kayali

Musk | 12 by Kayali

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Musk 12 is another perfume that was included in the Kayali sample set that I bought by Huda Beauty. This is one which was released back in 2018. I wasn’t too sure if I was going to really like another musky perfume, but I wanted to test it out and review it anyway. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Musk 12 Smell Like?

Notes include: lotus, jasmine, musks, vanilla, sandalwood

Click here to try: Musk 12 from Sephora

My Full Review

The opening here is interesting. You get a burst of fresh floral notes, led by the lotus, with a bit of that watery cleanliness sitting underneath the main aroma. But, you will also get hints of vanilla, plus a powdery grouping of the musk notes.

It’s very soft and clean. Becomes more of a blend of white floral notes. The jasmine doesn’t really stand out much on its own, but I get its influence on the entirety of the scent.

The lotus will settle down a lot and just be a part of that more generic floral blend. The stars here are the musk and vanilla. Powdery and slightly sweet with a decent amount of sandalwood appearing for a time.

Musk isn’t a very complicated perfume on its own. It’s one of the stronger candidates from Kayali for layering though.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Musk 12 is pretty moderate as a fragrance, even during the initial sprays. It’s not going to project super far nor leave much of a scent trail. Well, maybe that first hour, you’ll have some of that going on.

After, it will be much more of an intimate fragrance and is going to stick to that 1-3 foot range from the skin.

The longevity is also pretty mid-range, the lower end of that spectrum. On me, it will stick around for maybe 5 hours total. That last hour or so, is very light, but it is actually still there. You may just need to press your nose closer to detect it.

Seasonally, this perfume is wearable year round. The versatility is probably its greatest strength, as it isn’t too heavy for the heat, but also has an aroma that does well when it’s kind of cold out.

It can cover a lot of bases on its own. If you want a low key daily wear, Musk 12 can probably fit the bill. Light, smells nice, and isn’t going to beg for attention. Plus, you have the optionality of successfully pairing it with a host of perfumes.

Overall Impressions of Musk 12

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I do. This is one of the Kayali scents that I wasn’t too sure that I would enjoy, but it is actually one of the better options from the line.

Again, a simple scent that will probably get a lot of use as one to layer with other perfumes, but it actually holds up well enough on its own.

I like the softness, the powdery aspects, vanilla, and how clean Musk 12 feels without being heavy or off-putting. It’s got a great balance and is absolutely one of their better releases.

The performance isn’t all that great, so just be aware of that before you commit to a full bottle. On smell alone, I think that it is nice and pleasant. A perfume that should get plenty of use in one’s rotation.

Invite Only Amber | 23 by Kayali

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Invite Only Amber 23 is one of the fragrances that is featured in the Kayali sample set that I bought some time back. Based on the name alone, this was one that I thought would be my favorite of the bunch. Is that the case? How does Invite Only smell? Is it really worth a try?

What does Invite Only Amber Smell Like?

Notes include: black cherry, honey de Provence, tobacco leaf, amber resin, vanilla Madagascar

Click here to try: Invite Only Amber

My Full Review

Invite Only opens up with a mix of the black cherry note and a greenish sort of tobacco note. It doesn’t smell like other fragrances which tend to go with a cured tobacco aroma.

The cherry note has an initial run at the top, but quickly gets overtaken by other ingredients in the mix. The Honey de Provence and the amber resin here get stronger. Invite Only Amber stays sweet, but has a warm resinous aroma throughout.

The honey, amber, and vanilla create a thicker scent. There seems to be some spice here at least, almost creating a boozy effect. But really, I still get the honey, amber, and that tobacco note. 

This gets compared to Angels’ Share. Eh, not really. Sure, a similar style, but they are not the same scent by any stretch. The Kilian is much better. Actually, this reminds me a female version of Pure Havane, done in the style of Angels’ Share.

The final dry down is a sweetish amber with the remaining tobacco and vanilla. Some of that initial spice, but very faint. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The opening act of Invite Only does have a pop to it. A fairly strong sillage with a radius of maybe 5-6 feet from where you spray. That comes in closer and closer, probably 2-3 feet, for much of the wear.

The longevity here is in the 5.5-6 hour range on my skin. Those last few hours are pretty light, but it does hang around, mostly as a skin scent. Not great. Then again, none of this line’s perfumes seem to be beast mode. 

Seasonally, Invite Only Amber is an autumn and winter scent. It’s really sweet, has sort of a heaviness, and would be a bit much as the temperatures rise.

This is a cozy scent that could pull double duty day or night during the colder weather. I don’t find it particularly sexy, but some might. Not really a formal scent, though, it can be light enough to wear on a daily basis for a select number of people.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Invite Only Amber

Overall, do I like it? Somewhat. I actually thought that I’d love this one going in and how it gets compared to Angels’ Share and Oajan, two of my favorites. Ultimately, it really falls short for me.

Maybe it’s better as a layering perfume option. Less so on its own.

It’s not a bad perfume, but there’s something about it that I find somewhat off-putting while wearing it for long stretches. It has depth, warmth, and the notes are better than some of the others from this brand. But, the mix itself…isn’t completely working for me.  

The tobacco note might be the one that’s doing it. That with a strong amber, gets a bit too thick and somewhat annoying over time. I probably would’ve like a bigger cherry note and some booziness instead.

Apparently some people get a lot longer lasting cherry than I did. On the whole, this scent just doesn’t have the right balance to my nose. It’s fine, just not great like I thought it could be. 

I’d say give it a try first, to see where you fall on this, as it can bit somewhat pricey for a blind buy.

Eden Juicy Apple | 01 by Kayali

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Eden Juicy Apple is a part of the Kayali Fragrances sample set that I bought fairly recently. I’ve been working my way through testing out each of them for review, and am going to kick things off, with this one. How does Eden Juicy Apple Smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Eden Juicy Apple Smell Like?

Notes include: juicy red apple, wild berries, jasmine, lychee, vanilla flower, musk

Click here to try: Eden Juicy Apple at Sephora

eden apple review

My Full Review

Here’s how Huda Beauty describes it: Playful and vibrant, this succulent scent is a tempting, mouth-watering fusion of crisp and juicy red apples, sweet berries and fresh floral notes that will keep you wanting more and more…

Eden starts off very sweet, tart, and quite juicy. It does indeed have a similar start to Thank U, Next 2.0, with it’s apple juice top note. I did like that perfume’s opening act. There’s also an aspect of Angel Nova here, with it’s massive fruit hit, in its opening.

Yes, it has a candy-like and sugary sort of aroma. You’re going to have to enjoy that aspect, to appreciate this perfume.

The red apple is the main focus. Initially, though, there is a battle for the second spot between lychee and the berries. The berries will win out and act as a fruity support to the apple. Early though, this one is a fruit bomb.

Within 20 minutes or so, that hyper fruitiness will subside. I mean, this will stay an apple-centric fragrance throughout, but the berries and lychee will retreat, especially.

The rest of the way isn’t super complex. There is a jasmine note which sits underneath musk which sits underneath the apple/fruit blend. A very vague hint of vanilla, if I press my nose to the skin. That’s about it.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

That opening with the fruit does hit a high peak. At that point, it feels like it will be a massive projecting perfume, that leaves a scent trail of substance behind anywhere you walk. That’s true, for that first 20 or so minutes.

After that, it’s all mid-range. This one never feels weak, a hair above average. Not one that was jumping off of the skin, after that opening bit.

The longevity here, is about 6-6.5 hours on skin. I sprayed on a t-shirt, also, and that lasted noticeably for hours beyond that. But, if you’re not spraying on fabric, the performance isn’t outstanding. Not terrible, either.

Seasonally, this would probably be best in the springtime. Summer, also. It’s freshness feels pretty sharp in the cold weather. I tested it out in more moderate temperatures and that felt right for Eden Juicy Apple.

On it’s own, this is more of a fun, daily casual. Or, even something for the younger crowd. It’s attractive in a playful way, but nothing that you’re going to wear to the office, date night, or in more formal situations.

Overall Impressions of Eden Juicy Apple

Overall, do I like this perfume? Sort of. The opening 20 minutes is fun, not really anything amazing or unique, but if you like these sort of candy-like fruit aromas…this is a cool example.

After that, it’s pretty basic. Musk, jasmine, and fruit give it a good deal of a shampoo sort of vibe. Perhaps not as clean and juicier than what you’d get from that, but fairly in line with what you’ve probably experienced before…just in perfume form.

It does have a lot of popular shampoo or body spray aromas. The quality here is better than those, just don’t expect a super formal fragrance.

The performance is decent. For some, it may even be below average. On me, it was pretty good.

As it stands on its own, it might be worth a try. Not one to blind buy a full bottle of. Unless, you have plans to use it as a layering scent. In that case, it’s probably going to have more value than a solo perfume. Eden is a nice enough entry from Kayali, but nothing special.