Excess

Excess is one of my favorite scents. It is also one of the first TokyoMilk scents I bought. It is not quite like any other scent I know of although reviewers have said it reminds them of certain others. First of all there is nothing floral or sweet about this. If you like gourmand vanilla based scents this is definitely not one. The opening is very much blood orange but in a brisk bergamot kind of way. That fades quickly and then it begins a rather brief dry down to a scent that is actually metallic. With oak, amber, and patchouli as the remaining scents you would expect a heavy earthiness but Excess is surprisingly clean. The qualities that keep coming to my mind are salt and metal. The patchouli here is very clean and bright, not dirty. The oak is subtle but probably contributes to the purity of the scent. The amber I am used to is quite sweet but here it just balances the patchouli and oak and keeps everything just this side of strident. For a scent with this much patchouli it has surprisingly little sillage. It subsides to a skin scent quickly. The longevity is also surprisingly short. It hangs around as a ghost for some time but if you want to smell it without sticking your nose into the area it was sprayed, you will need to reapply every 3-4 hours. Why do I love this perfume? Well, I'm a patchouli fan but I don't like the skank aspect of cheaper patchouli blends. This one is earthy but clean. It is also an unusual scent. I've never smelled anything like this on anyone. (Note to self: Ask a few friends to try it on to see what it does on them) When I have it on, I just keep sniffing myself. That's usually a good sign. It also pleases my inner Goth by smelling artistic and unusual. It is not a traditionally feminine fragrance but I think it suits me very well. I could imagine both men and women of a certain alternative nature wearing this quite well.

Dark Excess. That's what I thought it was called, when I first saw it somewhere on this site maybe 10 days ago. That name attracted me right away; it could be my middle name. I certainly have always been about excess. That old Oscar Wilde line..."nothing succeeds like excess." I know nothing about what looks like a multitude of other fragrances in the Tokyo Milk line; I didn't know they weren't Japanese until I got this bottle and wondered why there wasn't Japanese lettering anywhere on the bottle. But I do like this one. It's exactly what I always seem to be looking for. Rich, non-gooey fragrance; amber resin and patchouli, great; oak bark, sure, and I'll even agree to blood orange. The four of those are printed in white on the black bottle, in case we'd forgotten or maybe as a warning. The effect is calming though. It doesn't screech or call attention to itself. You'll know it's there, but not half the room. All of it at a decent price, or at least I paid a decent/cheap price; I have no idea what these retail out as. I wish it lasted a bit longer. I seem to be getting maybe 3 1/2 hours. I'd like at least 5 hours with this one. Sillage doesn't matter so much to me, as long as I can smell it. More people would buy this, and probably other scents from the whole line, if they'd see them more often. And Fragrantica needs to change its hours of longevity measurement. 3-6 hours is just too wide, and at a critical time. A perfume that lasts in some form for 6 hours is a miracle/Godsend, whereas one that gives up the ghost totally at 3 hours and 10 minutes is a disappointment and often a huge waste of money. So how about changing the moderate time period to 3-4 hours, the longlasting to 5-8 hours, and eternal to 9+ hours? Or something like that?

EXCESS may be my favorite creation from the Tokyo Milk Dark collection, though it's becoming more and more difficult to say! In this case, a big blast of labdanum amber mixes with patchouli, a touch of wood, and an even lighter touch of blood orange to produce a super-smooth and sensual cold-weather-only perfume. There are zillions of amber perfumes and quite a few patchouli amber perfumes on the market, so the competition is stiff in this realm, particularly among niche houses. With so many high-quality amber choices out there, it's a real mark of distinction to be something that I actually premeditatively look for occasions to wear, and EXCESS has swiftly become the first amber I reach for, despite being the last to join my collection. This one is definitely less spicy than some, but somehow I am drawn to its viscous golden gleam. EXCESS is also not sweet, which to me is a plus and would make this a sure hit among some gents as well. Is my current infatuation with EXCESS only a momentary crush? Will this perfume be forgotten and lost in the back of my armoire in the not-too-distant future? I think not. This feels like the real thing: a top-notch amber-patchouli perfume!

Alright - so this very well could be the best out there, all things considered. I know I know - such a bold thing to say... but let me elaborate. How many high end houses out there try to pull of the "contrast fragrance" - the avant garde "paradoxical" fragrance? Lots!! Well, to a certain extent, that's what this is. Patch, blood orange, a hint of sweetness... to me, its the perfect concoction. It's deep, dark and as close to dirty as you can get without being dirty. It's mysterious. Its infruiging. The feel of this reminds me of so many of the tom ford private blends. The dark and light contrasting notes followed by a patchouli base. I can say with near certainty that if we slapped a gold square on this bottle that said "tom ford", folks would be clammering to find a bottle! But, it's not. For me, the only negative is the performance - which I would consider to be well below average for an edp - maybe 2 hours on my skin. But - it's not about performance for me. It's about the damn smell. And this smells just the way I want it to. 7/10 I'm a big fan.

Tokyomilk "Excess"...a scent for a hedgewitch. Crushed dry leaves, turned earth, patchouli incense; someone's been digging up mandrake roots in the dusk. There's a hint of amber---perhaps she scents her hair with it---and a passing tang of blood orange, left on her fingers from the fruit shared with her lover in the forest. A touch of cedar wood, maybe from a carved talisman she wears, or the box that will hold the mandrake. Transient sweetness, a hint of spice, the hard bones and soft soil of the land that sustains us and will receive us at our nightfall. Beautiful and even seductive in its own twilight, gothic, witchy, quietly magical way...

I don't really get the blood-orange and Oak so much as I get dried fruits and Rum. Oud, patchouli, and Amber dominate a well rounded perfume that gets MUCH better over time on my skin. When I first put it on I am not impressed with it, but within 45 minutes or so, I am intoxicated and can't stop smelling my wrist. VERY similar to "straight to Heaven" by Kilian for me, especially the way the Oud and dry fruit is handled. No one else gets boozy-rum from this one? Anyway, I think this perfume is fantastic value. I tried many others in the Tokyo Milk collection and none of them came close to this one for my tastes.

I wear this warm, dry fragrance at home to please myself because it is not what people expect a woman to smell like. The last time I wore Excess in public someone mistook it for my husband's Burberry London, his signature fragrance (and also my favorite). Excess is well blended and balanced, but the amber and oak come out the most on my skin. In the drydown something interesting remains: the dry mineral quality of earth that I smell in the back of the throat, like when I'm potting plants. To me this is the best part. It lingers on my skin till the next day, and for weeks on a scarf and I just love it.

There's a cologne out there somewhere that I love, but I've never been able to creepily chase down the man to ask what it is. While I doubt Excess is what I'm smelling, it's damn close - a testament to it's magnetism. Deliciously oaky and deep, the resinous notes in this go a long way to nullify the typically sharp and 'dirty' patchouli. The blood orange is not perceivable to me. Rustic and sexy, another win from the TokyoMilk dark line. I love it for myself, but it will be irresistible on my man. A handsome standout.

On first spray it smells almost medicinal, a heavy licorice scent, but as it settles it smells strong of patchouli and incense. This smells nearly identical to walking into a new age spiritual shop stuffed to the brim with incense, but honestly, I really enjoy it as someone who grew up in a house where we burned incense all the time. It's one where either you love it or hate it, a very unique/niche scent. Definitely not blind buy safe!

Finally a decent dupe of Kate Walsh Boyfriend!!! Not exact, maybe sharper? Such a lovely warm scent for cool weather. The initial blast is (I guess) is where you smell the blood orange, but it quickly dries down to a soft, resinous, amber-patchouli base. I don't get a powdery or sweet vibe to it, just a nice, warm, wool-scarf wrapping up my entire life sort of feeling on a crisp autumn day. Longevity seems okay along with sillage.

Patchouli and candied orange peels, with hints of woodiness, and sweet resin (benzoin?). Unfortunately, it doesn't last at all on my skin; I end up with nothing but light patchouli. But on clothing it stays decently, and the tart sweetness stands out. After the initial blast, it is very polite for a patchouli, low sillage and the citrus sweetness keeps the patchouli from being too dirty; a fresh, sweet, moist earth.

This scent is my favorite out of the whole Tokyo milk dark series. It's a beautiful interesting sexy scent. Totally different than anything I've ever smelled. This is a scent that works perfectly for both men and women. I absolutely love it. Notes on the bottle - amber resin - oak bark - blood orange - patchouli All notes can be detected and blend very well. What an amazing intriguing scent. A new favorite of mine.

originale giustapposizione di patchouli, ambra e arancia rossa, che si traduce in un effetto confortevole ma non dolce. strano a dirsi, ma si tratta di un profumo fresco, banchè adatto all'inverno. essendo una estimatrice di ambra e patchouli, posso dire in buona approssimazione che si tratta di un accordo molto inusuale, gotico ma non esageratamente dark, sinistro ma non lugubre. bellissimo!

Love it - I am a fool for any patchouli amber mix and this is just delish. this could essentially become my everyday fall/winter scent. I love the bottles and packaging (the hand cream is awesome, I use it to layer)and I am eager to try the entire line of the Dark series. So far it suits me.

To me this smells like an old abandoned wooden church with a leaky roof, moss is growing in every corner yet you can still smell the years of burning incense, It invokes a warm cold somber feeling, its one of those fragrances you somehow simultaneously don't like but cannot stop smelling.

This is my favorite so far of the TM line. Dragon hit it on the head, and i cant get enough of this scent! Just wish lasting power was longer. Update: I also bought the Shea Butter hand crème of this and its wonderful layered.

Patchouli, patchouli, patchouli! Lovely fragrance, sensual, a little woody, a hint of sweetness. You cannot go wrong with Tokyo Milk Dark, seriously, this entire line is to die for.

to me this smells like crushed blackberries. it has a heavy velvet texture to it. it feels like standing in a hot, humid room. its not dark like black, but like a deep brown.

I smell oak most, with blood oramge second strongest then patchouli and amber. The result is a slightly masculine perfume but it works for both genders.

(1) ★★★★★ dark, not forgotten; dimly illuminated an immortal sip

I was originally drawn to Excess because of the packaging art—the upside-down octopus reminded me of something Lovecraftian. It was easily my favorite scent from the Tokyomilk Dark line, and quickly became my go-to for a couple years; enough to where I went through most of the bottle and bought a backup (which I have never had to do for a perfume!). Eventually we drifted apart; it started smelling too heady, too synthetic patchouli like a potpourri bucket, and it no longer fit me. I stopped wearing it for some time. Now, over two years later, I found it again, and on a whim sprayed some on—and rediscovering my enjoyment for this scent is what has brought me here. Beyond the bottle art, the scent itself is reminiscent of something Lovecraftian—dark, mysterious, strange, evocative of the smells of nature, but with echoes beyond it into the supernatural. This is the scent of that person at the party who is most likely to be a cryptid in disguise: the confident wallflower with a weird charm, who is obviously very intelligent when you talk to them, and is oddly enticing in how intimidating they are. You can tell they are deep: not like a trench, but like something where you’re not sure it even has a bottom. This is how an eldritch being, not of the sea but of the woods, smells when they emerge from the moss to mingle among humans for a taste of what mortal life is like. Strong patchouli, a hint of spice: self-assured, with a sharp wit. Warm and woody, but they are not the campfire; rather, they are the pitch-black night around it. They are the darkness that watches and listens to you from beyond where the light reaches. This is probably the most unisex scent I’ve encountered; it is undefined and unbound, like any creature beyond human would be. Familiar yet foreign, earthy yet otherworldly, alluring yet dangerous. They might devour you—but you’d be okay with that.

I thought I would recap my previous review by saying I may have prematurely criticised this scent.....perhaps wrong time of the month, wrong season, wrong mood..... I finally decided to buy it today after researching the entire 'dark' line on this site & many testings of this range. And I must really like it because I bought it!!! & I have changed my mind & I do love it (for now). It is a chilly Spring day in Aussie Land down under & for some reason it just suits my olfactory senses in this particular season. It is EXTREMEMLY long wearing & wafts of its spicy smoky sweetness continue to resonate long into the evening. Probably best suited to Autumn/Winter as when I previously reviewed this it was high Summer & just became too cloying by mid-afternoon. This does give me a 'Comme des Garcons' vibe with that familiar smokey incense accord. It is a unique & very subjective perfume. It has definitely confirmed for me that fragrance is not a 'one size fits all' experience & scents that we may have loved or hated or were indifferent to at one time, may prove to provide an exact opposing experience & makes one doubt their tastes & preferences.

I really wanted to engulf & exude the scents from this dark line of Tokyo Milk. I have a lot of their original scents & they are all so unique & 'punchy' in their own realm, I was hoping for some interesting olfactory experiences once again. The themes, the graphics, the notes & the packaging are all everything i 'GET' with these fragrances. But.......after consistently going back many times to test this range, spraying at least 2 at each testing time, I went about the rest of my day with the growing disappointment, (that does sometimes occur with fragrance enthusiasts with excitable expectations) ...that no no no I dislike unfortunately. On my skin, this particular one EXCESS , as well as Bullet Proof, just end up smelling like a sickly sweet burnt & smokey mess. I actually felt nauseous ....& I HATE it when a perfume causes that unpleasant sensation in me. Such a pity. They start out exciting & dreamy & then.....a shame.

It looks like I'm in the minority here, but this was a bit of a disappointment for me. Although I like the scent somewhat, Excess is nowhere close to one of the more unique patchouli fragrances I have experienced. Perhaps the biggest problem is the fact that it sinks into my skin extremely fast, leaving only a tiny wisp of fragrance behind. Within the first 5 minutes after I apply this, I have to put my nose right on my skin to smell anything. What I do pick up is a very light blood orange scent, on a background of pale woods. I can smell the patchouli in the initial spray, but after that it's gone. Ten minutes in, this fragrance has completely disappeared from my skin.

I loved the bottle and was interested in the notes listed, but I can't wear this. It's nice, strong, and earthy, but earthy means I can't do it. It just ends up giving me something reminiscent of body odor. If you like patchouli, though, you can't go wrong with this. It's quite a heavy, masculine scent. I find nothing feminine about it. I gave my sample to my husband who has yet to wear it, but I think I might like it on him. Overall, my review is neutral. I like it, but I cannot wear it. It truly is an EXCESS of patchouli.

Wandering around a perfume shop that was not Sephora on a cold winter night, I decided to check out the Tokyo Milk line. I was intrigued by the bottle designs and decided to give the entire display a sniff. Not surprisingly, I gravitated towards Excess -- I do love a good orange-musk-amber-patchouli combination. Although these scents don't all have the same notes, they give off the same vibe. Tokyo Milk Excess is definitely in that category. Warm, earthy, sensual. Just the way I like it.

Maybe it's the combo of oak and blood orange or the resin, but I get intense licorice smells from this. I love it when I layer it with a more gourmand forward scent but it's not something I'd wear on its own (I hate licorice) and I won't be repurchasing. That's not to say it doesn't smell good, it does, but it's not my style. Leans masculine.

I am not particularly thrilled with Tokyo Milk's offerings, but this one might change my mind. I would want to sample again before buying, but to my nose it has a tremendous, pleasant earthy quality, like rain on dirt and fall leaves. I find the name ironic since there is nothing offensive or loud here.

I bought this as a blind buy. First spray my thought was “ what have I done?” Strong and medicinal. Five minutes later, it starts getting good. It becomes this earthy wonderful comforting scent. After late spring it have to wait for cooler weather, but it will certainly be one I will be glad to use.

I usually HATE patchouli but for some reason I really like this one

Very stong when first sprayed. I love the boldness posh scent.

This one reminds me of Arsenic, but much sweeter. I still get that licorice (almost root beer float like) smell. I may prefer this over Arsenic, it's a little less abrasive and more pleasant on me. This one is quite whimsical but enjoyable. The patchouli is there, but not overpowering and blends very well with the amber. I do not get the blood orange in the top, just straight to amber and patchouli on my skin. This dark series doesn't seem to last very long, but I guess they aren't very expensive either. Still not wowed by the 4 I have tried, but this one is decent.

Something about the way these notes were blended left me wanting more..more..more. They needed to amp up of the notes to really feel the excess of it all....They should have made the patchouli the star of this show. Unfortunately, I ended up using it as fancy car freshener. Luckily, I bought this at a perfume store that was going out out business for only US$ 26.00 so not complaining. But the name should have been something like .."not enough ca$$$h" or something like that. FOLLOW ME ON IG @MoctezumaC

I wore this all the time in the early 2010s. maybe they've reformulated since then, but I remember it being pretty long lasting! it's also possible I just oversprayed though... a dark, sexy, goth patchouli-amber that's truly unisex. great for the price.

I got this as a sample with my purchase of Stella at Sephora. When I chose this as the 3rd sample, the SA looked at me in a despising way, suggesting that I might get something more expensive, but I obviously thought I knew better. :) Now, I am quite new to perfumes, and just discovered my love for patchouli, so when I first tried this on paper, I was mesmerized. It smelled spicy, mysterious and beautiful. That's why I got a sample of it. However, it's nothing special on my skin. I am really OK with linear fragrances, WYSIWG as far as I'm concerned, but this really is so not exciting. A bit of sweet blood-orange, and then heaps and heaps of patchouli, smelling a bit like my Dad's Old Spice Fresh Water, to be honest. I can imagine it with a black, smart outfit, but that's it. Also, it turns into sour cat pee on me, after a 6-8 hours, but that might be a result of overapplying.

Negative Review. Smells like a mintier and weaker version of Vivienne Westwood's Let It Rock. Patchouli, amber and orange citrus are exactly what's in Let It Rock and I love it. In theory I'm supposed to love Excess too. But I don't. I seem to get the worst of Tokyo Milk's perfumes. None of their scents work for me even though their concept and design are so charming. With Excess, I smell like a hippie van and Nyquil. In nicer terms, patchy-herbal and medicinal. I don't like it. There is a unique smooth creaminess to it that pulls it all together. It's lasting time is about 4~5 hours BUT the sillage is dig-my-nose-into-skin weak. If you're having this problem too, I recommend Let It Rock.

I usually like the Toyko Milk fragrances - a lot. This one is just too dense with patchouli for my own taste. I was hoping that the oak would work with me, but it didn't. I also found out that apparently, I'm not a big fan of blood orange in perfumes, so I'm really out of luck on this one. It does last moderately and the sillage on me is intimate, but I just can't get into this. It would probably do best in fall and winter. I do like the mini bottles in the sampler set, easy to take anywhere.

Man, here is another TokyoMilk fragrance I want to like and wear, but cannot because it doesn't work on my skin. The blood orange, or its intermingling with the oak, does something weird to the composition. Conceptually this has some of my favorite notes: Patchouli, amber, woods, citrus. But in practicality, it's a surprising miss. This brand is so inconsistent I highly suggest getting samples and doing a test run before committing to full-size bottles.

Definitely worth a try for patchouli lovers. I get a strong, clear, straightforward patchouli note and not a whole lot more, but this is my first test run (dabbed not sprayed). I must say, I see no relationship to Kate Walsh's Boyfriend, which does not have patchouli in it. Please test this before assuming it is a good replacement for Boyfriend, maybe you will love it for it's own qualities.

this opens up very woody, i get a lot of oak with patchouli and a hint of the blood orange in the background. after about 10 minutes it gets a bit warmed up by the amber. the oak remains the strongest note on me. this reads as a more traditionally masculine scent. a nice scent, but not for me.

Totally unimpressed. Patchouli, Orange, Oak, Amber...whats not to like? In theory. These are some of my favorite scents! Unfortunately....this one smells like cheap mens deoderant. I returned it.

Medicinal, almost licorice-y. There is a minty sting to it.

Excess was the fragrance I was looking forward to the most in this line. I do enjoy it when I wear it, however it is a strong like versus the love that I expected it would be. On my skin the blood orange opening is awesome tangy slightly yet a little sweet. I wish it lasted longer then a minute or two. For the most part this fragrance is pretty linear on my skin. An earthy patchouli with out being too dirty, though it is not quite fresh or clean compared to others that I have smelled. The amber seems to be missing in action of my skin though, which kind of makes me sad. Hopefully if I keep wearing it might pop and surprise me one day! Otherwise this is mostly a dry woods and patchouli combination on my skin. Leaning a tiny bit more to the masculine side, which I don't mind. Excess is a great fragrance when I'm in the mood for patchouli and nothing complicated mixed with it. I think this is an awesome offering for it price range, have yet to smell anything that is similar to it. Oh and I have no issue with lasting power with it last all day, not too much sillage but it is present. If it had too much sillage I would find it difficult to wear.... P.S. I love the bottle so much!!! XD

A blind buy, based on notes. More and more, I'm loving amber scents, and even on the bottle of Excess, the notes are listed - amber resin, oak bark, blood orange, patchouli - so I thought that might be in order of dominance. I would have really loved an amber with woody orange. Well, nope. For me, it opens with a shot of tart orange, then quickly turns to a bright but earthy patchouli with enough of a hint of amber to smooth the edges. After 4-6 hours, the patchouli does get a bit earthier/skankier. nofixedstars actually describes it quite poetically below. I don't wear patchouli scents often, but now I have another in my arsenal, with others being A*Men Pure Energy (patchouli/mint) and to a degree Baldessarini (patchouli/amber). Excess is a nice fragrance, but Tokyo Milk's Tainted Love is nicer - a good ambery sandalwood.

Excess is PATCHOULI. All of the other notes are there: the amber, the blood orange, the oak. They are all supporting players though. If you do not like patchouli, you probably won't like this one. I must say though, this patchouli is not the usual new age head shop variety. I think Excess is smooth and refined. It smells much more expensive than it actually is. On me, it lasts a long time. I was surprised to see this compared to John Varvatos Artisan Black above, which I also have. Artisan Black is much more citrus-y, polished and less interesting than Excess. After Arsenic, Excess is my favorite Tokyomilk Dark. I think it is unusual, earthy, and mysterious. The more I smell it, the more I like it. Let's hope they don't discontinue this one. Good stuff.

Tokyo Milk's Excess is the shimmering specter of my free-spirited and bohemian late '90s youth; lushly laden with hallowed and haunting touchstones of rich herbal balms, rustic smudge sticks, handwoven hemp, and the smoky ash of clove cigarettes. She's an aromatic banshee, this enigmatic scent. The patchouli is earthen and wild, overgrown in the fallow soil of an ancient oak grove. The amber scoffs at the golden, gourmand notes it lends to other fragrances, and instead pours fourth its resin into a dark, absinthal, arcane brew. Excess is the "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" of perfumery. Wear this dry, dusky, sylvan scent on days when sweetness craves submission, and your inner gothic dryad dares instead to shine.

I just received a bottle of this as a gift! Thx sweetie! This fragrance leans more to the masculine side to my nose... The opening smells a bit dirty to me, it reminds me something herbal/medicinal, but it must be the patchouli and the oak bark giving me this sensation. It smells earthy and inky even... Then when it dries down and the patchouli settles, it starts to develop a clean masculine scent on me, like a clean patchouli mixed with the blood orange. A hint of sweetness is added by the amber resin making it slightly balmy even... This is one of those scents that I'm not sure of if I really like it... it is intriguing enough to make me sniff it again and again just trying to make up my mind whether I like it or not...

I love earthy scents. This is the one out of the dark collection that I was most looking forward to trying, and it does not disappoint. Amber & patchouli & wood..sounds simple and done a million times before right?..but this particular mix from tokyo milk smells amazing to me. nice quality amber, the patchouli is not dirty, and the wood is not thick. It's just smooth as can be, and smells very nice. I dont get the blood orange in this, but I'm not missing it either. Not much more to say, except that it lasts awhile. I'm very impressed with this line so far...all except tainted love (which should be re-named "failure"), but I digress...

I'm not usually a fan of patchouli, but blended properly, it's wonderful and this is done properly. A dry, woody amber scent with just enough orange to keep it from being harsh, but it never gets sweet, which is something of a miracle on my skin, which amps sweet notes. The patchouli stays as a woody note without entering into the dreaded Hippy Oil note, blending with the amber beautifully. If anyone has ever loved the beautiful but obscure Novaya Zarya Barber of Siberia #2, they will recognize this dry, smooth scent and love it too. Definitely unisex.

Wow, this is HORRENDOUS. It smells like stale, poor quality patchouli oil mashed together with bargain-basement nag champa incense sticks. This is worse than the do-it-yourself aromatherapy oils they sell at New Age shops. This is not a fragrance. This is simply a sloppy mash-up of lousy quality oils thrown together with no concern about blending, smoothness, balance or any other quality that a decent fragrance has. I was really expecting to like this because I love patchouli, but this turned out to be one of worst fragrances I have smelled in years.