Description
“Disconnect, Disrupt. A surreal TokyoMilk Fragrance that shatters preconception. Notes of Thai Pepper adds fire to smoky Frankincense. Pretty and punk. Untamed and unpredictable. Exotic floral Orchid Vanilla warms slowly in the background while crushed Ginger seduces with spice. What remains in the after-burn is a sense of heat and excitement – alluding to things to come.” – a note from the brand.
Novacaine No. 85 by Tokyo Milk Parfumarie Curiosite is a Aromatic Spicy fragrance for women and men. This is a new fragrance. Novacaine No. 85 was launched in 2016. The nose behind this fragrance is Margot Elena. The fragrance features ginger, olibanum, vanilla orchid, black cardamom and chili pepper.
stalker1997 – :
I recently purchased the Tokyo Milk Dark Discovery Set and was super surprised that this spicy scent was one of my favorites.
I’m not normally a fan of scents with woody notes, like frankincense, but the spicy ginger is definitely the lead, and I find it pleasant for winter.
FYI: It is a strong scent, but I have to have my face almost literally against my skin to be able to smell it.
Vakiwap – :
I had such high hopes for this perfume from the notes in it and the rave reviews from other members. Since it’s an affordable scent, I ordered it blind.
*sigh* … I’m afraid on me it’s a Christmas candle or potpourri, or, as someone else here so aptly put it, the scent of a Michael’s craft store at Christmastime. I get overwhelming gingerbread and a cloying sweetness, that gets sweeter in the dry down.
I would love to do a trade once I get my bearings on these forums (I’ve lurked for awhile but finally registered today to post this).
UPDATE: Traded!
misha555 – :
After trying the entire Tokyo milk dark series. I can’t get over how unique they are. Like the rest this is in its own lane.
Notes listed on the bottle
– crushed ginger
– thai pepper
– frankincense
– vanilla Orchid
All of these blend very well together. This is top 4 for me and tied with my number 1 pick. These fragrances go through stages during wear. The dry down settles nicely into an intriguing lovely scent. I love it. I also love the bottles being black so the notes will always be protected. Love the theme. Definitely a beautiful juice.
Edit: okay I’ve decided this one is my favorite. I think the crushed ginger won me over.
Grek571 – :
Since TokyoMilk discontinued Bittersweet (whyyyyyy), I’ve been looking for a winter fragrance. I thought maybe I had found it with Novacaine. It’s similarly unique and funky, and the cinnamon/ginger aspect seemed like it would be warming. However, I just can’t love this perfume. Don’t get me wrong; I like it a lot. It’s another polarizing scent that could be perfect for the right person. Spicy, cinnamony, and a little edgy, it’s got its claws into someone for sure. On me though, I felt it lacked a little oomph or that it was a bit impersonal. Kind of a cool customer. I never felt as though I got to that soft vanilla layer that another reviewer mentioned, and maybe that’s what doesn’t sit right. If someone gifted this to me, I’d be pleased, but I wouldn’t buy it for myself.
I have to give a shout out to Margot Elena though. I’m always thrilled to see new fragrances from her different lines, as they’re usually fascinating compositions. Sometimes I read the descriptions/notes, and I think, “Ew…I HAVE to smell this”. More often than not, I have to smell each fragrance more than once to grasp exactly what I think of them, and I’m rarely bored by them. Novocaine is no exception.
dim1 – :
While still mourning the discontinuation of LUSH Tuca Tuca, I have rekindled my love of black pepper with TM Novacaine. A sample was included last month in my Birchbox shipment and it was INSTANT love. This is the closest thing to Tuca Tuca that I have found; subtract violets and add cinnamon. Cinnamon usually turns screechy on me but here it is like the delectable aroma of cinnamon toast filling the kitchen. Plus black pepper. The notes say chili pepper but to me this is black pepper all the way.
It is an odd one, and dark to be sure. Stormy even. I was smitten and bought a full bottle. The addition pf frankincense to the mix renders it even more addictive for me; that is another note that doesn’t always work with my chemistry but when it does…oh boy. Here it is not lemony at all and is rather a behind-the-scenes player, subtly enhancing the undercurrent of sweetness thus stopping it short of gourmand.
The only drawback is poor longevity. One hour tops and it is gone, unlike Tuca Tuca whose longevity was eternal. Sillage is great for about 5 minutes then poof! Undetectable. Still I love it for its similarity to Tuca Tuca. A brief, spicy dark delight.
samuil111 – :
It’s very unusual. It makes me think of a flaming cyborg, dominating everything in her path, crushing the cities of the world. There is a touch of sweetness, just enough to be alluring, to allow her to manipulate people to do her bidding and then callously cast them aside when they cease to be of use to her.
ya4ort88 – :
This is my favorite everyday cool-weather scent. It smells like sexy gingerbread; like where the gingerbread men to go have drinks and do business after hours. The sweetness balances the spice and the frankincense without being cloying. It’s not too heavy to wear for daytime or work.
Aleksandr-Business – :
I looooove this. But I understand this is not for everyone. Beautiful but with sharp teeth. A mysterious priestess from the mountains with a dagger in her belt. Does her spell devour or heal you?
The spice can be abrasive or refreshing depending on your view of spice. Soft smoky. A lick of sweet but mostly bite-y ginger and pepper. A soft electric crackle that scares you but reminds you, you’re alive.
This has been saving me on my dark days. And I’ve been having a lot lately.
Simple yet exquisite in my eyes.
Vovan1959 – :
It reminds me of a particular vanilla chai tea I enjoy, but I imagine it smells similar to a variety of vanilla chai teas.
The vanilla becomes very apparent, stale and sweet upon dry down that unfortunately earns it a “dislike” from me.
alina.otenko – :
Notes: Crushed Ginger, Thai Pepper, Frankincense, Vanilla Orchid
Tried it. Not for me. It’s definitely spicy, but not spicy like jalapeño spicy, think spicy like chai/pumpkin spice/cinnamon type of spice. More herbal/earthy in tone. It reminded me way too much of ginger bread (which I despise) at first, but then when it dried down it became somewhat more pleasant. I would NOT recommend blind buying this. I know they sell it at Urban Outfitters, so I would recommend going there and spritzing it on yourself first. This is probably one of those love it or hate it type of scents for most.
rerotheocky – :
The ginger is strong with this one. It’s almost overpoweringly potent when first applied. There is spice as well… cardamon and some cinnamon. It does dry down quite nicely though. The vanilla comes, but not strong or sickeningly sweet like some fragrances that have vanilla. It’s subtle, like a waft a vanilla as you walk into a cigar shop. On the dry down, I personally get a tobacco note, that blends nicely with the vanilla.
For people who enjoy these scents, this is definitely the fragrance for them. For me, I’m not a fan of strong ginger (though I do very much like the dry down), so I probably wouldn’t buy it. I like it enough to wear the sample until it’s gone.
Overall, the mental image this brings up is maybe visiting a grandparent’s home during the December holiday season and sitting near the fireplace while grandfather smokes a cigar and grandmother bakes gingerbread cookies in the kitchen. It would be a good December scent, for sure. Definitely a winter scent. This would be overwhelmingly suffocating in the heat.
vladlukich – :
This fragrance is unnerving. Something about it feels mechanical, medicinal, and strange. Almost as if it is buzzing. It’s certainly different from anything else I’ve tried, and I wouldn’t consider this a safe blind buy. I fail to find the right words to describe the notes. There is ginger, certainly, but it has no warmth. Absolutely unusual.
nur796Bessinepome – :
Novacaine start with a blast of cinnamon that remind me of the Big red gum, then the incense appear and it’s beautiful. It’s quickly followed by the ginger and smell very much like a Lush store with all the bath bombs. All this in a matter of minutes. It stay this way for a while, very wintry and Christmasy.. Then the incense completely disappear and the ginger is more prominent and it’s become almost a fresh scent, out of shower type. Finally, it settle down to a softness that could be vanilla but that also manly because of the ginger (a little like men’s deodorant I am afraid) and a bit foody at the same time. The result is like baking a gingerbread house with you daddy. A warm memory for sure but not something I want to smell like.
kapudop – :
This is different. It’s a bit masculine due to an almost charred note…reminds of a cinder. It’s sweet and warmly spiced. A note, bordering on minty…very strange. However, I really like it because it is definitely unique. This is a perfect fall/winter fragrance.