highgarden

As someone who gets massive headaches due to florals, I was worried about the rose in this, but thankfully it was only really present in the bottle! When wet, it was still there, but balanced by the myrrh and patch, but by the time it dried, it was all myrrh, all the time. It got to the point where about an hour later, I was smelling like incense and soap and so I had to wash it off, and an hour after that, I got a sweet vanilla residue on my wrist. Alas, I think I have to age this a bit more and test it later so hopefully that vanilla has more of a presence.

Fortuna Conservatrix from Hymn to Fortuna really reminds me of LoM! The notes are: black peppercorn, bitter almond, patchouli, and benzoin. It's LE, but just testing it today, it matches the shower gel. I wouldn't agree. The spiciness of the black pepper stands out way more than the patchouli. It's definitely got a drier edge to it, whereas LoM has a sweeter patchouli side with a hint of green. LoM's vanilla does sweeten everything up quite a bit, but I think Conservatrix is still a decent comparison--my shower cream is older though and my sister is the one using it, so I end up smelling whatever lingers in the bathroom, which is far more black pepper to me than patch. The throws seem to be different since LoM has some crazy sillage, but that might just be because I didn't put all that much of the oil on! The benzoin acts like vanilla would, though it is definitely milder. Also, I never knew that LoM was supposed to have gardenia! I'm glad I never smell it because otherwise I never would have bought it. Heavy floral notes give me headaches.

Just tried Avenger since I bought it a while ago, before even knowing about LoM. I can definitely see the comparison. The pepper and patchouli are present, but the clove, pikaki, and amber bring a sweetness you don't get from LoM. If you wanted a more feminine version of LoM, this would be it. For me, the tuberose gets amped just enough that I get it screeching over the rest of the lovely scents. Just a tad too floral for me. Fortuna Conservatrix from Hymn to Fortuna really reminds me of LoM! The notes are: black peppercorn, bitter almond, patchouli, and benzoin. It's LE, but just testing it today, it matches the shower gel.

I love BPAL's beeswax note (sweet, creamy, lasts forever) and blind bought a bottle. Wet, it's definitely heavy on that sweet waxy scent, but there is a hint of dust there that almost makes me want to sneeze, but that sensation fades as it dries and blends so well with the scent a few hours in that it's hard to pick out. There is definitely something resembling vanilla here. It's been over 9 hours since I applied it and it's still going strong.

While it's still wet, I get vetiver and the smoke--cade, is that you? The smoky vetiver is very strong until 30 minutes into the drydown, where I start picking up patch and a bit of the dead leaves note. About two hours later, the smoke and vetiver fade and now I can smell a hint of vanilla. This is absolutely lovely, as all of the anniversary scents I've tried have been!

2017 version: For some reason, this one is turning out to be very perfume-y, borderline floral on me. I think it might be the mead and prune soup combination that's making that weirdly spicy bloom hit me in the face so hard. It's been two hours since I've applied it and the throw is so strong, which is starting to give me a headache. I'm hoping that this will mellow out in a bit so I can get to the hearth part of this, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Sweet red velvet cupcakes with thick peppermint cream frosting. 2017 version: Mmm, peppermint frosting and chocolate cupcakes! Heavily cupcake-y and peppermint-y in the bottle, on the skin it was a lot milder than the bottle would suggest. The chocolate part faded quickly, leaving a vaguely cake-like base with the peppermint floating over it. It lasted about six hours before I really had to press my wrist to my nose, but even before that, the throw was low.

2017 edition: In the bottle and wet, it smells exactly like very boozy egg nog. When it dries, it settles into this nice, creamy sweet skin scent and by two hours it, the throw is minimal and I really have to press my wrist to my nose to smell it. I'm at the office, so at least I don't smell like rum, but I do wish this was a little stronger!

I love all the notes mentioned, so I blind bought a bottle. Wet, it's kind of strangely perfume-y, very heavy on the black musk. Dry, it's more or less the same thing. I'm not getting any of the fruits, which is so sad. It might be off to the swaps for this one.

Initially, it's all vetiver, all the time. I'm a fan of vetiver so no complaints here! Once it dries, I get a bit of the red currant, and then about two hours later it's all vanilla and benzoin tinged with the petitgrain. LOVE IT. My only complaint is that the throw isn't great, but I'm sure if I slather it on next time, it'll be perfect!

Here goes my first review! In the bottle, it smells true to the description, all dark chocolate with a tinge of cream, but there's a spicy, almost floral note. On wet, it's much the same. As it dries, though, the spicy note comes out further. I'm not sure what it is, but even for someone who hates florals as much as I do, I don't mind this one. It's perfume-y and not a foodie chocolate, definitely evil.