Category: Marchen
Initially, this is plum, leather and musk like woah. After a bit, it softens, and the lilac comes out. Believe it or not, this is a fairly manly sort of floral. I am discovering that plum is one of my favorite notes, and this perfume does not disappoint. It has good staying power and some pretty decent throw from time to time.
Category: Bewitching Brews -- The Conjure Bag
I get a lot of mint -- as in spearmint, a sweetly herbal scent. As it dries, I get maybe a hint of lemon, and a bit of a...fuzzy note. Not exactly powdery, but more like the light fuzz atop a cat's head; that sort of aura.
While the scent itself isn't really my cup of tea, I think it's a really cute concept, and it was definitely worth a try!
Category: Ars Moriendi
Well, 'ethereal floral' certainly applies here...I get a whiff of light florals, with maybe a bit of dusty ivy...and then it's gone. Very faint, very fleeting.
Category: Wanderlust
This delicious, albeit powdery, vanilla. I just wish that it was stronger and more durable, because while it's around it smells so very nice.
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: Diabolus
Very sweet: strawberries and poppy, definitely. It's more evocative of slumber parties and lipgloss than orgies, but...that's just me. Pretty decent staying power.
Category: Diabolus
While this shares the same note (red patchouli) as Malediction, it's sweetened considerably by the myrrh, making this a scent that's earthy in a sensual way.
Category: Limited Edition -- Yule 2007
Oh. My. God. Wonderful warm BEESWAX mixed with amber, and I think I'm even smelling the olive oil a bit...a warm, smoky sort of smell. Must...have...more!!
October 2008 Lunacy
This was actually the first lunacy that I ever purchased, and it was a really great choice.
Initially, I get a light, sort of tart citrus scent -- definitely grapefruit, there. As it dries, it quickly picks up...a sort of body and depth, from the violet leaf and other, darker notes, while the citrus notes keep it sweet and feminine. This is a beautiful, rich, classy perfume, not entirely woeful to me; more like the air of a mourning widow who is determined to keep her head held high and keep carrying on. There's a sort of sad determination to it, as well as a hopeful appreciation for the beauty of life in the here and now. Truly gorgeous.
September 2009 Lunacy
This one is sort of a roller coaster for me. At first, it smells a little off -- almost like there's some mustyness in among the leaves, but not quite. Then it actually gets sort of sweet. At its peak, it does evoke a misty autumn day with piles of falling leaves all around; not really rainy or wet, but definitely not dry or smoky, either. It's really like nothing I've smelled before, and I can't put my finger on anything else to describe it...but all things considered, I rather like it.
Limited Edition -- Halloween 2009
Apple juice/cider, mixed with toasted nuts, with maybe a faint whiff of blossoms here and there. It doesn't really agree with me, for some reason...the apple note is pleasant enough, but the combination of notes just...isn't jivin' with me.
Limited Editions: Yule 2009 -- Miskatonic Valley Yuletide Faire
For me, this doesn't register as either 'chocolate' or 'tobacco' right away...it actually smelled like vanilla. A real sultry vanilla, the dark black of vanilla extract without the alcoholic edge to it. But that's just my nose being silly. Close up, I can definitely get the cacao, which is unlike any chocolate scent I've smelled heretofore...and the tobacco melds so nicely with it, that to me it becomes a dark, creamy, sensuous scent. And it lasts. All day long, and then some. I was actually on the fence about it for the longest time, but I realized that every time I put my coat on I was smelling the redolant aroma of the Troupe and *smiling* because of it...and so I came to my senses and ordered some. This is probably the most awesome of the 2009 Yule scents, and I'm *so* glad that I ordered a bottle!
Limited Edition -- 2009 Anniversary Scents
At first, this starts out as a bright, light citrus, made sweet by rose. Alas, in the end, it morphs into generic cologne. Not much throw, but it lasts a long time...I just don't fancy smelling like generic cologne. Into the trade box with you!
Limited Editions -- Yule 2009
Honestly, it smells like the chocolate scratch and sniff stickers I used to go wild over as a kid...dusted with a bit of cinnamon. This is a scent that stays close to the skin, and lasts for a decent amount of time. It's fun, if not bottle-worthy IMHO.
Limited Edition -- Yule 2009
To me, this is a spicy aquatic floral. The camellia is sweet and light and fresh, given punch by the peppers. The first time I wore this, it actually seemed to irritate my nose a bit with its peppery spiciness, so I gave up on it. Now that I am revisiting it to review it, it's behaving itself better, so this may age decently. For all its spiciness, it does not have a lot of throw, and seems to wear off after a few hours. Pretty in its own distinct way, but not for me.
Limited Edition -- Anniversary Scents
I get sweet, slightly lemony florals from this...and then it poofs away and dissipates. Even hard huffing at my skin doesn't seem to reveal much! Which is puzzling, because a couple of people commented on it smelling nice...so I'm wondering what they hell they were smelling! I suppose I'll hang onto my decant for a while, but it seemed pointless to buy a bottle of something I can't even smell.
Limited Edition -- Anniversary Scents
I get lots of spicy carnation. In fact, it alternates between spicy and creamy, to the point where I'd be pretty convinced that there is honey in this blend -- and a nice, sweet honey at that. For some reason, I wasn't liking this very much at all when I was testing it...there was a weird edge to it that I found off-putting. Now that it has had time to settle, it smells much nicer. Alas that I should discover this after it has been taken back to the graveyard of discontinued scents! I guess I will just hold onto my decant, then, and see how it ages...
Limited Edition -- Yule 2009
This is a really gorgeous, creamy, fruity scent. Utterly laden with pink and orange goodness; I get a lot of images of a sunlit room redolent with the smell of flowers and a freshly-ordered fruit basket. So very yummy! It has a little bit of throw, and lasts quite a while even under the rigors of things like washing one's hands during cooking and such. Now I'm wishing that finances had allowed a bottle of this.
Limited Edition -- Anniversary Scents
To me, this is a smokey scent -- like smokey musk. There is a bit of herbalness...the sweet basil lurking just beneath -- but for the most part I seem to get black pepper, smoke, and dust, and if the dragon's blood is there it's acting like incense for once, instead of being ultra-sweet as it usually manifests for me. This is a manly scent, but one that I don't mind wearing...I think I can decently rock it. Smoke, stone, and iron -- very fitting for this phoenix!
Limited Edition -- Yule 2009
When I first tried this, I got a spiced plum smell mixed with something like oats...like a warm fruit/oat bread. It wasn't bad, but wasn't great, either. And now, I'm getting boozy spiced prune wine. And wish I could drink it.
I don't recall it having much throw or staying power, though, so it's probably for the best that I didn't get more than this decant.
Limited Edition -- Anniversary Scents
I actually do get straight up lettuce leaf from this! It's so weird. It does do well in evoking lead, as it has a dull gray, soft, almost smokey sort of aura to it. Unfortunately, like almost all the phoenixes, it quickly turns to generic cologne and then fades away.
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.
Limited Edition -- Yule 2009 -- Miskatonic Valley Yuletide Faire
Unfortunately the decant I had of this had leaked, so I didn't have much to test. What I can sniff smells like chocolate at first, then gets a sweet berry note to it. It seems to be a scent that stays fairly close to the skin, but appears to last for a decent long while.
