The Scent Alchemist

  1. Ani X by Nishane extrait This starts off a little spicy and the opening paints a picture of Hercule Poirot smoking his pipe in his tweed jacket, but don’t worry the lemon cake dry down saves this from being a complete masculine scent. There is no lemon cleaner smell, but rather a rich deep lemon vanilla with spices fading away in the background as it dries down. The extrait does not disappoint the performance, and makes the hefty price a little more worth the purchase. NOTES: [top] lemon, bergamot, melon, ginger, cardamom, water notes, pink pepper [mid] green, apple, blackcurrant, patchouli, lavender, sage, Rose [base] vanilla, sandalwood, cashmere wood, white musk, cedar, ambergris • 2. Devotion by Dolce & Gabbana edp I am sorry but this was a fail for me. The dried flower smell was a big turn off, and although it eventually fades, I despise it enough where I don’t want to go through it every time I spray it on me. If you love florals, you might like or even love this, bu...

Starts out like a mango pineapple daiquiri with a hint of rum (not boozy in any means). This mix drink is for the lightweights, the ones who like their cocktails more juicy/sweet than alcohol-y. Then the sandalwood and ambroxan kicks in, giving it a slight rubbery scent on me, but this gets better with each wear. Also, I am not a fan of either notes because my skin tends to turn rubbery, but not terrible in Carioca Heart. The drydown is where I hit gold: the sandalwood gives a creamy touch to the vanilla. The mango is still present but in the background with a slight kick of labandanum. • 👃Perfumer: unknown •  #️⃣ of sprays tested ( 4 skin ) 2 on each arm • ⏳ LONGEVITY: 6 hrs. • 👠 OCCASION: casual/vacation  I imagine wearing this to the pool, cruise, beach, tropical island.  • 🌸☀️🍂❄️ SEASON: summer • 🚹🚺 SCENT LEANS: unisex  Although the opening is sweet and fruit, as this dries down, the sandalwood and labdanum adds a more masculine side. Therefore, this one le...

The milky white liquid gives this scent a resemblance to coconut milk. It’s not overly creamy but more of a watery coconut (with very slight sun tan vibes but quickly fades). I don’t like to drink coconut milk but if it had a scent, this is what I imagine it to smell like. Not cloying or heavy, perfect for high heat. ⚠️UPDATE: I  tried coconut milk just to give you a real comparison and yes, this is coconut milk but not as milky but more watery. •  #️⃣ of sprays tested (4 skin) 2 on each arm • ⏳ LONGEVITY: 2-3 hrs • 👠 OCCASION: casual, vacation, pool, daytime • 🌸☀️🍂❄️ SEASON: summer • 👩‍⚖️VERDICT: 👍 I like it. Ok, we know the longevity is not there, but it’s what makes it a great layering scent. I’m not big on sun tan lotion coconut smell because it’s overpowering, but this is just enough coconut where it’s a little creamy and refreshing. Great for summertime by the beach or everyday wear. • 🛍️ PURCHASED AT:  Official website but can be found at discounters (Marshal...

 #️⃣ of sprays tested: 1,000,000 on skin & shirt (I’m exaggerating but you know Jo Malone scents don’t last) • ⏳ LONGEVITY: 3-4 hours but only if you over spray  • 👠 OCCASION: cozy • 🌸☀️🍂❄️ SEASON: fall/winter • 👩‍⚖️VERDICT: 👍 The bottle is what drew me in and although I don’t own a single Jo Malone scent, because of their poor performance to high price ratio, I wanted to give this one a try. I am not a ginger lover, so the opening was a kick in the nose, but as the scent evolves, the ginger turns into a gingerbread cookie and the increasing vanilla in the drydown leaves me with biscoff cookie. I am actually happy about the lack of longevity, because it helps make this a more wearable scent. Ginger and cinnamon can be overwhelming for me when they are strong, so I appreciate the toned down spices in this masterpiece. 🙏Special thanks to @lolascenttrail for letting me try this wonderful piece.  • 🛍️ PURCHASED AT: macy’s • [top] ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg [mid] cara...

Gardenia, Tuberose, Patchouli are all in here with a touch of powdery-ness. I know... who am I? This is a white floral bomb and you know I would be the last one caught wearing those notes BUT... it was a happy accident. I received a sample with purchase, which the sales lady randomly through in, and I forced myself to try it as a part of my Sample Sundays reel. To my surprise, I did not hate it. Moreover, I was actually enjoying the scent and couldn’t stop smelling my arms to check if it was indeed what I was liking. My main complaints for white florals are that they are sharp, headache inducing, and (for a lack of a better word) stinky in an pollen/outdoorsy way. Shockingly, Forever did not do any of those things and the patchouli is very smooth/nicely done. Disclaimer, I do not like any of the other Narciso line but this was a love for me (or maybe I need to try the others on skin as well).  •  👃Perfumer: Sonia Constant •  #️⃣ of sprays tested ( 4 skin ) 2 sprays on ea...

Why is there a tortilla in the background of the picture you ask. Well, strangely, this opens with hot steamy tortilla and lemon. A little odd yes but don’t worry it gets better in the dry-down.   The dry-down has vanilla and something else. The vanilla is less gourmand and more ambery. A very elegant and elevated vanilla that’s sensual, which makes the perfect transition scent from summer to fall. • 👃Perfumer:  Bruno Jovanovic Carlos Benaim Jean-Marc Chaillan Loc Dong •  #️⃣ of sprays tested ( 4 skin ) 2 sprays on each arm • ⏳ LONGEVITY: 3-4 hrs • 👠 OCCASION: daytime, work, running errands, brunch • 🌸☀️🍂❄️ SEASON: fall • 👩‍⚖️VERDICT: 👍 Yes, it does not last very long because it’s an edt and yes, it smells like Mexican food in the opening, but the citrus transitioning into this sensual ambery vanilla makes this worth the purchase, especially for the price point. • 🛍️ PURCHASED AT: marshalls Never buy this at full price as it is always on sale at discounters. •...