TKO

[noumenon]

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

If there's one thing I don't need help doing, it's sleeping, so I'm a little scared I'm not going to wake up tomorrow now that I have this on me.

In the bottle, it's a sweet, almost edible aroma. I thought of sugarcane. And it lingers in the air even after I put the cap back on.

Wet on my skin, it's a warm, herbal scent with a slight tang in the background. It reminds me very strongly of an herbal inhaler a friend of mine used to use, so perhaps there's a touch of eucalyptus in this?

As it dries, the sugar smell comes back - like smelling sugar, not tasting it. And what seemed like herbs before now smells like gentle lilac*. A lot of the Lab's flower scents are the wet, fresh, still-on-the-stem kinds of smells...this is more like dried lilac petals.

I don't want to be dramatic, but I do think this has a psychosomatic effect....when I hold my wrist up to my nose, my head completely empties when I breathe the scent in...and I've felt a little light-headed since I first sniffed the bottle. Not in a sick way...like I'm drifting off to sleep with my eyes open kind of way.

Even if I'm just imagining things, I defintely don't plan on operating heavy machinery with this on.

*ETA: Since I bear the awesome responsibility of posting the first review, I've been making myself nuts trying to decide whether it's lilac or lavender. I honestly haven't smelled either in a long time, but it could definitely be lavender. That would make more sense for a sleep blend, wouldn't it? Edited September 14, 2007 by Shollin

[shelldoo]

i used tko last night. i have ptsd and have trouble sleeping. i am even on a perscription sleep med, and i still wake up. so i had to have this regaurdless of smell. although i am not a lavander fan and was scared of a lavander blend. in the bottle, herbal, lavander, greenish scent. not overwhelming lavander so i hopefully can deal w/ it. i applied it to my arms and in my sound soother which has an aroma therapy thingy too. i smelled it all night, after about 1/2 an hour the lavander scent completely burned away (whoot) and it was a soft, sweet, vanillay, scent like a warm hug in the bosom of a warm sugar coated baker. i slept so well. and i am totally in love. i had a very hard time rolling out of bed this morn

[birdiefu]

So I've been looking for a sleep blend with a scent that I either like or am neutral about. A lot of the sharp lavender smells actually give me a headache or make my insomnia worse as it really distracts me.

 

My first impression of TKO was very weird. In the imp it was herbally sweet. Right as I applied it and before I could really even consciously smell it, it made me think of when I was in elementary school and they served battered fishsticks, which I hated. Now, TKO doesn't really smell like fishsticks at all, but for some reason my brain is associating the mix of notes with it.

 

What it actually smells like is quite nice for a sleep blend! It's vanilla scented sugar over soft herbs. There is some kind of herby floral here- if it's lavender it's very soft and light and unobtrusive. This is a pillowy scent which seems like it would be very relaxing if I didn't think fishsticks every time I sniffed myself.

 

I haven't tried it during bedtime yet and will probably wait a while to see if the fishstick connection passes (I hate fish!). So I'm happy to say that I've found a sleep blend that isn't super sharp and mega-lavenderish, but sad that my brain is insisting that the lovely scent is dreaded fishsticks.

[Little Bird]

In the bottle... this smells like a field of lavender flowers (herbal stems and all) that have been coated in a wonderful sugared vanilla.

 

On me, this has a cool eucalyptus sort of bite to it that reminds me a bit of pine trees. A cool pine-like something and I'm still getting that wonderful vanilla note. It's a sugary, cool, smooth, and slightly powdery vanilla. Perfect for a dream-time blend.

 

After fifteen minutes or so, the pine and chilly menthol note has disappeared and the soft lavender flowers have returned.

 

More than anything, this is an enchanting vanilla smell on me. A nighttime vanilla unlike any of the other vanilla scents in my BPAL arsenal. Sweet and soothing. In a strange way, this smells exactly like what I imagined those cartoon "dream lands in the clouds" to smell like when I was little.

 

After 2 hours, this is a faint spun sugar and powdered milk sort of scent on me. Like cotton candy and vanilla, only not as sickeningly sweet as those two things could be. It's just so wonderfully comforting.

 

TKO is going to give Sleepy Moon a run for its money. This could very well be my new favorite scent for wearing to bed. It really helps to clear my mind and relax me. Love this one

Edited September 22, 2006 by Blood onmy hands

[alicia_stardust]

Wow, TKO took me by surprise. I was sure I would get another blend that was heavy on lavender. I do love lavender but sometimes it makes me feel nauseated so this was a refreshing change!

 

At first sniff it almost made my mouth water even though I wouldn't classify this as a foody scent. It has a slight herbal touch to it but if there's lavender in there I can't detect it.

 

On my skin I get a light, pillowy scent that makes me feel like I'm floating on clouds. I cannot for the life of me figure out what notes are in this but it's definitely cloud-like with a touch of sugar-spun marshmallow. And the light herbals that I detect stay in the background.

 

I rate this 4 out of 5 stars. I'll keep my imp and I have plans to get a bottle.

[lysithea]

TKO is a comforting hug. With gentle lavender tumbled in a soft, sweet vanilla, you will find your soul wrapped in a warm embrace. I find that when using TKO my mind become blank and at ease. I can still read, but it is as if I have become still - inside and out. There is a sweet chilly herbaceousness that brightens and enlivens the blend - but not so much as the "awakening" effect that euculyptus and peppermint often have. When I do drift off to sleep it's a gentle lulling into the in-between state of awakeness and dreaming. It is quite ethereal.

 

I do suggest this to people that tend to hash-out their thoughts at night and those that have trouble calming the circling thoughts within their brains. I've used it near exclusively for the past week and I can attest that I have slept through the night, peacefully and awake rested.

 

If anyone is hoping that by slathering this on it will "knock them out", they may find that this blend is much more subtle that that. It seems to work by calming the mind so that the body can follow.

 

All in all, another stunner from the Lab. Sweet dreams!

[delicate_fangs]

Lavender and toasted marshmallows. Wow. I love this!

 

Would type more, but am finally going to go achieve some sleep. Wonderful stuff, this.

[jj_j]

I bought two bottles of TKO for my husband. He has ADHD and is a terrible insomniac - he just can't shut his brain off at night; in fact, it seems to go into high gear about 11 p.m. Not only does he have a terrible time getting to sleep, now that he's finally weaned off Ambien (his stupid GP prscribed it for over four years, and he was absolutely addicted; couldn't sleep without it, and had nasty withdrawal symptoms when he quit taking it), he doesn't sleep deeply - if I roll over in my sleep, if the rats stir around in their cage, if the cat comes in and jumps on the bed, he's wide awake.

 

Somnus helped some, but not much. If he was absolutely exhausted but couldn't get to sleep, Somnus would push him over the edge, but it didn't do anything for the four or five days leading up to total exhaustion.

 

Needless to say, there was absolutely no thinking about whether to buy a bottle of TKO; I clicked on the "buy" button instantly. Since I know Beth has problems sleeping, too, anything that she came up with had to be better than how things were.

 

I love the scent of TKO on me - warm, round lavender and vanilla that's yummy and soothing all at once. It smells very different on my husband - an almost charred combination of lavender and vanilla comes off of him. He doesn't smell that at all, and says he smells sleepy warm marshmallows ... and I honestly think (this sounds strange, but I don't know a better way to explain) that it's because the TKO has to work so much harder for him.

 

Yes, it puts him to sleep, and for that I am incredibly grateful. He has to slather it on, but after 15 or 20 minutes, he's able to fall into a restful and moderately deep sleep. Enough that he sleeps most of the night through, anyhow.

 

I usually fall asleep thirty seconds after my head hits the pillow, and sleep like a rock for 7 or 8 hours. There have been a few nights after late gym sessions that I am completely awake and can't get to sleep, and when I use TKO, I'm out like a light in five minutes. For me, though, TKO makes it hard to get up in the morning. I hit the snooze button four or five times, rather than my usual leap from bed.

 

TKO gets rave reviews from our household - it smells delightful, works like a charm, and the rest it provides puts my husband in a much better mood, day in and day out.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: astringent lavender and something sweet.

on: there's a lovely sweet note to this that almost veers toward foody. the lavender is still strong and medicinal, which i like.

overall: i'm not sure how well this works, but it is definitely calming. it's a nice bedtime blend. i'm definitely going to keep using it.

[Alchemy21599]

I didn't sniff this blend in the bottle since I don't use it as perfume. The night of the afternoon that it arrived I slathered it on and hoped for the best. Not only did I have my best night's sleep in years (sorry Ambien), I woke up refreshed and I did not have the "hang over" caused by sleep meds.

 

I must add that is smells delightful, lavender and sugar sweetened vanilla. Scrumptious! I don't use it every night, only on those nights when shut-eye is really important.

 

I highly recommend this blend and I will order more, if I should use up my bottle.

[lyndsayj]

This blend definitely works. Amazingly so.

 

I slathered it on last night - some on my chest and a few drops on each of the back of my hands - and was out within minutes. I'm wearing my nightgown atm and can still smell the residue from last night.

 

I don't really have a problem with falling asleep anymore but I used to. One of my first bottle purchases from the Lab was Somnus, which still works well, but TKO is much more effective.

 

The scent is rather astringent at first but the most delicious, pink, sweet marshmallow fragrance soon emerges and stays. I have no idea what could be in this but whatever they components are, together they work amazingly well.

 

Last night I slept as solidly as though I'd taken my usual sleeping aid (a liquid antihistamine capsule). This morning it took ages to wake up properly - my muscles felt so heavy and relaxed, I definitely didn't want to get out of bed

 

If you use this - go to bed early!

[maijasu]

Oh, WOW! TKO is a calming, relaxing blend that contains lavender and actually smells good! It smells really sweet and happy, not at all medicinal like Somnus. I would actually wear this one as a perfume. As far as effectiveness, I actually think Somnus is a little more effective for me, but this one is just so much more pleasant smelling, that I think I will wear it much more regularly and therefore gain more benefit from it. Must get bottle ASAP.

[supremegoddessofall]

Soft, spicy, and very restful. It reminds me of a Crabtree and Evelyn bath thingy I had that was called "Deep Dreams" or something and meant to help you sleep. There's a whisper of something floral. And "innocent" floral, if that makes any sense - it's not overwhelming like a rose or a jasmine. It's a bit powdery, too, but not in a baby powder way.

[LiberAmoris]

TKO works like crazy for me---a couple of drops and I'm relaxed and ready to sleep. It does smell like lavender and marshmallows, and it's a wonderful combo that even my boyfriend likes.

 

I still have a bunch of sleep oils by the bed and use those on nights when I'm having trouble falling asleep, but TKO is good not just at bedtime, but all during the day. I've dabbed this one on at work when I'm having a rough time, and I immediately feel more calm and self-possessed. I love it.

 

I've only had the bottle for a couple of weeks and I've already made a dent in it. This is one that I enjoy and will use.

[graycat]

i can't believe no one has mention the sweet ginger root note in this blend. it smells like lavender and ginger candy dusted with vanilla sugar.

 

but like me tell you how will this stuff works! i sleep the whole way through the night and i almost have a hard to waking up in the morning. i put a little dab by each ear and a few drops on my pillow and i'm drooling, quite literally. it's crazy i tells ya!

[Ah Xia]

Wow, this smells really *strange* in the bottle, but compelling! It definitely has sugar and lavandar, but also sage? I get this weird, oddly comforting "turkey stuffing" note out of it. Maybe it's just my imagination but this stuff seems really soothing and I can't wait to test it out.

[roesmoker]

Wow, I get a much more foody smell from TKO than you guys are reporting - on me it's more like a vanilla-flavored sugar bun of some kind. It reminds me quite a bit of Eat Me, in fact. In terms of aromatherapy/effectiveness, I think Nocturne works better, but TKO smells so wonderful I love wearing it anyway. Haven't yet tried it in the daytime though, I'm afraid it might make me sleepy.

Edited October 15, 2006 by roesmoker

[Bagfish]

TKO smells of bitter lavender surrounded by very sweet ice-creamy vanilla in the bottle. On my skin, the lavender is very strong and the creamy vanilla takes a while to come through.

 

The first few times I tried to use TKO as a sleep blend, I found the smell too strong, it was almost distracting and, like my trial of somnus, I felt slightly panicky whilst wearing it. I didn't sleep well and had very vivid dreams when I did sleep.

 

However, last night, I tried a different tack. I ran a bath, and dropped quite a lot of TKO into the bath. I also got my oil burner going in the bathroom with TKO in it. When I finished my bath, I took the burner into the bedroom.

 

TKO smells so incredibly yummy when diffused by oil burner or in bath water. It just smells amazingly like vanilla ice-cream only touched with a tiny bit of lavender. The burner diffused this amazingly soothing sweet smell through the bedroom (Mr Bagfish thought it smelled good too) and by the time the water had all evaporated I was ready to sleep.

 

I slept quite well all in all, and I woke up earlier than usual and didn't feel sluggish and horrible like I normally do in the morning. Result! What made this experiment even more interesting was that I normally sleep really badly on a Sunday night as I worry about going to work on a Monday. I am going to repeat the experiment tonight and report back on whether it was just a one off or whether TKO works when used in a burner in the bedroom and in the bath.

[Iceblink]

I get the sage note from this too. Lavender, something sweet like vanilla, and sage. Very sharp at first but...well, I can't report too well on the drydown because I'm completely, utterly unconscious at that point. This stuff WORKS. I have always had trouble falling asleep but with this I'm out so much faster. Thank you Lab; I may have to put in a standing order for this one!

[PilotKitten]

There's a strange note that I wasn't expecting in this. It's almost like a chocolate in nature, but it's definitely not a chocolate. It has a smooth, creamy, candy-like texture to it and I just can't place it. >_< Strange sweet blend. But almsot sickly sweet. Just not my type of scent. Boo... I have a bottle on it's way to me too.

[AliBabble]

this, to me, is ridiculously good. a beautiful, vibrantly strong lavendar, tempered by this luscious toasted marshmellow, vanilla meringue smell. it's an unusual combination - on my skin i get mostly the lavendar, with the very smooth, warm and sweet vanilla, in the background. it's just a heavenly, yummy smell. tonight will be my first night testing it out on my sleeping, so i don't know yet how it will effect my problematic sleeping habits... but i can tell you now: it is just a lovely, comforting scent, and i'm glad to have something to alternate with my sleepy moon, as that is running low. will be using this a lot.

[jewelbug]

So, I'm not doing a usual jewelbug review on this one, cuz well, sniffing my wrist every 10 minutes wouldn't be a good way to calm myself to sleep, now would it?

 

When I put this on, I immediately thought that it was "lavender, true bpal style." Which is to say its unlike any lavender blend I've had before--wholly unexpected and beautiful. I get an herbally (slightly peppery/lemony) lavender, but its not at all sharp to my nose--a sweet sugary vanilla note soften the whole blend. But this isn't the vanilla I was expecting from the previous reviews. No fluffy white clouds and marshmallows for me. On me, this vanilla is of the dark syrupy brown variety, and almost a bit musky. Which I think is another reason I thought this was so inherently "bpaly." At times I feel like there is a mint, or some other cooling effevescent scent running in and out of the lavender vanilla combo. Its a unique and beautifully blended scent, a complete surprise, but soothing and comforting, and yes, like a warm hug.

 

Effectiveness: Okay, I think this would calm me to sleep most other nights, but when I put this on the first time, I was so intrigued with smelling myself that I didn't want to sleep.

[charmingdetails]

This is absolutely WONDERFUL. I definitely get the vanilla, lavender, and marshmallow vibe others have mentioned, and I love it. There seems to be a hint of spice, too. Most importantly, it really works! It's very calming, and I find that I experience a more restful sleep when I use it.

[eggplant]

All I can say is that TKO is one of the most beautiful scents I have ever encountered. It's all sugar, vanilla and lavendar and while I'm not sure it helps me sleep, at least my sheets and pillows smell amazing.

[minnalavender]

TKO is an unusual, lovely, and effective scent! Just smelling it in the bottle is soothing. Once it hits my skin the combination of lavender and vanilla buttercream deliciousness has put a smile on my face that hasn't faltered in an hour. I almost wish it wouldn't put me out because I'd wear this as a perfume in a heartbeat. Two of my favoritist notes evar, together? *sigh*

 

The lavender is really strong when it's wet, but the drydown is toasted marshmallow lavender. So yummy!! My husband once bought me little shortbread cookies with lavender in them from a boutique winery in Healdsburgh - TKO smells a little like them, buttery vanilla shortbread lavender. (It probably tastes better than the cookies, but I won't try to find out.)

 

This is going into permanent rotation of Blends I Can't Sleep Without. It will be interesting to see if it's as effective as a migraine pain & urgh reliever as most lavender blends are for me, but I won't wish for one of those anytime soon.