To My Dear and Loving Husband

[zankoku_zen]

A ritual of eternity, a celebration of the permanence of love: bourbon vanilla, 17-year aged patchouli, champaca blossom, copal, black tea, frankincense, and agarwood.

[marared]

Oh, this is gorgeous. Everything is so well blended that nothing really dominates. Can't really detect the vanilla, the patchouli is so aged and smooth that it's way down in the blend just chillin'. If anything is more noticeable than another, I'd say it's the champaca. Frankincense creates that powdery resinous undertone. Gloriously hippie without being obnoxious.

 

ETA that the champaca is definitely the dominant note here. That sweet grapey incense note is more noticeable on my fleece than on my skin though.

Edited March 8, 2020 by marared

[Casablanca]

A curious one. Slightly funky.

 

The first impression on my skin is of faint champaca and black tea, with a little indistinct resin and wood. But this doesn't look like a top-notey blend and may need a bit to warm up. And also more time to settle.

 

In drying, the champaca and copal grow, with their native spicy qualities blending well, and there's a little patchouli and frankincense. The black tea isn't quite working for me here, maybe? Something like that isn't sitting quite right, but it's also understated. The agarwood is a pleasant sort.

 

Some definite Good Hippie going on here, but it's not quite together on me now. I'll see what it's like after more settling.

 

ETA: Days pass... And this has come together much better. I am suhhhch a lover of a delicious copal and patchouli together, and this one delivers. Together with the vanilla, this combo is heavenly, in an earthy way. An earthly heaven. However, the champaca is borderline too strong for me. I also love that note, but these days seem to want a lighter use of it. I'm leaning toward a bottle, but still working out if the flower is too much.

Edited April 3, 2020 by Casablanca

[zankoku_zen]

This smells like some very fine tobacco. It's got aged patchouli, vanilla notes, and copal. The black tea and frankincense comes through, but I essentially get some fine-ass chewy tobacco smell. Medium throw, great wear length. Sexy AF.

[VetchVesper]

Extremely smooth and sleek. It's reminding me a little of Lace Phoenix.  Very mellow patch.  Definitely getting that champaca, and I get whiffs of a very nice oudh and black tea. Black tea with champaca usually smells odd to me, but I'm liking it here. Reminds me of the combo in Blacker Than the Raven Wings of Midnight and Sluagh too.

 

I like this a lot, but I think I have several comparable blends, so I'll probably pass on a bottle. 

[frizzlechicken]

Damn, this is stunning. I get a slightly fizzy grape note with an elegant patchouli and vanilla. It's masterfully blended. Different notes waft up throughout the day. I think I detect the black tea as well, quietly hanging out in the background. I absolutely love this. It's comforting and beautiful. 

[Rayleigh]

Beautifully blended. Champaca is the easiest note to identify, and the bourbon vanilla. This is a deep, smooth, resin-y incense. It's just a touch too strong on the grape-like note for me right now, but I have enjoyed it every time I tested it and I haven't ruled out a bottle. It gives me a steady, calm feeling, and I like how it seems to have layers in its waft, despite not morphing much throughout its long wear time.

[Teamama]

Wet: patchouli & testosterone. 
Dry: Yummy guy. This is Beth doing magic. All these notes work on me individually, but in this blend they combine to be VERY masculine. I will try it on Teapapa. I predict deliciousness on him, but it's not for me & my skin.

[starbrow]

Check out that sexy list of notes. It's everything I want and more. I blind-bottled.

 

Here's what I get:

 

Champaca blossom. Copal.

 

That's it. That's the scent.

 

It's a fizzy, fizzy copal that you might recognize from other Lupers (Kabe Ni Mimi Ga Aru, Shoki Ni Me Ga Aru; Frankincense, Copal, and Cacao Atmo) or the Coffee Beans & Copal yule. I am not a fan of this copal. It's a cola that resides in funk land, like somehow (somehow), you left a little bit of opened soda in your cupboard for a couple years and it is now eminently Undrinkable. I kind of like it from a distance? It has a spice that somehow reminds me of long-ago times, like 1950s aftershave and dapper gentlemen. I like it when I don't have my nose up against it. I hate it when I'm sniffing it outright.

 

It's rendered really redolent with the champaca blossom. This is a hard note to describe. It was best used to imitate/enhance the fragrance of basmati rice in the I Will Be Strange, Stout, in Yellow Stockings blend. It is potent, not quite floral, not incensey, not popcorny, not foodie, but little flickers of all of those things. It doesn't really work here for me, amping up the effects of the copal and giving it massive throw. I am kind of mad at this duo. It's not letting any other note speak, and it's not a harmonious pair in my nose. I won't be getting other blends that have these two in them, because holy mother, they don't do it for me.

 

I had huge hopes for this one, but alas, they are all dashed!

[tinyvulture]

The strongest notes for me are black tea, patchouli, and some frankincense. I'm not getting any champaca and just a hint of copal. I love how smooth the patchouli is; it blends seamlessly with the other notes. I love it, very hippie! However, it fades quickly.

[Lucchesa]

I didn't buy To My Dear And Loving Husband because champaca is usually terrible on me and agarwood is oudh and can be stinky.  All the other notes are well within my wheelhouse, though. I was lucky enough to be given this by a marvelous forumite. The agarwood behaves here, and at first this was really promising, with the vanilla-copal-patchouli combination reminding me of Kabe Ni Mimi, with tea, except that bourbon vanilla is more reliable on my skin.  Tea rarely lasts on my skin though.  And then the champaca came out to ruin things.  Champaca is rarely quiet on me, and it upsets the balance here.  I'm so glad I got to try it, and it almost worked!  I think this would be lovely on a champaca fan -- don't be scared by the agarwood, it's just a deepening note here, not a fecal one. 

[SeroSpu]

Bottle: Bourbon vanilla, champaca, and little prickles of tea.
Wet: More tea comes forward, the patchouli is adding a lazy rasp.
Dry: Agarwood, bourbon vanilla, soft tea, very subtle patchouli, and warm frankincense.
Overall: Extremely well-blended, smells like how my husband's voice sounds. I will admit I (as a sappy bastard) 110% got this purely based on the name, but the notes are all absolute winners for me! The agarwood behaves nicely in the overall comfy and warm blend. Perfect for snuggling up on a rainy day.

[Zorra]

This is so lovely! The champaca is very present, but patchouli, frankincense and agarwood (not oud, just agarwood) keep it round and grounded and the copal and vanilla add some sweetness. My nose does not detect tea, but I am not a tea lover so perhaps I am just not very good at smelling it. In a way this scent reminds me of Smoky Moon 2012 which has quite a few notes in common. But To My Dear And Loving Husband is softer and rounder and more down to the ground. It is very comforting. 

[Dancing Raven]

I almost didn't buy this because of the listed agarwood which almost always becomes faecal on me. Be assured that there is no barnyard in this.

Wet: The bourbon vanilla is the strongest note for the first five minutes, and it's sweet and smooth  - not foody at all to me. Shortly after, I get the faint spice of champaca joining the vanilla. It isn't giving off any grape notes on my skin.

Drydown: Vanilla, copal, and champaca blossom. The copal is almost fizzy.

Two hours after application I get just a touch of powder under the copal. This remains a lovely, rich copal and vanilla for the majority of wear.

Five hours later I get the base. Smooth chocolatey patchouli, copal, and vanilla. I'm hoping the frankincense and tea come out with aging, but it's perfect as is. This is absolutely beautiful. What a wonderful tribute to true love, and may there be many more years for them! 

Throw is good for the first three hours, then it becomes a skin scent. Wear time is excellent - 12 plus hours.

5 out of 5 stars.

[follis]

Patch and copal are prominent, with a hint of champaca and black tea. There is a dark edge to this which goes away. This is mostly a blend of patchouli, copal and black tea. As it dries *maybe* frank and agarwood.