The Head

[puck_nc]

Tuberose absolute, red carnation, white gardenia, jasmine sambac, Siamese benzoin, and sweet oudh.

Origin: Straight from the Lab

Initial Thoughts: Tuberose - sometimes. Red carnation - absolutely! White gardenia - yes! jasmine sambac - usually. Siamese benzoin - well, it doesn't seem to amp like crazy compared to other resiny/incense things. Oudh - well, it's sweet.

In the Bottle: White floral. Strong enough to be that almost astringent level. I think I'm getting lots of jasmine and some gardenia with a trace of benzoin or oudh in the background.

Wet: GARDENIA! An explosion of sweet gardenia. Since I love gardenia, I have no issues at this point.

Drydown: The jasmine comes back, but this time it's that airy white-floral jasmine rather than the sharp jasmine from the bottle. But I'm getting very little carnation and very little benzoin or oudh. This is staying a very gentle, light and white spring floral on me.

Verdict: If you are a jasmine lover or gardenia lover, definitely try this. If you are hoping for more of the spicy/incense notes, it may depend on your skin chemistry.

[roseus]

I love loud florals and oudh is a favorite so there really was no way to go wrong here for me.

 

In the bottle: I get a whole lot of tuberose, gardenia, and jasmine but the carnation holds its own too. It's potent for sure.

 

Wet: the tuberose and gardenia are softer, and the jasmine comes out more. I wouldn't say it's amping, but maybe blooming.

 

Dry: The florals are soft and well mingled, but I can still pull out jasmine and carnation if I really try. Underneath is a nice, lightly incense-y deepness from the benzoin and oudh.

 

Overall: It's a very heady, sexy blend.

 

ETA: The blend has mellowed out a little, and I get that nice vanilla-y sweetness from the benzoin now and it heavier on the tuberose.

Edited June 8, 2016 by roseus

[annemathematics]

this is a beautiful white floral blend. it's rich and bright and nicely balanced. the tuberose is slightly more prominent when first applied, and the gardenia and jasmine take center stage as the scent dries down. I don't get a lot of carnation from this. the benzoin and oudh are also quiet contributors. on me, this is all about the perfect combo of creamy gardenia and sultry jasmine.

[LiberAmoris]

I bought the The Head for the tuberose but am loving it for the gardenia and jasmine—this is one tall stack of white florals! If you're ambivalent about gardenia or jasmine (particularly gardenia), this might not be for you. But the execution here is lovely. In order of prominence on my skin when dry, I get: gardenia, tuberose, jasmine, red carnation, oudh, and benzoin. They sort of all bleed together, though, into a bouquet that smells very classic, very heady.

[Psuke]

This is a very clean Spring scent, which makes me happy because that's totally what I was craving from this update. I'd almost swear there was cucumber in this, but there's no green, just floral deliciousness of the blending of gardenia/jasmine/tuberose. Not really getting any spice or wood, but that's fine. This is probably the break out winner of the decants I ordered (this and Womb Furie).

[Little Bird]

Big, heavy white florals tend to give me a headache, and tuberose is one of my death notes, so there was really no way that I was going to like this blend. Tuberose is just so unbearably sharp and almost chemical/alcohol smelling to me. I can sometimes wear gardenia, but it's overwhelming here with the tuberose. The jasmine gives a hint of sour floral in the drydown, but I'm not smelling any benzoin, oud or carnation. Turns slightly soapy on my skin and this was a scrubber for me.

[zankoku_zen]

An explosion of gardenia and jasmine and tuberose. Super white floral attack. Great throw, and great wearlength.

 

I can't handle how BIG and aggressive all the white florals are in this.

[Coldfire]

Decant: heavy heady jasmine garndenia
Wet on Me: really heady floral with jasmine, gardenia and carnation all fighting for prominence under my nose
Drying Down: still a lush heady floral cacophony under my nose
Dry: mostly gardenia and carnation and I love that. The jasmine stays back in the background. Glad to test but will probably pass this tester on.

[esqueish]

This one's a heavy hitter: tons of throw and lasts awhile. Apply sparingly, and you'll get a face full of rich spring blooms anchored with sweet, dark resins. The carnation makes the typical jasmine/gardenia a little more spicy than soapy. Narcotic floral I don't reach for often, but deeply satisfying when I'm in the mood for it.