Wednesday, July 10, 2019

5 Sucreabeille Reviews: Stay Sexy + You're in a Cult, Call Your Dad + Here's the Thing: Fuck Everyone + It's a Trap!+ 1-UP

And we're back on the Sucreabeille train! This time with some perfumes I purchased a couple of sales ago. This review set contains (spoilers) one of my all time favorite Suc perfumes ever. I wanted to get it up partially because I rec this one all the time but uh, hadn't gotten up my review of it. The other part of why I'm getting it up is because when Andrea asked if I wanted some lotion to review and what scent it ought to be in I was like "YiaC,CYD!" only I wrote it out. And it would be weird to review the lotion in a few reviews without having touched on the perfume scent. What does that Cthulhu cultist looking phrase mean? What is this scent? Why am I trying to cliffhanger readers over a perfume review? The answers lie within...
The perfumes covered in today's review are:
Methods
All perfumes in this review were allowed to rest for several days after arrival. The perfumes were kept in the dark in a plastic box. I did crack them open to sniff them directly after arrival, and with a couple to do an initial test. The reviews are not based off of these initial impressions - though if a rest did change the smell I’ll note that.
I’m doing a half-hour skin test with each perfume. They are always applied to skin that has either been washed or hasn’t had perfume on it that day. Sometimes I will run one scent on one wrist/hand/arm and the other on the other wrist/hand/arm. When I wash my hands for review purposes I wash with a scented soap (it’s all I have available - shea butter Dove soap or almond Doc Bronner’s). Before doing test periods I often wear or play with other scents in my collection (that I wash off), so theoretically there could be cross-contamination.
Each sample was gently swirled before application. Each review is written without looking at the notes (in that moment… I obviously looked at them when I bought). At the end of the review I will list what the notes listed in the shop are and comment on how I think they interacted
Bottle Review:
I think this is my first time doing a review with Suc's 1mls! So let's talk about those first. I love, love, love that they are screw caps. Wands are fine... but screw caps are divine. I also really like that they're amber and that I haven't had any leakies with them.
The only downside with them is that I find them splashy. With Suc's new labels this isn't an issue - but with the old ones I managed to smear the label on basically every one of my 1mls. This splashing might be due to user error - but gosh, I'd love it if there was the option to orifice reducers on these for a small upcharge.
You can read my previous reviews on the Suc drams here [ link ]
A reminder: Each nose is different and each skin’s chemistry is different. Your mileage may vary.
Stay Sexy
In the bottle: Musky, slightly earthy, lime soda
Wet on my skin: More floral than earthy. Very honeyed. The citrus is smelling more like their kumquat note. The floral is silky, sweet, and musky - might be a rose? I think what I was reading as ‘earthy’ is a slightly earthy vanilla. ( I think I recall this one having honey and vanilla but idk what else) Very sweet and sly with a tiny bit of darkness to it.
Drydown: Strong vanilla and honey (it smells a lot like a soda), edges of a floral (that might be rose) and citrus.
After 30 mins: Fruity and floral vanilla and honey. It’s got a really tropical kind of vibe. The vanilla +honey combo is at the core with fruity edges and floral nuances.
Notes on the site: Tahitian vanilla, rich honey, fresh grapefruit
Well, yes on the honey and vanilla… but the grapefruit? I don’t get anything where I go ‘yeah, grapefruit!’. It reminds me a lot of the kumquat note in siren song - heading a little at this point into a kind of ‘detergent’ smell mixed with a floral. I wonder if this is a grapefruit accord, or just an slightly acrid grapefruit note
Verdict: Don’t know. I quite liked it when it was wet and drying down. But after half an hour it’s not going into a territory I’m not feeling as much with how the grapefruit note is wearing. I know Suc is experimenting a lot with stabilizers on some of their older scents - once they figure that out I think this one could really pop with some of that stabilization!
You’re In A Cult, Call Your Dad
In the bottle: I remember this having a snickerdoodle note and I can see that here. I also remember this having a flannel note and yup, there’s a flannel smelling textile in here. Edges of an evergreen family tree. Did this have a straw note? I think I’m getting something kinda like dry straw.
Wet on my skin: Buttery cookies, evergreen trees, and an edge of flannel
Drydown: Mostly the evergreen trees (reminds me of juniper) and flannel with a hint of cookies and that kind of dried grass smell. I want to emphasize at this point this is not a gourmand - but rather more of an outdoorsy atmospheric with gourmand nuances.
After 30 mins: Evergreen trees (in that mesquite/juniper family of evergreens smell) a rounder note I’ve flagged as hay, edges of cookies and flannel. Wears fairly strong and didn’t fade much over half an hour once it dried down.
Notes on the site: Flannel, Sedona trees, Bergamot tea, snickerdoodle cookies
I get the cookies, flannel, and sedona trees (which a google search reveals are a type of juniper tree!). I’m thinking the note I flagged as ‘warm hay’ is the bergamot tea with the kind of bitterness of the tea blending with the juniper smell. A kind of heavy-lidded southwestern day at sunset sort of smell.
Verdict: A really nice androgynous outdoorsy smell with gourmand nuances. I've kept my dram and will be upsizing when I run through it... and this is one where I'm actually plowing through the dram with some alacrity. I wrote this review weeks ago and was like 'Oh, that's nice' at the time. But since then I keep returning to this scent. Of all the scents I've tried from Sucreabeille this one is by far and away my favorite.
Here’s The Thing: Fuck Everyone
In the bottle: Dirt, whiskey (which I recall this having but… yep, that’s whiskey), and something sweet - kind reminds me of honey.
Wet on my skin: Wet, rich dirt (think a more mild version of potting soil), chocolate, and whiskey - which actually smells a little medicinal. I can’t tell right now if the medicinal bit is a separate note or part of the whiskey. Maybe a touch of honey? Hard to tell. For some reason my greyhound is really into this scent (Maybe it’s the dirt? He’s not much of a digger but dogs… dirt...).
Drydown: Dirt is blending more but it’s still the main thing I’m getting in the scent. Getting less of the chocolate but it’s still there. Getting some sweetness and the whiskey along with the dirt core.
After 30 mins: Whiskey, dirt, and hot cocoa in that order. I like it better in this stage but the dirt is still a little too potting-soil for me.
Official Notes: Bourbon, Rich chocolate, Dark amber, touch of dirt
Ah-ha - so the whiskey is sweet and slightly medicinal because it’s a bourbon accord! I've solved the great booze mystery.The chocolate plus the amber I think it what gave this a hot cocoa vibe by the end. I will say the dirt is more than a touch to my nose - it dominates the scent at the beginning and slowly backs up. I wish this had more of a dry dirt note instead of a moist potting soil one - like a construction site dirt of old clay. I think that would both fit the theme more and appeal to my nose more.
Verdict: As it stands this one is a swap for me. But hey! For folks that like potting soil scents (I know you are out there, in your gardening gloves with spade in hand) give this one a spin.
It’s A Trap!
In the bottle: Cake batter and an herb. I remember the herb being wormwood (one of the reasons I bought this scent) and was kind of hoping for a absinthe-cupcake. The cake batter is very moist and I feel like there’s a faint citrus note in there. I think I remember this one having lime in it?
Wet on my skin: This cake accord smells like it has heliotrope in it. Like… not as play-doh-y as heliotrope can get but there’s a definite kind of play-doh adjacent element. The wormwood smells a lot like fennel. So mostly getting a slightly gourmand heliotrope and an herbal, fennel-y wormwood. So, this doesn’t smell like an absinthe cupcake - it does smell like a sugared herbal heliotrope centered floral.
Drydown: Toasted almond is coming through. Now that I smell it I think I recall this having a marzipan note? Regardless, it’s a kind of toasted/baked/burnt note. It’s dominating that heliotrope smell (which is still there, it’s just behind the toasted almond now). Slight hint of citrus and sugar/syrupy-note and edges of herb.
After 30 mins: The cake accord smells like heliotrope (imagine a floral that ranges from 'golden-and-savory' to 'pure play-doh' if you’ve never smelled heliotrope. This one is on the 'golden and savory' side of the spectrum but not completely play-doh free), salt, maybe some flour (though that might just be the heliotrope) and kind of ambiguous sweetness. The wormwood is more than just a touch. It reminds me a little of Lights Across the Sky from Stereoplasm but lacks a bit in balance in comparison. I figure this is because this was trying to be a cake instead of a floral. If it continued to smell like it did in the bottle then it would be balanced and in a totally different family from LAtS - but as a floral it needs something more to fill out the bouquet.
Notes on the site: a freshly baked marzipan cake topped with buttercream, sprinkled with caramelized sugar and a small drizzle of honey, [...] slightly faint hint of wormwood
I get the cake accord and the marzipan and I can see the “syrup” I get being honey. The wormwood was a background hint in the bottle but came forward significantly in the dry portion of the scent. I didn’t get anything that pings me as buttercream except for a vague, maybe slightly creamy sweetness. No lime - I don't know where I got that from in the first bit.
Verdict: Swap. One day I will find my perfect cake smell. Apparently I'm very picky about my cake accords because my feedback is consistently 'more moisture'. Maybe it would blend better on someone else? Or be good for heliotrope fans?
1-UP
In the bottle: Laundry detergent, Suc’s champaigne/bubbly/fizzy note which I think my nose reads as a little metallic, something sweet that kind of reminds me of strawberry candy. A little musky.
Wet on my skin: Musky in an almost foodlike way - kind of reminds me of nuts, like a little almondy. A little citrus. Tiny bit of what smells like strawberry candy to me. Edge of that slightly metallic/fizzy note. That kind of musky/foody/nutty note is almost buttery in a way that reminds me of shea butter. The laundry detergent way smell goes away initially but within a few seconds it’s rolling back in at the edges.
Drydown: I think that musky note I was getting is a bubblegum accord! It’s also a little boozy. This smells like bubblegum, fruit, still a bit of what reminds me of shea butter, lil bit of citrus and an edge of that kinda metallic-fizzy note and laundry-detergent-with-cotton. Is this what smelling Princess Peach’s hair is like? It feels kinda like it would be. It’s bright, lil fem, and fun. Also I might be getting a lil bit of a floral in there - ylang ylang?
After 30 mins: Similar to the drydown but sometimes it feels like that laundry detergent smell is coming through stronger.
Official Notes: fresh grapefruit, a big glass of champagne, sweet pumpkin, freshly washed and starched sheets, a crisp Bartlett pear, a sprig of fresh lavender.
I think the pear is what smells kinda bubblegummy to me! So, okay let’s work through this: The grapefruit is the citrus I was getting. The fruity/bubblegummy is the pear. The laundry detergent is well.. the washed/starched sheets. The champagne is what was smelling slightly boozy and metallic (I’m learning to recognize Suc’s champagne note. It doesn’t smell like the actual drink to me - mostly just ‘fizzy’, ‘metallic’, ‘hint of very dry grapes’, ‘mildly boozy’). I get the pumpkin! That was the musky, sweet smell that kind of reminded me of shea butter. The lavender is a very mild, very sweet, and not at all medicinal version of the flower - combined with the champagne and the grapefruit it really does smell more like a sweet white floral than anything else.
Verdict: I really like this when the laundry detergent plays nice at the edges. When it comes forward it kind of dominates the whole scent. If the laundry detergent were just an edge note and stayed there then I would be like full sizing this in a heartbeat. The contrast between the metallic champagne, the acridness of the detergent and how sweet and full the other ingredients is lovely when it’s sitting in balance. However, as it is I can’t see wearing this out since it veers so strongly into that laundry scent seemingly at random on me. This might be another Suc scent to benefit from stabilizers. I’ll be keeping my sample and using it to scent a sachet or something but won’t be upsizing at this point in time.

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