Or like sweet, mildly patchouli-tinged oranges, anyway. I wanted to open the fragrance-oriented section of my blog with something simple. I’ll get esoteric later. If you’re only here for the polish, well, it’ll be back on the 31st. I haven’t had the chance to redo my nails in a few days, and also have had a couple of broken nails I’m hoping to grow out enough to groom back into shape.
Let’s talk a little about perfume and scented things (there will not be a quiz):
I own a lot of perfume. Most of it consists of oils from various companies, and most of those are from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. However, as with most things, I am primarily a gourmand-type in my consumption habits rather than a gourmet — I will test virtually anything at least once if it sounds interesting. I love smelling things, and if you ever happen to go shopping with me, you may notice that I often beeline for the sections of stores with things to sniff and will absent-mindedly pick up almost anything scented at least once, even if I’ve smelled it before and disliked it. I spend a lot of time experiencing the world through my nose, puppy-like.
This is what I chose to wear today.
Meet Tibetan Mountain Temple. This is a solid perfume from a company called Pacifica. This solid and a decant of the matching spray are the only two things I own by this company, as most of their fragrances don’t appeal to my nose.
Here’s the description of the notes from their site:
Vetiver and Indonesian Patchouli are the base of this tranquil, incense-like blend, while Ginger sits lightly in the middle and Orange provides expansive lift for these distinctive essential oils.
I find it appealing in a comforting and inoffensive way, which, since I spent the last couple of days at work in a moderately warm and very active environment, is very important. It’s easy to reapply through the day, won’t spill, and I have not yet had any difficulty with it melting. Softening, yes, and in more extreme temperatures, it might melt, but I have not personally had that experience, even kept in a jacket pocket.
On me, the scent is primarily sweet and spicy orange with a bit of patchouli and ginger. It doesn’t last too long, and doesn’t have a very heavy throw, or at least, when I’ve worn it no one has ever commented on it unless I’ve stuck my wrists in their face and yelled, “SNIFF MY ARM. I SMELL GOOD.” (note: this does not actually happen.) There is only the faintest hint of vetiver, smoky and deep, but compared to most of my other experiences with the note, it is so light as to be invisible. I am very okay with that.
I could not with any honesty say that it reminds me of the visual that I get when I think of Tibetan temples. I would expect, while possibly an array of similar notes, something much darker and smokier perhaps with a bit of peat, tea, and much stronger woody notes. That said, I do like this. It’s simple and bright and doesn’t require much thought.
I bought this at a spa in the Portland airport, but Pacifica can be found at a variety of places. Mid-range gift shops like Fireworks will usually have some of their products, as well as various other similar boutiques. Bath & beauty-type shops (and sometimes even department stores with bath & body areas) will often have some of the candles or soaps, and of course, you can always order online.
Vanitas Rex 