TokyoMilk Dark Everything & Nothing

 

Perfume/fragrance/scents…these aren’t words that come up often here at PrettyPanda. In fact, I had briefly sworn off all fragrance. I have awful allergies, and I figured that fragrance would only hurt the issue. It took me a while to realize there are certain notes I do well with, that do not give me a headache, and do not irritate my allergies. Still, fragrance is something I can’t wear everyday, but now that I know I can enjoy it, I am amassing a little collection I will be sharing with you.

Keep in mind, as with any product I review, what works for me may not work for you. You may sneeze with this perfume, whereas I don’t, etc.

 

Everything & Nothing comes housed in a 1.6 oz spray bottle for $36 and it available at Sephora or online at TokyoMilk.com. 

The bottle itself is sturdy: glossy black with a gunmetal cap and the image associated with the perfume printed on it in white (this one is a feather) with the number (10) and description in faded blue. This particular perfume is part of a line called TokyoMilk/Dark, also known as the Femme Fatale collection. All of the names (Arsenic, Bulletproof…etc) evoke a sexy, alternative vibe that I love.

I really love that the design of the perfume is unassuming yet sleek, which can make it very unisex as well if a man in your life likes it!

Now, let’s get to the notes of this and how it smells and dries down on me!

The main notes that are both printed on the bottle and Margot Elena (the creator) describes Everything & Nothing are Sweet Orange, Pressed Petals, Desert Moss, and Tea Leaves.

After the first spray, the clear top note is the Sweet Orange. It is fresh and vibrant and has quite a throw to it. A few minutes in and black tea leaves and a bit of muskiness are present. It really smells like sour orange gummy worms for a while! I like it, but not everyone will.

About an hour in and the scent loses a bit of it’s throw, although I am always aware of it on me. The pressed petals seem to be the middle note and have the most presence here. They aren’t cloying and ‘old’ smelling, but are definitely romantic and vintage.

On me, the moss and tea leaves are the base, and the orange does linger throughout the wear, which was a good 6 hours. This is not a fragrance that will last all day (you will still smell it on your skin until you take a shower, but the throw disappears), but it is good for going out.

Overall, I feel very sexy but also strangely comforted by wearing Everything & Nothing. It shows how much of a duality there is to the fragrance, as the name implies. It is familiar, yet fresh. If you love citrus scents, give this one a smell!

Also, Happy Memorial Day! I know the night is waning, but take some time to think of our troops serving and who have served!

Marc Jacobs Honey: Review

Although I am pretty loyal to my Jo Malone perfume, when this sample came my way, I kinda fell in love with it. 

 “Honey” is the new Marc Jacobs fragrance, and cute branding aside, this stuff smells amazing, like summer dying down (I know…sorry, but it is!) and I think it makes the perfect summer, or end of summer fragrance, as it is transitional. The notes are: Pear, Juicy Mandarin, Orange Blossom, Peach Nectar, Apricot, Honeysuckle, Honey, Golden Vanilla, and Smooth Woods. Not sure what smooth woods are, but okay! 

 This immediately smells sweetly floral on me, but then takes on the fruit, vanilla, and honey notes on the dry-down. It is a little bit strong for me as far as a permeating scent, but if you like to really be aware of your perfume all day, that is great! I personally only prefer wafts of it every once in a while. You can pick up a full size for starting at $52, but try to get your hands on a sample! This is a fun, uplifting fragrance that can take you well into October  

Fragrance Sunday: Pixie Dust

Welcome to another installment of ‘Fragrance Friday’! But really, it is Sunday and I had such a crazy week, so here you go.

Happy Sunday everyone, today I bring you Sarawen’s ‘Pixie Dust’ perfume from her Victorian Collection.

You can order these from her Etsy shop, or from sarawen.bigcartel.com. She has a sample size of this scent, as well as a larger size for $12.50. She is a Canadian shop, so expect your order to take around 10 days if you live in the U.S.

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I decided that this picture fits the scent for me, not Disney’s Peter Pan or Tinkerbell. It is far different.

Sarawen describes ‘Pixie Dust’ as: I would say oodles of vanilla butter-cream and cake, honey, and orange drops! Now think of happy things and away we go!

On my skin, this smells like orange instantly. It is so pretty and romantic. The vanilla is soft after a few minutes, and the cake is present. Soft, fluffy, mouthwatering. This is a food scent, so if you do not like those, this will not be your cup of tea.

On me, honey is the base, and this smells slightly floral after a while. It is a great girly scent. I love it!

What would Pixie Dust smell like to you? Are you a fan of Sarawen?

xo PrettyPanda

Toyko Milk Dark: Femme Fatale Collection

While perusing some of the fun, vintagey shops here on the island, I have come across multiple stores that carry the entire Tokyo Milk collection. This seems so bizarre to me, but I am not questioning it!

However, it got me to smelling, and sampling, and taking notes, and I want to do a little review on the Femme Fatale collection.

Interested in buying anything? Click here. This is not an affiliate link.

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There are 8 lovely fragrances and I had a chance to smell all of them on my skin. I’ll give you a quick run-down. Presented from left to right as shown in the image.

Everything and Nothing No.10 : The notes are Mandarin, Tuberose, Gardenia, Vetiver. I loved this smell. It is fresh and light, and very floral. The mandarin comes in as a quick top note for me and the smell is mostly flowery.

Arsenic No. 17 : Seventeen is my lucky number, and this was a lovely scent on my skin. The beetle adorned fragrance has notes of Absinthe, Vanilla Salt, Cut Greens, and Crushed Fennel. Anything with absinthe peaks my curiosity. This smells dirty and raw. Very primal and like the most delicious smelling skin. The fennel was predominant on my chemistry. Lovely.

Excess No. 28 : With notes of Amber Resin, Oak Bark, Blood Orange, and Patchouli; Excess is definitely luxurious. The bark and orange are the most resounding notes that I smelled and it dries down to something very free-spirited.

Crushed No. 32: This smells all of jasmine on me, and I am not the hugest fan of the fragrance, but others will be! The notes are Earth + Moss, Crushed Herbs, Wild Grass, and Jasmine. Very earthy. Smells like a garden after a rainstorm.

Bulletproof No. 45 : This is my favorite of the eight. It smells divine. Sexy, yummy, smart. This is such a great scent. Notes are Smoked Tea, Coconut Milk, Crushed Cedar, and Ebony Woods. It is a twist on your typical musk-y scent and I love the exotic hint of coconut. It really does shine through.

Tainted Love No. 62 : This is a lovely fragrance, but very much on the safe side. It smells familiar, and variations are all over the market. On myself, it smells richer than those other variations, but it is a bit ‘normal’ with notes of Dark Vanilla Bean, Orchid, White Tea, and Sandalwood.

Bittersweet No. 83 : This is probably the most unique of the eight, with interesting notes of Cake Flour, Dark Cacao Bean, Osmanthus, and Bronzed Musk; it is hard to determine anything like it. On my skin the musk and the cake smell come out to play for a few moments, but it dries down to the osmanthus.

La Vie La Mort No. 90 : Pretty pretty pretty. Highly floral and very feminine, this smells nice on my skin. A comforting fragrance that is really easy to wear. Notes of White Tuberose, Cardamom, Hibiscus Leaf,  and Jasmine.

All of the TokyoMilk Dark fragrances are lovely and come in amazing packaging. I highly suggest checking them out! But perfume is a highly personal thing, so try to smell yourself before you buy!

xo PrettyPanda