Ivory Cats: Dianthus

[Beccah]

CARNATION ~ Power, energy, protection. Fascination, admiration.
CARDAMOM ~ Lust, love.
VANILLA ~ Aphrodisiac, inspires happiness, playfulness, sexual arousal, lust, vitalizing.
BLACK TEA ~ Invigorating, refreshing, mentally and physically uplifting, lust. Riches, courage, strength.
SUGAR ~ Attracts love, luck, sweetness and riches. Lust inducing, wishes granted.
SANDALWOOD ~ Love, exotic, sensual atmospheric; aphrodisiac. Healing, spirituality, exorcism.

[luna65]

As someone with a passionate devotion to Pashazade, I can testify that this one has the same elements to love, just with a softer aura. The carnation, for me, presents itself as a whisper within the blend, with my beloved roasted black tea leaves providing the primary mid-and-bottom impression. The other notes give it a sort of gauzy feel, so a little more to the feminine side of unisex, but a guy could definitely wear this, maybe layered with something else to butch it up a bit if necessary, lol.

[Potion Master]

oh yes, in case I did not mention it elsewhere, this one was brewed specifically to satisfy the many requests for a Pashazade-style scent that was un-phero'd and that women can wear.

 

Thanks, Luna, for the lovely review.

[cinnamonmel]

This is going to be perfect for bf. He has a heavy hand and a light tolerance of pheros. I will update this post with an actual review when it arrives. We both really love Pashazade on him, maybe I will borrow this one!

[Wanderlust]

So, Halo, is this the carnation you've been craving?

[Wanderlust]

Upon application this is a 'spaucy' (spicy + saucy) carnation. The guy wearing the proverbial "white sport coat and a pink carnation" is in the house. The scent is not overwhelming, but it is unmistakable, pure in approach.There is something that gives this the same feeling that I get from Aja~a tickly-sultry feeling from the tip of brain pan to the roof of my mouth. It may be the cardamom lending the fully rounded and experience, with every note perfectly balanced. At about three hours in, everything but the carnation steps back.

 

I'm left with the vision of the kids dancing a little too close for comfort. The carnation crushed gently against tossled hair. As the last dance winds down, the white sport coat lands protectively around a pair of 1950s bare shoulders. The pink carnation slips into a clutch bag. The car windows begin to steam up. Somewhere, in a cloud of upended, starched crinolin, he whispers, "I promise..." and it sounds like chivalry on a white horse.

[Snoopyace]

I'm left with the vision of the kids dancing a little too close for comfort. The carnation crushed gently against tossled hair. As the last dance winds down, the white sport coat lands protectively around a pair of 1950s bare shoulders. The pink carnation slips into a clutch bag. The car windows begin to steam up. Somewhere, in a cloud of upended, starched crinolin, he whispers, "I promise..." and it sounds like chivalry on a white horse.

 

Damn... Is it hot in here? I might have to scrounge some savings together and try this one. I think my beautiful Bride may like it.

[NuTrix]

First on, the rich black tea is prominent. I have discovered that while I REALLY like these types of fragrances, I don't particularly like to wear them. I LOVE my teas, so smelling this is dreamy! I don't particularly get an up front carnation, but there is a spiciness that is likely the carnation attribute I'm picking up, or cardamom, or both lol.

 

First on I thought this was definitely unisex but the longer I wear it the more feminine I think it seems - it could be my chemistry and it would morph differently on a man just as easily to seem more like a masculine scent...The black tea lightens and shares the stage with the other notes and they soften it.

 

I can't pick out the sandalwood as an individual note. I think maybe the sandalwood and cardamom together are giving it something "woody" without me being able to put my finger on sandalwood alone. This is not a sweet fragrance at all. The tea is what I pick out the most, strong dark delicious leaves with a bit of spice and woods. Not a lot of throw on me, very distinctly there when I smell my application point but otherwise low key. Very nice

[quietguy]

This one is just a little too carnationy for me. The note just exploded all over my skin. It looks great but like certain types of coconut or vanilla, that coconut was just too overpowering.

[StacyK]

Ok I took a little test swipe of this. I love it. No surprise. I love carnations and Halos review really left no surprises.

It's has a simple feel so it could layer well with a sugared or Occo, IMO.

It's fully unisex, leaning toward female to me. But, I have a couple of male'ish scents I love and feel very comfortable in so.. I'm thinking everyone's gauge is going to be different here.

 

There is something here that evokes an earlier age. Men with carnations in their lapels. Sitting

around tables with ladies, chatting away on the patios of Lake Como.

 

There's a touch of bitterness, tea & sandalwood combo maybe. I think aging might soften that. But, a bit of pure sugar brings on the ladylike effect.

 

QG. IDK if there's any left but Bpals "Pan & The Devil is amazing. It's mostly Tobacco & Lavender. Crisp & smooth at the same time. Very man smelling but I love it.

Edited February 12, 2016 by StacyK

[belle-ville]

This is hauntings mixed with pashazhade!! Both scents I make the BF wear. This is really good! Soft, powdery, but with the same spice profile as pashazhade. I will have to consider getting more of this. At least a second sample. I think I'd go crazy for this with perfect match!

[tyvey]

Unisex things generally tend to be a bit too masculine for my chemistry / taste, and sandalwood is iffy for me, but this was instant lust. Both in that I fell in instant lust with it on my skin -- The carnation reminds me of Flora Royale, and my skin loves it, its clean, self-assured, upscale vibe -- but as some blends unexpectedly do, it really activates the Launch Sequence. :drool:

[Juliana]

I didn't think I would like this one, but it's actually pretty nice. Something smelled almost lemony the first minute, but that quickly went away. Then it became light spicy carnation. It became spicier over the first half hour as the cardamom came out a little more. The black tea is present as well. Everything is softened a little by the sugar, so that it's spicy and ever so slightly sweet.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Juliana

[ElizabethOSP]

I'm fascinated with this one. I liked Pashazade on both me and Mr. Matt, so figured this would be good. IT IS. Parts of it give me BoySmell, parts of it give me Exotic, and parts of it give me Playing in Aunt Marie's Carnation Flowerbed...plus Smoke. Hee!

 

Wet on skin, I get a classic guy-scent with maybe extra carnation. As it dries down, it gets rounder...and then I get a hint of the smoked tea leaves (THANK YOU LUNA: You've identified another note for me!!!). It stays warm and round and fuzzy for a goodly loooong time--most likely the vanilla, sugar, and sandal having their say--and the flowers pop in occasionally. It'll go back and forth between smoky and politely sweet, but it stays warm and enticing all along. On extreme drydown, the carnations come back into the foreground whilst the warm fuzzies back them up from across the house.

 

The journey of this one is what fascinates, and I just love the whole experience! I've found I love EVERY SINGLE ONE of the Ivory Cats. Every one. WOW.

 

~By the way, I haven't shared any Dianthus with Mr. Matt. It is MINE!!!

[reincarnated]

To my nose, this shares a smoky-sultry floral vibe with Totem: Tiger, which I ADORE!

 

It may be just as lovely on a man, although it's womanly on me. Not as sweet as Tiger.

 

Alright, I'll need a full bottle.

 

ETA:

After a few hours on my husband, Dianthus is sexay, but still smells better on me. So I'll keep it to myself, and I'll try layering it w. LFN for salsa tonight.

 

Def. A full bottle in the future.

 

Edited May 20, 2016 by luna65

[johnsonlisa90012]

Pulled this out to wear as a fall scent. I love all the notes in the description so I was anticipating sweet..but this is far more spicy and almost woody. The only sweetie smell is a bit of a powdery sugar at the end. Wow, I like this a lot! It's too manly for me to wear to work but it seems like a perfect active weekend smell. It's spicy enough to give me a slight burning on my neck so go lightly. It's a bit potpourri at first but mellows quickly into a very well blended spicy tea scent. Perfect for fall!!!

[Eastwood22]

My man was in shower, Stacy reminded me that I wanted him to sample this today since I seem to like carnation on him.

 

Two funny things that just happened in asking BF to find it-

 

Me: I want you to open your little box

Him: (Looks at my vagina and smiles) Well, alright!

 

Me: You need to wear Dianthus today. It's an experiment.

Him: Isn't that the dirt that kills things? What are we doing today? Are we going somewhere with a lot of bugs?

 

A few minutes later, before drydown-

 

Him: I like it. You're not going to like it. It's smokey and woody. It smells a little like diesel.

Me: (one sniff) Nope.

 

Maybe I'll like it later. Maybe I'll have him wash ot off and put something else on. Or maybe i'll just let hin be a man and read the rest of that chapter before we go bowling.

 

Edited March 11, 2019 by Eastwood22

[greenappletart]

Dianthus is a slightly masculine, sweet, sandalwood floral with an almost smoky quality. It's okay on me, but I would really like it on a guy. Carnation always reads masculine to me. The spiciness really starts to come in at the hour mark. I recently retried this again for the first time in a couple of years, and carnation is still the most prominent note, but it feels like it has mellowed a little. As if it has been rounded off a bit, like the edges filed down. I get a sort of chai aspect, as well, but without the milkiness. That is probably the combination of the tea and cardamom, with the carnation's inherent spiciness thrown in, too. To me, this is a floral, but a masculine one.