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Notes to myself and anyone else

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Cartier.....my thoughts

I am more and more impressed the more I try from this house. I love Declaration, which I first heard about here on the bpal forum, when someone compared October to it. I see the similarity. Anyway, here's what I've tried. There are lots of flankers so it can be hard to keep track. Notes are from fragrantica.com.   Declaration....."Top notes are artemisia, caraway, coriander, birch, mandarin orange, bergamot, neroli and bitter orange; middle notes are orris, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, juniper, orris root, jasmine and guatemalan cardamom; base notes are leather, amber, tea, tahitian vetiver, oakmoss and cedar" Wow....just reading the notes, I didn't know all that was in this scent. I didn't love this at first. I thought it was okay, but kind of faint, and kind of unfocused. But as often happens, I was drawn to try it again, and again, and eventually I realized what a beautiful scent it really is. Woods and spices are what I smell, but very light and breezy, kind of like a wind before a storm at the end of summer. Gorgeous.   Declaration Essence....."orange blossom, sandalwood, amber, lavender, musk, tea, lime, vetiver, geranium and lemon" I have a mini of this too, and so far have only tried it once. It seems to be sort of like the concentree of Declaration, stronger spices, although the notes don't seem to match up with what I'm smelling. I'll be wearing it again but I do think I like the original Declaration better.   Eau de Cartier....."Top notes are coriander, yuzu and bergamot; middle notes are violet leaf, lavender and violet; base notes are cedar, patchouli, musk and white amber" Beautiful, but I've only tested it once. Very, very light and I think I would have to over-apply to get the right amount. Weird accord that, again, doesn't match up with what I read in the description, or rather, I can't pick out individual notes. Just crisp and smart, very nice.   Eau de Cartier Concentree......"Top notes are coriander and yuzu; middle notes are violet leaf and lavender; base notes are cedar, patchouli and white amber" Huh. Do they really have the same notes? They are similar but the concentree is definitely stronger and longer lasting. I think I'm more likely to buy a larger bottle of this one, very crisp and refreshing, but with the stronger scent comes a little bit of synthetic feeling. I think I favor this one.   Must Cartier Pour Homme Essence...."Yet another beautiful and very light fragrance, this one seems a little more traditional, more suited to the office. I like it but it's so light that I'm left feeling a little slighted. I'll wear the rest of my mini but probably not get a bigger bottle.   Yet to try but very interested in: Eau de Cartier Essence d'Orange...."op notes of Eau de Cartier Essence d`Orange bring us a sparkling, luminous cocktail of oranges and bergamot. A heart encompasses sophisticated violets, while a base is enriched with patchouli along with warm and sensual cedar" Sounds beautiful and I'm really thinking about going straight to a big bottle on this one. I love citrus and I've been really in the mood for it, with the hotter weather. Definitely need to try this one!
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Breaking it down further......

These are worth a try......   Bijoux Y'Ha-Nthlei......."A strangely proportioned, opulent, lustrous scent: neroli, Hawaiian ginger, white musk, tarragon, beeswax, heliotrope, yellow rose, oud, coriander, amber, and lime peel"......worth a decant   Inganok Jewelers....."Gleaming stone and silver"......might be cologney but worth a decant.   The Steeple....."Otherworldly fungus, Provençal herbs, and dark, shadowy woods".....fungus might contain a dirt note, which doesn't always work......worth a try, though.   Signior Dildo....."A scent of pearls and ivory: orris, violet leaf, narcissus, and Madagascar vanilla".....can't remember if I mentioned this in my first breakdown....might be too perfumey but I'd like to try it.
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Breakdowns and stuff

My exams went really well, what a relief! Moving on.......   I wanted to do my own breakdown of some recent updates. I'm at work and it's busy, so we'll see how far I get. Starting with the Black Helicopter scents.........   The Aurora Spaceship Takes A Dive...."Texas thistle, bluebell, red corn poppy, magnolia, sunflower, cedar sage, and smashed, flaming windmill". A little on the floral side for me, and I've learned that I'm not a big fan of poppy. But still, I could end up liking this. I may track down a decant.   The Committee Of 300: Meeting Minutes......"An ominous round table for the quintessential Round Table Group: polished wood, tobacco smoke, faded cologne, and neon discharge". Sounds discordant, with wood and smoke, but also cologne and neon discharge? I just don't know about this one, it could go either way. I suppose I'll have to try a decant sooner or later.   Illuminati Cotillion......"Ceremonial incense, pipe tobacco, temple roses, and shittim wood". If not for the roses, I would really want to try this. As it stands, I might want to try it anyway. I'm always attracted to incense scents, and even some of the ones with rose end up being nice.   Menacing Ionospheric Research Instrument......"Electrically charged white amber, violet, sage, mint, and neroli flanked by dazzling metals and shining wires". I usually stay away from violet, and I'm not a big fan of neroli, but yet again, this could go either way. I'm just not sure! Decant, somewhere down the line.   The Montauk Project....."Breathtaking native flora concealing a bastion of covert government experiments: shagbark hickory, sassafras, black gum, bald cypress, pine, dogwood, wild comfrey, swamp sunflower, and trumpet creeper". Bottle already ordered! The florals scare me a little, but I'm very attracted by the sassafras and pine. I love taking a chance with a scent and being pleasantly surprised. I'm not completely sure I'll like this but I can hardly wait to find out.   .....more later.....
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breakdown, Joyful update

JOYFUL MOON White musk, French vanilla, ambrette seed, frankgipani, angelica root, white rose, orris, and honeysuckle. No white rose for me, especially with orris. Powdery soapy city.   LIBERTY Liberty was created for the CBLDF, inspired by Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People: frankincense, beeswax, olive blossom, chamomile, sampaguita, magnolia, apple blossom, gunpowder, and smoke. Nope.....not really in a floral mood, and beeswax might be honeyish.   Rappaccini's Apiary:   No honey for me! Thanks anyway!   MOONSHINE AND MIST Ethereal, otherworldly, delicate: ambergris, white musk, water violet, ylang ylang, magnolia, and white sandalwood. Ehh.....somewhat on the floral, papery/powdery side? I mean, I like white musk sometimes, it's not my favorite, but I can wear it. But white sandalwood is usually papery to me, and all these things together.....just don't call out to me.   OLD DEMONS OF THE FIRST CLASS Siberian musk, black clove, opoponax, tonka, black pepper, and neroli. Definitely want to try this! I have often coveted the Siberian Musk single note, never got to try it, and besides that the rest of those notes sound great too. Sometimes black pepper turns on me.....well, so does clove, sometimes, for that matter......but this is very much worth a try.   THE DEATH-HORSE Lily of the Valley and opopponax. I generally stay away from most lilies, because they turn into sharp soap of the apocolypse. I don't know, though, the simplicity appeals to me, and I think I do like opopponax. Could be worth a sniff but I'm not going far out of my way to find it.   THE GRAVE-PIG Fig, oakmoss, mushroom caps, and patchouli. This doesn't call out to me, despite being potentially dude-fume, which I usually do seek out. But I'm not a fan of mushrooms in any form (scent or taste), and oakmoss can be overwhelming at times. Could be worth a try.   BEER FROM THE MARSH WOMAN'S BREWERY A beer flavored with marsh arrow grass, yew berries, purple foxglove, and giant hogweed. Hmph. Another scent that is not calling to me, but who knows....it could be worth a try. Herbs and beer? Wow. Just can't picture it.   THE NIGHT-RAVEN Indigo musk, wild plum, rose geranium, benzoin, night-blooming jasmine, and patchouli. Even though I'm intrigued by indigo musk, I'm probably going to let this one pass by. I just don't like rose geranium. I do already have a dark purple-y Chaos Theory that I really like, so I'll just stick with that.   THE OLD GOBLIN A crown of hardened ice and polished fir-cones. Pine in any form gets my attention, so I really do want to try this. Snowball Fracas had some kind of sharp ammonia-like note, so that would be the only potential problem here, if this scent has it too.   CAT ALLINGHAM Distilled shadows, a bleak desert landscape at midnight: Myroswelia balsam, gaïac wood, obsidian musk, green cumin, patchouli, myrrh, Siamese benzoin, frankincense, champaca, and sand. Oh, crud. This one, sadly, does call out to me, and I'm unlikely to get to try it. It sounds good....kind of like a fancy schmancy relative of Oblivion.
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bottle wants, update

Three Gorgons (I no longer think I want a whole bottle of this.....Satan And Death is a better citrus-y scent) Dia Flowering Chrysanthemums Lovers In A Ricefield Glukuprikos Silence Carnaval Diabolique Satan And Death With Sin Intervening Obatala
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bottle wants

In order, roughly......   Three Gorgons Dia Flowering Chrysanthemums Lovers In A Ricefield Glukuprikos Silence (pending) Carnaval Diabolique Satan And Death With Sin Intervening Obatala
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Boo

Briefly tested.....   Pleasant, sweet, however somewhat undistinguished, this one is just not for me. I have nothing against sweet scents but I wouldn't wear this with so many other scents I like more. Plus this does something a little funky on the dry-down. It reminded me of Anactoria, which was weird.
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Bois 1920, Classic 1920

Notes: "Chinese citron, Haitian vetiver, Antilles sandalwood, amber".   Given the notes listed (and the price tag), I was expecting to be really impressed.....and I'm not. Don't get me wrong, this smells good. Nothing offensive about it. It's so smoothly blended that I can't pick out one single note, except maybe amber, but only because I know it's there. But this really didn't 'wow' me and I wouldn't go hunting down a big bottle. I would put it at the masculine end of the spectrum, clean smelling, but not hyper dude-fume. I wouldn't be surprised if there are women who enjoy this. I'll enjoy the rest of my sample!
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blogy

Bleeehhhhhh.........   My 5th night in a row at work.......do not feel like being here.......wish I brought my real paper journal with me........but I do actually have school work I should be doing. But I don't really have the attention span right now!   I'm finding myself very busy lately, and it seems like there's not enough time in the day to do the things I want or need to do. So I don't even try. With the time I do have I end up laying around playing video games. Ah well, life could be worse, and I really can't complain.   Spending too much money on perfume lately, but that's nothing new. I have Mad Hatter and Baron Samedi bottles on the way, which is awesome.   Can't seem to settle on one topic so that's all for now.
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bleh.

I have been feeling like crap for the last few days. I don't know what's wrong with me but it reminds me of the way I used to feel when I drank a lot. I've felt kind of spaced out a lot of the time, achey, irritable, about to cry at the drop of a hat, and......just not myself. It really sucks and I don't know if it's the full moon, or if I'm fighting a cold or something, or just allergies, but I don't like this. Do not like this. It's almost like when I had mono, so maybe that is flaring up again. I've read that it can come back after being dormant for a long time (would be years in my case).   Anyway, I apologize for my behavior to anyone who happens to read this.
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blecch

I feel yucky and anxious, nervous even. No damn good reason at all. And also feeling burnt out on my routine, both at work and at school. I keep telling myself it's my usual anxiety and it will pass. Soon. I know exercise would help.   On the plus side, I feel a little better about my apartment, and tentatively decided to stay for another year. Yeah, the neighbors and the neighborhood suck, but it's so close to school. And it's a lot of space for a little money. Now I just have to do more fun stuff with it. Furniture, rugs, curtains, etc.....which I have put off for what, eight months now?? :love!: Anyway, the thought of moving again in 2 or 3 months is rather exhausting. : /
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Blaaaaah

I am so freakin' excited! And I want to talk about it but I have nobody to yak at.   There is a new game coming out, made by the people who made Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus. I have been waiting patiently for info for a very long time. I knew it would be exclusive to PS3, and I knew I'd have to get a PS3 system just to play this, whenever it comes out.   Anyway, there was a trailer for the game leaked to the internet last week (working title is Project Trico). It looks amazing. It hasn't been confirmed as being real, but I'm betting it is, because it looks too good to be a fake. Apparently the video is over a year old, so the finished product will be even better. I can't wait to play this!!   I would be really happy if it came out this fall or winter. I realize it may take longer, but my fingers are crossed. Hopefully more will be announced at E3 this week.
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Bite Me

I was really curious about this scent! So glad that Sally let me try hers. As it turns out, it's just not for me. At all.   I see where people are getting rose from this, I smell it too. Actually this has more rose than some rose scents that I've tried. I think I wanted more sweetness or caramel/cake out of it. It's kind of strong and cloying, and almost plasticky for the first half hour to an hour. However after that, it does reach a middle stage where it smells kind of good to me. It takes on almost a hint of chocolate, and has a nice, complex cake-y smell.   Much later on.....stale dusty roses. : ( Or maybe : ) because that means I one less scent for me to hunt down.
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bitch, bitch, bitch.....

I usually keep this about scent but I have to rant and rave for a minute.   I am so annoyed by people who write useless reviews on this forum! I realize their review might be useful to someone else. But it makes me feel like I wasted time clicking on the post to read it. I'm talking about when someone floods the reviews forum with very short reviews which basically reiterate the description of the scent (the Lab's description), and nothing more. And the very worst are when the person says "Oh, I couldn't even try this on my skin!". In my opinion, if you haven't tested it on your skin, you shouldn't review it!   If you're reading this and you have written this type of review, don't take it personally. I am just in a ranting mood and it's a small pet peeve I have. I totally understand the value of writing a review as a form of 'note to self', which is actually one of the reasons I write reviews. Otherwise I can forget that I've already tried a scent and don't need to try it again. So in other words, don't change your writing habits just because of me! : )   /rant
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Berry Moon update

Here's what I think.   BERRY MOON A golden summer musk with warm fig, orange blossom honey, sweet blueberries, and bright velvety crimson raspberries.   Not for me, I'm relieved to say (because I have no money to buy it anyway!). I like the sound of golden summer musk, and maybe fig, but nothing else here is my bag.   STINKY A cure for sweaty bits and sticky wilting. Stinky is a summer refresher ‘foom for people that don’t dig run-of-the-mill “clean” scents: newly-washed skin with a dusting of rice milk, white honey, and baby powder.   Hee-hee! Also not for me.....but if this wasn't inspired by little Lilith, I'll eat my hat! : )   APEROTOS EROS Unloving love: benzoin, Indian musk, massoia bark, myrrh, ambrette seed, galbanum, bergamot, and fir.   This is probably the most interesting thing on the whole update for me. Indian musk might be soapy for me, but otherwise I'm game for an imp.     WHOSO LIST TO HUNT Sensual brown musk, rich amber, English rose, oak bark, and moss.   Just not calling to me......brown musk sounds powdery, and I'm not very much into rose.   ALICE’S EVIDENCE Containing nary a neutron of meaning: rum-quince-cassis with prune and a bit of black ginger.   This could be interesting, but I'm not a huge fan of fruity scents (which seem to abound in this update!), so I'm probably safe to pass on this one.   ALL IN THE GOLDEN AFTERNOON A bizarre blend of pineapple, tangerine, tobacco, apricot, and seltzer coated with hazy amber and heady sun-baked flowers.   More fruit! I like to eat it but not wear it. Of course there are exceptions to every rule.   TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE BAT A sparkly, batty little scent: green tea, melon, mint, lime rind, and champagne grape with lemon balm, mullein, and toadflax.   Again, a little too fruity for me. I really don't like melon, and probably not champagne grape either.   IMPERIOUS TIGER-LILY (Tiger-lily, ginger root, neroli, purple fruits, and frankincense.)   I actually kind of like Tiger-Lily. However, I generally steer clear of neroli, and again, there are those fruits.   SNOOTY ROSE (Red rose, oud, plum, bergamot, and red sandalwood.)   Not to be snooty, but no rose for me, thank you!   HIGH-STRUNG DAISIES (Daisy, pink carnation, pink pepper, and sugar.)   Hee hee.....the story makes me giggle.....but very much not a scent for me!   BRUSQUE VIOLET (Violet petal, violet leaf, osmanthus, orris, mint, and opoponax.)   Hmm, never really got into violet, but I wouldn't be against trying this. Maybe I'll tack on an imp when I order again.   HOW DOTH THE LITTLE CROCODILE Chocolate peppermint, mint-soaked vanilla, pistachio, oakmoss, and green cedar.   I'd be more interested, if not for the chocolate note. Sounds like a fun scent, though!   AGAINST IDLENESS AND MISCHIEF Pollen-dusted honey, diligent tonka, steadfast chamomile, and goodly hyssop.   Eh, I am really not into honey. Definitely not for me.   ‘TIS THE VOICE OF THE LOBSTER A woody, musky-weird base glooping over with blackberry preserves, a twist of mandarin, strawberry juice, pulverized watermelon, and a handful of smushed gardenia petals.   Well, I like woody, musky weirdness, but that's about it, out of all those notes!   THE SLUGGARD Pious frankincense, angelic gardenia, unsoiled pear, and staunch ho wood conflict with prickly, overgrown thistle, idle labdanum, and lethargic lavender.   This has potential, I just can't imagine what it will smell like! It might be the biggest 'wild-card' for me, in this update. Definitely worth a try.   So, overall, I'm really relieved that I'm safe from just about everything here! I was a little worried, but now I've got more time to save up for the upcoming goodies.
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Baldessarini, Hugo Boss

Fruity wood, says the description, and that's what I smell. Interesting scent, reminds me of those fruity woody Serge Lutens scents. I like it but I don't think I'd wear it that often. I'll keep the sample unless I think of someone who would like it more.
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Antsy

Ugh......here I am at work, stuck to a desk, and feeling antsy as all hell. Why don't I ever feel like this at home, where I could actually get up and do something? I could actually organize my perfumes and put up a sales/swaps page if I felt like this at home! Or any number of other things that I need to get done. : /
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Another one of "those" moods

I'm at work....I'm bored, anxious, and nervous all at the same time. I want to write things but it's all random and unconnected.   I have 2 final exams Saturday.....well, another one online that is due by Saturday, so 3 all together. I'm freaking out because I think my grades are right on the C/D edge, and I need to do really well on my exams. I can't get any D's, I just can't. If I do, my tuition won't get paid by my employer, and I will most likely have to wait another year to move forward in this program. So yeah, I'm freaking out.   Speaking of work, I am in need of some nights off. I am off this weekend, but Saturday's final exams kind of ruin the weekend. Sure I'm off Saturday night, but then I go back Sunday night, which doesn't leave me much time to do anything. What do I want to do? Well, I've been wanting to visit my friend Kevin in Columbus (Ohio), and to really relax I want more than one night off to do this. Then, next week is my spring break, except I work almost every night. I'm off Wednesday night but that's it. Long story short, I am getting burned out and I need a break.   And these people that I deal with at work are driving me crazy! In fact I have to cut this short because we're getting busy again and I have to actually work instead of typing in a blog.
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Alien prequel

I'm excited, of course. The first one is pretty much my all time favorite movie, and I liked all the sequels, even the ones that most other people said were crap. I liked the third one, and even liked that 4th one somewhat. Never cared much about the Alien Vs Predator spin-offs, though.   I have been hoping for a prequel for years. I always wanted to know more about the Space Jockey in the first film. So, of course I can hardly wait for this. I don't expect to be blown away, but I also don't think it will completely suck. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high. I think with the current technology, the special effects could be really great. The Space Jockey was a lot bigger than the humans in the first movie, so maybe the Aliens will be a lot bigger too. They seem to take on the physical stature of the host, somewhat (like the "dog-alien" in the third movie).   As for the story, who knows. It could go pretty much anywhere, really. I like the idea of the movie ending on a down note, because of what we already know about the story in the first Alien movie. But I guess it's pretty useless to speculate at this early stage.   But really, it would be so great if the series was redeemed in the eyes of.....well, everyone since pretty much everyone hated the last one.
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Alien comics

I bought a book of the Alien comics (comic books compiled into a softcover book, 'Omnibus'). The story starts up after Aliens, but the characters' names are changed, and Ripley isn't in it. Actually only Newt and Hicks are in them. Anyway, good story, alternate sequel material, and I haven't read a comic in ages, so it's kind of fun. The last comic books I got into were Eightball but that's been a few years.   There are a couple more volumes of the Alien Omnibus, I might keep following the story, we'll see.   Oh and I tried Melainis again today.....just doesn't work for me, due to the black musk I think. Just too blecch papery powdery and reminds me of Haunted. Another one for my swaps if they ever get off the ground.
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Ajmal, Torque

Smells like something from the 80's. A little spicy, woody. Smells good, I can use up my sample and probably forget about it, unless it really grows on me. Not likely....I have a dozen or so other scents that are like this and better.
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aged Snake Oil

Today I broke out my first bottle of Snake Oil, since it's officially a year old now. What I noticed most is an increased sweetness. Also it smelled different on one forearm than on the other, like I didn't roll the bottle enough or something. It reminded me a lot of frankincense, which I don't think I've ever noticed about Snake Oil. But basically.....it just smelled really good!
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2018 Yule breakdown

for my own benefit, so I know what decants and/or bottles to hunt for!  I'm leaving out the ones I'm definitely not interested in.  I think I'm going back to my old rating system, rating these on a scale of 1-5 to measure my interest level.   Blueberry Sufganiyot, "Blueberry-filled sufganiyot, blooping blue with jelly" Maybe a decant just for fun, not a top priority.  I know a friend who says she's getting this, maybe I can just try hers : )  2/5   Hearthflame and Incense, "Crackling almond wood and the deep sweet smoke of burgundy pitch, Austrian amber resin, black copal, and frankincense" This has potential, but I sometimes don't like copal (not sure about black).  3/5   Jacob's Ladder, "golden amber, galbanum, benzoin, ambrette, rockrose, costus and tonka" I haven't tried this since '06 or '07.  It really is my kind of thing and I'm surprised I haven't worn it since then.  Possible decant.  3/5   Maison en Pain D'Epices, gingerbread house I've been wanting to try this since I first saw it, but never have tried it.  Possible decant.  3/5   Mincemeat Pie, "Figs, dried cherries, and suet accord steeped in dark brown sugar, crystallized ginger, lemon and orange zest, nutmeg, allspice, and clove, embraced by an apple cider cornmeal crust" If this isn't the foody scent to end all foody scents, I don't know what is!  Seriously, this is on my radar because it just sounds great.  I occasionally do wear gourmand scents and this sounds like a really good one which I might enjoy.  4/5   Shattered Silence, "black cedar, yew berries, juniper and frost-crusted moss, crushed beneath a shaggy spectral black musk" This has some potential, I'm vaguely interested, will watch reviews first but possible decant.  2/5   Song of the Otherworld, "Sleet and champaca, fir needle and opoponax, blue musk and cypress, balsam and snow" Same as above, possible decant or watch reviews.  2/5   The Cross of Snow, "Cypress, Spanish moss, and clove bud with labdanum, Italian bergamot, and white tobacco flower" This has potential, not top priority but I love bergamot and labdanum, I'm just not sure about the tobacco flower.  I'll watch reviews.  3/5   The Season of Ghosts, "bergamot, frankincense, rose geranium, ginger, lemongrass, and blood orange" I've had my eye on this for a long time, and never tried it.  Possible decant.  3/5   Cadences and Shakes, "rosewood and rose geranium prickled with pink peppercorn, cardamom, white sandalwood, and frankincense" I am always saying that I love rosewood, and here it is.  I should try this but somehow I'm not as excited as some of the other scents.  Possible decant.  3/5   Mr. Morse's Seances, "polished teakwood, pipe smoke, sugar-clouded absinthe, vetiver, and rum musk" Well, these notes sound nice, this does have some potential.  It could be too loudly sweet.  Possible decant.  3/5   The Ghost of a Ghost's Ghost, "pallid oakmoss and earthy patchouli tumbling into a void of misty lavender, cistus, and white agarwood" All of these notes sound perfectly acceptable and nice.  It could be good, it could be great, I'm just not sure.  It's not screaming out at me but I may possibly try it.  3/5   The Mysterious Rappings Polka, "Rose musk with pink and black peper, a splash of bay rum, tobacco absolute, and toffee" This one is speaking to me.  I don't know, just one of those strange mix of notes that could be really great.  I am contemplating a full bottle.  4/5   Thought Photography, "Mercury-limned lavender, palo santo, and ambrette seed" Strong possibility, I'm definitely eyeing this one.  3 or 4/5   Gingerbread Oudh I'm interested, because I think it could be a nice semi-gourmand blend of notes.  3 or 4/5   The Lashes, in order : ) Second Lash, "Birch tar, tobacco, bergamot, ochre musk, and petitgrain" Possible decant.  3/5 Fourth Lash, "Black rose, Baltic amber, leather, white sandalwood, black pepper, and vetiver" Possible decant, 3/5 Tenth Lash, "Bitter almond, cacao, black cherry, patchouli, and labdanum" Strong possibility for a decant, I love 2 of the notes (patchouli and labdanum) and have known to like the rest of them.  3 or 4/5 Eleventh Lash, "Snow and black leather" This is intriguing me for some reason.  I may even go straight to a bottle.  4/5 Twelfth Lash, "Blackened patchouli, sweet vetiver, labdanum, and honey" Possible decant, because of the patchouli and labdanum.  3 or 4/5   Schonperchten, "snow-spattered lavender, bourbon vanilla, white mint, and white amber" This could be my minty snow scent I was hoping for.  Bottle or decant?  4/5  
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2018 Weenies

A breakdown, for my own benefit (to narrow down choices).

Blue Ghost Blues....A ward against evil: bay rum, whiskey, cigar smoke, black pepper, and salt
I want to try this for sure. Maybe a decant or partial bottle.

Dia De Los Muertos......dry, crackling leaves, the incense smoke of altars honoring Death and the Dead, funeral bouquets, the candies, chocolates, foods and tobacco of the ofrenda, amaranth, sweet cactus blossom and desert cereus
I've never tried this and always wanted to. Or maybe I smelled it briefly at Moonarcana's house. Still, I would like a decant if I can find one.

Midnight Bonfire......night-blooming jasmine, smoldering maple leaves, a cluster of patchouli and blackened ti leaf, black sage, and pinewood smoke
If I'm doing decants, I should throw in this. It has a good chance of being very nice and cozy for fall. The jasmine sounds a little out of place but maybe I'm just not imagining it the way it really is.

Pumpkin Crème Brulee.....With vanilla bean scrapings
Possible decant but there are other Pumpkin scents I'm more interested in.......Like.......

Pumpkin Musk and Black Oudh......A strangely romantic, disturbingly erotic perfume
Disturbingly erotic? Sign me up for a decant. I thought seriously about a bottle but oudh doesn't always smell good to me. It's best when it just fades into the background, IMO.

Pumpkin Tobacco......Sweet black tobacco infused with dried pumpkin and soaked in bourbon
I really want to wear tobacco notes but I'm not sure they always work for me. Everything about this sounds fabulous. Why am I hesitating? Probably a decant.

Scarecrow Turned Philosopher.....Corn husks waving on an autumn breeze, beams of amber sunlight, hay bales, and late summer wildflowers
I am all over this concept, but I'm not sure about wildflowers. I don't love all floral notes, so this would be a risk. That's what decants are for, right? : )

Masque of the Red Death.......

A Multitude of Dreams......A blackened lavender mist, thick with opoponax, licorice root, and benzoin
Sounds somewhat promising, although I'm a little more picky with my incense scents these days (which is what this sounds like to me....incense). I like them if they are soft and elegant, not too strong. I don't like to smell like a big actual incense stick (but there was a time that was what I wanted). Possible decant, but not high priority.

Pickman Gallery 2018.......

A Young Boy and His Brother Seated on a Goat.......Polished mahogany, copal resin, Java sandalwood, teakwood, and Sumantran patchouli
This could be really good or not so good on me, just based on my experience with these notes. Copal tends to smell like cheap aftershave on me and not in a good way. My partner liked the sound of this one but I know certain scents make him wheeze and this sounded like one of those to me. I might get a decant just to satisfy my curiosity and his.

Cabras......Black pine, white sage, creeping ivy, and wild juniper
Sounds like a lot of green, pine and juniper.....I stopped buying these kinds of scents quite a while ago, maybe it's time to try again? The more I look at the notes, and the painting, the more curious I am getting.

Lithograph of a Mountain Goat.......White sandalwood, black pepper, muguet, agarwood, labdanum, and 3-year aged patchouli
I love patchouli and labdanum, and so I am curious about this. I don't think I particularly care for the other notes, especially muguet. But - somehow I think this might be good for my partner, or me. Possible decant.

Studie Einer Ziege.....Sweet labdanum with clove, tobacco absolute, and guiac wood
I actually had this in my cart and removed it before checkout. Again, I love labdanum. But the other notes sound very familiar to me, like I have a dozen other scents with these notes and don't even wear them that much (clove, tobacco..). I might have to get a decant and I may end up loving it. I'm in a mood today, so my judgment may not be the best.

Two Sheep and Two Goats Resting Together in a Field......Sweet vetiver, bourbon vanilla, and wool
I had this in mind for my partner but changed that to Jupiter Nourished at the last minute. I might still need to try a decant of this, either for him or me.

Venus Pandemos.....Hay, rose otto, red benzoin, torch smoke, and pink carnation
This could be really good, but it sounds very powdery and might be soapy as well. Possible decant.

Zoe and the Goat......Caramelized patchouli, cream, and thick golden honey
I picked Jupiter Nourished over this, hope I didn't make the wrong choice. Possible decant.

Pile of Leaves.......

Dead Leaves and Maple Sap.......possible decant, I love Burning Leaves by CBIHP, which is basically the same thing except with smoke added.

Dead Leaves and Scotch.....possible decant, sounds unbelievably cozy for a chilly fall day.

Dead Leaves and Vanilla Incense......I had this in the cart and took it back out. It sounds a little close to Hope and Fear Set Free, which I love. But - would I need both? Decant or partial bottle, probably.

Dead Leaves, Black Tea, and Tobacco Leaf......I had this in the cart too. But, I already have a few scents with tobacco. I am not sure. It might be really great. Possible decant or partial bottle.

Dead Leaves, Blackberry, and Red Patchouli.......how thorough do I want to be with the dead leaves? I don't want to miss a good one, like I know I have in the past. Maybe decant.

Dead Leaves, Bourbon Vetiver, Nagarmotha, and Vanilla Absolute.......see above, possible decant.

Dead Leaves, Sweet Oakmoss, White Sage, and Chaparral........see above again, possible decant.   DECANTS:
Blue Ghost Blues
Pumpkin Musk and Black Oudh
Pumpkin Tobacco
Scarecrow Turned Philosopher
A Young Boy and His Brother Seated on a Goat
Lithograph of a Mountain Goat
Studie Einer Ziege
Two Sheep and Two Goats Resting Together in a Field
Venus Pandemos
Dead Leaves and Scotch
Dead Leaves and Vanilla Incense
Dead Leaves, Black Tea, and Tobacco Leaf
Dead Leaves, Bourbon Vetiver, Nagarmotha, and Vanilla Absolute
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2015 Weenies

All Souls An incense blend that invokes the higher qualities of mercy and compassion, mingled with the soft, sugared currant scent of offertory soul cakes. I like All Souls, a lot. But I think I need to make a rule: no Weenies that I've already tried or already own. This update is overwhelming and I need to narrow down a lot (this breakdown will help). Anyway, I have a bottle + a decant of All Souls, so I don't need more.   Dia de los Muertos This is a Mexican paean to La Huesuda: dry, crackling leaves, the incense smoke of altars honoring Death and the Dead, funeral bouquets, the candies, chocolates, foods and tobacco of the ofrenda, amaranth, sweet cactus blossom and desert cereus. I don't think I've ever tried this, but now is not the time. Need to focus on the new stuff and I think this will be easy to find some if I ever feel the need.   Feeding the Dead A barrel of beer, a pyramid of cakes, and three sticks of incense. I tried this before, and I have a decant, but.....see All Souls. Pass for now.   Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookie With cinnamon, nutmeg, browned butter, and cream cheese icing. No foodie or cookie scents this time, not in the mood.   Le Revenant A shroud of gardenia, narcissus, and sandalwood with ambrette seed, white cognac, muguet, davana, and white musk. Now we're getting closer....but not quite. I will pass on this one. The list of notes just doesn't call out to me for some reason.   Magnificent Autumn A scent that wanders through the Ages of Autumn, from the last green leaf to the first breath of winter. Already have a bottle from last year, I like it, but don't need more now.   October Dry, cold autumn wind. A rustle of red leaves, a touch of smoke and sap in the air. Not this time - I still have my bottle from '07, and I do love it, but it's enough for me.   Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcake No, I don't need this one at all, I have Pumpkin Cheesecake from the inquisition a few years back. That's all the pumpkin cheesecake I need!   Pumpkin Lager A peculiar point of contention: you either love it or hate it, and however you feel, it’s passionate. Lol - No! I am tired of reading about everyone's pumpkin beer! I don't drink these days and I don't feel any desire for this one.   Samhain Truly the scent of autumn itself — damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein. I love Samhain, but see All Souls.....have to narrow these down.   Second Spring An accolade: drifting leaves tinted in the bold reds of pomegranate and current, the golds of amber and honey, russet myrrh, a touch of cypress-green, and crisp patchouli-brown. This sounds nice, I would probably like it. But it sounds very similar to Magnificent Autumn, which I already have. I'll watch reviews but will probably skip this one.   Sonnet d’Automne 2015 Tenebrous Love: a shivering white musk with vanilla-infused white cocoa, amber incense, and dead, dry leaves. No - still have my bottle from a couple years ago, and don't wear it very much. Not a favorite.   Sugar Skull 2015 Vibrant with the joy and sweetness of life in death! A blend of five sugars, lightly dusted with candied fruits. *sigh* I love Sugar Skull, even though I just said no foodie scents. But - I already have 1 bottle plus 3 or 4 decants, and I can't justify buying a bottle this year, although I would like to. I'll watch reviews, though. It's possible this might sneak into my cart anyway! (if people rave about this year's being special or different)   Sweet William’s Ghost A scent of unendurable grief and longing: pale orris root and honeyed white lily chilled by wild carrot and cognac, pulled into a winding sheet of white jasmine, tobacco flower, tuberose, and patchouli. Ok - this one sort of called out to me instantly. Which is crazy since it's so unlike what I thought I liked up until now. I mean, white lily? Honeyed white lily? I would have steered clear of this before this year. But I had an experience with doezens of lilies that sort of opened my eyes and my nostrils, and ever since then, I've had a complete turnaround about lily in perfumes. I said elsewhere that I wanted an elegant fall floral this year. Maybe this is it! So far, this is the first bottle I'm thinking of buying.   The Unquiet Grave One kiss of clay-cold lips: frozen white roses, frankincense, white gardenia, white sandalwood, and vanilla orchid. I don't really like white rose, and the rest of the description isn't calling to me. Sometimes that's all it comes down to, just a gut feeling.   The Vampire Bride Icy skin touched by a perfume of violet leaf, white tea, olibanum, elemi, myrrh, wormwood, crypt dust, and saffron with a dribble of blood red musk. Is this a repeat? I think I have a decant. Anyway - I usually don't like violet, and this isn't really calling to me. I may try my decant again. The artwork is beautiful.   The White Witch 2015 Love pain-ecstatic, cruel-sweet: gold-flecked honey amber pulsating with red musk, patchouli coeur, bourbon vanilla, inky vetiver, pomegranate rind, myrrh, blackened violet leaf, and blood red rose petals. Just not feeling it, which is good since I need to narrow these down.   Dead Leaves and Tobacco Ok, I want to try all the Dead Leaves, but I just can't. I can't believe this but I'm going to agree with the people who say, these might turn into men's cologne. At this point I am pretty much satisfied with more masculine scents, and I'm more interested in light, elegant, chic, willowy scents. Leaf scents can be a little prickly and I think that I actually have enough at this point. I even have the Pile of Fallen Leaves single note from last year. So - I'm going to pass on these for now. [Dead Leaves, Black Pepper, and Sandalwood Dead Leaves, Bourbon Vanilla, and Myrrh Dead Leaves, Frankincense, and Copal Dead Leaves, Honey, and Oudh Dead Leaves, Red Musk, and Neroli]     Apple I Apple with hay absolute, oats, honey, cream vanilla, and goat’s milk accord. Thank goodness, I don't need ANY of the apple scents. Just not my thing. If I was going to try one, it would be Apple III, but I will pass on all these. [Apple II Green apple with pink pepper, Himalayan cedar, juniper berries, and lemon rind. Apple III Appalachian black apple with sweet tobacco and patchouli, orange blossom, vanilla champaca, lavender, and white honey. Apple IV Red apple with blackcurrant bud, black clove, and vanilla bourbon. Apple V Apple with white coconut, fig, and tiare.]   Apple Cider Pretty sure I can skip the single notes. I got dead leaves last year, pretty hard to top that. Oh and the Pile of Leaves from last year? After 3 hours it smells exactly like Rive Gauche on me. I will skip these for now, because there are 2 sections of Salon scents I need to narrow down still (the Pickman Galleries)...... [bonfire Candied Apple Clown White Disappointing Pencil Graveyard Dirt Redux Polyester Spiderweb Pumpkin Spice Everything Stage Blood]   A Phantasmagoria: Scene – Conjuring Up an Armed Skeleton Wig powder, amber-perfumed leather gloves, and rose petals with a sliver of oak bark and cauldron smoke. Ok, here we go. I will have to be ruthless with these. I have always loved the Lab's Salon scents, even the ones I don't end up wearing, I love smelling them. I think I can skip this one, sounds a little too powdery and the rose petals may turn soapy on me.   A Witch Riding on a Dragon Blackened tonka, patchouli, dragon’s blood resin, and scorched oak. Pass....too incense-y and scorched, which is not what I'm interested in these days.   A Young Woman Appealing to a Witch Honey, cream and white rose petals buffeted by toadstools, creeping moss, bog cypress, and myrrh. Hmmm....no to honey, cream, and white rose.   Départ Pour Le Sabbat (Aufbruch Zum Hexensabbat) Bourbon vanilla, sweet red patchouli, oudh, goat’s milk accord, and white honey. I love the art. I could see myself looking for a decant at some point.   Liebeszauber Honey, rose petals, and carnations – a drop of blood – red clover, cubeb berries, and vanilla cream. Well.....again, I love the art, but I'll say no to honey, rose, and carnation. I bet this smells pretty, though.   The Magic Circle Vanilla-infused frankincense and clary sage with 7-year aged patchouli, jasmine sambac, honey myrtle, and oudh. Ok - on my first quick read-through, I thought I'd pass on this. But, I just took a closer look at the art. Wow, that is beautiful. This just became a bottle candidate. Hope and Fear de-luxe? Sounds good to me.   The Sorceress An evocation incense of frankincense, styrax, lavender buds, mastic, and white sandalwood mingled with moonflower, violet absolute, tuberose, and dark musk. I'm about 50/50 on this one. It's a possibility, but probably won't make the cut in the end.   The Witch and the Mandrake Mandrake root, apple blossom, dusty brown sandalwood, coconut milk, woodmusk, and soft leather. I like leather sometimes, but this combination sounds a little odd to me, and I'm worried about that apple blossom. I don't know - I'd like to give it a sniff but probably pass for now.   The Witches Pumpkin cream, honey, vanilla sugar, and smoked vanilla bean. Again, the art is lovely, but I generally steer away from honey.   The Witches’ Rout (the Carcass) White sandalwood, opoponax, shriveled black plum, and vetiver. Interesting, but sounds a little bitter to me. The list of notes reminds me of something I've smelled before - maybe Lunar Eclipse? I don't know, pass for now.   The Witches’ Sabbath Burgundy and champaca resin with immortelle, leather accord, wine-soaked red fruits, rose geranium petals, red patchouli, guttering candles, and smoke. This sounds a lot like one of the older Salons, I'm blanking on which one. The one thing that worries me is burgundy, I haven't had much luck with wine notes in the past. Pass for now.   Witchcraft Scene Black lily and black pepper with narcissus, white musk, and white sandalwood. This sounds interesting. I know I don't like black pepper in perfume a whole lot. But the combination does spark my interest a little bit. I'll have to think about it.   Witches’ Kitchen Belladonna accord, sprigs of rue, crushed hyssop, white sage, beeswax, mandrake leaf, bay rum, black honey, hemp, and myrrh. I think I'll pass on this one. The list of notes sounds a little strange. It might work, but it's not high on my list.   A Holy Man Advises a Woman to Invoke Mary Against a Devil White musk, tobacco flower, white tea, Tunisian neroli, and blonde leather. This could be good. But - again, not high on my list. And the art isn't standing out to me that much either.   La Femme de Satan Red musk and cacao with clove, caramelized tobacco, aged patchouli, red currant, black leather, and vanilla-infused amber. Hmmm.....sounds very sensual and sexy. I may have to keep an eye on reviews. I could be seeking a partial bottle of this.   La Ronde du Sabbat Oman frankincense, black clove, and tobacco tar. Clove can be tricky for me, but I do like frankincense. I'll watch reviews. This might work if it's smooth and light. It could lean to the gritty or earthy side, though. Might have to find a decant.   Pan Twardowski and the Devil Brown leather, bay leaf, tobacco leaf, lavender, and oudh. Wow....that's one sexy list of notes. I'll watch reviews, but I am not hopeful about this working for me. Now that I think about it, leather scents are about 50/50 on me, and the last few that I tried haven't worked for me at all. Possible decant.   Portrain of an Unidentified Man as Mephistopheles A debonair lavender fougere cloaked in smoky red musk, red mandarin, and oakmoss. Now this sounds sexy. And I love the art. This is a bottle possibility. Very much.   Satan Starting from the Touch of Ithuriel’s Spear Golden amber, carnation, blackcurrant, aged black patchouli, red musk, and vetiver. I will pass on this. I am not crazy about carnation and otherwise, this sounds just very much like other scents I've already tried.   Satan Summoning His Legions White leather and cypress-tinged white musk with cardamom, smouldering incense, Ceylon cinnamon and white sandalwood. This sounds promising. I will watch reviews, possible decant. Despite the leather and incense, it could work, because I tend to love the lab's cinnamon notes. That could bring it all together into something great.
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