Peachy flowers. While the peach note is really pretty, on me the notes just all meld together into a very generic sort of sweet-fruity-floral scent. It's a bit like a girl who is very pretty and sweet and demure, but also very vapid, and easily-forgotten. I'm sure the character this is based on is *nothing* like that, but it's the personality that seems to be put forth by this blend, to me at least.
Category: Bewitching Brews
It was hard to review this one, simply because I'm not sure how to describe what I was smelling. Ah well, here goes.
In the imp: I am wanting to say it was more floral than anything else, though there was a certain...solidity to it. An edge. A razor-thin one, however, as the scent was not strident in any way.
Wet: Still floral, getting a lighter quality to it. It's hard to really, truly catch a whiff of it...it's as if the scent rises just short of my nose, and then darts off to parts unknown, leaving only a ghost of itself for me. I told you this review was hard!
Dry: It gets very faint, fairly quickly -- a couple of hours after application, it's barely detectable. It did leave behind a faint, woody scent, almost like cedar.
Verdict: I'm afraid this doesn't do anything for me; I'll keep an eye out for a loving home for it.
What I liked: It was a pretty scent, if a mystifying one.
What I didn't like: It had no throw, no lasting power...I want to reek of smelly goodness, gosh darn it! I have no idea what notes might have been in it, so I couldn't tell you anything else specific.
Category: Excolo
In the imp: Oh my goodness, this was a beautiful scent. It actually brought tears to my eyes for a moment because it was so lovely. Very sweet, definitely redolant with peach, though I could also smell the warm tones of the musk and, I am assuming, amber around it as well.
Wet: Very sweet and peachy. The fruitiness and sweetness predominated.
Dry: The muskier tones come back, but the peach is definitely not to be undermined, and conquers all. It is *almost* a little cloying.
Verdict: I really like this scent, though I am almost thinking that it would be better as a room scent, as unfortunately I think it tends to get a little sour and cloying on me. I'll be willing to try more of it, though.
What I liked: The peach, and I think I liked the amber.
What I didn't like: The fact that yes, I think musk likes to misbehave a little on me. Though thankfully it's just a little.
Overall, I can live with this scent, I just don't feel like it's *perfect* on me. It's so gorgeous, though, that I can't give up on it. I wonder if it would work in a locket, where it is warmed by me but not in contact with my skin. I'll keep the imp around but hold off on getting a bottle for a while, I think.
Someone else compared this to a 'high-end soap', and I totally agree! Not that it's soapy in a bad way; it's just really, really fresh and clean-smelling. It's almost minty, in a way. There is a definite air of teal-blue; brisk, cleansing water sudsed with sea-foam. Like nearly all the Phoenixes, it tended to hug very close to my skin, but was quite strong should I come nodding back for a sniff. I'd say it had about average staying power, say five or six hours.
Category -- The Mad Tea Party
Predominantly a glorious, warm amber. The grassy scents are dry ones, and smell a little like patchouli and cinnamon, or some other very dry, powdery spice. I agree with other reviewers about this lasting a short time; it's really nice for the hour or so that it's there, but then the Lion is padding off to parts unknown.
Category: Rappacini's Garden
Ohhhhh, yum! I get a lot of coconut from this, though at the beginning, if I lean down close and sniff my skin, I get the 'dirt' notes -- a musky, loamy sort of smell that is creamy in a way -- like, yes, mushrooms. Incredibly odd, but true. As it dries, the coconut smell takes over for the most part, with just a hint of that creamy 'shroom smell running underneath it. I have to admit that I wondered why people seemed to flip over this, but damn! It's delicious. Definitely on my list of favorites, now!
It has a gentle sort of throw, treating me to wafts of creamy coconut all day long. Yay!
Category -- Diabolus
The first time I wore this, I knew that I was smelling the plum pretty predominantly; it had a sort of rich, dark fruity tone to it without being too terribly juicy.
Now, as I retest it, I'm given the impression of a rich lady sampling plums in between sips of champagne; it's fruity, yes, but there's also a very rich, perfumey smell that is almost alcoholic in its headiness.
A co-worker of mine recently received a rose that smelled a lot like this -- a sweetness so fruity that it was hard to believe it was coming from a rose! So I can believe that there is rose in here...though in this case the sweetness is surely from the fruits mixing with all the various florals.
It tends to hug close to the skin; this is a scent that's pretty much reserved for your own pleasure, and that of anyone you invite into very close company.
Recommended for fans of plum and fruit scents, and even for those who normally hate rose (of which I am one). This is a sexy one.
Category -- Ars Amatoria
Mmmmm. Up close and personal, it's pine. Big, manly, rugged pine. And then, as my wrist whisks away, it leave behind a tantalizing blend of spicy vanilla -- the pine's still there, but now it feels more like a blend of juniper and herbs, the same sort of sexiness that I love about Himerus.
To me, this is the male companion to Flowering Chrysanthemums. FC is all wet, dusky petals, and GP is a thick branch brimming with sap, and both of them are bathed in fragrant vanilla. That's hot.
Delicious.
Category: Sin and Salvation
Another woody, sort of piney scent (to me), but it's clean and full of light, too...like sunlight spreading across curved rafters and pillars of polished wood. If anything, it makes me think of sitting in a church, perhaps before a big ritual or holiday, in the hour or so before everyone else starts arriving; you're alone and you have time to savor the quietness and intimacy. Even though it's not a keeper for me, it's a beautiful image to evoke.
Category: Unreleased
Perhaps I should preface this with that I'm really not that familiar with fruitcake, my only exposure to it having been a nasty, cold concoction that had all the charm of fossilized Jolly Ranchers buried in road tar. I don't recall it having a scent, and the experience left me with no desire to ever make any of my own, so I've never smelled a freshly-made, *good* fruitcake.
That being said...
In the imp: It reminded me of a sort of bread...a dark, moist, spicy bread with a definite sweetness to it.
Wet: A candy-like scent came out, like gumdrops; it also made me think of brown sugar, and molasses, and, yes, booze...perhaps rum. Definitely something sweet.
Dry: It settles down to a more reserved version of those ingredients...sometimes a more spicy element pokes out, but there's always that sweet tone, as well.
Verdict: I like *this* fruitcake. It's a very evocative scent. I can't see wearing it a lot, but now that I've used the imp I think I'll justify hanging onto it. It's really cute and I'm glad I've gotten to experience it.
What I liked: It's sweet and comforting. I love the mental pictures it gives, even if I do get a vague craving for something moist, sweet, and chewy.
What I didn't like: Hm, nothing really...except perhaps that it makes me fear that no real fruitcake could ever compare to this.
Category: Bewitching Brews
In the imp, it's vanilla and mandarin; once on me, the florals start coming out, but there is always a continual theme of vanilla to it. In fact, the vanilla amps and throws the most in this one. There is a slight powdery quality to it. If you like vanilla, go ahead and give this one a try.
Probably not bottle-worthy for me, though it is enjoyable. It reminds me a bit of Antique Lace.
Limited Edition -- Yule 2009 -- Miskatonic Valley Yuletide Faire
I don't get a nutty vibe from this...it mostly smells like spicy baked goods, like cookies or bread. Unfortunately, the sugary side of it is what causes it to smell off to me...there's just a barest hint of toasted plastic to it. And that's a shame, given its subtle throw and very hardy staying power. Ah well.
Category: Wanderlust
In the imp: It's like sinking your nose into a bouquet of tulips, literally -- that light scent, with an almost peppery air to it, like pollen, all dappled with drops of water.
Wet: The light tulip scent is predominant, though the scary pollen edge to it is gone. It's very evocative of lush green grass in the morning hours, laden with dew. I don't get a 'crisp' note so much as a 'juicy' one: plump tulip heads, thick blades of grass, fat drops of dew sliding down the sides of them all.
Dry: It's as if the sun has come out and dried the grass; now it has a sort of moist, healthy air to it, the tulip scent almost ethereal, with a more traditional 'perfumey' note to it..perhaps that's the peony.
Verdict: Oh, if only this had more throw, and lasted longer! It's beautiful! Once again I am in awe of the perfumist's art of being able to capture such imagery in a bottle. I would highly recommend this to people who like unadulterated (non-perfumey) florals, nature scents, and possibly to those who like aquatic scents. I hate to discard it anytime soon, so I will probably hang onto the imp for a while at least.
What I liked: The light floral scent, and the fact that it smells like a grassy yard in springtime. Mmmmm.
What I didn't like: That it's so shy! It just sort of pokes its head out to show me that it's pretty, and then evaporates. Wahhh!!
Category -- Bewitching Brews
Wow.
This is unlike anything I've smelled in quite some time...
There is supple, well-worn leather, and ivy -- more like the dried tendrils of ivy still clinging to the grass-choked stone of a tower that has long since crumbled away to piles of rubble. Every now and then, the wind stirs up scents from the lives of those who used to dwell there -- their warm spiced wine, the wood stacked up in piles for their fire, their very spirit and essence, all wafting in in a ghostly way. It really is a very sad, wistful, evocative scent...a great sensory experience.
This is not quite for me. But if I were to come across it on a man, I think I would follow him almost anywhere.
Highly recommended for those looking for masculine scents.
Category: Diabolus
At first it smelled like funky vase water after you've just dumped out a rotting bouquet. But it gets better. It works its way upward from ugly rottenness to a twisted, vetivery musk tinged with violets, and eventually becomes a clean scent, floral but not quite unmanly...as if the murderer has washed his hands after his crimes and is ready to lay on the charm with a new victim. Conceptually this makes it *very* interesting, and as a scent it's a winner. Lasts most of the day with enough wafts throughout its transformation to mind you of how interesting it is.
Category: Illyria
I smell violet, and possibly benzoin and tonka. It actually kind of reminds me of a sweet herbal liqueur...kinda like Galliano, for some really weird reason. It's a pretty durable scent, lasting all day long.
Category: Limited Editions -- Lupercalia 2007
I received this as a decant from my Switch Witch.
This...is sex and decadence in a bottle. The earthy pleasures of opium, tobacco leaf, and liquor -- yes, liquor! I'm wanting to say bourbon -- are all I can detect, and it is AWESOME. It's as if someone had captured the essence of a long night in a bawdy bar, sans the less alluring scents of, say, sweat and actual tobacco *smoke*, and put it in a bottle.
If you want to smell like you've been out all night partying, with the smug satisfaction of not having a hangover, then wear this. And don't be afraid to slather it.
YUM.
Category: Somnium
I've been applying this every night before I go to bed for about ten days now...and for the most part I'd say it works really well. This is the first of the Dream Formulas that I've tried -- I didn't know that you could order them as imps, until someone in a decant circle thoughtfully included this.
The scent is predominantly lavender, with a strong thread of eucalyptus underneath it, and hints of anise here and there. They mingle to create a very medicinal odor -- as a perfume, this would be really bad, but as a component for relaxation and sleep, it's *very* useful. The strident quality of it is actually soothing...it reminds me of when I'd get colds as a child and my mom would smear Vicks on my chest and under my nose -- that same sort of 'OMG this is strong...but it's helping, so yay!' feeling.
By morning, it has worn off, so I never smell it when I get up...though I often can smell traces of the other perfume I've been wearing the day before. This is the perfect medicinal blend -- it does its job, doesn't interfere or interact with anything, and then evaporates.
The vast majority of nights that I use it, I can be asleep in under fifteen minutes, and sleep all the way through the night with no interruptions. While I rarely have trouble sleeping anyway, this past month I've been having lots of problems with anxiety and such, so Baku has been a blessing.
I tend to be a skeptic, but as far as I'm concerned, this stuff works pretty well.
Limited Edition -- Halloween 2009
A very yummy Pumpkin, indeed! This is the first time I really came up against the 'buttery' note that a lot of people talk about. But as soon as the cap is off and it's being applied, I get a hearty blast of freshly-melted butter. It quickly ebbs a bit so that it just smells like lightly-salted buttered popcorn...and then the other notes come out to play. I like honey, but often it can smell just a little too musky or tart; here, the pumpkin mellows it out enough so that it gives a nice, mellow body to the pumpkin and takes away a light sweetness from its fellow component. I liked it so much, I made sure to buy a bottle.
Category: Ars Amatoria
I had a hard time envisioning plum as an appropriate scent, but this fits the bill entirely. It really does seem like the sort of perfume that a five-dollar whore would wear (in 1880 dollars). It's sweet and feminine but definitely not innocent; it's one of those ladies that makes a point of putting a roll in her hips to make sure you keep following her up the stairs. Lasts all day, like a working girl should. Another winner!
Category: Diabolus
I really wanted to like this one, both for the name and ingredients! All I get is pine trees and eucalyptus, though, and it's not even that awesome. It could have been the heat and sweat, but even with trying to slather it, the scent just disappears. So sad.
Category: Bewitching Brews
This blend went through an interesting transformation during the period of time that I wore it. The first day, it had this horrible fake vanilla smell. It was awful. But on the days after that, it somehow transformed from that sharp, vile scent to a sweeter, creamier vanilla. As it dries, it gets a powdery air to it. I'm glad I was persistant with it.
Vanilla is predominantly what I smell in this. Any florals that are in it are very, very light and dusty.
This is such a pretty scent. It seems like something my mom would like, as she likes vanilla, but often ends up with candles and lotions that have that nasty plastic smell to it. So I'll probably keep this imp around just for her. She doesn't wear perfume, but perhaps I could incorporate it into some lotion or something for her.
Category: Limited Editions -- Samhain 2008
There are definitely dry, dead leaves here, but they are accompanied by sweet, warm apple cider and poppies. It's a very nice autumn scent -- right smack in between the earthiness of Chant D' Autumne and the warm deliciousness of Fearful Pleasure. Unfortunately, it didn't last very long on me, which is why I'll just content myself with an imp.
Category -- Bewitching Brews
Straight out of the imp, it's chocolate brownies! Moist, fresh brownies with chunks of chocolate chip melted in them...oh man, I really want to bake some, now.
As it dries, it turns to more of a dry cocoa powder...the sticky sort of smell you'd get on your hands if you've been nomming on a bag of chocolate candies for far too long.
I can see this being great layered with other scents...just by itself, it's not quite to my taste, but it could be fun to experiment with!
It starts out with a bit of a sour kick, like wine gone musty...I'd have to assume that it's the pear and grape acting out, there. From a distance, it gives off a creamy vanilla vibe with some fruity overtones, while up close there's more of a tart pear smell. It's really interesting. Of all the Odes, this one had the most throw and lingered the longest. I'm actually sad now that I didn't buy a bottle.
