Midsummer Muse Reviews, part 2
First off, I find Lori at TMM delightful to order from. TAT is fast, she includes sweet handwritten cards with her orders, which are pleasingly packaged in little see through bags. And she was very responsive to my queries about cinnamon oil in her blends, and was nice enough to include non cinnamon freebies. While I have unfortunately not found a lot of personal winners in her blends, I did find some delightful favorites, and will keep my eyes peeled for new additions.
Golden Temple: Gold Darjeeling tea leaves dried by the sun, sweet honey musk, whole vanilla bean, and a touch of toasted white coconut.
Wet: I am in love. The is the best vanilla blend I've smelled to date. Rich vanilla, given a touch of sweetness by the honey, and given depth by the musk.
Dry: Warm, luxurious, and not too sweet, and not too dry, like a plush golden velvet. This is a perfectly balanced blend, neither too sweet or too dry, with depth underneath the vanilla from the musk, and I think the coconut, though I can't pick it out as a note.
Verdict: This was the definite winner from my second order. This blend really needed to get the skin to shine. It was dull and lifeless and almost scentless in the scent locket. On skin, it glowed.
Lanai: Golden sandy beaches scattered with sea shells, the faint scent of pineapple in bloom, fresh mango, and an exotic desert musk carried on the wind.
Wet: Wow, I can't pick a single note out of this. It's floral, and lightly salty, and fruity without being sweet.
Dry: A definite salty and sweet note comes to the fore, layed on top of a dry musk.
Verdict: This was a pleasant and unique scent that really smelled like flowers and salt spray. It was a beuatiful scent that just wasn't "me."
New Broom: Sun-dried bundled hay, honeyed skin musk, pale pink rose buds, dewy apricot flowers, and Genet broom absolute.
Wet: OMG Perfume, I had to was it off because T thought it was awful. I can catch bare hints of hay. The sweetness and the rose predominate and not in a good way on my skin.
Dry: It is sweet and soapy, and the florals smell fake. Damn.
Verdict: This was the heartbreak scent. I loved the concept. I wanted to love the scent. It was downright awful on my skin. The flowers smelled fake and drowned out any honey and hay that might have been underneath.
Ode to the West Wind: An early spring wind carrying the promise of warm days and the delicate scents of lemon-laced chrocus, wind-brushed purple fressia, airy peach blossoms, flowering Barlett pear, and a bluster of pink vanilla wind musk.
Wet: Sweet, floral and fruity with a bit of astringent bite from something.
Dry: The fruitiness really comes out as this dries. Its turns into a delicate, sweet fragrance. It's peachier than The Peach Tree for a while, and finally lingers as a lighltly spiced musk just barely noticeable with my nose pressed against my wrist.
Verdict: Again, a very nicely blended scent, very feminine and floral, just not a "me" scent.
Prospect of Flowers: Purple lilac, organic wild flower honey absolute, sweet green meadow grasses, creeping wild pink rose, ivory spring tulips, and tender wood violets.
Wet: Perfumey and floral with a strong green undercurrent.
Dry: It starts to go both soapy and kinda, I don't know, sour on my skin. It just smells icky. I think her pink rose note just doesn't work for me. It's the same icky from New Broom.
Verdict: I am concluding that her rose note doesn't work on me. It was an interesting caucaphony of florals before it went wrong, so if you like florals, go for it.
Red Flower: Green tea absolute, pomegranate seeds, and spring cherry blossoms.
Wet: Lovely when wet, the cherry really stands out with sweetness.
Dry: This fades quickly to a light, sweet floral.
Verdict: This faded very rapidly on my skin, almost an hour and it was gone. I think it will make a nice scent locket scent, since the wet phase is just glorius.
The Peach Tree: Dry white tea leaves, ripe golden peaches, late summer blooms, and a slightly-spiced, humid, hazy summer evening.
Wet: Almost astringent and peachy.
Dry: Fades quickly to a light, floral peach, rather unidimensional.
Verdict: I like Ode to the West Wind better. It had a peachier scent that lasted longer and had a more robust scent.
The Green Ghost: Fresh Peppermint and spearmint, dark blackberries, sage tea and delicate fern leaf weave a ghost-like chill over your skin.
Wet: This is a dry mint blend. The peppermint and spearmint predominate out of the bottle.
Dry: They almost immediately begin to fade and blackberries and sage come through with this savory undertone, blending seamlessly into the mint.
Verdict: This is a mint blend for the non-foodies out there. There isn't a hint of sweetness in this one. The blackberries smell fruity, but not sweet. They're first of the season, tart blackberries on top of fresh sage covered in dry, dry, dry mint.
The White Swan: Creamy white musk, white tea, white rose essence and white orange blossoms with the faintest hint of disappearing mist. Romantic and feminine.
Wet: Slightly perfumey going on the skin, again, no one note stands out.
Dry: Very pale sweet floral just barely clinging to the skin.
Verdict: I just wasn't impressed. Nothing in this blend stood out for me. It is very delicate, and I think that's the problem for me. I'm finding I prefer more . . . vigorous scents that demand some polite attention.
White Vapor: trio of dry mints, white tea, and a hearty dose of sweet vanilla sugar.
Wet: A strong, dry mint.
Dry: The mint tapers off a bit and the tea comes to the fore. Very little sweetness yet. Then that musky vanilla of hers comes to play. Yum.
Verdict: This is BPAL's Lick It's older, sexier, more confident sister. I'm not sure I'd wear it all the time, but it is delightful.
Golden Temple: Gold Darjeeling tea leaves dried by the sun, sweet honey musk, whole vanilla bean, and a touch of toasted white coconut.
Wet: I am in love. The is the best vanilla blend I've smelled to date. Rich vanilla, given a touch of sweetness by the honey, and given depth by the musk.
Dry: Warm, luxurious, and not too sweet, and not too dry, like a plush golden velvet. This is a perfectly balanced blend, neither too sweet or too dry, with depth underneath the vanilla from the musk, and I think the coconut, though I can't pick it out as a note.
Verdict: This was the definite winner from my second order. This blend really needed to get the skin to shine. It was dull and lifeless and almost scentless in the scent locket. On skin, it glowed.
Lanai: Golden sandy beaches scattered with sea shells, the faint scent of pineapple in bloom, fresh mango, and an exotic desert musk carried on the wind.
Wet: Wow, I can't pick a single note out of this. It's floral, and lightly salty, and fruity without being sweet.
Dry: A definite salty and sweet note comes to the fore, layed on top of a dry musk.
Verdict: This was a pleasant and unique scent that really smelled like flowers and salt spray. It was a beuatiful scent that just wasn't "me."
New Broom: Sun-dried bundled hay, honeyed skin musk, pale pink rose buds, dewy apricot flowers, and Genet broom absolute.
Wet: OMG Perfume, I had to was it off because T thought it was awful. I can catch bare hints of hay. The sweetness and the rose predominate and not in a good way on my skin.
Dry: It is sweet and soapy, and the florals smell fake. Damn.
Verdict: This was the heartbreak scent. I loved the concept. I wanted to love the scent. It was downright awful on my skin. The flowers smelled fake and drowned out any honey and hay that might have been underneath.
Ode to the West Wind: An early spring wind carrying the promise of warm days and the delicate scents of lemon-laced chrocus, wind-brushed purple fressia, airy peach blossoms, flowering Barlett pear, and a bluster of pink vanilla wind musk.
Wet: Sweet, floral and fruity with a bit of astringent bite from something.
Dry: The fruitiness really comes out as this dries. Its turns into a delicate, sweet fragrance. It's peachier than The Peach Tree for a while, and finally lingers as a lighltly spiced musk just barely noticeable with my nose pressed against my wrist.
Verdict: Again, a very nicely blended scent, very feminine and floral, just not a "me" scent.
Prospect of Flowers: Purple lilac, organic wild flower honey absolute, sweet green meadow grasses, creeping wild pink rose, ivory spring tulips, and tender wood violets.
Wet: Perfumey and floral with a strong green undercurrent.
Dry: It starts to go both soapy and kinda, I don't know, sour on my skin. It just smells icky. I think her pink rose note just doesn't work for me. It's the same icky from New Broom.
Verdict: I am concluding that her rose note doesn't work on me. It was an interesting caucaphony of florals before it went wrong, so if you like florals, go for it.
Red Flower: Green tea absolute, pomegranate seeds, and spring cherry blossoms.
Wet: Lovely when wet, the cherry really stands out with sweetness.
Dry: This fades quickly to a light, sweet floral.
Verdict: This faded very rapidly on my skin, almost an hour and it was gone. I think it will make a nice scent locket scent, since the wet phase is just glorius.
The Peach Tree: Dry white tea leaves, ripe golden peaches, late summer blooms, and a slightly-spiced, humid, hazy summer evening.
Wet: Almost astringent and peachy.
Dry: Fades quickly to a light, floral peach, rather unidimensional.
Verdict: I like Ode to the West Wind better. It had a peachier scent that lasted longer and had a more robust scent.
The Green Ghost: Fresh Peppermint and spearmint, dark blackberries, sage tea and delicate fern leaf weave a ghost-like chill over your skin.
Wet: This is a dry mint blend. The peppermint and spearmint predominate out of the bottle.
Dry: They almost immediately begin to fade and blackberries and sage come through with this savory undertone, blending seamlessly into the mint.
Verdict: This is a mint blend for the non-foodies out there. There isn't a hint of sweetness in this one. The blackberries smell fruity, but not sweet. They're first of the season, tart blackberries on top of fresh sage covered in dry, dry, dry mint.
The White Swan: Creamy white musk, white tea, white rose essence and white orange blossoms with the faintest hint of disappearing mist. Romantic and feminine.
Wet: Slightly perfumey going on the skin, again, no one note stands out.
Dry: Very pale sweet floral just barely clinging to the skin.
Verdict: I just wasn't impressed. Nothing in this blend stood out for me. It is very delicate, and I think that's the problem for me. I'm finding I prefer more . . . vigorous scents that demand some polite attention.
White Vapor: trio of dry mints, white tea, and a hearty dose of sweet vanilla sugar.
Wet: A strong, dry mint.
Dry: The mint tapers off a bit and the tea comes to the fore. Very little sweetness yet. Then that musky vanilla of hers comes to play. Yum.
Verdict: This is BPAL's Lick It's older, sexier, more confident sister. I'm not sure I'd wear it all the time, but it is delightful.