Invidiana's October Laundry

[Invidiana]

"October Laundry was actually inspired by biking outside around mid-late October. I always smelled fresh linens from the neighbors' (the detergent they used had some sort of nonfoody vanilla-ish thing going on) mingling with the woodsmoke from their chimneys and dry leaves piled up at the curb. So the notes are actually linen, nonfoody vanilla, dry leaves, woodsmoke and--of course I had to ask Mara to add just a drop of pumpkin to it."

 

A base of non-foody vanilla, layered with the scent of dry leaves, linen, woodsmoke and a dash of fleshy (not spicy) pumpkin.

 

​Mara really hit the nail on the head with this one. It really does smell exactly like those bike rides. The first thing I get is the vanilla and the linen (actually, this smells even better the laundry detergent the neighbors were using), and as it dries down all the wonderful autumnal elements come into play: first the crisp dry leaves, the slight sweetness of the pumpkin, and finally a veil of woodsmoke. The pumpkin really is sweet pumpkin flesh too, not spicy, and doesn't take over the other notes--it's exactly as it should be, in the background. Finally, I don't have to go outside when it's 30 degrees out just to breathe in that smell. I'm huffing myself like crazy right now.

Edited November 6, 2015 by Invidiana

[Black Cat]

Oh, yay, I've been looking for this thread so I could rave about October Laundry!

 

I absolutely adore this. For me, the linen is most prominent, but it's a very soft linen compared to Sugared Linen. I feel as if the vanilla is more present as a softening texture than a scent note. Everything else is so subtle that I have trouble picking out the individual notes (also am in the midst of a spectacular cold right now) but this manages to evoke perfectly what Invi described, being outdoors and smelling laundry coming from a nearby house. It's both nature and clean scent. And it's very soft and close-wearing.

 

I have raved about this is a couple of places, so I'm going to repeat myself here and say what I love most about this is that I'm absolutely in love with it AND it's very work appropriate. I mostly don't feel comfortable wearing perfume to my main job -- I'm working closely one on one with people and need to foster an atmosphere of focus and safety, not draw attention to myself or be heightening my own personal attractiveness (as I would feel comfortable doing in retail, for example). Most of the time if a scent is subtle and clean enough for work, it's not ringing my bells. But this one is shivering perfection. I put it on and whenever I need a lift I can discreetly huff my wrist.

 

Anyone who loved X Appeal will want to snag a bottle of this! I'm so glad I was a greedy grabbykins and will have two!

Edited November 7, 2015 by Blackcat

[tyvey]

This sounds powerfully nostalgic somehow. yes?

[Black Cat]

For me it definitely is! The scents are not at all alike, but it works in a way for me that is similar to Coconut Breeze -- another one of Mara's perfect evocations of a very specific atmosphere/landscape.