Seller: Remembering Matt (120inna55)
Condition: Used
Remaining:
50-80%
This item is from the collection of Matt Hilton (120inna55). You can read more about Matt in the "About the Seller" section of this page.
Please consider a small donation to Matt's family if purchasing direct from M&M.
Read Matt's Review or Photos:
HEREScent Profile (by Matt when available):
I wouldn't have thought pineapple would work as a wearable fragrance for me, and I typically don't gravitate to gourmands, but Smoking Hot Pineapple does it for me. It is largely an accurate grilled pineapple fragrance but there's just enough vetiver to lend a smokiness and wearability. Van Yulay's soap (and splash) ingredients tend to render assessing a fragrance from the jar impossible, but this one blends in quite well. The scent starts a bit sweet when initially lathered, but the smoky vetiver comes in nicely. As previously stated, grilled and caramelized pineapple remains the forerunner throughout.
Van Yulay describes Achilles as, "tobacco with the perfect amount of Kentucky bourbon, hints of cherry, notes of vanilla, of rosewood, cedar, smoke, and sweet birch." I can't argue with any of that, frankly, but the order and impact of these notes deserve some illustration. Straight from the dry tub is a bold, bordering on excessive, sweet bourbon fragrance. We should all know by now that notes from the dry puck rarely provide much insight as to the lathered product. I
can say that room temperature bourbon in an old fashioned wouldn't have emanated throughout the bathroom to the degree the open tub of Achilles did. I was interested to see how this would transform once lathered.
While on the subject of the dry tub, still present in Achilles are Van Yulay's signature star molds (which I confirmed are in fact piped into the tubs with an icing bag). Unlike my initial use of Van Yulay, Achilles has the molds surrounded by a lustrous dark substance that appears to be liquefied, but it's actually firm with a slight candied tackiness. While it's an interesting presentation, I was concerned it was unintentional and possibly the victim of the hot Texas temperatures. I contacted the proprietor, Monica, to inquire about the dark syrup. She quickly responded and reassured me this was the "bourbon drizzle" and that it was completely intentional. She nailed the customer service aspect, and there's more on that later.
