Cats and Sparrows

[doomsday_disco]

Vanilla cream, tonka absolute, caramelized cedarwood, and sepia-washed amber resinoid.

 

 

Byeon Sang-byeok
 

[Little Bird]

I got my new cats in the mail today!  I wanted to let these rest a little, but couldn't resist slathering this one on immediately.  First thing of note is that this is super strong with tons of throw, enveloping me in a gorgeous, caramelized vanilla cloud with enticing, slightly powdery, slightly spicy tonka and tiny drops of golden, smoothly woody amber.  It's like a caramelized vanilla custard perfume in the sense that it smells delicous and vanilla-y, but you know that this is still an elegant perfume and not food in front of you, thanks to the other notes.  Leans slightly tropical in feel, the way that some Tahitian vanilla and vanilla orchid notes strike me.  The drydown after a couple hours is still that perfectly caramelized vanilla custard (sweet yet not too sweet, and this is super creamy) with the sense of a hint of vanilla orchid and a good dose of amazing tonka with its spicy, powdery nuances.  Tonka notes are often pale and powdery to me with a weakly honeyed scent, but this picks up the spicy, creamy, well rounded sweetness that good tonka can have, so I'm really enjoying it.

I love Cats & Sparrows just as much as I thought I would ❤️.

Edited August 16 by Little Bird

[AEris]

Love love love!!! On my skin, this scent is sweeter than I would have expected from the listed notes, it's almost fruity in overall tone. The creamy smoothness from the vanilla cream and tonka is intoxicatingly divine! The woods are subtle and humid (not dry or dominant). There is definitely a cozy warmth at play, while also being a wearable "perfumey" composition in a very good way. On my skin, the fur is soft and not powdery. This scent is far greater than the sum of its parts, and has a brighter overall feel than I expected based on the depth of the notes like woods and amber. I think that this could become quite popular and sought after if more people try it!! 

Edited September 4 by AEris
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[FebruaryFoxglove]

Cats with Sparrows is the Autumn to Glowing Vulva’s Spring! The sweet, creamy softness on top of an impossibly smooth, warm wood base is really comforting and cozy. I was worried about a sharp or dry vibe, but that’s not present at all for me here. The amber seems to be adding a soft radiance that keeps the vanilla cream from reading as too foodie, and the caramelized note reminds me of the opening minutes of Batty Lace. Definitely happy that I blind-bottled this, it’s backup worthy!

[doomsday_disco]

I really wanted to love this one, but for some reason, this mostly smelled like honey on me for the longest time? I think it's the caramelized aspect of the cedarwood (although I don't get much cedar), but I'm really taken aback by how honeyed it smells compared to other scents with caramelized wood notes that I've tried in the past. And I don't even hate honey notes... it was just unexpected. Sadly, the vanilla cream and tonka are not main players on me. By the time the honeyed aspect of the scent calms down, it just smells like amber on me.  I let my decant rest for several days before trying it, but maybe it needs more time to settle? I wish I had had the experience that other reviewers are having!

Edited September 18 by doomsday_disco

[theredkilt]

this is the good GOOD! This is a caramelized purring fuzzy amber. I think there's benzoin here. Whatever amber resinoid is used here, it may have turned this blend into an unintentional gourmand. I'm getting a bottle with my next order! LOVE 🫶

[artisjok]

Okay, it’s so interesting seeing the variations in experiences with Cats & Sparrows.
On me, it’s basically is a cooked apple (no spices) was drizzled in caramel and then interpreted as amber…. I don’t know how to feel about it yet. In the drydown, the cedarwood shows up, reminding me of the blonde woods in Aziraphale. 

[becca_s]

For me this starts out with the vanilla cream and caramelized cedarwood. The caramel aspect is coming through quite strongly for me. When I initially tried this I thought it must have a brown sugar note but then I checked the description and realized it must be the caramelized cedarwood. Further into dry down the Tonka and amber come out. This is a cozy, autumnal scent. 

[Teamama]

This is really hard for me to review, because it's super complex. The main effect both in the decant & on my skin is the sepia-washed amber resinoid, which is the best BPAL amber ever!  Like @doomsday_disco, I'm reminded of honey. It's complex, sweet, woody, & somehow a little bit floral around the edges, like raw honey. I'm loving it, & ordered a bottle.

 

This is in the category of blends I'm mentally calling "Lilith-adjacent."

[LavenderCoffee]

lol we are all grass-is-greenering each other here - I would love to have honey in place of tonka, which my skin chem renders a bit funky. otherwise it's a lovely antique amber skin scent.