TKO

[TPOD]

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

I TKO and it's become a staple for me. I'm about to order my 4th bottle. I use it almost every night and I do think it helps me sleep. As much from the lavender as the comforting ritual of applying it. Pre-bpal I would have scoffed at the idea of wearing a perfume to bed, but now I've wised up and I'm sleeping better too! Most days when I wake up, I slightly regret having to shower, because the scent lingers a bit on my neck and wrists.

It's not too complex of a scent, it smells like fluffy purple marshmallows. It gets better, so much better, with age. The lavender loses the sharp edge and the vanilla becomes sweeter and softer. It's just glorious.

[levelek]

TKO smells like marshmallow and lavender on me. A lot of reviews have talked about a sugary, sweet scent, but I expected that to soften the lavender, not to play prime fiddle. Instead, marshmallow is definitely the strongest of the notes.

 

I bought this as a gift for someone who suffers greatly from insomnia, but who also dislikes sugar. I think I'll have to swap this away.

[Violaine]

The "vanilla" in this smells exactly like the vanilla in Eat Me to my nose. Which is indeed a WONDERFUL thing. When I first put it on, it's definitely very sharp and almost too much for me if I smell it up close, but after about ten minutes it's just this beautiful mix of warm, complex vanilla and lavender. It's going to be a staple of mine, I can tell.

 

I did put it on at bedtime last night, but I was wicked tired from a dose of Relpax anyway and I generally fall asleep within five minutes of my head hitting the pillow. Thus, I'm not sure it it helped me sleep or not but it sure was nice to snuggle up smelling something this beautiful. Mmm. I'm so happy I bought a bottle!

[jtb2008]

I can't really pick out any specific notes in TKO, but that doesn't matter. My initial thought when I first put it on was 'urinal cake'. Even after it dried down, urinal cake stayed with me. But this has to be the best smelling urinal cake EVER.

It didn't really help me sleep at all, but it smells AWESOME.

Urinal cake FTW!

[damonkitty]

I got my first bottle of TKO in the mail today. All the talk about it had me super curious about its scent. In the bottle, I got a sweet and yummy vanilla scent that made my eyes roll in yumminess . When I put it on though, mostly I got a quick jolt of effervescent lavender that would actually wake me up first before putting me to sleep (love that stage . Now that it has been on my wrist for a while, I get a mellow lavender and vanilla blend. I think I can go to sleep now. This blend is well worth all the love I see it gets on the forum.

[IronMollyBlack]

Can't believe I haven't reviewed this before. My go-to sleep scent. Lavender marshmallow-vanilla goodness. I get panicky if I only have one back-up bottle. That is all.

[kbrighton]

I received a sample of TKO courtesy of the BPAL Santa wish list last month. Oh, this is amazing stuff. Wet it's a strong lavender and something else creamy and deep. On drydown it's.....well I can't say what it is dry because I am sound asleep by then. But my sheets smell delicious the next morning and I will be getting a bottle of my very own soon. TKO is good stuff!

[beachbabealways]

I this blend. At first it's a very strong Lavender and then sweeten's up to a Lavender/Marshmallow. As I sniff my wrist and inhale deeply I can smell something exotic. Something from the middle east, a spice. Is there saffron in this??

 

This stuff is pure bliss!!

 

[fairestrocza]

In the Bottle: Soft lavender and foody vanilla

 

Wet on Skin: similar to bottle

 

While Drying: lavender sinks into the vanilla

 

After a Little While: a warm, comforting scent; wasn't super impressed the first time I tried it, but it is growing on me; it is soft and soothing, with just a touch of the vanilla-cream-soda thing I sometimes get with vanilla

 

Later: In the morning: the lavender fades, but the foody aspect lingers on my skin

 

Final Thoughts: I bought this for a friend who is both a fan of MMA (and thus *had* to have a bottle called TKO) and an insomniac. I took a decant for myself as part of my ongoing Quest for the Perfect Lavender. This one is definitely worth exploring more, and will go into regular bedtime rotation with Baku

TKO earns a 4/5 on my skin.

[Suusje]

On me, this is lavender, lychee and vanilla. I don't know where the lychee comes from but it gives it a little something extra. The lavender starts of strong but mellows quickly and makes it a soft and snuggly scent. I really like this one.

[Deiicide]

Hard lavender and what seems to be soft marshmellowy vanilla underneath. After putting it on, and letting the harshness of the lavender dry off, started to feel a bit sleepy. I've been having trouble going to be lately because of insomina and this gave me a good amount of sleep without the need to wake up after about 8 hours. I will try this again to try the effects, but I did notice as other people were talking about a bit more relaxed and clear headed

[mari4212]

I bought this one as a combined Christmas present for my brother and myself. He hadn't been sleeping well, and he hated how sleeping pills made him feel, especially if he couldn't fall asleep with them, as he then felt incredibly loopy for eight hours.

 

Unfortunately for him, TKO doesn't send either one of us to sleep. It just makes not being asleep smell fantastic.

 

To begin with, it blooms very lavender. I don't normally think of lavender as harsh, but this edges towards it at first, especially when I bring my wrist up towards my nose to smell. From a little distance, it begins to sweeten out with the vanilla sugar.

 

After a short amount of time, the lavender and the vanilla sugar blend into this amazing, softly sweet scent. And that beautiful second stage lasts forever, and smells wonderful.

 

I love this scent, but as just that, a perfume. I could wish it were more effective as a sedative for my brother.

[CitizenBree]

I guess TKO is just like the reviews say. A light lavendar (lavendar is usually strong, i think. you can tell it's in this but it's nice and light) and creamy vanilla.

 

But something doesn't work here. It's like the vanilla makes it spoil. I thought lavendar and vanilla would be weird together and they totally are. It's not a smell that makes me crinkle my nose (the way vetiver does), but it does have this subtleness to it that makes me slightly naseous.

 

I definitely won't get a bottle. I might give the imp another few tries though to be sure.

 

[moosue]

Oh man, this couldn't be better for me. In the bottle, the lavender is very herbal and very reminiscent of the Healing Garden lavender line. As it dries, the vanilla comes out more and more and becomes very sweet. I love it. The only problem is that it has no lasting power whatsoever, it's gone within a couple of hours on my skin.

 

This is just an all around good blend to have in your bottle-box, for times when you just want a comfy scent or when you've had a bad day or aren't feeling well.

 

ETA: I wasn't expecting this to help me sleep, but I think it IS! During final exam time I usually have nightmares and sleep very poorly, worrying that I've overslept or that my alarm didn't go off. If I put on some TKO before bed, even at times when I normally sleep horribly, I get a good, uninterrupted sleep and don't constantly wake up or have nightmares.

Awesome!

 

ETA 2 years later: Still have this kicking around, and I can confirm that it still puts me out at night. With age the astringency of the lavender has waned a bit, which is nice. It's still got a kick when you first apply, but its pure lavender pillowy marshmallow within minutes. The smell makes me smile and makes me drowsy almost immediately. It not only makes me drowsy, it improves my sleep quality. Still love this stuff and am tempted to get another bottle to start aging because it's a bit strong fresh. It's just so cuddly and comforting with the extra age on it.

Edited April 24, 2012 by moosue

[benthic]

Finally, I have my hands on some TKO, and I can see what all the rage is! As some background, I am not a lavender fan at all, and some of the Lab's lavender blends make me feel pretty sick (especially Paris). I thought I hated it across the board, but after testing Bat of Longevity, Bow and Crown, Quicksilver Phoenix, and Corazon, I've figured out that I do sometimes actually enjoy it. This blend usually gets mentioned to me as the best Lab lavender and something I need to try, and I've finally got my hands on a quarter decant to test out.

 

In the imp: lavender and vanilla! The lavender keeps doing this weird thing where it seems really sharp and then seems really creamy and soft.

 

Wet on my skin: . . . Hmm, not bad. It's not so sharp/strong I need to wash it off, which is what I get out of many lavenders. I usually find that when I can get through the wet stage of a lavender blend, I end up liking it a lot once it dries. I'm also getting . . . anise? I haven't read the other reviews yet, so I'm not sure if that's a common occurrence (I usually hear this blend described to me as lavender and vanilla marshmalllows). And that's mostly what it is as it dries, lavender plus vanilla plus marshmallow, but I get that little hint of black licorice in there too, adding some sweet spice to an otherwise smooth and mellow blend.

 

I think people were right--this is very nice, my favorite lavender after Bat of Longevity (which ironically doesn't last on me). The other notes in it cut the lavender enough that it doesn't make me want to scrub, and then it dries down into a very nice smooth subtly spicy blend. I let my mother sniff my wrist without telling her what was on it--she dislikes lavender too--and she went "Mmmm!" So maybe this is the lavender-haters' lavender after all. I don't think I'd want to actually wear it as a perfume, and I'm not sure how much it would help me sleep, but it feels like something I'd like to dab on my pillow anyway and snuggle into after a hot shower. Or on my bathrobe . . . that's sounding pretty good right now.

 

I like this better than the prototype, which I've also had the opportunity to sniff. I'd heard they were similar, but I think the released version is a lot nicer.

[theandorran]

TKO does exactly as advertised for me. I get the scent of strong, sweet lavender, which, for me, is perfect. I have insomnia issues, and after a bath with lavender Epsom salts, a tablet of melatonin, and dabbing TKO on my wrists, I finally have a ritual that allows me to relax and go to sleep. I usually sleep with my hands under my cheek, so just a dab on my wrists is enough to make me feel like I'm swaddled in a big lavender blanket as I drift off to sleep.

 

P.S. When I opened this up for the first time, it made me so sleepy that I almost took a nap at 2 in the afternoon, after having gotten up at 11. Use with caution!

[MichelleB675]

I bought a decant of TKO from a lovely forumite.

 

I have insomnia issues, most nights it takes me 2 hours to fall asleep, then I wake up a lot.

 

I have used TKO the last 2 nights. I don't remember struggling to fall asleep. I woke up less often, and drifted right back to sleep every time. My dreams were also more intense, more vivid. The overall quality of my sleep was much better. I woke up feeling rested, and less stressed.

 

The fragrance itself is lovely. Lavender and vanilla, it smells fluffy and sweet.

 

I will definitely have to buy a bottle of this.

[strahlend]

I don't have issues with sleep, but I do love lavender like.... like someone who loves lavender a WHOLE HECK OF A LOT. Yes, indeed. Someone passed on a testable sniffy to me not too long ago and I was hooked immediately. I just got my first bottle today and I'm trying to imagine how I can make it last because I know I'm going to be reaching for it all the time.

 

The scent is sweet lavender, I'm not getting the antiseptic, herbal or sharp feel that some people seem to. This is like a blend of pure lavender and sweet tarts - and I'm meaning that in the most heavenly way possible. It's like a heap of lavender blossoms laying on a blanket of powdered sugar. And then the sugar fades away and there's just a perfect soothing, mellow, straight from the gods, roll around in it all day kind of scent that makes me wonder how I'll ever remember to wear anything else.

[Brianne]

TKO is way foody to me - very much like one of those vanilla lemon cookies sprinkled with powder sugar BUT with lavender added to it. Lavender is definitely dominant here and then there is a foody vanilla and something with a lemony edge. It's pleasant, but there is also something slightly "off" to my nose in it's drydown. A sort of out-of-place herbal smell behind the foody scent.

[jillybean]

I wanted to try this as I wanted something to help me sleep. I originally tried the massage oil and thought I smelled a base scent so bought the actual oil and it smells identical so not the base!

 

I do smell mostly lavender but no vanilla, mostly a patchouli/incensey type of scent. I have a TKO proto I prefer more as it's sweeter to me but this stuff is still nice. I wear it when I can't fall asleep and while I'm not sure if it really helps, I like to think it does.

[lavender84]

The vanilla is a perfect match for lavender and together they bring me to comfy-fluffy heaven.

 

So a mosquito bit me on the arm and out of impulse I tested TKO around that spot (using a clean toothpick) and amazingly the itch was gone. I'm sure this is not what its used for but this test turns out cause I smell nice and "bad itch be gone!"

Edited May 6, 2010 by ScentedDreams

[CynicalPink]

I don't think of myself an an insomniac, but getting to sleep can take awhile sometimes and a nice lavender blend is a pleasant way to ease myself in to a nice deep sleep. I had been using Oneiroi, but after I finished off that bottle I decided to try the big guns.

 

On me, it smells like lavender doused Dorian. Musky sweet lavender puffiness that sends me to sleep like chloroform under the nose. It's so comforting and peaceful. Works like a charm

[arlith]

Oh my! Where has TKO been all my life? I was a little afraid of it, because of the lavender. I was afraid it would be floral. But its not! When I first put it on, its got a nice herbal lavender scent, with a little sweetness. As it dries, more sweetness comes out. I can't really discribe what I'm smelling, but its calming and comforting. Like a big pile of blankets on a cold night. Or a hot cup of cocoa after you been outside. Warm, sweet and snuggly.

 

I wore it to bed last night, I don't think it helped me fall asleep faster. However, I didn't wake up nearly as many times as I normally do, and there weren't the really wierd dreams that have been plaguing me for the last couple of weeks. (At least not that I remember.) I didn't want to get out of bed this morning, but that's pretty normal for me. But this time, instead of being sleepy, I just wanted to snuggle under the covers. It was so warm and cozey in there. I still smelled of the TKO this morning, enough so that I just put a little more on. I try not to mix scents together until one is almost completely faded. (Next time, I might try a little on my wrist, where its easier to wash off.

 

There's going to be a big bottle of this in my future. Probably several big bottles. Its a lovely scent, and it really did relax and calm the chaos that lives in my head.

[reynardine]

A kind fairy sent me a half-decant to try, since I was very curious about this blend. I suffer from insomnia and thought it might help, but am a bit leery of lavender. Lavender is fine, but it reminds me of some bad times in my life and so I tend to dislike it for that reason. But if it helped me to sleep...and so many people recommend this!

 

Alas, I didn’t realize there was eucalyptus in it. That stuff makes my eyes and nose BURN. I can’t get past it even to the lavender.

 

Drying down, the eucalyptus goes away and the lavender comes out.

 

After about 30 minutes, this turns into a gorgeous sugar.

 

I don't know what to do!! Is it worth the few minutes suffering through the eucalyptus to get to the pretty sugar? *angst*

Edited June 22, 2010 by reynardine

[Greensleeves]

In the bottle: Pale yellow oil. OMG VANILLA with a peep of lavender.

 

Wet: Vanilla and lavender. I feel like a shortbread with lavender florets baked in.

 

Dry: Lavender is starting to stand up for itself more. It is really tangy and nose clearing, but the foodiness of the vanilla is making me hungry. Could there be mint in here as well?

 

After a few minutes: Very foody, mint, lavender and vanilla cookies. I am seriously getting hungry. I think it's time for a snack.

After first hour: Foody vanilla.

 

After two and a half hours: More foody vanilla.

 

After 5 hours: Mmm, vanilla. I really amp vanilla.

 

Final verdict: I don't object to this scent, but I don't like vanilla enough for this to be a keeper.