markeisimon

Sweet, but mature and straightforward. Easter morning at a southern Black Church, where all the young women are wearing their best Sunday pastels, and it smells like hairspray and grease, cocoa butter and this.

The macaron, madeleines, and almond biscuits are reminiscent of the treats that you'd have in an Easter basket. The milk and tea invoke morning time. The orange blossom and freesia help "wake" the fragrance up and brighten the overall mood.

As someone who isn't a big white floral fan, this is giving me equal parts creamy gourmand and orange blossom.

Three words: playful, pastel, and delightful.

I've smelled only a few sandalwood-forward fragrances (Santal 33 and Santal Vanille), and this makes me want to try them all. To my nose, this is primarily a musk fragrance with a sandalwood undercurrent. I wish I could smell like this all the time. I'm not even a fan of jasmine, but this is mixed to perfection, so it's tough for me to pinpoint certain notes. I mostly get musk, with a gentle dose of sandalwood and a trace of coconut and orris.

The longevity is impressive, too! I wore this on my arms, performed all night (about 6 hours total), and could still smell it on my wrists while walking to my car. Magical stuff.

Three words: nonchalant, sensible, and approachable.

This may be a wild ride for many, but will hopefully resonate with some: this smells like a worn durag/headscarf or pillowcase of a loved one who wore Murray's or Blue Magic in their hair.

This is nostalgic, comforting, pensive, and a little melancholic. It smells like you're a young teen, chilling in your older brother's room after he leaves for the military, seeing everything still in its place as if he never left. You lie down on the bed only to realize the linens still smell like him. That's kind of what this is like to me.

This falls somewhere between 'like' and 'ok'. I enjoy it, but feel the fig gets lost behind the tonka and walnut bitters. This would do well on a rainy or damp day. It's dreary but warm.

Three words: comforting, warm, and pensive.

A beautifully peppery, feminine fragrance. Musky, but a little punchy. This solidified my love for iris fragrances, especially those that lean on the soapy end. I can smell the pink pepper, iris and aldehydes at the top and then everything else kind of melds into one.

I feel like this can fall into so many categories. A young, determined scholar; an eclectic entrepreneur; the well-traveled free spirit. This is comfy, understated, and timeless.

If this fragrance were a place, it's a cross between The Getty Museum and Amangiri Resort. The wide open, liminal spaces...the dance between symmetry and spontaneity...the marriage of man-made art amongst God-made. This could be a wedding scent or just for a day when you're enjoying your solitude. This is versatility and craftsmanship at its finest.

Three words: spiritual, trusting, and raw.