rachelpapaya

I’m substitute teaching for a drama department today, and the acting classes are watching the 2013 version of Romeo & Juliet. I brought a bunch of perfume samples to school and was trying to match the vibe- “Spiky Muse” jumped out at me for the name. I ordered it forever ago and had long forgotten the notes, but it really does give an ivy-clad, star-crossed, Shakespearean romance! It’s aristocratic, but not “old”… it’s floral like a courtyard, a little damp like the cobblestones, a little “spiky” like the thorns of a rosebush (must be the pink pepper- and rose, of course). I find it more spicy than fruity in the opening, a bit green even- not very sweet at all compared to the jammy rose perfumes- and the woody dry-down is very pleasant and warming. I applied with a dabber, but I’m getting a strong personal projection to my own nose, and a neighboring student said she could smell it a few minutes after application, but she doesn’t seem offended by it! If you are going for the Juliet Capulet vibe, this might just be it.

I was testing Window2Soul for springtime and really enjoyed the opening: reminiscent of sipping a lemonade in an herb garden However, as it dried down, I picked up on a note or accord that smelled a bit like feet, so I couldn’t buy it, sadly. Hopefully it likes your skin better than it did mine! I will often jump in the ocean with perfume on, and even though this is an oil blend, I couldn’t really detect it after taking a swim (you’d be shocked how many frags can last through a dunk in the ocean- all her other releases had better staying power)! I want to love Orebella frags, but there is consistently something in the DNA that just doesn’t agree with my skin chemistry. Nightcap was my favorite, but I had to sell it due to the “Carmex” accord I’ve seen in other reviews. Looking forward to their next release anyway!

This is the perfect post-shower body mist. Awapuhi means ginger in Hawaiian. I live on Maui and found it at the ABC store here years ago. It’s pretty unisex. I have gifted this brand and fragrance to family in the past. Very clean and not *too* gingery- I am new to perfume and can really only compare it to Goldfield & Banks Ingenious Ginger, which is way more herbal/spiky/aromatic/candied. MSC Awapuhi almost has a “slippery” smell, like an actual bar of soap infused with ginger (or for those who know, squeezing a ginger flower to get the “shampoo” from it)! Slightly cloying/oily- this one hangs in the air just like wet pearls of steam from a shower right after spraying. Would be perfect after an outdoor shower! Awapuhi was truly designed for its environment. If a jungle waterfall mermaid had a signature scent, this would be it. I also think this fragrance would be great in a deodorant. Sadly, I found out this morning that my bottle had turned bad after 7+ years of lazy storage in my bathroom- not a bad shelf life for a gift shop body spray! I would repurchase for sure.