Carnaval Diabolique, part the rest.
Gennivre l' Artiste du Diable. Hyson tea leaf, pale mint, sugar cane, orange blossom, lemongrass, and honey. Hyson? Did she mean hyssop? No. Apparently hyson is a green tea, so favored in the 18th century that the British Tea Tax was actually higher for this variety over other teas. And now you know. I detect mint, honey, sugar cane, orange blossom, a hint of lemon. No tea. This smells like a vial of pure, fresh, cane-sugar rum Mojito, one of my favorite drinks.
Alas, it follows the route of all bpal honey blends and dries down to soured, slightly musty floral soap on my skin. I knew this would happen.
Theodosius the Legerdemain. Earl Grey tea leaves, a white fougere, jasmine leaf, pearlescent white musk, and vanilla bean. At first whiff, this is Dorian on steroids, or his bastard love child by Snake Charmer. A masculine vanilla musk, where Mme Moriarty is a feminine one. There's something aggravatingly familiar here, but I can't pin it down. It develops a citrus, smoked-tea leaf edge on me, which is the only tea I detect (I assume the lemon whiff is the bergamot from the Earl Grey).
15 min: this is becoming unbelievably dry and smoky, losing the resemblence to Dorian. Also delicious without being foody. I don't know what a "white fougere" would contain, but as traditional fougere blends lavender and oakmoss, I'm going to guess (mind you, wild stab in the dark) white sandalwood and….lemongrass or lavender. It now smells nothing like it did upon application, which is a suitable feat of legerdemain.
What *does* it smell like now? Well. Theodosius puts the “MMMMmmm” in Man. So.
Antonino the Carny Talker. White musk, wild plum, vetiver, black coconut, verbena, fig, and lavender. Wet, I get coconut, lavender, a hint of musk, and some verbena. On me…
Antonino smells like a skeleton, with a thin rime of tropical jester's wear. More citrus than coconut. As a scent portrait, I'm impressed; I get both the dry bone and juicy carny bark. As a perfume and a blend concept, I’m underwhelmed.
On drydown he fades into a citrus men's eau de toilette. I thought the vetiver and fig would anchor this scent, but it stays verbena, white musk, and coconut on me. Light, not much throw, not me.
Overall impressions of the Carnaval: Mme Moriarty and Theodosius reign as belle and king. Doc Constantine will be popular even if he doesn’t love *me,* the fickle bastard. Midnight on the Midway and the Candy Butcher are personal surprise favorites. Underwhelmed by Xanthe, Carnaval Diabolique, and Antonino. Four bottle purchases total. Damage could be worse.
Alas, it follows the route of all bpal honey blends and dries down to soured, slightly musty floral soap on my skin. I knew this would happen.
Theodosius the Legerdemain. Earl Grey tea leaves, a white fougere, jasmine leaf, pearlescent white musk, and vanilla bean. At first whiff, this is Dorian on steroids, or his bastard love child by Snake Charmer. A masculine vanilla musk, where Mme Moriarty is a feminine one. There's something aggravatingly familiar here, but I can't pin it down. It develops a citrus, smoked-tea leaf edge on me, which is the only tea I detect (I assume the lemon whiff is the bergamot from the Earl Grey).
15 min: this is becoming unbelievably dry and smoky, losing the resemblence to Dorian. Also delicious without being foody. I don't know what a "white fougere" would contain, but as traditional fougere blends lavender and oakmoss, I'm going to guess (mind you, wild stab in the dark) white sandalwood and….lemongrass or lavender. It now smells nothing like it did upon application, which is a suitable feat of legerdemain.
What *does* it smell like now? Well. Theodosius puts the “MMMMmmm” in Man. So.
Antonino the Carny Talker. White musk, wild plum, vetiver, black coconut, verbena, fig, and lavender. Wet, I get coconut, lavender, a hint of musk, and some verbena. On me…
Antonino smells like a skeleton, with a thin rime of tropical jester's wear. More citrus than coconut. As a scent portrait, I'm impressed; I get both the dry bone and juicy carny bark. As a perfume and a blend concept, I’m underwhelmed.
On drydown he fades into a citrus men's eau de toilette. I thought the vetiver and fig would anchor this scent, but it stays verbena, white musk, and coconut on me. Light, not much throw, not me.
Overall impressions of the Carnaval: Mme Moriarty and Theodosius reign as belle and king. Doc Constantine will be popular even if he doesn’t love *me,* the fickle bastard. Midnight on the Midway and the Candy Butcher are personal surprise favorites. Underwhelmed by Xanthe, Carnaval Diabolique, and Antonino. Four bottle purchases total. Damage could be worse.