When I think of perfumes inspired by Hawaii, I think about stuff that smells like coconut and gardenias. This is what the perfume industry keeps giving us. After reading the notes of Phoenix Botanicals Ka Pueo, I still expected a “tropical white floral”. I was surprised to try it and see that it is a smoky white floral. Yeah, like a “lava white floral”.
Ka Pueo opens with sharp woods and a cool, minty jasmine. On my skin, the creamy florals start to stand out once this perfume warms up on skin. It’s like a tropical flower pudding with pine sap. The dry-down is more of the smoky, sharp woods.
Ka Pueo is really sharp and smoky on my skin. It’s the palo santo. Now this is going to sound bad but it isn’t meant to sound bad. I really think Ka Pueo could keep pesky summer bugs away. It’s all that palo santo! Palo Santo has traditionally been used for so many things and one of those is an insect repellent. Perhaps this one would be a good outdoors fragrance for summer? I haven’t tested my little theory but I don’t think it’s a far-fetched idea.
Notes listed include ginger lily, sustainable palo santo, pinyon, jasmine accord, tonka bean, frankincense, vetiver, smoke and woods. Launched 2013. PERFUMER – Irina Adams
Give Ka Pueo a try if you like smoky scents or like the idea of a “tropical woods” fragrance. Or if you like perfumes like OLO Palo Santo, Sweet Anthem Elliott, Sonoma Scent Studio Winter Woods and/or Le Labo Patchouli 21. Ka Pueo is unisex.
Projection and longevity are average for a natural perfume.
Ka Pueo comes in a few sizes. The 4 ml retails for $40 at Phoenix Botanicals. Samples are also available for purchase.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – “Lava white floral”. It’s creamy, minty and smoky. And that’s weird. But, weird in a good way.
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i actually have a sample of this, so i put it on to go through it with you. 🙂
cool, minty jasmine– check!
creamy white florals– check!
smokey pine sap– check!
and palo santo until the day is done– check!
it’s very base note heavy, and the florals so beautiful in the beginning too quickly give way to the palo santo.
i would say it probably has enough palo santo in it to keep bugs away, yes, although this would be such a pleasant alternative to even lemon eucalyptus. (i don’t want to test your theory though… just in case.)
this is a palo santo oil in the end; that’s all that remains on my skin.
Yes, very base-note heavy; it really is all about that palo santo.
Which…I don’t think anyone should really test my theory, especially since mosquitoes can make you sick. But, hey, if you are going to wear perfume to a BBQ, at least wear something not so “you’re so tasty” by mosquito standards.
[…] Phoenix Botanicals Ka Pueo Perfume – I call this all-natural perfume a “lava rock white floral”. It’s a smoky floral. Retails for $38 at Phoenix Botanicals. Full review. […]