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Monday, August 14, 2017

Nocturne Alchemy: Tarrie Cats with Clive Barker


Nocturne Alchemy is a perfume oil house that I have recently become enamored with and I have many scents to share and review in the coming months. They have a rather large catalog of permanent and limited scents  that I am exploring one by one. However, in true Julie fashion I leapt into the brand by going straight for the jugular and ordered a set of five vanillas that Nocturne Alchemy created in collaboration with Clive Barker, the British renaissance man who writes horror, directs horror (Candyman, Hellraiser), creates visual art and comics. Through his website you can purchase this limited run of Tarrie cats perfumes which as based on the Tarrie cats in his The Abarat Quintet book series. Even though it states "sold out" at the bottom, you can see in green text "in stock." The complete set of 5 ml bottles runs $150. I did use a 20% off coupon that was available through the Clive Barker Facebook page. 

Tarrie #1 (wrapped tail)- Crystalline vanilla, Indian sandalwood, white clove, ho wood.
In the bottle, vanilla, woody and a touch smoky, lifts up. On the skin, ho wood exhibits airy cedar characteristics and the woods shimmer in a pool of vanilla sweetness. There is still a whiff of smoky warmth, and paired with the refined and mellow clove, the coziness lingers. The drydown sings of vanilla sandalwood, velvety rich and fat with cashmere and cream. I can see why this particular Tarrie is robust on the label. The woods in this one really steal my heart. 

Tarrie #2 ( arched body)- Tahitian vanilla, coconut milk, nutmeg, galbanum.
Sharp green tropical leaves and fronds sway lush and dewy on a faraway island once the lid is removed and the first inhale takes place. Layered on the flesh, sugary coconut and clear vanilla unfold. The nutmeg paints in strokes of brown coconut husks while the galbanum lingers as green sticky sap, giving life and definition to the coconut palms. As it settles into the skin and ages a dark coconut emerges, silky sweet. 

Tarrie #3 (big horn ears)- Kobalt vanilla, Indian oudh, black patchouli, vetiver, clove stem.
Edgy black patchouli and dried hay vetiver pour from the vial. Spread on the skin, shadows and forebodings creep in on the brimstone patchouli laced breath of the devil. Smoky vetiver and oudh contribute to the blackness, slinking in tendrils of inky incensed woods. A kiss of vanilla keeps the creosote and ebony shades from falling into the abyss of melancholy. The base whispers of herbal patchouli and arid vanilla. An incredibly noir scent that would be apt for Halloween or dark moonless nights.

Tarrie #4 (curve out ear tips)- French vanilla, vanilla ice cream accord, vanilla bean, vanilla infused white amber.
Uncapping the amber glass reveals rich homemade vanilla ice cream and caramel candies. Dabbed on the wrists and crooks of the arm, the ice cream accord flashes white hot with a bit of ozone then sinks into a toothsome vanilla creme. Those vanilla amber sprinkles glimmer on the decadent treat. Primarily this is a vanilla cream scent and though perhaps a bit fleeting and light, I may douse myself in a healthier amount next wear. A delicious vanilla gourmand.

Tarrie #5 (whole group)- Crystal vanilla musk, vanilla absolute, armoise mugwort, French origanum, black cardamom, white sandalwood. 
Held in the bottle, my nose pulls out grain and woods and an herbal potion. Once rubbed into the flesh, the scent of oregano and marjoram, fresh with pine and lemony zesty citrus speaks of wild rambling herb gardens in a quaint forest, verdant and alive. With time it sweetens and smoothes through a deep cardamom and sandalwood mixture that is swirled with fluffy vanilla. A surprising favorite!

Of all the Tarries, at the moment I am loving #1 and #5 the most but will happily wear them all as they all smell unique. What are your favorite NAVA (Nocturne Alchemy/VApothecary) favorites? Did you order anything once NAVA reopened back at the end of June? I am looking forward to slowly sharing and reviewing some of my NAVA purchases. I did get an ICONS III Copal bottle, a few dinos, and limiteds and some permanent collection scents. I am also eyeing a few of the new summer limited releases.  What about you?

10 comments:

  1. Thank you for your reviews :-) I love the Tarrie set! Nava is my favorite perfumehouse and I ordered a lot when they reopend. Sky amber, Temple amber, the new Bastet's Garden scents and a few dino's. Not good in reviews but love them all. xoxo Juliette

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    1. Thank you for stopping by Juliette! I love your name. <3 I have a student this year with that same spelling and it really is lovely. Sky Amber and Temple Amber will go on my wishlist for sure. Thank you for sharing! I picked up three dinos so far and I have one more headed my way. I also bought a few from the new summer release: Mint Ice Cream, Halcyon Bat, Lavender Sugar and the Spiced Chai Sandalwood one. I want to pick up a few of the Resurgence scents too but those will have to wait until next pay period. Did you buy any of the new Summer ones or Resurgence scents?

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  2. Julie- you must smell so good! How do you pick which fragrance you will wear each day? The good thing about oils it that you can layer them- I'm sure you do ��. Take care, Ellisa

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    1. Thank you Ellisa!!! I wore the Arcana Pumpkin Craves Terror sample that a sweet friend gifted me and one student commented how it smelled like honey near me and another said I smelled like coffee (I drank tea before work, so no coffee that day) and it made me chuckle at how different scents relay to others. But heck yes!!! I think I smell darn tootin' good! LOL! I usually pick based on how I feel emotionally or the weather or what I think I might want to wear. I have been fighting stress and blues lately so I am reaching for the comforts of fall and spice and vanilla right now.

      You are totally right!!! I honestly have not tried layering oils until very recently. I bought some of those dino ambers from NAVA that are meant for layering and I am having a blast! Do you have any layering combos? How have you been? Thinking about you! <3

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  3. My goodness, those are just adorable. Weirdly, creepily adorable - very Tim Burton in style. Not a single scent that speaks to me (all the more for you!) but I really love the labels and graphics. Dope. :)

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    1. YES! So creepy cute. I am almost having as much fun looking at them as wearing them. I am in a real vanilla renaissance as of late. I can't seem to soak enough into my skin. Are you enjoying your 'fumes?

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    2. I am, particularly this Vanilla Ice Cream fragrance from Demeter that doesn't smell sour-creamy at all, but like a straight up vanilla waffle cone - it's so yummy, I wish it came in body care and wax and whatever else I could stick it in!

      Okay, but here's some weirdness, and I'm not sure why it's happening - your responses to me here on your blog don't show up in my e-mail as a notification that you've responded. However, I'll see that you've responded to a comment from Jay or Deb or whoever. It's not until I go back to the post in question and check in on my comment do I see that you've responded. What's up with that?! Probably some e-maily reason right in front of me that I'm not seeing for the trees.

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    3. Vanilla waffle cone sounds like a dream.

      Hmmmm. I am sorry. Not sure what is going on with that. It could be a Blogger glitch too. Sometimes I have people that tell me they can't post comments. I am sure that is frustrating too. I wish I could help, but I am very much computer handicapped. :-(

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    4. But THIS one came to my e-mail as a notification. I guess some temporary bit of futz from the internet gods? Way to keep us on our toes, interwebs!

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    5. That is good! It was probably glitchy then. Hoping Blogger can keep it together. :-)

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