So Portia reviewed Desert Nights from this brand back in May and I was intrigued- the olfactory impression of a visit to Coachella? Well that I need to spritz, if only because A) I have absolutely no desire to actually experience Coachella outside of the abstract and 2) if I hate it I can just wash it off. Of course, I popped for the Discovery Set only to read after I completed the transaction that Desert Nights wasn’t in there. What is in there is 11 of their other scents, which gave me a case of what I call the Video Store Effect.
Blockbuster Video, Anchorage, AK
The Video Store (for those of you old enough to remember them) would sometimes be out of stock of that one movie you had your face all set for. You went in wanting “Showgirls 2: Penny’s From Heaven” (Yes, it’s a real thing) and they were, believe it or not, out of it. Now you’re standing in a video store chock full of things, from classic masterpieces like “All About Eve” to notorious duds like “Xanadu” (sorry) and new releases you haven’t seen and you stand around looking off into space because you just cannot decide, until you grab the copy of “Terminator 2” or “Strait-Jacket” that you’ve seen a bazillion times just to get out of there with something, anything, and toss in some microwave popcorn to assuage the disappointment.
So these have been sitting on my desk for over a month. In any case, there are 11 of them so I’m going to do them in 4, 4, and 3.
So, choosing at random:
MORNING AFTER: “The close and exhilarating feeling of the warmth of your lover’s skin against yours.” Well, maybe yours, but not mine. I really wish people would just skip the marketing hyperbole. I mean, this is a very nice, comforting scent that reminds me of candied violets with discernible cardamom on a base of creamy sandalwood and musk. There’s an odd sort of cream soda aspect to it that would be a little off-putting were it stronger, but it isn’t. It actually reminds me a lot of SL Santal Blanc, which I don’t think you can get anymore. I may have to get a 10 ML of this one.
RISDM 1986-228-16 v02
NOMAD: they write of it as a “little black dress” of a scent- “You can wear it anywhere & everywhere, to the office, on a romantic date night or simply to the grocery store” Well, hell, I do that with everything from Eau Sauvage to MKK (and even lately Fracas- because I damned well can!) They list white flowers like jasmine and rose but I get mostly resinous, ambery ambergris. I actually really like it but once again have to write “whoa, big fella” on the hype. If you’re going to try to sell me that this is the “little black dress” I’ve been waiting for you’re going t have to blow my skirt up a bit more than this..
HER is one that is not let down my the marketing blather. This charming, eminently wearable little concoction of grapefruit, bergamot, and petitgrain really is “a sweet, citrus and floral blend that is refreshing, just like summer.” The only gaffe for me is calling it “HER” (and the all caps- please stop.) It’s entirely unisex, Think Eau Sauvage with white flowers and the petitgrain turned up to 11. Delicious.
OCEAN EYES was the only “meh” for me so far. It’s nice- an aquatic that doesn’t lean in too heavily on the salt so it doesn’t smell like a tidal pool and it doesn’t have that cheap “aquatic” accord that is an instant migraine for me. I just didn’t think it was much of anything at all.
So there we are. 3 hits and a miss. We will see what the other 7 are like soon. I know I’m being a bit harsh on the marketing blather but I sort of wish people would just stop trying for a hook and just let the juice speak. In this case the marketing is at cross purposes to the actual stuff. So far, these can stand on their own. And extra kudos for the smaller sizes!
The discovery set I purchased from Who Is Elijah, $75 with free US shipping for the set with a rebate on future purchases (which I think I lost..) I do really like that they have sizes ranging from 5ML to 100ML, so as I wrote, kudos to them for that as well.
Photos are mine, Wikimedia Commons, and Pexels.
Loved your description of the video store effect, Tom! That happened to me so many times! But I do take exception to your harsh review of Xanadu! My bestie and I loved it! We were the perfect teenybopper age for it, loved Olivia Newton John, and the soundtrack by Jeff Lynne and ELO was awesome. Ok, so the acting was a cheesy cheese-fest, but who cares about that when you’re 15!?! The Elijah scents sound like you found some winners this time. I really like Ambergris, so that one sounded intriguing to me. Thanks for a great Wednesday post! I enjoyed your reviews!
I saw Xanadu when it came out too (and actually owned the soundtrack album, which rocked!) but I just didn’t like the movie- how could they take two people (Michael Beck from “The Warriors” and Olivia from “Grease”) who were so talented and a certified Hollywood Legend and saddle them with that I’ll never know. At least the did use the old Pan Pacific Auditorium (which sadly burned to the ground in the 90’s) to good effect. And the clothes were cool. And you got to see the inside of the Beverly Hills Fiorucci (also sadly torn down.)
I know people love the movie but I just never quite got it. But then again people can’t get why I like movies like “Spider Baby” or “Picture Mommy Dead.”
People back away from me when I tell them Repo Man is one of my top 3 favorite movies. Their loss…
Loved this post, Tom!
“Repo Man” is soooo goood..
In Film Class in school they asked us what our favorite films (not “movies”, oh no) were. Everyone was all over “The Graduate” or “Citizen Kane”
I said “Female Trouble”
The video store! I remember those days … we have a video store here, one of the last of its kind. I don’t have a VCR any more though — or a TV, for that matter. Re Elijah — I am plugging my ears and going LA LA LA LA LA because I refuse to allow you to give me more lemmings!
No TV? Hardcore! I feel like a pioneer person since I have a 32″ Sony (I think) and every one in my building is getting these monster ones.
Now I have that Portugal. The Man song “Live in the Moment” (with the LA LA LA LA LA LA) going off in my head. One of the casinos is using it in the commercials they play every 13 seconds.
https://youtu.be/Hha0bwVvGmY?si=5eax6KeaQKP5-emd
I love that song, but probably not on repeat.
I gave up having a TV when I moved out here. I told my housemate she’s welcome to get one, but thus far it hasn’t happened, and I’m not sad about it. Look, it’s not like I’m reading Greek classics or learning chess; I just watch everything on my laptop.
No TV here either. Use the laptop and don’t follow much. When I do want to watch a series usually I can find it on Prime or something similar.
I used to use the laptop to watch movies all the time back in the 2000’s, since my key lime iBook had a DVD player and a much better picture than my 25″ RCA CRT.
Another t.v.-less person here.
I am impressed by you all!
Good for you! If it weren’t for Colbert and my DVD collection I may nut need one either..
I haven’t had a TV in years. I realized that there was nothing I liked on and I was paying a lot of money for 0. I thought I couldn’t do it but it was …nothing. Use my laptop and tablet for everything. It’s very freeing!
I did that with cable when I moved. Then I dropped Prime when they decided to make you watch commercials unless you gave them even more money. So I watch over the air broadcasts and DVD’s on the TV.
So your TV is basically just a movie screen.
Oh, my, I remember standing in the middle of Blockbuster aisles and turning in circles. What to get? What to get? Frustrating on the desired sample not actually showing up in the set but fun reading your experiences in any case. Maybe someone from the brand will read your post and sort the situation.
It was my own fault for not paying attention.
I really kind of miss video stores. Weird to think that it’s a cultural touchstone for a certain generation that will be totally alien to the ones that come after. You might as well tell them about cranking your car to start it.
BASTARDS! So annoying that Desert Nights is not included. I wonder if it’s gone the way of the dodo? I’ve got a set here but fell so in love with Desert Nights that I’m yet to get to them.
I remember the video store brain entropy when what I wanted wasn’t in. In the end we bought a couple of old videos that were being sold off for $1 as just in case. Stage Door, Funny Girl and Calamity Jane. We watched them over and over and over.
Portia xx
I think Desert Nights is still available. I just wasn’t paying attention that it’s not in there.
I used to go to the Blockbuster in the Valley on Thursdays when they got the extra superfluous rental copies in for sale. I think I’m the last person who still buys DVDs..
We still buy DVDs and CDs. If it is something we love (such as old film noir movies), we want a physical copy. I will always want MY dvd of “Wings of Desire” and “Trouble in Mind”.
I feel that way about a lot of movies. If I would stream it once I might as well own it, right? And with ThriftBooks.com you can usually find it cheap.
My adult daughter and I just went and saw a production of “Funny Girl” here at the Kennedy Center in DC. It was so fun. Such good music and lots of great dance numbers.
I would love to see that on stage.
Laughing over here too. You had me with the first two sentences of Morning After. The first one got an “oooh” which quickly became “oh”. “3 hits and a miss” is very good though. Lets hope the rest do as well.
I remember spending a lot of time in Blockbuster. The Video Store Effect is real.
I kind of miss Blockbuster. I also used a local WeHo video store that was frequented by an award winning movie diva (who famously played an award winning movie diva) who used to return movies by pulling up, honking, then tossing them out the window of her Mercedes onto the sidewalk in front of the store.
I never found out if she reminded or not..
Did she rewind? He!! no!
She’s lucky Beverly Sutphin wasn’t around..
LOL 🙂
That movie is on Netflix streaming right now. I think Kathleen Turner freaked the critics out- she was having waaay to much fun with that part.
Shows how good she is or…….
“standing there with your face all set for…” – omg, don’t I remember that!
HER sounds like fun – but it also sounds like a lot of other ‘fun’ scents. And I have to buy flooring for the bathroom so……
These are all “fun” and kudos to them for doing smaller sizes. But..
What kind of flooring in the bathroom?
I’m going with Luxury (don’tchaknow) vinyl sheet flooring, since nearly everything I have is glass and if you drop it, not only do you break the $$$ thing – you also tend to break the tile.
And that sucks.
Hey, I am all over that. The “Hardwood” even when “water resistant” is like a sponge is water resistant. And the vinyl is more forgiving underfoot.
Oh Tom, thanks again for a wonderful post. I always feel like you’re just present and comfortably chatting with me. And making me laugh! And the fragrances sound interesting.
Thank you so much for writing that- you’ve made my month!