Vetiver Plus - Mia Dixie

Sorry for not having better formatting. I am lazy and wanted to get this up before the Halloween release closes tonight. If I had to recommend one fragrance that is LE, I'd go with BIC: Halloween Spice Cake. To be honest, I'm not horribly keen on most of the current release fragrances I've tried, at least not enough to tell people to go out and try them, but Halloween Spice Cake is a solid, spicy gourmand that is comforting and munchy-inducing at the same time.
For what it's worth, I tend to like spicy and incense-y fragrances (and I often can't tell the difference between spice and incense). For the most part, I'd test them in the bottle and wet without checking the notes, and I'd check the notes at dry down to have a better idea of what I was actually reviewing.
Some of these are pretty long winded. Skip ahead to the score part of each review for a quick TLDR. I'll add whatever doesn't fit into the post into comments as needed.
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Ahm Shere
Rested a few weeks
Notes: Amber, Limestone Amber, Egyptian Musk (White, Red, Blue and Aswan Musk), Kyphi Lunar (28 ingredients) and Lapis Lazuli dust.
Bottle: An interesting mix. Definitely musk and amber. I almost got something faintly boozey when I first opened it. It doesn't smell like air, but it feels airy, if that makes sense.
Wet: More of that musk. A vague fruitiness. Something herbal? It smells almost medicinal in a way. Not like cough drops or NyQuil or Vick's, but like something homeopathic.
Dry: The amber comes in and has a grounding effect. The musks are taking on a soapy aspect, with a vague sweetness and fruitiness from the kyphi.
I'd say that this is unisex leaning slightly feminine on me. The kyphi is very subdued, so the honey and fruit from it aren't in the forefront at all. It's mostly an earthy but not dry amber and clean musk. As time goes on, the amber becomes more prominent, but it doesn't overpower the musk.
Score: 3/5. I can see the appeal of this sort of scent, but "clean" isn't really what I'm looking for personally. It's very well balanced and a soothing sort of "my skin but better". This would be appropriate for work or other settings where many fragrances wouldn't be okay.
Bastet's Ice Cream: Cardamom and Cedar
Rested about a month
Notes: Organic Studio Cardamom, Smoked Cedar wood, Black Vetiver essence, Spices of Allspice, Pink Pepper and Black Pepper, Vanilla Crystal Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar
Bottle: A warm and dry cardamom, cool cedar, and an undercurrent of rich vanilla ice cream. Quite nice. Spicy, woody, and a touch sweet without being gourmand.
Wet: Wow! A face full of beautiful vanilla ice cream with swirls of cardamom and a touch of cedar. It kind of reminds me of Coconut Dream's ginger cookie ice cream and Biscoff cookies.
Dry: First, this is a scent that wraps around you and is noticeable without sniffing right at your wrist. A few drops is enough to get a nice, strong fragrance. I'm not huge on my perfume wafting around other people, so I could get away with 1-2 drops easily.
It's quite similar to the wet notes further away from the application point. Ice Cream, speculoos cookies, and some other spices in the background that are almost similar to root beer. This isn't a pop or root beer float scent by any means, but the cardamom and allspice are somewhat reminiscent of it and the vanilla makes me think of a float. I assume the butter and maybe notes bidding within the blend keep it as an ice cream or cookie scent though.
Close to my wrist, I get some of the smokey cedar, black pepper, and vetiver. It's sharper the closer I get to my wrist, more like raw spices and wood while further away is more gourmand. It gives an interesting depth that I wasn't expecting. I was hoping the cedar would be more apparent, but it instead acts as kind of a glue tying together the other notes.
After a couple of hours, it becomes weaker, but still quite noticeable, and the two "layers" of scent meld together.
The next morning, it's still faintly there. I'm getting melted vanilla bean ice cream with a light dusting of cardamom and allspice.
Score: 4.5/5. I love it. I'm normally not a gourmand person. Caramel is usually a death note on me; it amps and warps until it smells like a bouillon cube. But apparently not NAVA's. This was a last minute impulse purchase a day or two before the Valentine's release was taken down, and I'm glad I decided to get it. I love spicy fragrances, and this gives me an option for when I want something spicy that's a bit lighthearted. I can smell some sharp spice at my wrist or ice cream just sitting like normal, and other people can get a vague hint of spicy ice cream.
I'd definitely say this is more feminine than masculine, but it's probably unisex. It comes off more masculine close up and feminine further away.
I'm not giving this a full 5 because it won't be something I wear all the time due to the gourmand aspect of it, and I can tell it would be really bad if I had a migraine coming on. That said, it's surprisingly complex (especially for a gourmand) and I am really wanting some speculoos cookies.
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Bastet's Ice Cream: Halloween Spice Cake and Crystalline Cream
Rested a couple of weeks
Notes: Buttery Coffee cake, Cinnamon and nutmeg, Vanilla Bean powder, Bourbon Vanille Absolute (original BV in Studio Limited), a shot of Espresso bean oil to hold up the spices, Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar
Bottle: Mmmm. Buttery cinnamon rolls!
Wet: much of the same. One of the notes is coming off very slightly woody, which gives it a bit more depth.
Dry: So, this has two notes that I'm not generally keen on: coffee and caramel. Coffee isn't a death note for me, but it rarely smells like true coffee for some reason. It just smells slightly off. Caramel is often a death note that smells like old meat or broth/stock that was forgotten on the stove weeks ago. Not here.
The buttery note fades somewhat, leaving a more subtle spice cake. The coffee is the woody note I was getting (why wood????), and it really helps bring it down from an overly childish gourmand into a more adult territory. It's not strong, but it's like you have a cappuccino you're just finishing off and have just gotten a slice of spice cake. The coffee is still there, but it's in the background and not the star of the show.
I don't pick up the caramel up close, but there is a hint of it in the throw, if that makes sense. It's like a spice cake with a vanilla frosting (but not too thick!) that has just a thin drizzle of caramel over the frosting.
Score: 4/5. I like this, but it won't be a regular go to as it's a bit too cakey for me. I've had a bad start to the day. I've been insanely busy with classes (class+study has been pretty much 12+ hours a day, every day, even on weekends) and I just don't have any time for anything it seems. I listen to recorded lectures on my drives and when I do chores. I dream about stuff from class. It's a huge change from the "I have too much time" of unemployment, and today I had a little cry and decided to try a new perfume even though I don't have a ton of time to write my thoughts (gotta cram before my test tonight). I'm glad I did. This is a comforting, cozy scent. It's the perfume equivalent of the feeling of sitting in a cozy wooden cabin with a big red flannel blanket in front of a fire after enjoying a cup of coffee and slowly eating a spice cake. This is comfort in a bottle, and I think it will be a go to stress relief smell.
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Black Crow
Rested a few weeks
Notes: Black Musk, Red Musk, White Patchouli, Shadow Amber, a fresh drop of Black Dragon's Blood Absolute Resin, Bastet's Golden Amber Incense, Bastet's Amber and a drop of RA's Amber Trinity (Gold, Honey and Resin).
Bottle: I'm getting major amber-musk-incense vibes. Probably some spice mixed in there?
Wet: Immediately I get dry, earthy patchouli. Followed mostly but faint musk and incense.
Dry: My skin seems to be eating this up. Once the patchouli fades, I have to sniff right on top of my skin to get anything. It still smells earthy, and while the musk notes are black and red, it managed to come off as clean and slightly dirty at the same time. The musks along with the patchouli give the impression that you're in the shower washing off sweat and dirt after digging a grave or something. The dragon's blood and amber are very nice background notes that pull the stronger notes together quite well and waft up occasionally.
I'd say this probably leans more masculine than what most women would like, and despite preferring unisex scents myself I'd say it's more masculine than I would typically prefer. That said, there's something I really like about it.
Score: 3/5. If resting longer improves the strength, this could go up to 3.5-4 and a FS purchase. As it is, it's too weak for me and I don't generally go for scents that are strong, so that's saying something.
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Candied Lavender
About a week
Notes: French Blue Lavender essential, Bulgarian Lavender essential, Spanish Lavandin absolute and Candied blend (Victorian-style Sugar-Candied perfumes infused with Lime Zest, aged Orange slices, Raspberry Essence, Pear Essence, Sugar Accord, Lemon Zest, Vanilla Extract, Pink Sugar, Bourbon Vanille Absolute, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Bean)
Bottle: Herbal lavender, vanilla, and sugar. Something vaguely clean or soapy in the background.
Wet: Herbal lavender. Musk? And a little bit of sweetness. There's definitely something candy-like about it. Almost like a Necco wafer or some sort of pastille. This is a very fresh and herbal lavender scent, and it's much stronger than when I tried it right after getting it.
Dry: This gets quite a bit sweeter as it dries down. The lavender is still there, but it isn't sharp anymore. The fruit adds a nice, juicy tartness. After even more time, the vanilla comes out and it becomes even more like candy.
Score: 4/5. I may want to get another bottle. Its a good mix of medicinal lavender and candy. (I did not get a second bottle, I think one is enough.)
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Candied Cardamom
Rested a few days
Notes: Green Cardamom essential oil, Crystallized Bastet’s Ice Cream blend, Crystalline Absolute and Candied blend (Lime Zest, aged Orange slices, Raspberry Essence, Pear Essence, Sugar Accord, Lemon Zest, Vanilla Extract, Pink Sugar, Bourbon Vanille Absolute, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Bean)
Bottle: I'm mostly getting citrus. Lime I believe. It's a tart and sweet lime, not feeling too much of either. It is definitely a candy-like smell. The cardamom is there, faintly, but it almost feels more earthy and grounded than spicy. Maybe it's the contrast of sweet/sour and spice that makes me think that.
Wet: There's the cardamom! The candied note is still more prominent, but the cardamom is adding a hint of sharpness. Much like Candied Lavender, I'm getting Necco wafer or Valentine's Day candy heart vibes from this. So far, this is much stronger than Candied lavender though.
Dry: As it starts to dry down, the citrus goes a little cleaning fluid on me up close, but as I move around and inhale the fragrance aura, it's still candy. Eventually it goes back to a pleasant citrus that doesn't make me want to scrub it off.
Maybe 10-15 minutes later, the sweetness calms down and the cardamom becomes more prominent. It's definitely a drier cardamom than I'm used to from NAVA. It has almost woody undertones to it.
It eventually settles into a woody cardamom with the citrus-heavy candied note. I'm not really getting much of any of the vanilla blends, which I'm okay with.
Can still faintly smell the woody cardamom 8-9 hours later.
Score: 3.75/5? This could go higher with age. I was hoping for their more typical cardamom note, but the woody green cardamom is pleasant as well. Recommended for people who like woodsy, sweet, and citrus-y scents. The sweetness makes this lean slightly feminine, but I could see it being unisex.
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Canopic Duamutef
Rested a few weeks
Notes: Egyptian Cardamom, Santalum Absolute, Incense accord, Bastet’s Musk Absolute, Kola root extract, Egyptian Frankincense Resin
Bottle: Mmm. Sweet spice, like cardamom. It's almost like root beer or cola. The smell sticks around even after closing the bottle.
Wet: The cola mostly disappears, and earthy notes come forward. Maybe even something dirty, like patchouli. I'm getting something that reminds me of smoke but I'm not sure actually is smoke.
Dry: Smokey, earthy incense with kind of a dirty musk and spice a few minutes after application. With more time, the cardamom (and maybe kola root?) come in a bit stronger and add to the incense note, and the frankincense amps along with that change. A few hours later, it's a beautiful mild incense.
Score: 3/5. It's alright. I think this is one I'll appreciate more as it ages. I'm a fan of incense and spice notes, but right now the balance feels a bit off for me as the earthy notes slightly overwhelm the others. It's also fairly weak on me, though not enough to write it off.
This would be good for people who want a more subtle incense fragrance. The frankincense really tones down some of the sharpness, and because of the cardamom and kola root, it isn't purely incense-y.
(Update: I’d say this is more of a 3.5 now. I like it more than I did at first and wear it somewhat regularly.)
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Canopic Hapy Dark
Rested a week
Notes: Charred Australian Sugar Ginger, Ginger Absolute, Cardamom, Drop of Smoked Wood Embers, White Musk, Amber, Mastic, Allspice, Clove and Grated Nutmeg
Bottle: Cool, dark vanilla with light spices. It smells like a rich lotion or body cream. Hm. Let's hope this changes.
Wet: The spices come out sharply, and there's an earthy, woody note as well. Maybe patchouli? The lotion vibe is definitely still there, but not close to application.
Dry: Thankfully the lotion vibe is gone, but wow my thoughts on what I was smelling were way off. Looking at them now, the musk is definitely what I perceived as vanilla for some reason and I assume the embers were the patchouli.
This smells like lit Japanese incense to me. If you're not familiar with it, Japanese incense doesn't have a core, it's just a stick of compressed powders. This reduces the smoke and increases the actual incense fragrance. It's more delicate than other types of incense and I love it.
The musk is still there in the background, but it's predominantly smokey spices. After the initial blast of musk when wet, it wears fairly close to the skin.
...and a few minutes after typing that, the musk comes back. I don't even know anymore.
Normally I'm not big on musk because I don't like smelling like soap, but this is an exception. It's like I'm in a room with a vase of fragrant, freshly picked flowers and lit incense.
And about half an hour after saying that, I'm kind of taking it back. Up close it's nice because there's a balance, but farther away it's musk with a background of incense. It isn't bad, but it isn't me.
Okay, this just keeps getting worse. This started at a solid 3.5 with dry down, and it's just getting not so great the longer I have it on.
Score: 1.5/5. Ehhh. Generally smokey and spicy fragrances read unisex to me, but the musk brings this straight into feminine territory. If the spice gets stronger or the musk weaker with aging, my opinion may improve. I wouldn't have bought this had I known the musk was going to be so strong. I'm hoping it ages into something likeable because right now, while I like its initial dry down, the increasing intensity of the musk is nauseating.
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Crimson
Rested a few weeks
Notes: A single note with accents given to enhance. A pure Egyptian Red Musk that is a skin musk the envelopes the wearer in a sheer, deep and aromatic scent that binds with the natural warmth of the skin and is both alluring and unisexual.
Bottle: Musk. It's faint but nice. Feminine.
Wet: Very faint. Like perfume that had been put on yesterday and is just barely still there.
Dry: My skin but better. Quite faint. Clean and slightly floral. It gets stronger over an hour or so, but it still isn't strong. It smells soapy.
Score: 2/5. There really isn't much to say about it. It's a skin musk. It's pretty, but I was kind of hoping for more. The color, a beautiful pink-red, is somehow more impressive than the scent. I don't know. Maybe I just find soapy scents boring. Because really, this is just soapy and boring to me.
This also isn't something you can just use a lot of to increase the strength. It's easily the most viscous perfume oil I've tried, and it takes a while to dry down.
This would be ideal for a workplace or other setting where you can't wear a heavy perfume.
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Dark Matter
Rested a few weeks
Notes: Black Jasmine, Vanilla Bean Liqueur, Egyptian Cardamom, Black Agarwood essence, Oudh essence, Bastet’s Musk, Bastet’s Amber, Burning Wood embers, Saffron Attar, Bourbon Vanille Absolute, Black and White Patchouli blend, Indian Jasmine Absolute and Bourbon Vanilla Beans.
Bottle: Vanilla and spice. Cardamom, I think. It smells kind of like cola.
Wet: It's dry. Somewhat earthy in a way. Maybe patchouli. The cola-like scent is still there as well. Close to application it's more earthy, and further away I get the cola scent.
Dry: Looking at the notes makes me realize I'm actually not familiar with some of the more prominent ones, specifically Jasmine and saffron.
This is quite a complex scent. After maybe 10-15 I get floral and patchouli with a hint of cardamom.
Within an hour, their perfumey vanilla comes out but something, I assume the patchouli and/or saffron comes off almost like sweat to me. It isn't strong, but I do notice it through the floral and vanilla notes at times.
Score: 2.5/5. It's okay. I was expecting more based on reviews I had seen, but it's just mediocre for me. It's pretty, but it doesn't blow me away. Unless it ages into something amazing, I won't get a FS during the official release in the fall.
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Dead Can Sleep
Rested a few weeks
Notes: Dark Lavender, Graveyard Dirt, Black Patchouli, Amber, Musk, Raw Chamomile, Valerian Root and a drop of Oud.
Bottle: Lavender. Something earthy. And something almost sweet? Maybe amber.
Wet: Pretty sure the lavender is French lavender as it has herbal/minty qualities. I think there's patchouli in here, but it's a lot less in your face than Dream Vision. The something sweet (one of their vanilla blends???) is still there, but fainter than in the bottle.
Dry: This is pretty nice. It has an almost airy quality about it, maybe because of the musk. The dirt and patchouli blend to take away some of the, ah, more pungent qualities patchouli can have.
In the past, I haven't been huge on NAVA's musks or ambers, but neither comes off as overwhelming in this. There is just barely a touch of sweet resin from the amber that keeps the earthy notes and lavender from being too strong, and the musk adds to the cool feeling of the lavender.
I'm not specifically picking up the chamomile, though it may be in the background of the dirt and patchouli. I'm not familiar with valerian to give an opinion on it, and the oud isn't perceptible to me.
Score: 3.5 or 3.75/5. I like it. It's a medicinal lavender that isn't as strong as some other French lavenders I've tried. I will likely get a full size at some point.
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Dream Time
Rested a few weeks
Notes: Italian Lavender, French Lavender, California Sweetgrass, California Cedarwood, Ginger absolute, Cardamom absolute, Hinoki Wood, California White Sage and eNVie parfum saphir absolut
Bottle: I want to say lavender, mint, and vanilla. I definitely get dreamy from this. I'd say it's roughly 50% mint and lavender and 50% sweet vanilla.
Wet: The sharpness is much stronger, and the lavender is definitely overpowered by it. There's something herbal in there I can't quite place. The vanilla is still there, albeit faint. It smells medicinal to me.
Dry: Oh wow. This is nice. I was a bit worried about it while wet, but it's coming along nicely. It's like they captured the sharp, refreshing qualities of lavender, ginger, and cardamom and mixed it into a woody vanilla. It almost certainly isn't everybody's favorite sort of scent, but as somebody who loves spicy and camphorous notes, this is amazing. It isn't particularly strong, but I really like it.
The wood notes aren't particularly obvious to me unless I take a big whiff, at which point I catch them at the end. The herbal notes are mostly gone, and the vanilla is there as a not-quite-gourmand note in the background. It lasts quite a while and towards the end of its life, it's a faint, herbal vanilla.
When I put it on at night, it's still there faintly in the morning.
Score: 5/5. I love this. It's sadly a LE so I'm very tempted to get a second bottle, but I'll just hope for the best and assume it'll be back for a Resurgence at some point.
Unless I break and order a second bottle because... Man, I love how sharp and refreshing, yet calming this is. I have pretty bad GAD and suffered from panic disorder for a while, and I can easily see this being a grounding scent for me. (Update: I purchased a second bottle. FOMO for sure, but it's so totally one of my favorite types of smells with how sharp it is. I'm currently obsessed with this and it may have trumped SS Astral Temple.)
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Dream Vision
Rested a month
Notes: French Lavender, White Patchouli, Black Patchouli leaf, Bastet’s Musk, Red Sandalwood, Vanilla infused Benzoin resin, White Ginger absolute, Amber blend and eNVie parfum saphir
Bottle: A sharp, herbal and camphorous lavender with a light earthy and slightly musty patchouli. It's the same lavender from Dream Time, which I adore.
Wet: I get mostly patchouli. It's almost a dusty feeling patchouli. The lavender isn't nearly as prominent as it is in the bottle, though further from the point of application the lavender is stronger than the patch.
Dry: Hmmm. This is... Odd. The patchouli comes off as dry and dusty, which is in stark contrast to the almost minty lavender. I can vaguely pick up some of the more perfumey notes--musk, amber, saphir, benzoin--but not as much as I was hoping. It almost gives the impression of being a clean soapy fragrance tying the patchouli and lavender together.
The longer it sits on my skin, the nicer it gets. My wrist gives off a clean musk perfume vibe without being headachy, but further away I get almost all lavender.
A few hours after applications, the warmer notes are all that are left--amber, musk, and just a touch of vanilla and benzoin.
Score: 2.5/5. I was really worried about this one. Patchouli is one of those notes that I'm okay with in small amounts but generally don't care for in large amounts because it just smells like dirt to me. Once the middle notes come out, this becomes a fairly pleasant fragrance that is both refreshing and clean. I don't like it nearly as much as Dream Time so I definitely won't be getting a second bottle, but it's another decent scent that will be added to my stress relieving smells.
I think this is one that will benefit from aging to tie the fragrances together better. Initially the dust and cool notes were pulling in opposite directions in my nose and brain, and it felt almost like having two clashing scents on. I imagine that with time, even the top notes will be nice.
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Eternal Ankh Green
Rested a week
Notes: White Ginger Incense, Ginger Essential Oil, Nutmeg, White Cinnamon, Cognac Absolute, Copal essential Oil, Dried Tonka Vanilla, NA Osirian Incense (SL Osirian Purnima), White Amber Absolute, Powdered and reconstructed oil of Egyptian Vanilla Husk, Vanilla fleck and Vanilla Absolute
Bottle: Ooooh, nice! Spice and warm vanilla? It almost smells like snickerdoodles or sugar cookies with extra spice, but not gourmand.
Wet: Initially it's the non-gourmand cookie with woody and caramel undertones. It then goes a bit more perfumey, especially further away from the point of application.
Dry: Hmm. I'm picking up a bit of a sharp, funky vibe that I'm not really liking. Maybe the cognac? I don't know, but it's not good. Further away it smells lightly spicy and vanilla-y, thankfully.
Hmmm. When I don't get that sour smell, it's nice. To the point I was opening a browser tab to remind myself to get a second bottle. But... It's just too much.
Score: 3.5/5. 1.5/5 up close, 4.5/5 further away and before dry down. It's almost almost perfect, but apparently cognac is not my thing.
(After resting a couple more weeks, this went up to a 3.5/5 from a 2. The sour smell has basically disappeared into the vanilla, and the staying power has increased to more than 12 hours. It isn't something that stands out compared to other vanilla and spice fragrances personally, but I like it well enough.)
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Eternal Ankh Spice
Rested a few days
Notes: White Amber Absolute, Powdered and reconstructed oil of Egyptian Vanilla Husk, Vanilla fleck, African White Vanilla Absolute, Essential oils of Nutmeg, clove and Cardamom with a drydown of beautiful Eternal Ankh Vanilla
Bottle: A gourmand vanilla with spice. Cardamom?
Wet: Oh wow. Gourmand vanilla and spice in the most perfect ratio. Maybe amber? Or something that adds some richness underneath it all.
Dry: Sadly, this gets quite weak on me. The amber is airy, effervescent. The spice adds to the sharpness of the bubbly feeling while the vanilla adds warmth. It almost smells like ginger ale, except it's nutmeg ale.
After a few hours, it's mostly a warm, non-gourmand vanilla.
Score: 3/5. It's alright. I'm hoping that aging it makes it richer. It's nice and bright for a spice fragrance, I just wish it was a bit heavier and stronger.
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Eternal Ankh Summer
Rested a few days
Notes: Eternal Ankh Vanilla Absolute accord (Egyptian Vanilla Husk, Vanilla fleck, African White Vanilla Absolute), NA Bourbon Vanille Absolute, Cardamom Spice essential
Bottle:. Mmm. A beautiful vanilla with dry spice mixed in. Luxurious, warm.
Wet: The more gourmand aspects of vanilla disappear and it's learning more into vanilla perfume territory. It has a vaguely smokey and dry quality to it.
Dry: This is an adult vanilla. There's nothing gourmand about it. It's distinctly vanilla perfume with an effervescent backing of dry cardamom. Normally I'm not a fan of Indies that read as perfume, but even I can't deny how beautiful this is. It's a complex and layered vanilla, and the cardamom is at the perfect level to give a faint hint of spice without overpowering the vanilla. I think even those who aren't fans of spice will love this.
Score: 4/5. I can see why this is so highly recommended. It could easily be a signature scent and I think many people would easily rate this as a 5/5. Fans of vanilla fragrances need to get this.
While I don't see myself grabbing for this regularly, it will be in my rotation.
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Eternal Aswan
Rested a few weeks
Notes: White Amber, Lavender Leaves, Royal Mountain Laurel, soft Egyptian cinnamon, Blend of NA Ambers and Vanilla Absolute.
Bottle: Oooh! I like this! It's a sweet sort of incense or spice. It reminds me of a hard candy I can't quite place.
Wet: Hm. I'm getting something kind of herbal, and something kind of medicinal? Further away, I want to say I'm getting an almost syrupy amber and spice of some sort. Maybe cinnamon or clove? Definitely not their cardamom. Somehow all together it reminds me of cough syrup even though it doesn't really smell like it. I asked my husband what it reminded him of, and he said fruit.
Dry: I wish I liked this more than I do. It was great in the bottle, but after dry down all of the wrong notes stand out. Something about it reminds me of cough syrup that has had Red Hot and Jolly Rancher candies soaking in it. It doesn't have the same sharpness of cough syrup but that odd, sweet, syrupy amber mixed with the cinnamon and laurel just reminds me of being sick. There aren't any fruit notes in here, but something just screams artificial fruit flavoring somehow.
No lavender of note. I assume the vanilla is adding to that sickly, sweet syrup vibe I'm getting but it doesn't stand out otherwise.
Score:1.5/5. I don't know. This might age into something better, but I kind of feel sick simply because I associate this smell with being sick. I love some other houses' amber blends, but despite NAVA having some popular ambers, I haven't found any from here that I love.
Off to scrub this off. I put a lot on too because the color was so pretty and it smelled good in the bottle.
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Eternal Egypt Lavender
Rested a week-ish
Notes: French Lavender, Bulgarian Lavender, Bastet Amber, Blue Yarrow, Lavandin, Egyptian Musk, NA White Amber Absolute
Bottle: Somewhat fainter than most NAVA fragrances. I first get floral notes (really nice ones at that) that are followed up by their herbal French lavender. There may be some light vanilla, musk, or amber in there as well.
Wet: Immediately I almost get a green vibe, and then a mix of the floral, herbal, sweeter notes from in the bottle. The throw is already there, and quite often it doesn't pick up until after dry down for me.
Dry: Feminine, floral, and green. I assume the green is from the yarrow. It smells like a vase of floral lavender with a few sprigs of something green, and a nice musk. The musk vaguely reminds me of lilac. The herbaceousness of the French lavender is mostly hidden by the Bulgarian lavender and yarrow.
The throw of this is pretty decent. It dripped out fairly slowly so I didn't get a ton on, and I can smell it fairly strongly a ways away from my wrist. The throw is quite strong the sillage is mostly Bulgarian lavender and musk and amber.
After a couple of hours, it's a light French lavender, blue yarrow, and musk.
This is mid spring in scent form. Flowery, green, and bright.
Score: 2/5. I really wanted to like this more than I do. I was hoping the herbal lavender would shine through more since it's listed first. It's quite a beautiful scent, but I wanted something sharper and a bit less feminine. I'm hoping it will age into something I like more, but even if it stays the same it will be a good sleep note or good for layering with scents that are a bit too masculine for my tastes.
Husband says "Hm! Smells good."
(After a few months it has fallen into the "scented pad" fragrance category and fell half a point. Hopefully it ages into something better.)
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Halloween Bastet 2016
Rested a week ish
Notes: Soft spices, Bastet Amber, Crystalline (Vanilla from the stigma of a Vanilla Orchid), soft incense, Black Sugar and Blue Purnima (Bastet Incense Accord)
Bottle: Spice, amber, vanilla, and something almost citrusy.
Wet: Spice, amber... Maybe something smokey? Vanilla. It's almost like a spicy amber (maybe with cloves and light cardamom) and browned sugar cookies.
Dry: Initially, this smells like a generic feminine perfume with some spice and incense notes thrown in the background. I definitely felt my face making a nose-crinkle of disappointment until I got a whiff a few minutes later.
Right up close it is still that spicy, amber, browned cookie-like vanilla, but further away it's predominantly amber with incense. It's quite feminine and very strong for a perfume oil.
Oddly enough, despite this starting out so strong, it mostly faded after 2-3 hours. It's still there on my wrist, but it isn't wafting up or creating an aura of smells around me.
Score: 3.5/5. This was a solid 4 and a possible FS purchase until my husband smelled it and said that it reminded him of the incense his mom used to light when he was a kid. It isn't a bad fragrance, but with how strong scent and memory are tied together, I feel a bit weird effectively smelling like his mom. This will likely get put into a candle.
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Halloween Dreams
Rested a couple of weeks
Notes: Lavender Absolute, Organic Lavandin Flowers, French Lavender, Halloween Candy accord (sugars and caramel), Crimson Musk (Studio Limited), Halloween Bonfire Smoke accord (NA Studio), Ember wood smoke infused Lavender buds
Bottle: Herbal lavender, something sweet like sugar, and a hint of smoke.
Wet: It's weaker than I expected, and it vaguely reminds me of lavender plus NAVA's candied note due to the sweetness. I'm getting an almost juicy, sweet lavender with just a hint of smoke, almost like the smell of cooled embers from an old camp fire.
Dry: Looking at the notes upon initial dry down,I'm surprised. I don't get any caramel, which is usually a death note on me, but there is a definite candy vibe in there that softens the herbaceousness of the lavender.
I don't get any of the Crimson Musk, though it does come off weak on me on its own.
With time, the smoke gets stronger. It's like eating lavender pastilles with a dying campfire nearby. I don't find it overpowering but if you aren't into smoke you likely will.
Score: 3/5. That may change with time. I currently have a headache as well, which isn't helping. If you like sweet lavender and smoke, you want this.
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Horus Amber
Rested a week or so
Notes: Nepalese Amber imported from the deepest resins in Nepal and lit from the warmest cardamom of India and Australia; base of Egyptian Cedar, Egyptian Frankincense, Egyptian Sandalwood, Egyptian Rock Rose, Egyptian Patchouli, Egyptian Siam
Bottle: Faint, but nice. A sweet and almost vaguely citrusy amber with a touch of spice.
Wet: Sweet amber. I'm getting some almost woody notes?
Dry: This is quite different from the other ambers I've tried. It's juicy in a sweet, almost fruity way. If you could bite into a juicy, amber-flavored apple, it would smell and taste like this.
After a short while, an undercurrent of a vague clean fragrance comes in but it doesn't take over. Sadly, I'm not getting any of the cardamom. I was wanting a spicy amber, and I'm getting exactly zero spice. (I saw a few reviews saying this was a dry amber and I'm wondering if the lack of cardamom is making me read it as juicy?)
The strength is weaker than I was hoping and expecting, but because this is a very no frills scent on me, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It could easily be a bedtime scent for me because it's so smooth, calm, and sweet.
Score: 3.25/5. If the cardamom comes out after resting longer, it could go higher. As is, it's a little flat and simplistic for my preferences. Also, despite it being somewhat weak, I could see it giving me a headache if I wore too much because of how sweet it is.
This is a very approachable amber. The resins used were obviously blended very carefully, as I'm not getting any of the potentially powdery notes, or any of the darker and sticky notes that some of the resins can give. This is unassuming, feminine, and both clean and sweet while still being 100% amber. This would be suitable for work, school, and pretty much anywhere else.
Will not buy FS.
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Indigo
Rested a few weeks
Notes: Words to visualize with this perfume oil are 'heavenly', 'purple', 'peaceful', 'ethereal' and 'grounding'; imported African Musk.
Bottle: Uh. My grandma's bathroom? Or at least the potpourri and soap she had in it.
Wet: Faint floral musk. Clean. I couldn't tell you what flowers exactly, but it reminds me of white bar soap. Still kind of reads "old lady" to me.
Dry: It smells a bit more floral than soapy, but I really just feel like I washed my hands with hand soap that has too much fragrance in it.
It's going slightly powdery, but despite my distaste for powdery notes, it isn't an overwhelming powdery note. Some reviews mention a rose note hidden in it, and I think I agree with that--there is something rosey in this, which I think is what is giving me the grandma vibes. Some reviews also say that this is unisex or leaning masculine as well, which I very much disagree with. At least on me, it is all feminine.
Score: 2/5. Meh. If you like floral musks or clean, soapy scents you will probably like this. To me it's just boring soap in my grandma's bathroom.

I apologize in advance for my basic reviews, I have a hard time picking out notes and describing what I'm smelling. But I loved browsing reviews when making my order decisions so thought I would contribute.
About me:
Love: citruses, fresh scents, stone fruit, vanillas, ambers, coconut
Dislike: most flowers, aldehydes, aquatics, manly or unisex scents, headshop scents, most mainstream perfumes
Hexennacht - perfume extract
Coffin Nails: (Tobacco leaves, tobacco flower, whiskey, ginger, anise, coriander, clove, spices, fruitwood sap, juniper berry, hay, vetiver, benzoin, labdanum, vanilla pods, tonka bean, honey.) I got this one due to seeing a lot of raves for it. I have a hard time picking up individual notes in this perfume, but to be fair I don't even know what most of these notes are supposed to smell like. I liked it at first, it had a pretty floral scent, but now that it's rested, I don't like it anymore. The mix of the tree sap with the tobacco flower just doesn't work for me. It's very sweet and musky and something about it makes me a bit sick. tdlr: too sappy and flowery for me, will destash. 1/5
Kentucky Bourbon & Woodsmoke: (Rich Kentucky bourbon, vanilla musk, teakwood, mahogany and light woodsmoke). It smells like sweet woodsmoke. It reminds me of wearing a thick scarf and my favorite boots, walking through the neighborhood while everyone is using their chimneys. That fall scent of smoke is in the air and it's absolutely delicious and atmospheric. I also find it a good note to mix with other perfumes when you want to ground something too sweet. I don't pick up any of the boozyness of bourbon and I think the vanilla is very soft in the background. tldr: fall chimney smoke atmospheric 4/5
Hyrule Castle: (Double bergamot earl grey tea, almond-orange tea cakes). This was such a unique scent, I keep huffing and huffing to try and identify what exactly I'm smelling. There is cake in there, and it's a dry perfume, almost in a mouth-puckering sense. I think it's the dry tea which doesn't have any creaminess in it. It smells like taking a bite out of a sweet citrusy cake and following it up with strong black tea. There is something fascinating about this mix, as I'm constantly smelling myself when I put it on. The perfume smells the same in the bottle as it does on the skin, and I didn't notice any change even after about 4 hrs of wear tdlr: I feel like I'm at high tea 4/5
Moloko Plus: (Steamed milk, sweetened condensed milk, coconut milk, and rice milk, infused with lavender simple syrup, coconut crème, and green cardamom poddiwods). This was such an amazing scent, and it was the first time I encountered a milky note in perfumes. Imagine a comforting cozy sweet rice pudding with a bit of herbal lavender in the background. I don't see myself wearing this during the day. there is something about the sweet creamy note that makes me worry that I will become sick of it if I overuse it. However, I do reach for it at night. I'd love this in cream format, just want to slather it on. Will probably get a full size spray perfume, for my pillow. I actually had to make some rice pudding the day I received this, it just sparked crazy cravings. tldr: cozy creamy pudding, which automatically relaxes and soothes you. 5/5
Thanatos: (Desiccated leaves, hedgerow blossoms, charred pinyon, aged cedarwood boughs, petrified tree sap, crisp fall air, laurel, clove bud, smoke-tinged balsam, santalum, and graveyard dirt). Another one that had a ton of rave reviews online. I smell the sweet resin and a bit of pine and woodiness in the background. There is a tinge of that sweet scent of dead leaves which blanket the forest ground around October. Again, it's very well blended and it's definitely not a one-note kind of perfume, and I have a difficult time picking out individual notes. I can't decide if I like this or not! Sometimes it feels a bit too sweet and woodsy for me, but under other circumstances it's a fresh forest scent which I really enjoy. tldr: resiny pine forest, not sure if it's my thing, 3/5
Gold Skulltula: (Golden amber, cardamom, vanilla orchid, vanilla bean, tonka, myrrh). I don't actually own this one but I had the chance to try it from a friend. THIS is the dupe I've been searching for, for Commodity's Gold perfume which is pretty $$ at Sephora. Will order a full size spray of this. It's a warm cozy sexy vanilla and amber scent, perfect for the winter months. I saw someone describe it as sexy waffles which I can actually kind of understand. tldr: sexy waffles, yes please. 5/5
Overall thoughts: Even liking 3/5 scents from a blind buy is huge for me, and although some perfumes just weren't my style, they still felt incredibly well blended. I think her perfumes smelled the least mainstream. These last about 3-5 hours on the skin and easily all day on clothing. I also like that I can get perfume extracts since I like more throw for my perfumes. I'm sad that there is a sample limit of 5 drams now, as I have a pretty long list I'd like to get from her.
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Cocoa Pink - oil based
Virgin Island Water: (a citrusy cocktail of white bergamot, Jamaican lime, Sicilian mandarin. The citruses are accompanied by a note of copra, the white inner flesh of the coconut. The heart includes intensive Indian jasmine and sweet hibiscus, exotic ylang-ylang and cold, spicy ginger. The base of the composition includes sugar cane, musk and white rum). Oof this is a blue scent. It has a very strong citrusy scent and even a bit aquatic, although that could just be me being influenced by the fact that this perfume is actually a pretty vivid blue color. I think I was expecting a bit more sweetness in the background from the coconut and flowers, almost a tropical scent, but it's just a sharp citrus note. It feels almost basic, like that's the only note in it, and it's slightly unisex. I don't love wearing it, but it could be due to it being winter here and really cold outside. tldr: fresh citrusy lime, simple. 3/5
Beautiful Daydream: (Pink grapefruit essential oil infused with juicy Kaffir lime accented with the unadulterated gentle fragrance of clean cotton laundry dried only by the summer wind and sun under cerulean blue skies.) Just smell cotton, basically smells like soap. I expected it to be a lot more citrusy with just a slight base note of cotton. Would love it in either the diffuser or as a linen spray. tldr: fresh cotton laundry 3/5
Green Tea & Mint: (Leaves of peppermint & spearmint added to our green tea with a splash of marshmallow to sweeten it up.) I had really high expectations for this one, but there's something in there I don't like. It reminds me of public toilets, and I actually don't pick up either the green tea or the mints. tldr: I don't know what this is 1/5
Summer in Greece: (Mediterranean Fig, green tea, wild mint leaves, pistachio, clementine, bergamot, Ivy leaves, clary sage, lavender and tonka bean grounded with pale musk.) The only reason I ordered this one is because I had a summer wedding in Santorini and the name called out to me. It's slightly herby and dry, almost dusty a bit. I really cannot detect any of the other notes, it all just blends together. There is a similar note in here that I do not like and it's very prominent, just like in the Green Tea & Mint perfume. Could it be the green tea? Why do I keep wearing this if I don't love it? There's something about it that keeps drawing me in, maybe because it's not so 'one note' as many other perfumes. After about an hour it calms down and I smell much more of the mint and a little bit of fig. tldr: I cannot detect much in this, but it seems complex and I keep wearing it, trying to identify individual notes. 2/5
Black Voodoo: (black, spiritueuse double vanilla, butterscotch, bourbon vanilla, hot butter rum & coconut crème). This one is sweet! I smell the butterscotch immediately which I'm not really a fan of, I think it overpowers the other notes. After about an hour the butterscotch calms down and everything blends together so well that I have a hard time picking out individual notes. It's sweet but soft. tldr: I want to drink it, 4/5
The Un-Red: (This blend would make any vampire or other undead creatures stalk your bathroom. Buckets of bloody orange juice, sweet vanilla, bourbon vanilla, sandalwoods and ambers. Hide this one well or you will find it missing by morning.) In the bottle this has an orange-rubber scent, but on my skin it opens up more into a sweet creamy orange. It fully reminds me of eating an orange creamsicle on a hot summer day. The sandlewood is very faint in the background. I love orange and vanilla but there's something here that is a bit meh to my nose. I think it's that sweet creamy note, it keeps the scent from being a true orange. Or maybe it's the sandlewood that I don't like?? My nose is so broken tldr: eating a sweet melting orange creamsicle, 4/5
Black Vanilla: (CocoaPink's rich black amber blended with three different Vanillas). I got this as a sample of voluptous body butter. It smells and looks like a thick vanilla yogurt and it takes all my willpower to not lick the lid. The body butter is really thick and a tiny amount goes a long way, BUT it sinks in nicely and it's non greasy. I quite like it! I keep catching whiffs of the scent when it's on my hands. It's very much a vanilla scent but there's something that keeps it from going too gourmand. It's the creamy thick almost yogurt scent, it reminds me a bit of caramel as well. tldr: creamy caramel-vanilla yogurt, do not lick the lid. 5/5
Overall thoughts: The perfumes took a pretty long time to be sent out, almost a month. I'm glad they are in drams though, easier to use and open without getting them all over my fingers. I don't think there was anything in here that i really loved, and I also had some disappointments. The throw in general is ok for oil based perfumes, I get random whiffs here and there when applied to my wrists. It lasts about 4 hours. I got some summer scents and I am going on a trip to Australia next month. I am interested to see how they fare in hot weather, and whether my opinion of them changes. I'm also really interested in seeing if the smells change after resting a few months.
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Alkemia - oil based
Apsara: (Darjeeling Tea and Purple Hyacinths) This one let me down a bit. I love the smell of hyacinths and it's been very difficult to find a perfume with this note. Sadly, it's a very sharp perfume. I guess it's the darjeeling tea giving it such a strong sharp scent? The hyacinth lingers there in the background but this flower has such a soft scent that it's really overpowered by the tea. Will let this one rest and see how it smells in a few months. tldr: bitter smell with a weak hyacinth undertone 1/5
Dalliance: (garden fresh English cucumbers, barely ripened figs, and sweet Pekoe tea.) Wow I really enjoy this one. Upon application I get the cool fresh cucumber (which I love) but then it fades very quickly. The figs take over along with the tea to create a soft fresh scent. It has a slightly citrusy base, almost like bergamot. This scent is serene and refreshing and it's the kind you would encounter in a luxurious spa. tldr: I would wear this, and also diffuse for a rich spa feel. Will consider a FS for the summer months. 5/5
Liliacs Along the Winding Drive: (Lilacs, Spring Violets, Rainwater, River Stone) Flowery and powdery, mainly. I get a faint liliac scent and something powdery, maybe the violets. Don't like it and had to wash it off after an hr or so. Funny how many scents I absolutely adore in real life (roses, strawberries, liliacs) but hate in synthetic forms. tldr: powdery floral air freshener 1/5
Elixir of Aphrodite: (A love spell of Persian apricots dipped in orange blossom honey swirling with a sensual enchantment of peach and plum blossoms, mimosa, white star jasmine, ambrette, guiac wood, and vanilla musk.) Very fruity, girly, summery scent. It's a very sweet stone fruit scent with honey in the background. I will use up the sample but probably will not get a FS, it is too sweet and youthful for me. tldr: true to description, it's a sweet honey-peach-apricot scent 4/5
Moroccan Tea: (An elegantly understated yet intriguingly energizing blend of delicate pekoe tea leaves infused with a touch of fresh gingermint-spearmint, osmanthus flowers, and gunpowder matcha tea from a Moroccan recipe.) Yessss, here is the mint perfume I wanted. I expected the Green Tea & Mint from Cocoa Pink to smell like this but that was a letdown. This one is minty and fresh and I absolutely adore it. Cannot wait to wear it in my upcoming trip to Australia and see how it fares in boiling temperatures. tldr: spearmint with light matcha in the background, very cooling and delicious 5/5
Trick or Treat: (A grownup confection of black licorice, mandarin orange peel, caramelized brown sugar, bourbon vanilla, candied ginger, tonka bean, blonde patchouli, cedar tips, oakmoss, and sandalwood.) It's very much a sexy grown up mandarin orange with faint ginger, licorice and wood scents in the background keeping it from going too tropical or summery. Either way, I quite like this one. tldr: fall orange scent, would consider getting a FS 5/5
Cidre d' Automne: (Freshly pressed varietal fall apples delicately blended with subtle autumnal spices.) This one starts out with some fresh apple and becomes spicy very quickly. It's not bad, and I will probably use up the sample but it's not FS worthy. It's very much a Bath&Body Works kind of fake autumn scent. It fades considerably within an hour and it's pretty much completely gone within 2 hours tldr: spicy apple candle 2/5
Overall thoughts: I liked that the order shipped within less than a week and it got to Canada relatively fast. The etsy store also means I can see the prices in Canadian currency, and the shipping prices are cheaper than Hexennacht. The scents really don't last on me at all, maybe 2 hours or so, and the throw is non existent. I don't like having to literally smell my wrists just to get a faint whiff of my perfume. I guess the samples are doing their job, they allow you to just sample the scent. If I get full sizes of anything, it would be in perfume spray. Dalliance, Moroccan Tea and Trick or Treat are all FS worthy, they are unique scents I haven't encountered before.