Review: Intuitive Essence Perfume, Zodiac Set
-Aries (Tobacco, Vanilla, Cinnamon): All I can say is wow!! Cinnamon is one of my death notes, so I was apprehensive about this one. However, the balance in this blend is really masterful. The cinnamon never, ever gets out of line and the effect is spice and super cozy muskiness. I would call this a spicier sister scent to Alchemic Muse's "Fable", it has the same clean musk feeling.
-Taurus (Honeysuckle, patchouli, sandalwood): Definitely getting the patchouli. Then there is a layer of something else that is probably sandalwood/honeysuckle but my nose begins to interpret it as camphor-y. As this dries on my skin, the camphor and patchouli harshness melt away a little. Any honeysuckle sweetness and sandalwood resonance stays very close to the skin and faint on this one.
-Gemini (Ginger, lemon, lily): Another wow! I love the twist on the ginger scent-- it is usually paired with orange which I don't enjoy, so the lemon and hint of floral in the lily combine with this spicy ginger to make something invigorating, fresh and springlike. Only drawback was not too much staying power.
-Cancer (Cucumber, Jasmine, Oakmoss): In the bottle and wet on my skin, I only get the cucumber. Once it is drying, an afterthought of oakmoss filters through at the end of each inhale. After dry-down is when the oakmoss begins to peek out and bloom from the remains of the shorter-lived cucumber note. I don't really detect any jasmine. Hm...well, I didn't think I would find cucumber and oakmoss pleasant but this well blended on that account.
-Leo (Grapefruit, vanilla, cedar): This smells very baby powder-ish to my nose, but when I kinda squint I can see the grapefruit/vanilla/cedar thing that was the goal. I just think unfortunately it ends up being a 'diaper fresh' kinda profile most of the time, and seldom a woody vanilla grapefruit.
-Virgo (Lavender, bergamot, plum, oud): I hated Zoologist's Rabbit, but I'm telling you that to tell you this: Virgo smells like a 'fixed' or greatly improved version of that. The lavender plum is sweet, the bergamot keeps it fresh and the oud seems like an olfactory umami. The overall impression is an enchanted meadow at forest's edge, I really like this scent. And the staying power on fabric is darn near limitless!! Lol.
-Libra (Cypress, Lime, Violet, Sandalwood): It is underwhelming to me but I think this would be good for someone who doesn't like to be knocked over by the force of a scent. Which is not to say you can barely smell it, but compared to the dimensionality and vivaciousness of Virgo this finishes up as a somewhat muted powdery violet, some hints of woods and lime more prominent in the dry down that did not stick around. As a Libra I really wanted to like this but I don't think it's for me.
-Scorpio (Rosemary, jasmine, peach, sandalwood): Goes on SUPER masculine-leaning, dries down to a unisex non-gourmand rosemary floral and a backdrop of something sweet that must be the peach...A curious fragrance with a quick but unmistakable scent journey. The wildest part is its eventual disappearance on my skin after 2 hours considering how strong it was at application.
-Sagittarius (Fig, pine, vanilla): This is so lovely! A light, sweet scent with wafts of vanilla and a trace of pine. A crowd-pleaser for sure. Woke up the next morning and I still am able to smell this on my wrist, the staying power is next level!
-Capricorn (Tea rose, blood orange, oud wood): This is not your grandma's dried potpourri rose note, it is a bowl of fresh tea roses still sparkling with morning dew. Some fruitiness comes through the more this dries and the rose top notes subside. If Paintbox Soapworks' "Blushing Heart" didn't have enough rose for you, this is your perfume! The fruit is almost lychee-like. I really like this--I had given up hope on rose notes entirely, so thanks to this perfume house for reminding me it IS possible for rose to be a team player. It happens so rarely, though, that is a valuable find...
-Aquarius (Bergamot, neroli, myrrh): I'm getting Irish Springs soap--bergamot does that to me a lot.
-Pisces (Patchouli, cedar, pikaki, brown sugar): Almost patchouli overload but it mellows once it starts drying. I like catching wafts of it from my wrist but I don't as much like how it smells when I hold my wrist to my nose and sniff closer to the skin, as a lot of the sweetness goes away which is most likely the cedar showing through. I do get some floral, which further softens the experience and makes it more pleasant.
