemed to strengthen and led to a drydown that was lightly spiced, resinous, and woody with more blurred and blended tuberose and neroli floral facets.

Longevity

It lasted for five hours until it was a skin-scent and about eight hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the first hour of wear.

Personal Notes

I was surprised at how the cocoa note translated in this scent, whether it was weak or more supportive, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I definitely expected more of it to come through. Given that I am not drawn to highly floral scents, particularly white florals, this didn’t end up being a winner for me, but it was no hardship to wear by any means.

These are more subjective feelings based on what I like (or don’t like) in a perfume as well as considering the fragrance against other perfumes I own and love.

Testing Methodology

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Availability

Carnal Cacao is available for $120/100ml.

If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.

Carnal Cacao Samples

We recommend the following retailers for purchasing decanted samples (typically 0.7ml to 2ml in size). This is a fuller list, so individual availability may depend on inventory.

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent
• Scent Split
• Twisted Lily

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

Maison Tahite Carnal Cacao Perfume Review

Maison Tahite Carnal Cacao Perfume Review

Maison Tahite VaneXstasy Eau de Parfum was a milky caramel–somewhat coconutty, sort of vanilla–but almost entirely a barely-there cloud of subtle sweetness for its entire duration on my skin. This was a scent I had to test multiple times because it was so short-wearing and hard to detect within minutes of application!

VaneXstasy Notes

It is described as being “immersed in the millennia-old scents of vanilla absolute and precious and sensual sandalwood.” Here are the notes:

• top notes: coconut milk and caramel accord
• heart notes: vanilla absolute, balsam of Peru essential oil
• base notes: sandalwood essential oil, cedarwood essential oil

What does VaneXstasy Smell Like?

It opened with warm, boozy vanilla–not overly sugary or cake-like–softened with swirls of coconut milk and a diffusion of caramel. There was a lightness to the scent, even in those opening moments, where I wondered if I did not apply enough. The caramel became the most distinctive, slightly ahead of vanilla and coconut milk.

There was little progression from the opening moments through the drydown; the changes were quite minute, and the fragrance itself seemed particularly weak–and less of a preference so much as an objective point to make. I tried it on two separate occasions (totally different days) because the opening was intense for about a minute or two and then so soft and hazy that it made for more challenging work to discern notes and shifts over time. I didn’t find it was any better the second time around with nearly six sprays from the branded sample spray (from their discovery set).

It was primarily milky caramel, slightly sweet and honey-like rather than really dark and caramelly, with wafts of vanilla and a perfume-like facet–enough to prevent it from being photorealistic, which I imagine was the addition of balsam and woods, at best. The drydown was less milky, sort of woodier but so subtle even with my nose pressed up against my skin.

Longevity

It lasted for a half hour until it was a skin-scent and about three hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were almost minimal from a few minutes after application!

Personal Notes

I’ve had really lovely wear experiences with other scents from this fragrance house, so the weakness of this scent was unexpected and certainly made for a more forgettable experience!

These are more subjective feelings based on what I like (or don’t like) in a perfume as well as considering the fragrance against other perfumes I own and love.

Testing Methodology

For testing, I tried using three sprays from the discovery set sample vial and then a second test using six sprays from the same vial. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Availability

VaneXstasy is available for $120/100ml.

If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.

VaneXstasy Samples

We recommend the following retailers for purchasing decanted samples (typically 0.7ml to 2ml in size). This is a fuller list, so individual availability may depend on inventory.

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent
• Scent Split
• Twisted Lily

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

Maison Tahite VaneXstasy Perfume Review

Maison Tahite VaneXstasy Perfume Review

Frapin 1270 Eau de Parfum was a scent that really evoked one of those idyllic images concocted from fantasy concepts of things; here, it was lounging on a white beach, sipping something tropical and blended, with a tropical island breeze every so often. It was heavy on the pineapple with candied orange, soaked prunes, and vanilla.

I felt like the “breeze” carried a whisper of something vaguely floral and a little spice but they were so in the background that it was hard to make out. On my skin, it was incredibly short-lived and hurried through its long list of notes (many of which never seemed to show up for me) and gone in a flash–a struggle to detect just four hours in.

The brand described as a “warm” fragrance, which included quite a few notes:

• top notes: pineapple, candied orange, nuts, raisins, prunes, cocoa, tonka bean, coffee
• heart notes: vine flowers, everlasting flowers, linden, pepper, spices
• base notes: precious woods, gaiac wood, white honey, vanilla

The opening was a veritable verity of fruit majesty: tangy, sweet pineapple freshly juiced; chewy, candied orange; and sticky-sweet prunes. They sprang forward more individually before blending into candied, tropical medley. There may have been a suggestion of cocoa or coffee, a touch of something that grounded it initially, but they were so fleeting, they may very well have been imaginary. In the tropical medley, the pineapple was strongest, but soon the orange and pineapple were there in equal measure.

I had great difficulty discerning most of the heart notes, as they never seemed to really arrive. It moved more into a honeyed-pineapple stage with maybe a whisper of a breeze of something vaguely floral–but it all felt like a reach to find the heart notes. The vanilla strengthened and a breath of woods combined with the sweet fruits after an hour. Then the whole thing seemed to evaporate by the fourth hour where almost nothing was detectable!

Application

For testing, I used half of a 10.7ml sample vial applied to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

Longevity

It lasted for three to four hours until it was a skin-scent but was very difficult to detect from there. The sillage and projection were light to begin with.

Personal Thoughts

I was really looking forward to seeing how all those fruit notes would play with the base notes, but alas, so many notes escaped me over the perfume’s very, very short duration that I didn’t get to experience that journey. The lack of longevity alone keeps me from purchasing, and instead, I’d look for something with a similar dried fruits-heavy opening.

Available Sizes

• 100ml for $165
• 15ml for $45
• 0.7ml for $4/li>

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

Frapin 1270 Perfume Review

Frapin 1270 Perfume Review