8th Grade

[Seajewel]

Another step forward on that strange bildungsroman, hovering on the edge of the bittersweet event horizon that is positioned between childhood and adulthood: a twilight scent of black plum, lavender bud, jasmine sambac, tolu balsam, cocoa bean, and tuberose set against a fading memory of spun sugar.

[Seajewel]

I like the edge of spun sugar, but it's mostly stinky indolic floral on me, and even though I've begrudgingly come to realize I like florals much more than I thought I did, not when they go stinky like this. As it dries it becomes less objectionable and the sugar comes out more, and I can start to smell a hint of plum too, but this one is probably not a bottle upgrade for me, but it may be a huge winner for someone else.

 

ETA: after a while, the stinky floral recedes and it becomes a much sweeter, unobjectionable scent. 

Edited November 11, 2021 by Seajewel

[starbrow]

I am shocked, SHOCKED, that I like this. Jasmine and I almost never see eye-to-eye. The only one I have kept of my jasmine blends is Aristocratic Prostitutes, a beautiful plum jasmine opium smoke. The Bindle had a similar effect but without the plum and with a stronger jasmine. From the GCs, Bathsheba is another jasmine plum but with jasmine sambac, which is a stinky kind.

 

 

8th Grade, however, is a really beautiful night-blooming jasmine with a very neutral purple plum, not too deep, but also not sour. This is reminding me of Aristocratic Prostitutes (a very good thing!) and the plum of Drow Yoga Instructor, with a hint of The Perfumed Garden in the heady florals. The peru balsam starts out as a spiky hedge around the jasmine but does mellow. I smell a hint of lavender and cocoa but I think the lavender is just enhancing the purple florals for me, and the cocoa is only there if I picture it; they are not big players in the blend. I don't know what tuberose smells like by itself so who knows where it is!

 

I am going to let my decant mellow and see where it goes. I definitely don't need a full size bottle of this one personally, since I never ever wear jasmine, but it's surprisingly lovely to me. I think you have to enjoy the journey of night-blooming jasmine on the skin to enjoy 8th Grade. If any of the ones I mentioned here were your jam, I think 8th Grade is worth a shot.

 

[groovyrooby]

Oh I love this for so many reasons. 8th Grade was a very tender, formative, turbulent time for me, and this captures that essence so well. There's a lot going on here! Floral, fruity, savory... at first blush, I got salty peanut buttery candy, like a Chic-o-Stic (LOVE), or The Haunted Beach. Not really sure the source, but I think it's something to do with the twilight quality. Then the plum comes in, at first smelling mentholated cough syrupy. After an hour or so, everything mellows together into a dark, delicious, delectable, tart plum, kind of like Asleep in the Deep, which I also love, but this has a lighter side.

 

Each time I wear it, I can't decide if I think it's teenybopper candy or mature floral - much like adolescence, it waivers and morphs. It's complicated and wonderful.

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Plummy, chocolatey, powdery, and supple. It reminds me of chocolate covered raisins and Ovaltine.

 

Drydown: Jasmine comes out as soon as it touches the skin, but it doesn't take over. Powdery chocolate seems to be the top note initially, but there's a lot of complexity and morphing here. The plum shows two sides at once - matched with the jasmine and lavender it creates a distinctly purple floriental vibe, but at the same time it also partners with the cocoa and sugar, bringing out its jammier aspects. By the end of the drydown the foodie notes fade out and the jasmine and lavender come to the forefront, creating a lush, heady-yet-herbal perfume that's spiked by tart plum.

 

Dry: A plummy, jasmine-forward floriental. Seductive and flirty.

 

 

7.5 out of 10 bones

 

[zankoku_zen]

Plum, cocoa and sugar. Honestly, this ends up smelling like a raisin soft bun on me. Medium throw and wear length. 

[theredkilt]

I get all time jasmine on my skin, leaning a bit indolic. There are other notes swirling around, but I can't clearly distinguish them.

 

[doomsday_disco]

This one starts off odd. I get jasmine, plum, tuberose, and a bit of bitter cocoa that doesn't seem to mesh well with these notes? Fortunately, the cocoa bean is quick to retreat beneath the other notes for a while. The plum smells like it a fresh plum -- like I'm actually smelling the skin of the plum. It's not a candy-like one. But the tuberose is heady and adds this sickly grape-like quality to the scent, and the jasmine is heady as well. This ends up primarily being about the heady floral notes on me, which end up getting sweetened by the spun sugar after a few hours. The plum is still present, but it is much fainter, adding a plum tinge to the floral notes. The cocoa bean has returned by this point, and no longer is a discordant note, but there's really just a hint of it in the background. Sadly, I didn't detect any lavender because the jasmine and tuberose are just so loud on me.

 

I didn't think this one would be for me with its heady florals and plum, and that ended up being the case, but I'm still glad I got to try it.

 

[wolf_truffles]

I'm getting a little fruity sweetness from the plum, sweetness from the tuberose and sugar, and a soft lavender bud, all enriched and deepened by the cocoa bean. Can't identify the balsam. If it could have been left at that.. then this scent would have been a favorite.

 

However, jasmine (as it often does for me) comes to ruin the day by spraying aftershave and baby powder butt over all the other notes in a very grating way.

 

If jasmine does not bother you, I'd give this a try! I actually love how the cocoa bean plays with the other notes here.

[mandragora369]

I love this scent! 💗

 

Plum, heady jasmine and there's something in the background that reminds me of my beloved solanaceous plants I used to cultivate. It reminds me of the scent of Datura and henbane leaves. Yes I used to rub them with my fingers 😁

Glad I got a FS right away...

[alyelle]

In the imp: Surprisingly bitter! The sweetness is there, but lurking underneath something dark and sharp.

 

Wet: Balsam, which is not always nice to me, takes forefront. It's followed closely by the jasmine, a little cocoa bean, and a steadily strengthening tuberose. 
 

Dry: Very different to the starting phase! The resins sweeten up, the florals ease off a bit, and the sugar floss takes on a slight vanilla-like quality, although not a foodie one. The first two hours are a bit of a slog where everything fights on my skin but from there it's smooth sailing. Not unlike 8th grade, now that I think about it... Medium throw, 8hr or so wear time.

 

Stars: ★★★★

[tinyvulture]

A mix of sweet lavender, spicy jasmine, and earthy cacao. These three notes together…I dig it! I’m not getting any plum. It kinda reminds me of the Come and See blends because they’re all earthy/lavendery.  An abstract blend, not anything that really reminds me of middle school. I like it but don’t love it. Also is there weed in this or is it just the cacao? Hmm.

[PumpkinGuts]

8th Grade is really scary at first, as I'm sure it actually was for many: screeching indolic florals, cocoa bean, and shy plum. Jasmine and I generally get along well, maybe sambac is an exception, or perhaps the tuberose is contributing to the stank. Dries down to a mellowed out jasmine and dry cocoa powder with spun sugar around the edges. Nicer, but I prefer my florals sans chocolate.