tinyvulture

I've long been a fan of the Somnium category, and lavender blends in general, for bedtime. And yet I never laid my hands on a bottle of TKO until now! It's the queen of all the lavenders, isn't it? Just herbaceous, healing lavender, and smooth, not too sweet, vanilla. TKO is more medicinal-smelling than sweet, overall. Just taking a couple sniffs of it really chills me out. Five stars.

Strong foody notes - vanilla and sugar cane mingled with a spike of tart grapefruit. Like a slice of buttery citrus pound cake. Think "Eat Me" + grapefruit!

Oudh and frankincense resins vie for dominance here. The rose is just floating around in the background, and I'm not getting any chamomile. I love resinous blends, so even though at first application there's something sharp, almost like acetone, I wait patiently. I'm rewarded with a scent that dries down beautifully. Lovely resin and floral combination, and finally the barest hint of chamomile...without the frankincense making it too "churchy" or too similar to Rose Cross. Thumbs up.

Gunpowder!

First impression - lavender and a very earthy, almost vetiver-like, tobacco note. Reminds me of The Scales of Deprivation...in that it's a very "masculine" blend yet heavy on lavender which I typically associate with more feminine blends. After a few moments I get hints of more exotic notes...the patchouli, the benzoin, the champaca. I am liking it more now. The lavender has chilled out, it's barely noticeable except as a cooling background note. This is very "chill hippie dude" scent. It's very close to the skin.

Vanilla mint, very similar to the rare Snowblind. Faint hints of rose, marshmallow, and fruity red currant make it a little more vibrant and complex. It's not a particularly strong scent on my skin, and not something I'd wear to work as it's quite foody. It sure is pretty though.

I don't think I've ever seen rose and coconut together before. OMG, it's so lovely! The tonka and orchid add to the lush, romantic floral vibes. The Spanish sage adds just the right touch of clean herbal for contrast. Such a complex, gorgeous, romantic blend! Love love love.

Licorice-tinged opium! Is it the wormwood that smells licorice-y? Something certainly does. There's the soapy-clean ozone note as well, seamlessly blended with the powdery, dreamy opium. So unique. As far as ozone blends in my collection, I'm going to be more of a purist and stick with Lightning, but I'm enjoying this very much.

The first notes to hit me are bold, sensual red musk and tart red wine. Reminds me of a less-sweet Mme. Moriarty. Moments later, I'm also able to pick out the honey and oudh. I'm not getting any cinnamon or cardamom. It's very pretty but I probably have enough red musk blends for now.

Can't go wrong with the syrupy sweetness of benzoin! The juniper makes me think of the chilly forest at night, combined with the nag champa incense. No musk, no tobacco on me at first. Unfortunately the tobacco soon becomes very powerful, and it reminds me too much of smokers. This scent is hard to describe. Like the scent that lingers after a hippie party in the woods?

Very close match to the star jasmine I grow in my backyard. A little spicier. I love the beautiful simplicity of this single note. I need to see how it compares to Sampaguita as that's also a single note jasmine.

Coconut and milk, very similar to Obatala. Maybe a tad sweeter. Others get very little coconut, but it's definitely the strongest note on my skin. Later, the honey/burnt sugar comes out. It's still very Obatala, so I will swap since I already have plenty of Obatala.

Really nice, smooth pumpkin blend with sweet, smoky vanilla and honey notes. Witchy and Halloween-y for sure. The cinnamon isn't too strong like with some pumpkin blends I've tried. A keeper.

Wow. Amazing! A sweet floral bouquet...I truly can't pick out which florals are which...it's a girlly, pink, floral overload! Very much like a classic woman's perfume, reminds me of Butterflies, Flowers and Jewels attending, as dementia_divine noted also. I love it so much!!!

Honey and cream accord, with strong lilac. I love creamy florals, I'd buy them all! This is so sexy. I never thought of lilac as sexy, but the honey and cream are what does it! This is NOT an "old lady" lilac - it's lush and flirtatious! Love!

Literally chrysanthemum incense. Like you would find at the gas station or head shop among all the other floral incenses. It has a "burned" quality like hot sun shining on hay. Interesting, but not for me.

I breathed this in deep -- forest woods, cedar, sandalwood, pine, the coolness of juniper, sweet sap and leaves. Like a really lovely woodsy/spicy cologne. I love the almost minty juniper note, it's really doing wonders for my sinus congestion. No snow or stone for me...this one's all forest.

Absolutely gorgeous blend for sultry summer days and nights. The gardenia is so lush and sexy, and the nectarine and peach keep it sweet and flirty. I want to slather this on all summer long!

I'm in love!! Sharp cedar, balanced by orange blossom and vanilla, with a floral note (iris) that fades in and out. After a few minutes the cedar mellows out, and it's a Florida beach dream, all sweet orange floral.

The softest cassia, with cottony soft florals and tea notes in the background. I know there's no tea in the description, but that's what I get...a cassia-floral tea. Gentle, understated prettiness.

Dandelion, white clover, balsam fir logs, and birchwood switches. Soap and spicy woods...like a men's body wash. I like the clean outdoorsy vibe. I can pick out the balsam and birch wood notes. Total lumberjack scent. A freshly-showered lumberjack! Sexy but sweet and clean.

Blackberry! A rare note in BPAL. I want more of it, please! So tart and ripe! It's especially lovely with the bordeaux wine. This isn't a sweet/foodie blend. It's fruity, yes, but it's a rich and sophisticated women's perfume. I love it!

Lovely incense and floral blend. The lushness of jasmine is quite a bit stronger than the understated carnation, patchouli, and amber notes. It's funny, I can't recall another jasmine/patchouli blend. They are two of my favorite notes and I definitely want more of this! I could swear it also has a drop of cognac...weird. Anyway, love it lots!

Beautiful champaca and sandalwood notes, like a high-quality incense. There's also a smooth, understated leather note. My husband loves this one, I would definitely acquire more for him at some point!

Trying to outgrow my love of foodie blends because they're not work-appropriate...but sometimes I can't resist! White chocolate, marshmallow and honey are three of my favorite notes ever. The honey is so rich with buttery and floral notes. I don't really smell the marshmallow. On me, this is a gorgeous honey combined with sugar and cocoa butter. I love its luxuriance.