Friday, June 8, 2018

Nocturne Alchemy: Art of Love


Some more Nocturne Alchemy? Why yes, I did warn you after all. Nocturne Alchemy is taking down their Spring collections on June 22nd and I wanted to be a nice blogger, a forward thinking blogger, and get you these reviews so you can be an informed consumer. These scents are from the Art of Love collection within the Spring collection. I did tack on Holy Grail at the last minute but not in time for me to include it in this set of reviews. I may get to it at a later date. These perfumes are created using classic artwork as muses. I love the aesthetic of art included on the bottles and the scents are lovely.

Hygieia- Notes: French vanilla, Eternal Ankh vanilla, labdanum-honey, vanilla-infused-French benzoin, black sugar, Santalum White and Crystalline. Resurgence Art of Love $26

The amber glass bottle reveals Hygieia in feathery strokes of gilded honey and that undeniable vanillic amber of Eternal Ankh. A nimbus of golden vanilla and honey with faint sandy resins underlying it all. Brushed onto the skin the honey  pools warm and mingles with cream. The faint duksy aroma of tonka beans shadows the honey to give it depth and a soft texture, but this may be the Eternal Ankh because that is what it is starting to remind me of. Or it could be the black sugar. Either way it smells heavenly. It smells of a deep, dark vanilla infused honey with a foundation of airy resins. It almost has a blonde tobacco plushness in the base. I am very happy with this. 


Joan d'Arc- Notes: Black honey and rosewood, temple incense, Crystal, vanilla buttercream, Kashmir and a whole Georgian vanilla bean. Resurgence Art of Love $26

This is another one that cannot be judged from a bottle sniff. In the bottle there is a touch of sourness, perhaps from the buttercream or Kashmir musk or even the honey. But it mostly smells of sour honey. Get past that and drizzle it all over your wrist because a lovely transformation takes place. On the skin, Joan starts her life with arid cedary tones of rosewood then pulls in the smoky haze of incense to its heart. Kashmir musk, a touch animalic and with a breath of rouged rose, rises up along with cream. The cream doesn't seem to jive very well with the Kashmir but the musk burns off the cream pretty quickly and takes center stage. It settles into a vanilla woods with a deep burgundy musk. I think a little age will smooth out some of the rougher spots but it has great promise for sure. Tucking this one away.


The Symbol- Notes: Black vanilla, Crystal musk, amber resin, coconut milk, Tahitian/Kobalt/French/Crystalline vanilla, Sandalwood Ice Cream accord and black sugar. Spring Limited Art of Love collection $24

The Symbol is a delicious vanilla coconut with creamy sandalwood undertones threading through it. From the glass emerges coconut milk with a touch of mellow vanilla. Smoothed onto the wrists the coconut milk becomes richer and frothier, creamy and thick and takes on a dark sugary flavor. The dry down is my favorite part of this scent, when it matures and the sandalwood, black sugar, coconut and vanilla all meld into a warm shallow pool of sepia sweetness. The dark coconut woods smell tranquil. I think the black sugar reminds me a bit of Pink Sugar but heavy on the tonka bean and perhaps some labdanum to darken it up. I am really enjoying it and think this will wear exceptionally well in the rigorous Florida summer heat. 

I am thrilled with The Symbol and Hygieia and I think Joan d'Arc will come with time. 

Like I said, I added Holy Grail to a second recent order, along with Wisteria Creme. I have enjoyed the Spring Collection. Don't forget it comes down June 22nd. I must say though that I am quite anticipating the summer release. Savanna and I are awaiting the dinosaurs and I hope there will be some new bats too. 

If you could have a perfume that evolved from art what art would you choose? I bet a Starry Night perfume would be ethereal and moving. I think Dali's Port of Cadaques might be my pick though... an indigo midnight on salty waters with lights reflected up from the sea. 

3 comments:

  1. The Symbol sounds so very wonderful. Yum! :D
    I love art, but I'm finding it hard to find a specific piece to translate to perfume. I think I'd definitely have to choose a Dali piece. Scent notes so dissimilar, that don't go together, but somehow work. A blend that sounds jarring in description, but wears complete, as well as refined and dignified.
    Dali is such a character. His art is amazing and crazy, so multi layered. I think I'd have to go with a Dali piece. <3

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    1. YES! Exactly all of this. We have a great Dali Museum here in the St. Pete area and I keep meaning to take my girls. He was so talented and eccentric.

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    2. I've been to that museum and it was a wonderful couple hours I got to spend looking, reading and shopping.

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