nikaida

I keep reaching for this frottle from the GODS since my order arrived last week. I am having the wildest time trying to parse this fragrance as it is outside my identification wheelhouse—there is something fresh & soapy-clean & bracing is the star of this perfume’s show, then there’s something a little sharp or acidic/tart in a great way, and something that maybe could be described as cold metallic? But nestled under a big pile of icy soapy-sharp-tart metal blankets is a sleeeeepy little trickle of nutmeg. I don’t know if this is a crowd pleaser, but I *do* know it’s a *ME* pleaser. This is Tilda Swinton as the White Witch at the height of her power, wrapped in furs on her sleigh or draped across her throne. No need for Turkish delight to seduce me, Tilda, I’m already in the carriage, fluttering my lashes at you & asking you about where I can get a matching outfit.

Daydreaming of this in perfume oil format I love this! I also bought it to use as a hair or cuticle oil and I really wish that it came in perfume format too. Lots of cherry up front and the clove/cardamom make it smell kind of like cherry pie in the best of ways. Nothing medicinal here! The cherry does fade halfway through the day, but it’s still worth it!

Gorgeous fragrance. Initial application is a very breezy, delicate floral with polished woods. Then for about an hour, it goes quite sweet (more honey than beeswax) on me, and reminds me of Possets Shah Jahan & Mumtaz Mahal (which is a favorite of mine!). And then it settles into a gentle, perfumey sandalwood floral with hints of the beeswax and of the other polished woods. SUUUPER pretty on me. Full-sized this beaut with no regrets(:

Bah, I am bad at describing dragon’s blood fragrances because dragon’s blood usually takes over a fragrance entirely for me and I become overwhelmed. Not with this one! But all I can really pick out in the drydown is dragon’s blood and dark cacao. Champaca before it dries. I think the rest of the notes are pulling the dragon’s blood into something deeper and more complex. I love this one. I keep going back to it and neglecting my other dragoncon purchases. 10/10. May more folks who can describe this better arrive and do a better review than I ? But I love it!

To me, this smells like 2000s B&BW Sensual Amber in the imp and on wet. So much so that I RAN to my wife (who used to work at B&BW) to confirm. She agrees! This is great for me, as this was MY scent in high school and it smells so nostalgic and yummy. Once it dries down a bit more, the myrrh becomes more present and a tiiiiny but bitter whiff of bay leaf peeks out. Now it’s Sensual AmbMyrrh. As a myrrh fan, this continues to be a win! Finally, many many hours later, it dries down to a gentle ambrette. Ambrette how I love thee. Considering a full bottle, if not at least a backup imp. I work through perfumes very slowly so bottle isn’t always necessary.

Utterly gorgeous. I get a kick of the mugwort up front, but on me this dries back pretty quickly. Most mugwort notes I've smelled in perfumes aren't very appealing to me but it isn't offensive here. Lots of moonflower, lots of moss, a gentle and lovely powdery vibe, and lasts for a l o o o o o o n g time on me. I applied some last night and it was going strong 12 hours later when I reapplied before work (it's an ESBAT KINDA DAY, OK). I tried this in 2019 or 2020, but didn't really enjoy it then. I'm glad I gave it another chance this year, because it's being discontinued once Haute Macabre runs out of their current stock! So beautiful. Full-sized this cutie and got a second backup imp to store at work. jan 2025 edit: wore this to an event with lots of family and had THREE women stop and go in for a second hug & go “YOU SMELL GOOOOOD” while I was wearing this. So sad this has been discontinued, grateful to have 2 bottles!

Bought a bottle secondhand due to its note list being quite similar to Defututa (which I like a lot). I wanted to see how different they would be and in what ways! They are QUITE different! In Melissae I’m getting something almost like olive oil early on, as well as a slightly cinnamon-spicy note and a slightly floral note. (I wish i knew what olive blossoms smelled like, sorry, I just know I like a lot of stuff they’re in!) Then it’s a spicy savory mix of cinnamon and frankincense, it’s a lot less sweet than I was expecting. A few hours later and the honey is coming through more. It reminds me of loukoumades? Fun! This is one I keep trying before bed, so I’ll have to come back and update this review with more thoughts once I try it earlier in the day!