Cacao and Cubeb

[zankoku_zen]

No additional scent description.

[MadameGorgon]

COCOA AND CUBEB IS SO FLIPPING GOOD.

I love both and it’s even better than I imagined. It’s pretty straightforward, no hidden notes.  What you see is what you get.

The cocoa portion smells very brownie-like.  Almost a dead ringer for Lump of Coal or Chad.  In other words, a hyper sweet, fudgy chocolate or hot cocoa with marshmallow kind of scent.  Addictively foody, liquid and sticky (artistically sticky, not actually physically sticky).

Cubeb has a pleasantly dusty scent that’s mostly bright lemon zest with a hit of warm black pepper.  I am assuming that this is Piper cubeba or Long-tailed pepper that’s used in some Indian Masala chai blends and has a sweet spice type flavor like allspice.  It could also be Litsea cubeba or May Chang, but I am assuming it’s the first.

These combine to make something like a chocolate covered lemon drop.  Or chocolate cake with tart lemon glaze.  It does carry a bit of that musty dusty undercurrent and pinch of warmth from the cubeb.  It’s a delightfully weird little combo and I love it.

[torischroeder9]

In the decant: It's mostly straight chocolate to my nose. There might be a touch of something peppery, but it's much less noticeable than was the clove note in Cacao, Clove, Sandalwood, and Hemp (I may have the order of notes in that blend listed wrong, but you get the idea). 

 

On my skin:

 

Wet, the cubeb comes out immediately, bright and lemon-peppery. As it dries, cacao dominates the scent's throw, but I can detect the cubeb just fine near my skin. Eventually, they do meld together, and I'm left with a lemony cacao. I was wanting this to be a little more on the black peppery end of the spectrum, so it's not a bottle upgrade for me, but there's nothing unpleasant about the scent. (And in fact, this avoids the fake lemon floor cleaner scent that actual lemon notes often get on my skin.)  

 

Edit, Later That Day: The throw is stronger and the wear length is longer than average on me. Since my skin tends to eat all versions of chocolate, cocoa, cacao, I'm guessing I have the bright cubeb to thank for this.  

Edited May 11, 2021 by torischroeder9

[puellacaerulea]

In the decant, I get just cacao, but the cubeb immediately blooms once I apply it. It starts out, as has been mentioned above, as a fudgy chocolate along with a bright, sweet lemon scent from the cubeb. Like a brownie with lemon icing. As it wears, both notes soften -- a couple hours in it's more of a dry cocoa scent with a sort of soft, not-quite-powdery lemon. I don't get a peppery note from the cubeb, but it could just be blending really well with the citrus and cocoa notes. I probably won't wear this often enough for a full bottle, but it's a fun combo.

[zankoku_zen]

Hot chocolate powder. Very foodie. Yup, dry hot cocoa powder. Medium throw and wear length.

[VetchVesper]

I wasn't very familiar with cubeb, but apparently it likes me, because it popped right out on my skin.  I get a very chocolatey chocolate, reminiscent of Bliss, with an undertone of what's gotta be cubeb. It's really interesting.  It doesn't smell lemony to me, nor is it spicy like chili, cinnamon, or black pepper, like I was expecting. It reminds me more of the heat from fresh hot peppers, almost like chopped jalapenos, but sweeter. It's also a little tart like fresh strawberries. I bought a delicious jalapeno and strawberry jelly at a fair once, and that keeps coming to mind. Overall, the cubeb note is pretty subtle, but it adds an interesting vibe to an otherwise yummy, but simple, chocolate.

[MamaMoth]

i adored the cubeb in crib girls, and i've been exploring chocolate scents lately, so i knew i had to try this. 

 

this comes on all hot cocoa powder with marshmallows.  super chocolatey and sweet, but dry rather than a milk chocolate. it's creamy like milk powder, not actual milk or cream notes. the cubeb is lurking in the background, zingy and bright. it's lemonish and tart, not peppery but kind of zesty.

 

as it dries down, that cubeb does pop and i'm glad,  but i still want more.  MOAR CUBEB PLS.  it's a really good combo though, the notes holding each other in check. but i can't help but think this might have been cool with like, a bittersweet cacao instead of such a rich foodie chocolate.

[Thuy]

Like MamaMoth, I also enjoyed cubeb in Crib Girls which led me to this duet! 

This is dusty cacao that's a touch creamy, and the cubeb is zingy! It almost cinnamony and is the star for the first few hours of wear. Then it softens into that cacao with hints of cubeb, but more lemony cubeb. Throw is okay but good longevity. Pretty straightforward of a scent.