REVIEW: Nest Cocoa Woods, White Sandalwood, Midnight Fleur & Dahlia & Vines EDP...

Oh yay, I'm one of the lucky ducks who won Rachel's recent Instagram giveaway (@rachelbeautystyle) of some fabulous Nest Fragrances ♥ What a wonderful surprise, and even more of a thrill because I was expecting two bottles, and the parcel contained four! I'm totally blissing out as I've been wanting to try some of this range for absolutely ages, and to receive them as a gift from such a generous and gorgeous blogging gal pal is even more special - thanks so much Rachel, you're a total doll ♥...

If you're not familiar with this brand, it was founded in New York in 2005 by Laura Slatkin, and currently produces a range of exquisitely scented products including candles, reed diffusers, body lotions, hand washes and inspired eau de parfums. The packaging of the fragrances features stunning botanical designs which reflect the contents - each one is a mini work of art! So my prize consisted of two 50ml spray bottles, Cocoa Woods & White Sandalwood, and two 8ml rollerballs, Midnight Fleur and Dahlia & Vines. I'll start with Cocoa Woods, but a word of warning - I am besotted with all of these perfumes and may run out of superlatives pretty quickly, so forgive me if I repeat the same gushing adjectives throughout this post ♥...

Cocoa Woods

Cosy, comforting, creamy. The newest addition to the range, and if' you're expecting sweet woody chocolate, then you'll be disappointed. I wouldn't class this as a gourmand at all, but rather a spicy wood with a tantalising tinge of floral. It's a beautiful unisex blend of sandalwood, sequoia wood, tiare flower and ginger with only the vaguest hint of unsweetened cocoa. Longevity is poor (2 hours absolute max) but while it's on my skin, I can't stop sniffing it - oh my, it's divine! And if I smelled this on a fella, I'd be all over him like a rash lol. Some woody fragrances can be muddy and too pungent, even sour, but this has a mellowness that becomes sweeter as it dries down and the tiare blossom starts to enfold. I can't detect any ginger with my nose, but there's a playful tang of something which may well be it. This fragrance is an absolute delight to the senses, and I only wish it was at least triple the potency ♥...

White Sandalwood

Potent, exotic, aquatic.  I adore sandalwood and was expecting it to be the dominant note here, but to me, there's more musk and almonds than wood, well initially at least, not that I mind. On first spray, it's quite sharp which is probably the almonds, but as it dries down, the sandalwood becomes more apparent, and the combination mellows into a musky woody marzipan blend. I've never smelled anything else quite like this before, and it's another that I simply can't stop inhaling at every opportunity. It's a fascinating fragrance, and there are times when I swear I can smell coconut! To me it conjures up a windswept beach on a grey day rather than a grove of trees - there's something definitively aquatic about it, almost salty, and it lasts for hours and hours, even survives a shower. Although it's marketed to the male demographic, I'm keeping it ♥...

Dahlia & Vines

Refreshing, romantic, green.  This is such a pretty fragrance, an absolute winner for me for the warmer weather. Just like the name, it's the perfect combination of fresh cut flowers and crisp green leaves, although I'm puzzled about the dahlia part as it isn't listed as an ingredient on their website - only daffodil, peony, rose & garden vines. Other fragrance sites also mention raspberry, pink pepper, white musk, vanilla, narcissus, grapes and lychee, but whatever is in the mix, it smells like romance. It's light but reasonably long-lasting, fresh but not overly sweet, elegant without being old-fashioned - in short, pure femininity from beginning to end. There isn't one individual note that dominates - everything is blended into a Spring bouquet. Love it ♥...

Midnight Fleur

Feminine, captivating, mysterious. This one is advertised as being bold, but I don't get bold - with ingredients like exotic woods, black amber and patchouli it probably should be bold, but I just find it sensual, warm and 110% delicious. The top note is well and truly jasmine, but it's not the intense or overpowering jasmine I've encountered before in other perfumes - this one is soft and subtle, and within a few seconds it's only barely detectable behind a cloud of vanilla orchid, amber and a pinch of patchouli, but still has enough clout to stop this fragrance from being a pure oriental. Or so I thought! What surprised me is that as it dries down, it becomes almost a gourmand - makes me think of spiced apple pie, and yet there's no fruit content, go figure? Gee, I'm struggling here because it's such a special fragrance, very creamy, mouthwatering, intoxicating - perfect for snuggling in front of an open fire, and undoubtedly a secret weapon on a hot Summer date night. Get ready for buckets of compliments ladies ♥...

Now that I've said all this you're probably wondering where you can get your hands on at least one of these. Hmm, tricky. I believe Nest EDP's are available instore from Sephora (well I saw them about 6 months ago), however, they're not purchasable from the Aussie website that I can see. Neiman Marcus will ship them to Australia - the 50ml bottles are around AUD110, but there's no sign of the rollerballs, so I'd say Sephora Australia is your best bet...

In summary, these fragrances are beautiful, unique, and addictive, and what a stunning and special gift they would make for any perfume lover. The nearest Sephora store is an hour away from where I live, but I'm planning a trip very soon so I can sample ALL of the others ♥...

Have you tried any of the Nest EDP's? Which scent is your favourite?

Take care of you,

kats xxx