TKO

[angelicruin]

“Many things -- such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly -- are done worst when we try hardest to do them.”

I was frimped some of this wonderful stuff and though tonight will be the first time I try it sleeping, it definitely smells amazingly soothing. It's all creamy vanilla lilac on my skin. So soft and comforting. A bottle of this will be in my next lab order for sure.

[mparker]

I realized I hadn't reviewed this one yet. I got this in my last order, and I've probably used about half the bottle already (a fresh bottle is in my currently-pending order) with a nightly slathering at bedtime.

 

This smells strongly of sugared lavender. It has the white crunchiness of sugar crusting the herbal lavender scent. Below these strongest notes is a base of vanilla. Somewhere there, hiding behind the lavender might also be just a hint of eucalyptus, there's just something sinus-opening, chilly and refreshing in here, but it's just a hint. Unfortunately for me this isn't the wonderful vanilla that my skin loves, but the one that eventually ends up drying into a vanilla candle-wax scent, and not a good beeswax candle either. This is mildly disappointing, but not too bad, since I'm usually knocked completely out before the drydown anyway.

 

And yeah, this stuff WORKS!! I'm the kind of person who has a lot of trouble getting to sleep, and then is a very light sleeper. This blend has given me much deeper, easier sleep, and I don't know what I'd do without it. It seems to influence the boyfriend too, as he keeps telling me that I smell "all relaxing".

 

As an aside ... The other night, on a whim I decided to layer this with some Wulric the wolfman, thinking that the lavenders and vanilla and cocoa would all give me a fuzzy wonderful teddy-bear hugs type of night. It was deliciously, cuddly, wickedly, wonderful, and I almost couldn't wake up enough to get out of bed the next morning. Wow!

[MisterShrapnel]

Right, so I never realized until recently that I do in fact have trouble sleeping. Normally I procrastinate and do schoolwork/whatever until the wee hours of the morning (i.e. 4 AM) so I was so shocked during one week when I resolved to get to sleep at 10 PM every evening so I wouldn't be a zombie at school. It was nigh impossible to drift off for a good 90 minutes and I usually have to FORCE myself to stay in the bed, because my mind wanders off and wants to do other things.

The first night I sniffed TKO in the bottle, it was love. As in, "Oh man, I actually get to smell this every night?!" The scent itself is phenomenal--a few months ago zankoku_zen likened it to marshmallows and it truly does smell like delectable lavender marshmallows. Kind of vanilla-y in a way that reminds me of Dorian. And it also smells a lot like the Earl Grey Creme tea sold at Teavana (to which I am addicted, so TKO is pure heaven).

As for effectiveness, there is no question. I have trouble getting up in the early morning if I've slathered this (as to be expected with a sleep aid) and haven't had much time to sleep, but given a reasonable amount of time to rest I wake up uncommonly refreshed--perhaps I used to wake up several times in the night without knowing it?

I'm going to be buying this over and over again for as long as possible. It's like a nightly treat (other than the getting to sleep part... maybe it's got a long-term Pavlovian effect. )

[topaz]

I ordered a bottle of this (finally) to help with my life-long insomnia. Oddly, it smells like burnt rubber in the bottle but I figured "What the heck" and swabbed my pillow with it. The burnt rubber smell finally faded and I smell lavender with a faint sweetness.

 

It works like a charm. I normally read for hours in order for my mind to shut off but I barely make it through a chapter when I use this. I also wake up feeling like I got a full night's rest, even if I only got a couple of hours due to my schedule. The kiddos have both laid down in my bed (the girl during a thunderstorm which usually means a sleepless night for both of us) and the boy when he wanted to take a quiet nap. They both went out within minutes.

[tapestry]

TKO decant means TKO bottle is not too far off for me. Unf. I can see the lavender marshmallow comparison, but upon smelling TKO I find that I agree more with the lavender branches covered in vanilla-scented crystal sugar mental imagery instead. Usually I can't handle scents this sweet, but there's something zen about TKO (lavender), something endearing.

 

My sleeping problems are that no matter when I go to sleep, I get up at almost exactly the same time daily. The older I get, the earlier that time becomes, so that on a workday I find myself waking up in between 4 - 4:30 regardless of when I actually fall asleep. I'm a chronic waker -- in between six and eight times a night is average for me -- and on weekends I'm lucky to sleep 'til 6.

 

Well, I tried TKO Friday and Saturday evenings. Friday I woke twice (one to feed the cats, which is unavoidable), and rather than leaping out of bed as per my norm, I kind of staggered around blearily in hopes of going back to sleep. I think I was out of bed by 7. Saturday evening I woke once(!!), and gave up right before 8 AM. Which, uh, is basically like the sleeping lottery. TKO leaves me a little fuzzy around the edges, but that is because I am sleeping hard, something i hardly ever do. The blend itself is very pretty, but what's sold me is the effect it had on my sleep thus far. I'm actually a little scared to use it on a work night! Even if the effects are psychosomatic, I've every intention of saving up for a bottle.

[Eutectic]

This is a powerful sleep aid. I have had drugs that had less effect than this wonderful oil. Beth, you are a genious!

 

It starts sharp and medicinal and quickly dries down to a soft lavender marshmallow. Although I love this scent, not even my desire to stay up to sniff myself can keep me awake. It is sleep in a bottle. I am astounded how well this works and call it sleep coma in a bottle. LOL

[AmyAngel]

I don't think I've reviewed this yet.

 

I got a partial decant of this in July of 07. My only notes from then say "too sour." Lavender does tend to go nasty-sour on my skin. Lately I've pulled the TKO back out to try again, and now it's wonderful! I'm not sure if it's helping me sleep at all, but it isn't hurting, isn't awful and sour anymore, and is a nice comforting sweet scent. I'm actually feeling kind of anxious that I only have a half decant, and will likely order a bottle soon to put away and age. I'd like to be able to slather this one at night when I need it. This is definitely coming with me on an upcoming weekend trip and on a week-long trip to Peru.

 

Incidentally, this also brings up memories of college for me. Nothing specific, but I KNOW I had something back then that smelled EXACTLY like aged TKO. Next time I know I'll see my college roommate I'm taking this with me to see if she can remember what it was.

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

Uuuunnnggghhh! I knew this would be good, but I had no idea just how good! Is this stuff even legal? It's like some kind of narcotic...Seriously, just sniffing it in the imp is almost enough to knock me out cold. On, it smells so gorgeous...Fluffy, marshmallowy, herbal lavender heaven! I'm going to start wearing this to bed every night. I love it so much! How have I survived for so long without this?

 

[msbcozad]

This stuff works. It gets me to sleep about as quickly as Melatonin or Tylenol PM, but without the side effects of those medications.

 

That being said, I don't actually enjoy the smell of TKO when it's fresh on my skin. I can smell the sugary vanilla and mallow in the background, but there's something cold and hard in the forefront for the first thirty minutes or so of wear. I keep sniffing, trying to figure out WHAT that note is (eucalyptus? no... not quite) and wrinkling my nose in disgust. I keep wanting to turn it into the cold, hard lavender of Yvaine (my other go-to scent for sleepless nights), but no, I can't pick out the lavender either. So for the first thirty minutes, I read my bedtime book and keep my wrists away from my nose.

 

Around minute thirty-one, however, the hard coldness goes away and the scent is soft, fluffy vanilla sugar and something else I can't identify. This is a calming, protective scent. This helps me drift off to dreamland.

 

Yeah, TKO is my weapon of choice in my arsenal against insomnia.

[marared]

TKO doesn't put me to sleep any faster than usual - in fact, there was one night I was awake far too long because my brain wouldn't shut up over stupid things - but I've consistently had a battery of Really. Weird. Dreams. Not the totally batshit crazy kind of dreams that are so off the wall that I gotta write them down, but I do not typically dream that much. With TKO, it's been *every* night, to the point where I'm still kinda tired when I wake up because it doesn't feel like my brain shut down with my body.

[caitilarkin]

Like all the other insomniacs who have reviewed TKO, I purchased this in hopes of getting help in my endless quest for a decent night's sleep. Lavender can either be softly floral on me or can go to pungent herbal body odor, so this should be interesting.

 

In the bottle: Sharply herbal, with lavender in the background

 

Wet on skin: Still mostly herbal, but the lavender is a bit more noticeable and is luckily staying away from the dreaded BO morph.

 

Dry on skin: After about an hour, the lavender is at the forefront. I never get the soft vanilla sugar/marshmallow that others have mentioned. Instead, the lavender stays very plant-like (for lack of a better word) and doesn't get sweet or overtly floral.

 

It definitely helps me sleep, so much so that I can only wear it before bed if I definitely don't have to wake up for at least eight hours. Overall, it was very different from what I expected based on previous reviews but it certainly serves its purpose.

[tarotgirl99]

I have had an imp of TKO for a while and, for some idiotic reason, never tried it.

 

Now that I have, I must wonder what took me so long.

 

As many above me have said, this is a fluffly lavender-marshmallow cloud of peace that blankets you into the sweetest of slumbers. I don't get much herbiness, though I know it's there, like the ballast beneath my lavender-marshmallow wings. I rest so well and so happily with this magical, ethereal scent.

 

I predict a bottle is in my future.

 

***

 

UPDATE

 

My sure-fire sleep technique: I put a drop on each wrist and my third eye. Then I put a drop in the palm of each hand and rub together and cover my face with my hands (about an inch or two from my face)...and deeply breathe in the scent. If I am going to wash my hair the next day, I also entwine my fingers in the front part of my hair, scenting the strands that may fall in my face during the night. With each inhalation, I deep breathe in the scent and consciously try and relax.

 

Works like a charm. The problem is getting up the next day.

Edited August 13, 2009 by tarotgirl

[eatingthesea]

hehe...i just got this in the mail yesterday. it is strongly lavender sniffed from the bottle, and i don't normally care for lavender, but i know it's a good sleep-getting agent so i hung on. i did get that strangely fishy scent lingering in my nose after a deep inhale. it seems to manifest only as an "aftertaste" and doesn't remain throughout the experience, which is obviously a good thing! i have to tell ya...i was a bit skeptical about being able to be "tko'd" by a perfume oil. i put just a little on both wrists to test it out at 5:30 pm. i fell asleep at 7 pm. i woke up briefly for sustenance at 10:30 pm and then fell right back asleep until 7 am today!! extremely uncharacteristic for me, especially on a weekday. i am sold! although i won't use it during the work week...too risky! and i have to say i do love the scent after it's dried down. an almost crystalline, lilac-purple-scented sugary herbal scent. not usually "my type" of scent, but well worth it for its tko-ing properties

[azhriaz]

The first time I used TKO I made the mistake of using the same amount as I would with other perfume oils. This resulted in a burning sensation in the back of my throat. So I won't be doing that again. A teensy dot on each wrist is plenty!

 

I'm not really a huge fan of lavender in general, and this is a kind of harsh lavender, but the vanilla marshmallow effect in the background is tantalising. It definitely has a calming effect.

[MeiLin]

TKO smells medicinal in the bottle--a sharp lavender. But on, the lavender softens immediately, and a warm vanilla candy smell comes to the fore. It's not the hyper-sugary candy note that always goes plastic and headache-y on me; it's a mellow, soft, almost caramel scent. It's pillowy, that's the best word I have for it. A pillowy, warm lavender vanilla caramel. That sounds horrid, but it's really, really not. Really not.

 

Does it help me sleep? Yes. But my theory on why is that it could be most any scent; if a scent is used every night at bedtime, the brain will take it as a cue to shut down and go to sleep. Or not. I dunno. This stuff is so lulling.

 

TKO FTW.

[oneiromantics]

TKO: so delicious, so full of lavender-marshmallow-vanilla goodness that instead of making me want to go to sleep, it makes me want to stay awake and smell myself. Conundrum!

[loladae]

uhm...when I smelled this I immediately thought of Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf, but with a prominent lavender note. It was not what I was expecting at all, I can assure you that, but I still like it. I like it a lot, actually...

[tajana]

Wet on the skin, it has a cool, herbal touch... I couldn't determine what it was... it was very light, which makes it difficult to isolate, but it made me think of either eucalyptus and possibly a touch of sage. Mostly, though, it was lavender, lavender, soft purple lavender, feeling gentler and less sharp than it usually does. As it dries down the lavender infuses an amazing accord of marshmallow magic. Seriously, it smells like lavender rolled up with tons and tons of fluffy, pillowy marshmallows. Astonishingly, it does not go nauseatingly sweet on me. It just smells lovely, soft, and sweet, a simple but irresistible combination. I kept my wrist pressed to my nose and didn't want to stop inhaling, but I did fall asleep before too long. In the morning, the lavender has burned off, and while there's no throw to speak of... my wrist still smells like marshmallows. I will keep my decant handy for important nights that I can't afford to be an insomniac during, and when I can afford it I'll get a bottle so I can put this on my pillow and on myself whenever I want. It's am amazing smell, easily in my top 10 now... I love it to pieces, but it is so "bedtime!" that I obviously won't be wearing this any other time.

 

ETA: It's past 1pm now and when I huff my wrist, I still distinctly smell like delicious marshmallows. I cant' bring myself to wash this off, though.

Edited August 9, 2009 by tajana

[Leopard403]

Straight-up lavender. Doesn't noticably help with sleep, which is a bummer. But then, I am a *serious* insominac, so...

[thereshewent]

As far as it helping with sleep, it's too soon to tell since I'm still on summer break and letting my insomniac flag fly high!

 

This is a lovely sugared lavender sugared eucalyptus blend. Wet, it's very herbal but then it fades into this delicious smell. If I could eat the smell, I would. Relaxing, and cozy, so it could help you sleep-or you could love it so much you become immune to its effects and wear it daily.

Edited August 16, 2009 by thereshewent

[devilot]

TKO

Definitely lavender. It also seems, grassy somehow. Only sometimes can I get the slightest hint of smoothness. All in all, my personal scent preferences really go against lavender notes. TKO in perfume oil form is not for me. I prefer the massage oil and so have passed this partial bottle on to a better home.

[topazphoenix]

This starts out as beautiful herbal lavendar and then fades down to sweet fluffy vanilla lavendar. I love it, and find it relaxing, perhaps a new staple in my bottlte box, but it did not help my insomnia...;_;

[caseys]

TKO

 

Snap Judgements: I have an obsessive love of lavender. There's no way this could go wrong.

 

In the Bottle: Sugared lavender. Awww yeeeah!

 

Wet: This scent doesn't morph at all on me. Sweet lavender vanilla goodness.

 

Dry: See above.

 

Final Thoughts: You know that blissful moment when you wake up early on your day off, all warm and snuggly under the covers, and then realize that you get to go back to sleep? In my mind, that moment smells like TKO. It doesn't get much more perfect than this.

 

:love!:

[Prism]

Lavender normally doesn work on me. it morphs.

 

In bottle - vanilla lavender. This would make a great scent locket or put some on the pillow or something NOT ON ME for sleeptimes.

Wet - i can smell the morphed sort of acidic scent of lavender in this, so far, hrrr, dissapointed and glad it's just an imp.

dry - the lavender doesnt exist anymore. I think there is also however lilac in this- because i am getting the soft floral others describe that i know isn't lavender. It's also very sugary sweet, however not the sticky over-sweet maple syrup smell some other blends have (thankfully, i cant stand it). It's sugar followed by vanilla followed by floral. I dont really get herbs,but i suspect they're adding to the depth/complexity and I just cant pick them out.

 

Overall - it's a nice blend, but I'm currently debating whether I would wear it as a perfume.

 

Will test tonight to see if it helps me sleep. I'm something of a poor sleeper hence the interest.

 

Update - It did better in a retest on me, more vanilla, and the lavender stayed truer on later tests. I'd give it a 7/10 scent wise. However, it gets a 10/10 for effectiveness. I'm a terrible sleeper and while this does not solve the problem, this absolutely helps. I wont be wearing it as a perfume only because I want to keep it only for it's intended purpose. Which, I'll be wanting a bottle for! Both for wear, and scenting things.

Edited December 12, 2009 by Prism

[Lorelai1945]

OMG. I can't sing the praises of TKO enough. It is very strongly lavender in the bottle with a hint of vanilla, but when you put it on, it's a beautiful blend of yummy lavender and sugary, incensey vanilla. The more it dries, the more vanilla comes to the surface. This isn't the lavender vanilla at that store at the mall- the BPAL vanilla makes this deeper and much more interesting. I'm not sure if it puts me to sleep...since I want to stay awake and smell it. This is definitely one I'll have to buy in bulk.