Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

DedCool – MILK Fragrance Enhancer + Layering Fragrance Oil New in the DedCool line-up is MILK; a fragrance enhancing layering oil.   If you follow me, you know DedCool is one of my favorite fragrance brands so, while I am not really a fragrance laying kind of person, I still wanted to try out this new release. MILK is a fragrance oil and comes in a roll on.   For the purposes of this product, I think a roll on makes sense.   I tested MILK on its own but of course you can feel free to use it to enhance any fragrance you like. MILK is very much a what you smell is what you get scent.   It is a lovely, slightly sweet, partly resinous white musk* with a hint of bergamot.   The bergamot adds a very light spicy citrusy-floral while the amber adds enough interest without being too resinous.   There is a light earthiness to the scent.   This is a fragrance oil that can easily be worn on its own merits. MILK wears on me for roughly 10 hours wi...

Dreaming Tree Soapworks – Wonderland Aromatic Elixer Wonderland Aromatic Elixer (“Wonderland”) is a perfume oil created by Dreaming Tree Soapworks that will make the wearer feel like they’ve discovered Alice’s Wonderland.   A sweet fruity floral, this elixir harkens to the imagination of childhood. Wonderland opens, and wears, as a playful sweet raspberry violet.   It is clean and lighthearted.   It very much reminds me of being a young child venturing into a sweet shop with the great big apothecary jars filled with candies.   There is a slight tartness to the black raspberry which brings to mind the variety and rainbow of colors in the sweet shop.   The violet in Wonderland is reminiscent of candied violets often found on high end baked goods. Wonderland has a wear time on me of roughly 6 – 7 hours and has a soft to skin scent projection. Notes: black raspberry, spun sugar, violets Perfumer: Meghan Young Vegan, Gluten Free, Dye Free, P...

DedCool – Madonna (Lilly) Madonna (Lilly) (“Madonna”) is one of the new releases in the DedCool Series 2.   She wears on me as a woody spicy fragrance. Madonna opens with a spicy burst of black pepper coupled with hints of citrus.   There is an interesting warmth and freshness to the opening.   About 15 minutes into wear, the black pepper recedes slightly and the fragrance takes on a creamy quality.   Roughly 2 hours into wear, I begin to get notes of a delicately resinous amber and woody notes.   Madonna is distinctly interesting at this point in wear.   She is warm without being too spicy, she is comforting while being complex. Madonna’s drydown brings further complexity.   A light white floral perhaps? A new rush of creamy citrus? A delicate spiced wood?   Yes on all accounts.   Yet even with the development of each note, the fragrance retains on course with an even balance. Madonna wears on me with moderate projectio...

Apothescary Scents - Mary Shelley Perfume Oil Mary Shelley (“Shelley”) was released by Apothescary Scents as part of the Literary Classics Collection.   On me, Shelley wears as an oriental spicy fragrance. In her description of the fragrance, the perfumer includes a quote from the namesake of the fragrance, “Solitude was my only consolation - deep, dark, deathlike solitude.” (Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)   The inclusion of this particular quote is telling as it accurately sets the scene for what will play out in the wear of the fragrance.   Shelley the person and the fragrance is colored with dark, mysterious vibes. As she opens, Shelley bursts with a deep, juicy, bold blood orange generous sprinkled with ginger.   The note is biting and spicy.   There is a hint of sweetness that feels just out of reach.   As Shelley wears, a vibrant and warm clove is detected.   There is a resinous underpinning courtesy of the cardamom that amplifies the...

House of Matriarch – Woo Released in 2012, Woo is an oriental floral fragrance from the House of Matriarch. Woo opens with a floral-suede accord.   There is a salty marine vibe to the opening without actually being salty.   For me, it’s as if the essence of beachy skin has been captured and layered in with tropical flowers.   About an hour into wear, the initial notes settle a bit and a leafy, dried tobacco joins in.   There is a semi-sweet and smoky earthiness.   That nudges the scent into a dirty-sexy place.   A touch of vanilla bean seems to help round out and soften the tobacco and suede without coming near to being cloying. Woo wears on me with moderate projection for roughly 10 hours. Featured notes: exotic floral notes, sea notes, tobacco, leather, vanilla, ambergris Perfumer: Christi Meshell CRUELTY FREE VEGAN Photo Credit: House of Matriarch

DedCool – Ivy Blanc EDP Ivy Blanc (“Ivy”) is a new release from DedCool and is part of the Series 2 Collection.   On me, it wears like a woody spicy fragrance. When Ivy first opens, I get a brief, bright, leaf-like note.   Very soon after, I get a stunning pink pepper that is tempered by a smooth and rich sandalwood.   There is a cedar-like woodiness to the accord. At about the one hour mark, I get a warm, slightly resinous amber and a hay-like note.   The amber seems to float with a white smoky incense.   The fragrance does not turn dark but instead, remains cozy and comfortable with a note of bergamot that elevates the fragrance without transforming it into a floral. There is a warmth and depth to Ivy that takes me to the woods in the very best way.   The scent reminds me of Fall without having the traditional pumpkin or Fall-spice notes.   Ivy Blanc wears on me with soft projection for roughly 8 hours. Notes: Top: Pink Pepp...

DedCool – Red (Dakota) EDP Recently launched as part of the Series 2 Collection, DedCool’s Red (Dakota) (“Red”) is a transforming citrus floral. Red opens with a juicy orange and bold gardenia.    The citrus compliments the gardenia by elevating it from the garden.    I get a picture in my mind of an Old Master’s painting of a still life; fresh picked gardenias in a vase and a bowl of ripe fruit on the table.    While the image it conjures is old school, this is far from an old school fragrance.    The blend feels new. Shortly into wear in comes a moody wood and amber.    There is an intimate warmth in these additions.    The citrus and gardenia remain but now the fragrance becomes almost cozy.    It feels comfortable and approachable.   Into the drydown, Red retains its character.    The gardenia and citrus have softened.    The amber is now adding a gentle sweetness (not clo...

Jo Loves – Pomelo Pomelo is a citrus fragrance from Jo Loves that is much more than simply citrus and is the perfumer’s signature scent.   The fragrance has the “Jo Malone” touch all over it and, if you’re a fan of or familiar with her scents, you’ll understand that nuance she has as a perfumer.   For those not familiar, the best way I can describe it is that she has a certain knack for taking a primary note or notes and blending them with other notes in such a way that the “star” note is front and center and then transforms into more than the sum of the parts. With Pomelo the opening is zesty, effervescent, and fresh.   I get a burst of citric pomelo at first whiff.   This is a fresh from the orchard grapefruit zing.   Within about fifteen minutes, the almost pure citrus begins its transformation.   I get hints of a full-bodied rose just behind and beginning to soften and round the opening.   It feels very similar to an old masters painting ...

Commodity – Nectar Nectar is a release from Commodity in their White Collection.   The fragrance wears on me as a fresh fruity floral/aromatic fruity. When I received my sample of Nectar, I wasn’t sure what to expect.   Nectar may be used to describe things in different contexts.   With Commodity’s Nectar, I find the name both describes the nectar of a juicy fruit as well as the nectar found in floral blossoms. Nectar opens as a bright citrus with touches of neroli.   There is a sunny brightness to the opening and I find that the pomelo and tangerine are evenly balanced.   As Nectar wears, I get a bitter neroli that adds the “flavor” of what feels like a citrus rind.     There is a light honeysuckle that adds a touch of sweetness and lends itself to brighten, almost adding a sunny disposition, to the fragrance.   At roughly 2 hours into wear, there is a background of cedarwood.   The cedar is distant and faint.   More p...

Twisted Wonderland Perfumery - Mad Tea Party Perfume Oil Mad Tea Party is a straightforward tea fragrance form Twisted Wonderland Perfumery.   The wear is linear so “what you see is what you get”.   It is, however, one of the best renditions of tea in an Indie fragrance in my opinion.   The perfumer has done a very good job at capturing that quintessential Earl Grey tea smell.   You get that classic almost citrusy – bergamot tea note.   the note is blended, as one might drink their tea, with a slightly sweet, creamy vanilla.   The effect is soft and soothing without becoming cloying.   Mad Tea party wears on me with soft projection for roughly 5 – 6 hours. Notes: “Okay..well just half a cup! Freshly brewed earl grey tea with just a splash of sugary vanilla milk” Perfumer: Rae Ganter CRUELTY FREE VEGAN

DedCool - Velvet (Monroe) Velvet (Monroe) (“Velvet”) is part of the brand new Series 2 on pre-order now from DedCool.   It is an aromatic woody fragrance that I find quickly distinguishes itself from the pack.   If you have been following me, you know that DedCool is one of my favorite fragrance brands.   Not only are all of their fragrances well-constructed, but the brand has an ethos that speaks to the modern heart. Velvet opens with a sultry, smoky, incense-tinged mimosa.   Yet instead of feeling heavy, as many smoky incense fragrances can, Velvet feels light and warm.   There is a nice, refreshing touch of eucalyptus that brightens the blend.   Velvet does not go the way of a church-like incense but instead holds the same reverence for the accord with wisps that capture the imagination. As Velvet continues to wear, I begin to get a lightly sweetened (but not cloying) black licorice.   Here I need to comment that in general, I dislike ...

Ellis Brooklyn – Fawn EDP With Memorial Day being the “unofficial start of Summer” yet the weather having been persistent rain, I was craving a Summer scent.   Based on its notes, Fawn fit the bill. Fawn opens with a sunny, bright, citrus floral tempered with a creamy, milky note.   The effect is reminiscent of warm Summer days, sitting by the ocean, eating a Creamsicle.   There is sweetness to the accord but it is a delicate sweetness.   The initial wear of Fawn is full of joyful childhood memories. As Fawn wears, notes of rose, magnolia, and lily of the valley enter.   The rose is slightly jammy and soft.   The magnolia is lush and blooming.   The lily of the valley is fresh and somewhat green.   These florals add complexity to the fragrance and enrich the opening floral notes into a bouquet.   As Fawn begins her dry down a white musk is present along with a semi-sweet powdery vanilla.   The fragrance is now laying c...

Twisted Wonderland Perfumery - Never Sleep Again (Perfume Oil) Never Sleep Again (“Never Sleep”) is the second Twisted Wonderland fragrances I’ve tested.   (You can read my review of What’s In The Hookah here: https://binxcat4ever.blogspot.com/2018/05/twisted-wonderland-perfumery-whats-in.html ).   Never Sleep is very different from What’s In The Hookah but no less enjoyable. I selected Never Sleep to test based on the notes.   Oh, I a am a fan off coffee in fragrance!   Combined with the touch of vanilla and dark chocolate, Never Sleep is a gourmand lover’s delight.   While Never Sleep is a “what you see is what you get” scent, the lack of development is not a flaw.   From the initial whiff, I get a gorgeous, lush coffee.   It is a dark roast and freshly ground.   The bit of vanilla adds just the right amount of light sweetness.   The dark chocolate compliments the coffee and vanilla in an almost bakery frosting kind of way.  ...

Twisted Wonderland Perfumery - What’s In The Hookah I enjoy supporting Indie and Niche brands of fragrance.   When I first heard about Twisted Wonderland Perfumery I felt an immediate connection to the brand name.   For me, and many others, fragrance is a means of expression.   It’s a way to express a moment, a mood, a personality.   It’s a way to transport yourself to a different place and time.   The brand name alone speaks to the child in us – full of excitement and wonder.   I took the advantage of placing an order for several samples.   What’s In The Hookah (“Hookah”) is the first I’ll be reviewing. Tobacco is a favorite note of mine and Hookah is all about the tobacco.   The fragrance opens with a glorious woody pipe tobacco.   It is so deep and full of life you can almost feel it swirling around you.   If you love the smell of pipe tobacco, this is one you will want to keep inhaling…slowly and deliberately.   As Hoo...

Apothescary Scents - Annabel Lee Perfume Oil As a fragrance blogger with the curiosity of a cat, I’m always searching for the new and unusual.   I stumbled across this brand while shopping for completely unrelated items.   “What is this?!”   A fragrance brand I had not yet heard of with fragrances that spoke to my love of Poe and other literary greats?   I browsed through the offerings and selected two to try in order to satiate my curiosity and perhaps discover a new love.   Annabel Lee is the first of the two I will be reviewing. Being familiar with, and loving, Annabel Lee by Poe (copied below), I had a preconceived idea about this fragrance before I tested it.   I wanted and expected it to transport me into the poem itself.   Spoilers – Annabel Lee did not disappoint. This fragrance opens with an air of mystery.   There is a mossy green base blurred with a rolling fog of salt air and driftwood.   You get an immediate sense o...

House of Matriarch - Coco Blanc I was gifted a sample of this oriental vanilla fragrance from a very good friend of mine.   I had been interested in testing it for some time and had simply not gotten around to it.   Sometimes, you need that little push from a friend!   In this case, I’m so happy I got that push. While on the surface, the main notes in this fragrance read as gourmand, let me stop you there – this fragrance does not wear as a traditional sweet gourmand.   Instead, like all of the House of Matriarch fragrances I’ve had the chance to try, this one is intensely complex.   Coco Blanc opens on me as a creamy white chocolate, chai spiced, walk in the woods.   There is almost a warm floral quality to it.   The fragrance does not feel weighted down but instead has a lightness to it.   Hints of coconut peek through enveloped in an accord that reads on me as a smoky leather.   I get a lightly resinous warmth.   Coming ...

Ellis Brooklyn - Myth EDP I received a sample of Myth with a cosmetics order.   Late last year, I had the opportunity to sample another Ellis Brooklyn fragrance, Sci Fi (you can read my review on this blog), so Myth makes my second Ellis Brooklyn testing.   Unlike Sci Fi, Myth is a floral woody musk.   Released in 2016, Myth is a creation that finds a way to elevate the more traditional fragrance genre. In the opening, I get a light an airy bergamot and a slightly sweet cassis.   There is a sunny and bright feel that is amplified by a beautiful orchid and jasmine.   Jasmine can go wrong in a fragrance if it is overdone.   Here, both the orchid and jasmine are handled with a delicate touch.   There is a lightness to the floral accord.   Roughly three hours into wear, I get a light white musk and very soft cedar.   If they can be described as such, I’d describe the musk and cedar as having the feel of cashmere; there is a soft war...

Kiss My Sass Cosmetics – Decadence Decadence is a fun to wear, cozy, sexy, and…well…decadent fragrance from the Indie brand Kiss My Sass.   The brand does some really stellar cosmetics and their fragrance line is equally respectable.   I ordered Decadence along with a cosmetics order as the notes sounded appealing.   Decadence opens with a rich dark chocolate coffee note.   The note is deep, dense, and luscious as if you had gone to a coffee roaster and had your cup of comfort made to order.   About an hour into wear, the dark chocolate recedes and in come an old school patchouli and musk tipped with vanilla bean and white chocolate.   The notes twirl in a hypnotic dance that it reminiscent of the best of the 60s; it’s gourmand meets Haight Ashbury.   There is sweetness balanced with an earthy, edgy, sensual, somewhat animalistic feel.   The fragrance wears in this hedonistic and sensual way through the remaining wear.   Decaden...

January Scent Project - Treebuoy Parfum Oil When I heard that perfumer John Biebel had added another fragrance to his lineup, it piqued my interest.   Currently available as an exclusive with Avé Parfum and later available on the January Scent Project website, Treebuoy (2018) is an oriental woody fragrance offering. It’s no secret that I am a fan of Biebel as a perfumer.   An artist in addition to a perfumer, his approach to fragrance is that of an artist (this is not to say that I don’t respect perfumery as an art form in itself).   It’s one thing to create a beautiful fragrance and quite another to create a beautiful fragrance which also tells a story or shares a journey or perspective; I find Biebel’s scents to fall into the second category. With Treebuoy, Biebel tells us the story of a dense conifer forest.   Like any good storyteller, Biebel makes us a part of the story; this is a personal journey.   I get the rich balsam fir with it’s deep, r...

Kiss My Sass - The Poet I’ve decided to take a bit of poetic license (pun intended) with this review. The Poet sits alone in his room.  The scent of his plummy lightly sweetened pipe tobacco floats through the air.  The smell is deep and contemplative yet touched with a hint of caramel.  He wonders whether his muse will be with him today. As he reaches for his black tea, the steam rises up and joins the tobacco swirling and turning in an intimate dance.  He gazes at her portrait hanging on the wall.  He remembers that lovely Spring day they spent together picking blackberries growing wild.  He remembers laying side by side on that blanket bathed in the warm sun; her skin glistening like cream against the soft ground.  As he turns back to reality, his writing desk calls to him with it’s richly resinous woody voice.  It is a complex voice that is tinged with his wishes and dreams.  Full of wonder and spice.  And yet – he’s...