U Strip

[Seajewel]

A voyeuristic vetiver watches as layers of sugared coconut lace hit the floor.

[starbrow]

This is one FUNKY coconut. To the point where this just smells like oudh and coconut to me. It's the foot-funk kind of oudh to my nose, and not the 💩 kind. The coconut is potent and meaty, it's got beef, and a little rough too. I don't know that I smell the actual BPAL lace note, which has vanilla and cognac and a drop of tobacco in it. In U Strip, the lacy element smells like sweet powdery orris to my nostrils. 

 

I'm a huge vetiver fan, and unfortunately, the vetiver here is so voyeuristic, you can't even see (smell) it. It makes me sad. But that's good news for those who might be afraid of vetiver. There's a slight smokiness in U Strip, but that is the only sign of anything vetiver-adjacent so far.

 

This has huge throw and last on me, which is typical of coconut scents. 

 

I think I was expecting something different than what I got here. Instead of a delicate lace threaded with coconut and shrouded in the shimmery vetiver from Vetiver Patchouli and Apple Peel, U Strip is a coconut shell bra on sweaty skin, dancing on the beach on a hot summer night. There's nothing delicate about it, but this IS a whole lot of fun for any coconut fans.

[monocainsheresy]

Oh voyeuristic vetiver, where are you? This is mostly sweet and clean on me, which is nice, but not what I wanted! Surprisingly, the sugar is the strongest note on my skin, followed by meaty, ripe coconut, then something vaguely green (is that the vetiver?), and... orris? Maybe??

 

Gonna have to age this one.

[ND¢]

U Strip is very fresh and cute. I want to say this is not a very vetivery vetiver? Smooth, well-blended, and I'd say the word lace is chosen carefully. It's not a 'Lace' note but it's absolutely delicate and very fine. I keep wanting to say, 'green?' 'green?' but not herbal or forest. A very fresh, non-suntan coconut. A very light layer of sweetness over it. Something holding it all up. 

[elissamay]

This smells so innocent, it's as if the person who passed this heart across the table was blushing with cheeks aflame, eyes darting away, and lashes aflutter.

 

Wet there's some coconut, but it's got a sort of green and ever-so-slightly cologney vetiver vibe surrounding it. I've never smelled a BPAL "lace," so I don't know what to look for, but there's a sort of sheerness, a gauzyness to it all. I wasn't expecting a greenness to this one, but it really works so nicely with the coconut. Who knew a "fresh" vetiver coconut would be a thing? There's sweetness to the coconut with the sugared note, but it isn't cloying. It's fresh and sweet, and, yes, brimming with innocence. A voyeur in training, perhaps. Will be a really nice choice for spring and summertime.

Edited March 21, 2023 by elissamay

[dancingchair]

Simple, yet very nice. The coconut is fresh and green, as other reviewers have noted. It's delicate somehow, which evokes the image of lacy white lingerie to me. The vetiver reminds me more of coconut husk. It's dry and grassy and maybe a little nutty, not the loud and smoky vetiver from other blends.

 

I like it! It reminds me of a more delicate version of Arcana's Black Sand, which is another vetiver and coconut combo. Perfect for a date night with someone special.

[LavenderCoffee]

I love seeing other people's impressions of this one and how it compares to mine - for some this is the coconut bra, but for me this is totally the grass skirt! More specifically a dry, sweet coconutty grass smell. I've never huffed a coconut husk so maybe that's why I went to the skirt. Also coming across as more playful than seedy to me, and I dig it. 

[samanare]

A warm coconut scent. There is a noticeable sweetness to the coconut, but I'd describe it as being earthy and having a brown oud note to it, before I would point out the sweetness. I can't pick out the vetiver on its own, it's very much playing support in this scent, making the coconut earthy and warm. Overall, I'm reminded of the coconut scent of a lotion (not sunscreen) lingering after application, noticeably warmed by the wearer. A toasty and simple scent.

[Tamarinda]

In the decant: Coconut oil heating in a pot on the stove, like when I'm about to make popcorn.

 

Wet: Freshly toasted coconut flakes.

 

Dry: Ok, now this smells like the fancy thin, waffle-style coconut wafer cookies I used to buy from Cost Plus World Market. It's a warm, brown, oily coconut. Not greasy, but just the natural oil that comes out when you bake, brown, or toast fatty foods. The sugar is light and the vetiver is juuuuust barely noticeable. It's a wonderfully gourmand smell that is somehow just shy of being truly foodie. Lasts about seven to eight hours with a medium low throw.

[MolyH]

I agree that this is the grass skirt of an island party--it's coconutty, but also undeniably green and dry and rustling. Despite the description "sugared", this isn't that sweet. It's a very meaty, solid coconut, husk and all, covered in little brown hairs, half-covered with broad coconut leaf. This is the coconut scent I've been looking for.

[Jenjin]

This reminds me of  that Paul Mitchell coconut shampoo, seriously. It even has something that smells like cosmetics in the background. Not getting any of the vetiver I was hoping for but the description does say "watching in the background" so its very slight. 

[Angelshair]

All I get is meaty coconut. Smells like coconut soap. There’s some sweetness in the bottle but when applied it disappears and I get no vetiver. Pretty disappointing but oh well! 

[Little Bird]

I'm not getting any Lace/Black Lace vibes from this scent.  The coconut and vetiver smell dry, dark, toasty warm, and leaning towards coconut husk to my nose, and there's something cologne-like and slightly soapy here as well.  As it dries down, it gets a little powdery and sweeter on my skin, but it fades before it reaches the one hour mark.

[Lucchesa]

U Strip is almost entirely sweet toasted coconut on me.  I was hoping for the darkness of some vetiver, but it's practically imperceptible.  Instead, this is light and almost girlish.  Low throw (normal on my middle-aged skin) and about three hours of wear length. 

[daemonrabbit]

I love this scent—far more than I thought I would and far more than I did at first sniff. At first, the vetiver makes it slightly overwhelming, but then it just lends a backbone to an amazing vanilla coconut that seems to get stronger the longer I have it on. It lasts overnight for me, and while I love the drydown better than the wet stage, I've learned to love all parts of the journey.

[RoseThornAndOak]

This is interesting. It's rich coconut but more planty/natural than coconut cream or pie. The vetiver isn't too strong and doesn't smell like peanuts. It's an odd pairing but pleasant. Tropical but in a completely different way. Kind of like Lavanila Coconut but not as overtly coconut and more husky bits. Kinda duds out on me but has potential. Might be another locket contender. The vetiver reads more like No Man is an Island in the beginning, that sort of dark vegetal almost tobacco tonka vibe but doesn't stay as nice on me. I'll give it a few more tries I'm not giving up on it yet. 

 

*The next morning, I'm getting a lingering Pele like tropical floral. Very pretty. 

Edited May 3 by RoseThornAndOak