Scented Musings

XIII (Dragon's blood, oak barrel-aged Kentucky bourbon, Tahitian vanilla)

In bottle: So I detest Tahitian vanilla usually. It's super cloying and just.. no. But, fortunately, it's not that way in XIII. The dragon's blood is almost floral, and the bourbon note is exquisite. Everything blends together really well.

On skin: The bourbon note burned off pretty quick, and now it's just dragon's blood and vanilla. The vanilla is starting to go down the cloying route, which is disappointing (that's completely due to my preference and is no fault of the scent itself). It's not cloying yet, but it's on the cusp. If it stays tempered enough like this, it'll be fine.

One Sunday Morning (Benzoin, myrrh, frankincense, antique lace, mahogany, blue musk)

In bottle: Clean and almost cologne-y? Definitely leans a bit masculine (which is fine). Warm-but-aquatic is what I’m getting from this.

On skin: Largely the same, but the resins come out a bit more, along with something slightly fruity. Ultimately, I was hoping for more spooky church vibes and not aquatic cologne, but it’s still nice.

Black Mass (Frankincense, myrrh, red wine)

In bottle: Fuck me uuup with that red wine note. It’s the strongest note here, and it’s glorious. I hate wine “in real life,” but I want to drink this.

On skin: This has some goddamned throw, holy shit. I couldn’t smell anything else I was testing from afar except this one. I get a very small amount of myrrh, but it’s mostly a red wine parade. Definitely a fan.

Absinthe (Star anise, wormwood, herbs, warm sugar)

In bottle: Upon first sniff, this has an almost nutty, dirty quality to it. After that, it smells as I’d imagine absinthe should smell (I’ve never had the real thing).

On skin: The nutty vibe goes away, and it just smells like absinthe with a bit of an extra herbal kick. I usually hate anything with anise in it, but this is fabulous.

Hand of Glory (Ambergris, blood red musk, ceremonial santalum)

In bottle: So I’m not gonna lie, something in this reminds me of old newspapers or plastic. It’s a bit musty. I can’t distinguish the notes beyond sandalwood, so basically, musty (and slightly powdery) sandalwood.

On skin: The mustiness goes away, but the powderiness doesn’t. This is a pass for me, I think. I’ll probably give it a retest or two, but I don’t think this works with my chemistry or sense of smell.

The Commandant (Rosewood, bourbon, old chair leather, rich sweet tobacco)

In bottle: Yesss, bathe me in this. Everything is here and accounted for. The rosewood note is beautiful.

On skin: There’s something sweet in here that was slightly detectable in the bottle (the tobacco, I’m assuming), and it’s gorgeous. I knew I was going to like this one, but I didn’t expect to like it quite this much.

Absinthium Noir (Black oak, musk, star anise, warm sugar, black amber, herbs)

In bottle: So this is like, 80% Absinthe and maybe 20% Black Goat, but it’s lovely. Smells a bit peppery as well.

On skin: Pretty much the same as in the bottle. Mostly Absinthe with a bit of Black Goat. Delicious. Since I have both Black Goat and Absinthe, I don’t need this. I prefer each of them on their own anyway, but if you don’t have either, this is definitely worth trying.

Rook (Wet leaves, musky black feathers, vetiver, a stiff branch, the slow death-creep of autumn, a fussy Underworld messenger)

In bottle: Definitely getting vetiver and leaves, and some sort of licorice-like note (anise, I’d wager). There also seems to be something similar to orange blossom lurking in there.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. I can’t decide if I really like this or if it’s just “okay” to me, so I think I’m gonna have to retest this one in a few weeks.

Black Goat (Ancient oak forest, decadent black amber, musk)

Preamble: This was included as a gift with my order, since it was relatively large, and I had asked about when it was going to be restocked shortly after the order was placed. It was very generous of the company to include it, and I’m still blown away.

In bottle: I am so glad Jinx included this. It’s perfect. It smells like a big ol’ sexy, spooky forest, and I’m totally into it.

On skin: There’s something that smells a bit spicy or tea-like in here when it hits the skin and mellows for a while. Maybe a tiny bit of cinnamon and vanilla? Either way, it still smells sexy and expensive. Very glad to have this.