Polyanthes

There are already lots of good reviews for this beauty, but during this dull January here in the UK I'm on a Tuberose kick to cheer myself up and remind me of those warm summer days. So I'm going to review a few perfumes that have a heavy dollop of these luscious flowers.
Moon Bloom is completely natural, that coupled with the high dose of one of my top three favourite notes already makes it a likely winner for me. There is also plenty of ylang in here along with the amazing tuberose.
Big white creamy luxurious plump, this manages to be steamy whilst also being a little powdery...
Tuberose, jasmine and ylang are softly bunched together in a warm, ripe, pollen laden bouquet next to me, as I sit outside of a banana leaf roofed cafe in Bali, they also grow prolifically amongst the hot tropical greens all around the place. Everything glows golden in the sultry evening sunshine. Inside someone is preparing a bowl of sweet steamed rice with coconut milk. That's it, that's what it conjures up for me.
I've yet to wear this in the warmth of high summer (I imagine it would go well with some white broderie anglaise/cotton lace and sun-kissed skin), but I'm looking forward to it. However, I have got myself a little hot and steamy whilst wearing this, and just when I thought this all natural had dwindled to a feint, powdery skin scent, some serious body heat and a little perspiration occurred and whoosh - up came a great big steamy cloud of plump, swollen, and yes, engorged creamy flowers again! Goodness gracious me, what a lovely and slightly shocking surprise. There is nothing skanky here though, this is warm and sensual but clean, fleshy yet waxy and ever so slightly soapy.
The right word for Moon Bloom is 'gorgeous' and I love it. I don't think I'll have a problem getting through a full bottle (must save some to wear in that much longed for Summer heat though).
Edit 28/02/18: Turns out this is a 'Great Long Term Love' for me.

Enveloping, dense, deeply comforting and enchanting, a perfume for introverted pleasure. When I wear it I don’t need, or want anything.
It has a soft, peach skin suede like texture. There are floury woods; velvety sandalwood and some sharp cedar. A couple of fresh olives have dropped off the tree, the balmy wind rolling them around on the parched earth, bruising them and coaxing out their creaminess. The slightly rugged, green and gorgeous patchouli is central and gives it a bit of an edge amongst lots of rich tonka and a some smooth vanilla adding a little sweetness. Sometimes I think I catch a glimpse of gentle, powdery flowers (violets, heliotrope?) whispering on warm skin.
The facets of this liquid seem ensouled, they become real, animated in the smelling of them, they paint a picture, it’s friendly, rounded, soothing and has depth. It has an ample, long and lovely dry down. This is one of my most loved and frequently worn perfumes.

Arbolé Arbolé. ... She’s not bothered about what’s going on around her, she’s perfectly content in her own warm, bucolic bubble.

Edit 16/3 ~ I was eating some raw almonds whilst wearing Arbolé and I'm sure I smelled a soft, unsweetened almond note in there. I'm also wondering if there is a rice tincture in this perfume (in all of Hiram Green's perfumes actually) Mmm... lovely.

When I first spritzed Slowdive, I smiled a smug and deeply contented kind of smile because it is so wonderful, and because my first blind buy ever was such a ridiculous success :o)

This is not a furniture beeswax smell, and it’s not burning candles either, it is actual honeycomb, fresh out of the hive on a buzzing summer's day, still glistening with honey and powdered with pollen, there's a little bit of clean hay around the place too. Have you ever smelled and tasted the pollen granules that you can buy to boost your immune system and well being? Well, I get a load of that in here, not just the creamy sweet, softly clean, fuzzy little animal smell but also the super-fine, granular texture as the rich, tiny golden grains dissolve on your tongue.

The more I wear this, the more subtle nuances I notice. The resinous honey gently sticks to the beeswax all the way through and is very much like a delicious heather honey I love from Galicia; thick and semi-crystalized, dark amber, nectarous, dense, herbal aromatic, balmy and rich. There are some heady, creamy white flowers in here too.

It took me a few wearings to get on an intimate basis with the warm, deep, floral tobacco note, but I’m there now and I love it. It’s much rounder and more supple than other tobacco notes I’ve smelled, like rubbing fresh and ever so slightly dusty tobacco leaves between your hands leaving stains with a spicy, sweet, brownish green narcotic aroma.

Slowdive's dry down is long and lovely, a beautiful pastoral portrait of the perfect summer's day, where nature is friendly and life is always sweet.
Nectar of the gods.

For me this is a very beautiful frankincense perfume with spices and ylang ylang.

It doesn't smell like church incense to me, it brings to mind a more ancient temple space (in Egypt or perhaps 'India' ;-) the resins the women there would have burned, the flowers they would have placed on the altar and also the anointed smell of their own warm, spicy skin.

There is heat in here from the cardamon and coriander but also a rich and soft creaminess which must come from the blend of exotic florals and sandalwood.
It's a gorgeous, opulent, ambered perfume with good longevity evoking feelings of strength and centredness.

I would like to own all of Marina's perfumes, every one of them is extremely lovely and it's obvious that they are made with exceptional materials. Sigh... so many beautiful perfumes, I cannot posses them all.

Marina Barcenilla is based in the UK but her perfumes are also available in the US from Ave Parfum.

It's a gorgeous, natural, true patchouli, rich and nuanced. I think the several patchoulis' used here must be well aged, highly refined extracts. They are enhanced by a little bit of very lovely, soft rose and jasmine in the heart, plenty of sandalwood and a dash of soft spices and resins. But mainly it's a beautiful, well crafted natural patchouli. This one went straight on to my love shelf.

The first blast is aromatic patchouli, uplifting and head-clearing, a little sharp and pungent (I love, love the opening). It quickly begins to get smoothed and rounded by the soft rose and jasmine.

The sandalwood is quite bold, although it takes second place to the patchouli, It’s rich and woody. Patchouli Clouds is grounded but not too ‘earthy’, it has a clear and opulent yet slightly rugged character. It’s substantial but not heavy. After a little while I smell the florals more, they are soft and deep. Everything about this perfume holds together really well, I feel like it’s got my back. Really good patchouli gives me a feeling of being secure, grounded and brave but also uplifted and happy at the same time, the extracts used in Patchouli Clouds are no exception and work wonders on my mood.
So, it’s grounding patchouli and it’s uplifting clouds too ;-)

Sillage and longevity are moderate/good on my perfume eating skin.
This smells so good and affects my emotional state in a very positive way.

Marina Barcenilla is based in the UK but her perfumes are also available in the US from Ave Parfum.

Edit 25/3/18 - Still loving this, just wanted to say that I think it does lean a little bit feminine in the dry down - so men - unless you want a touch of soft, creamy rose with your patch (and why not ;-) sample first. Gorgeous though.