Thanks to this thread, I ended up purchasing several fragrances from Mad Oils. My assessment:
Vanilla Milk - Apparently it's THE vanilla scent for vanilla haters. Wasn't super impressive OOB since I'm not a big vanilla fan...but in body butter the dry down is amazing. I guess the best way to describe it is creamy and candy like, but not sickeningly sweet and definitely doesn't have that buttery note that I hate.
Golden Embargo - This would probably be the greatest scent of all time if it were just a little bit stronger. Also used in body butter (hard to detect even immediately after mixing), and also smells fantastic after a few minutes on the skin. I don't really even know how to describe it...definitely amber but brighter?
Smoke & Mirrors - Pretty much exactly what it sounds like. The smokiness is readily apparent, but there's something else that reminds me of fresh rolled cigars. Not a bad thing by any means, and definitely geared more towards guys.
Velvet Peppercorn - I'm on the fence with this one. It's peppery and very slightly sweet. Used in a hand cream, disappointed the scent didn't last very long.
Hedonic Tonic - I really wanted to love this one. Used in a hand cream, and I keep using it to find something to love about it. But right off the bat it smells like lemon Pine-Sol. When it dries a bit I get a sense of daisies and maybe the merest hint of mint/sage...but that initial cleaner smell is really off-putting. I just can't imagine someone picking up the jar to sniff it and thinking, "Yeah, I want to smell like a freshly cleaned bathroom."
Sexy Beast - Haven't used it yet, but it is perfect OOB. According to the description it's pretty much all florals, but it's so hip and bright where other floral heavy fragrances smell like old ladies' perfume. I'm not practiced enough to detect any individual floral notes (maybe honeysuckle), it just all blends together so well. Definitely fit for a body spray/perfume, but should be perfect in anything.
Vanilla Milk - Apparently it's THE vanilla scent for vanilla haters. Wasn't super impressive OOB since I'm not a big vanilla fan...but in body butter the dry down is amazing. I guess the best way to describe it is creamy and candy like, but not sickeningly sweet and definitely doesn't have that buttery note that I hate.
Golden Embargo - This would probably be the greatest scent of all time if it were just a little bit stronger. Also used in body butter (hard to detect even immediately after mixing), and also smells fantastic after a few minutes on the skin. I don't really even know how to describe it...definitely amber but brighter?
Smoke & Mirrors - Pretty much exactly what it sounds like. The smokiness is readily apparent, but there's something else that reminds me of fresh rolled cigars. Not a bad thing by any means, and definitely geared more towards guys.
Velvet Peppercorn - I'm on the fence with this one. It's peppery and very slightly sweet. Used in a hand cream, disappointed the scent didn't last very long.
Hedonic Tonic - I really wanted to love this one. Used in a hand cream, and I keep using it to find something to love about it. But right off the bat it smells like lemon Pine-Sol. When it dries a bit I get a sense of daisies and maybe the merest hint of mint/sage...but that initial cleaner smell is really off-putting. I just can't imagine someone picking up the jar to sniff it and thinking, "Yeah, I want to smell like a freshly cleaned bathroom."
Sexy Beast - Haven't used it yet, but it is perfect OOB. According to the description it's pretty much all florals, but it's so hip and bright where other floral heavy fragrances smell like old ladies' perfume. I'm not practiced enough to detect any individual floral notes (maybe honeysuckle), it just all blends together so well. Definitely fit for a body spray/perfume, but should be perfect in anything.
