inkstone

This is a freebie IndigoWhatever tossed in with our last swap. In the vial: Lemony tea. I'm approaching this with caution given my poor history with lemon. I'm hoping lemon verbena works a little differently on my skin than lemon proper. Wet: Lemon tea laced with honey. Okay, looking good so far. Drydown: Sweet lemon tea. This pretty much stays true from the wet to the drydown stages. Final thoughts: I wish the honeysuckle would come out a little more. It smells more herbal on me than floral, which I don't mind. It is a very clean scent and unlike previous experiences with lemon, I didn't get the dreaded lemon-scented insect repellent so I think Hypothermya's dead on when she said that this is good for people with lemon-related skin chemistry issues. I'll have to try this a few more times. I almost don't believe it didn't become repellent on me. Admittedly it doesn't last that long & I want to make sure it doesn't start changing with successive wearings.

IndigoWhatever threw in an extra imp of this in a swap with her. In the vial: Wow! Roses! And even more roses! There's a background note that I think is the wine blending with dragon's blood. It doesn't smell like wine by itself nor does it smell like dragon's blood by itself, but it does smell like them together. I think. Wet: Roses again, followed by a faint spicy, incensey note that isn't incense. Er... I think that's the dragon's blood. It doesn't stand out quite like it does in Dragon's Tears or Dragon's Milk, so my nose is having trouble picking it out. Drydown: Roses mingling with wine and dragon's blood in the background. The dragon's blood gives it that faint metallic fruity smell that I associate with it. Final thoughts: No way! It's a rose blend that doesn't go powdery on me! I could feel (smell?) it trying to, but something was holding it back. I guess I have the wine and dragon's blood to thank for that. This actually makes me look forward to my first order (which hopefully will be coming in the next couple of weeks) since I ordered Persephone. I'm hoping the fruits back up the rose there as well as the wine and dragon's blood supported it here.

In the vial: Definitely aquatic with white florals and a touch of citrus. I'm not good at distinguishing the various white florals, so I can't say what they are. It's familiar, but I can't name it. Wet: White florals mixed with ozone. Eh... Drydown: The ozone's receded, so it's in the background with the aquatic notes. The white florals remain and... Oh no. Is there lemon in this? Is that what the citrus note is? Dammit. Final thoughts: I think lemon may be the bane of my existence. Especially since it only gets stronger with each successive wearing of a blend, which is why Venice was ruined for me despite working the first couple of times I wore it. Most people have a lemon pledge association, but on me, lemon turns into lemon-scented insect repellent that's so strong I can taste it in the back of my throat. I do agree that this is a very clean scent. It reminds me of a softer, less vicious Szepasszony. If you like that type of scent, then I think this is for you. For me, I'll be swapping this.

Courtesy of a swap with IndigoWhatever. In the vial: Berries, plum and fruity wine. Wet: There's definitely something incense-y in here. It always comes out upon immediate contact with my skin, just like musk, and I can smell it right then and there. But it's not overpowering. It mingles with the berries so it smells like berry incense potpourri. Er... Drydown: The wine doesn't really come out on me. The fruits and amaretto do, along with the incense undercurrent. It's creamy berry. Final thoughts: Unlike previous reviewers, this smells nothing like Lady Macbeth on me. That one is more wine & tart; this is fruit and sweet. This actually has a thicker body to it. Very voluptuous, which I suppose would be indicative of the name. A keeper, but more tries to determine if it really warrants bottle.

I have to agree that it's often based on individual body chemistry, mood & hormonal changes. And Allamanda's experience with Intrigue was Hamadryad for me. I know rose is hit or miss on me -- sometimes it goes to powder, sometimes it stays true. Amber, for the most part, smells hard & sour in me. The only blend it's in that's worked for me so far is Tamora. But I know that the more blends I've tried, the more I'm able to figure out what works and what doesn't. White musk is great on me whereas the other (darker) musks go a little wonky and overpower every other note in the blend.

I'm wearing it right now too! I agree -- it isn't sweet. It's more wine-y on me than anything else. (Look out for the ultra-technical lingo!)

I got a bottle of this from the wonderful Eris. It's my very first lunacy oil. In the bottle: Mulled wine & drying leaves. It smells like autumn! Wet: There's definitely musk in this. I'm not sure what kind, but it's definitely one of the darker varieties. I can smell the drying leaves and the wine has intensified. Wow, this is definitely autumn! Drydown: I still smell the leaves and wine. Thankfully the musk didn't go crazy and overpower everything else like it normally does on me. I get whiffs of the smokey flavor, so there's the bonfire action. Final Thoughts: I think I like this! I'll have to try it out a few more times to make sure, but I think I do! This would have been a wonderful scent to wear on the actual Hunter Moon. It's so evocative of the season.

Just for another data point - I received the autoresponse thingy at 8 am on Friday. I wouldn't be too worried about it though. Like Harlequin said, if it's in your paypal log, I'm sure it's in the Lab's queue.

In the vial: Rosemary & orange blossom. Very herbal. Wet: Still herbal, but the rosemary is still very strong. The strongest note on me actually, with the orange blossoms beneath it. Rose tends to be hit or miss on me, so I'm not too surprised I can't smell it. Drydown: Ah, so it's that type of rose note. The rosemary has mellowed out, allowing the roses to come out. It's somewhat powdery as rose notes tend to go on me, but it's mingling with the orange blossoms very nicely. Final thoughts: I agree with the above reviewer who says this is like Jezebel without the honey and on me, without the sandalwood backing. It's more herbal too. I think I like it though. It's very business-like.

Part of my ongoing saga to find a rose scent that actually smells like roses on me. In the vial: Lavendar and frankincense. Er, okay. Wet: Lavendar, orchid and musk, with just the faintest touch of frankincense. I've never tried Chinese white musk before, but white musk plays much better with my skin than its other counterparts. (Mostly because musk likes to come screaming out on my skin, so I need a lighter musk to avoid drowning out other notes.) I'm not disappointed. Drydown: Roses & lavendar, with the faintest touches of musk and frankincense. I like it! Final thoughts: This is a very dreamy, romantic-esque scent. The wet stage was a little too much like a cloud of commercial perfume, but the drydown is wonderful. I'm not sure I want a bottle, but I think I'll keep the imp. I think this traveling imp has found its home!

Courtesy of a swap with Isyche. In the vial: Strawberries and bubbly champagne! Wet: Like its wine counterpart, the champagne note is all I smell. Drydown: Sweet strawberry goodness over a champagne base! I like it! Final thoughts: It's a relatively light scent on me. I don't think it's one of those scents that lasts very long on my skin. Even now, I have to press my nose against my skin to smell it. However it seems to work better with my hair and clothes because I accidentally splashed some around and it got everywhere. Hmm... Will have to ponder this.

In the vial Patchouli. Just patchouli. That's all I smell and like others have previously mentioned, it's the black variety. Just smelling it makes me feel more centered. Wet Oh! Apparently there's frankincense in this too, because it comes screeching out when it touches my skin. I'm not sure what vetiver smells like so I can't comment on that. Drydown Earthy, active heat. I feel very grounded and centered. Given that my mind has been extremely scattered lately, the effect was striking. Final thoughts This is nothing at all like anything I would wear as perfume. However I think it's perfect for yoga. I haven't tried it during yoga practice yet because I haven't been feeling well lately. But I'll update this once I have.

In the bottle I could smell this even before I opened the bottle. I had it sitting on the desk next to me & while I was PMing Lora to let her know I received it, I was getting dizzy from the sugar fumes. Pure sugary, syrupy goodness. Wet Definitely a huge blast of brown sugar but there's also a surge of warm caramelized peaches & a spice that I want to say is nutmeg. Drydown The initial drydown was a burnt sugar smell, after the brown sugar has reduced down and is on the verge of being in the pot for too long. But as time passes, it mellows & I smell all types of sugary goodness. Underneath it though, I smell the fruit. It lightens the smell a little from being completely sugar. Final thoughts I'd applied this very lightly because I'd read reviews and was afraid of drenching myself. I'm glad I did, because if I hadn't been careful, I suspected I'd have made myself dizzy much like I did when the bottle was sitting right next to me. Still... Yum!

Argh! I just wrote a review and then lost it when I hit the wrong button! *headdesk* In the vial Lavendar with a bit of lotus and spice in the background. I don't know what the spice is though, since it seems intent on dodging my nose. Wet Pure lavendar. Er... I have nothing against lavendar, but this isn't quite what I was expecting. Drydown Slightly bubblegummy lotus with a hint of spice. The lavendar's faded well into the background, but it's definitely still there. Final thoughts This is a calm, soothing scent. It's demure, but has a hint of sexiness lurking below. I don't think I like it enough for a bottle, but I'll be keeping this decant.

In the vial Jasmine with a bite. The faintest whiffs of rose & myrrh. Wet I'm getting the acrid scorched smell that's been mentioned previously. I'm assuming that's the myrrh. The roses are drowned out and the jasmine is valiantly trying to come out, but the myrrh clobbers it. Drydown Myrrh backed with jasmine. If I sniff my arm, I can smell the roses but they're clinging to my skin. Truthfully I feel like I'm surrounded by a cloud. Final thoughts This is appropriate for its namesake, but I think it's a little too womanly and old for me. Plus it reminds me of a co-worker who wears way too much perfume and makes everyone gag when she walks by. It's an unfortunate association, but it's there. I'll be swapping this.

The generous Fairywingmaker tossed in a decant of this when I received some other imps from her. In the vial Florals with the faintest hint of fruits and incense. Let's give this a go. Wet Ah, night-blooming flowers, you will be my downfall. Much like my experience with Midnight, I feel like someone's beating me over the head with a bouquet of them. Except this time, there's incense along with it. Drydown In the initial stages of the drydown, I get a beautiful dark floral -- the violets have mingled the night-blooming flowers nicely. There's also a little fruit and a little incense. This was lovely. Unfortunately it didn't stay that way. After a couple hours, the violet, fruit & incense vanished, leaving me with only the night-blooming flowers. Eh.... Final thoughts If it would have stuck in that initial drydown stage, I think I would have liked this. But just night-blooming flowers? Not really my thing. Off to swap for you.

I received a decant of this from the lovely Fairywingmaker. In the vial Sweet berries and wine. The only other blend with wine that I've tried is Nosferatu and that didn't go over so well. But that's not necessarily because of the wine note. Let's see how this goes! Wet Wine layered with herbal -- I assume that's the thyme? -- and currants playing around. I've lost the berries, so it's not sweet anymore. Boo. Drydown But just as I'm about to lose faith, the berries come back and sweeten the wine on my skin. The thyme fades, so it's just berries and wine. It's not as sweet as it was in the imp, but it's sweet enough for me. Final thoughts This blend is a deep, dark burgundy. It's sophisticated and a little tart. I like it! Oddly enough, it also made me crave a steak. I don't know if that's the wine talking or what. Definitely a keeper. I'll have to give it a few more goes before I decide if it warrants "bottle."

In the vial Sweet lilies drenched with sunlight. Wet Strong lily florals... in a dank, musty basement. Er... What has my skin done this time? Drydown Oh, there's the honey! This softens into a sweet lily scent over a honeyed background. It's vaguely powdery on me, but in a good way. This is a very pretty scent. It's innocent & gentle. Final Thoughts Definitely a keeper. I'll have to think about whether or not it warrants a bottle or if an imp is enough.

I got an imp of this from the very kind Clover, and boy am I glad I did! In the vial Sweet fruitiness. Definitely peach. I also detect another floral note, which I assume is the heliotrope. And the amber. Wet Okay, sandalwood, I know you like my skin a lot but must you do this every single time I put on a blend that you're a part of? Needless to say, it comes screeching out. The sandalwood really drowns out everything else, except for the amber which has also smelled sharp, hard & slightly sour on me. Drydown However the drydown is gorgeous. My skin smells like almost too-ripe peaches dripping with juice overlaying a background of vanilla. If I inhale my skin closely, I can detect the sandalwood but it's in the far background and just provides a grounding. I don't really smell the amber that much (which is fine by me, given my pathetic history with it) but there's a golden quality to this blend that can only come from amber. Final thoughts I think I'm in love! In many ways this reminds me of a girlier version of Jezebel, probably because of the sandalwood. Jezebel has a fuller body due to the honey and is more sugary because of it, but Tamora has a stronger fruity presence and it lighter as a result. Oh, there goes another one onto my bottle wishlist.

In the vial Sweet florals tempered by woody notes. I'm assuming the sweetness is coming from the loganberry, but I'm not sure what that smells like. It doesn't smell like the sweetness that comes from flowers to me. Very refreshing. Wet The birch bark comes out a lot once it hits my skin. There's another note that's making it somewhat musty, almost like musk but not quite. I don't know what it is. But that period only lasts for a couple minutes so it doesn't bother me. I've gotten used to Beth's oils morphing on me. Drydown I smell the yellow birch bark and maple leaves, tempered by the florals. The florals are definitely in the background though. It's more herbal than anything else. This isn't a woody scent, per se; it doesn't smell like wood. It smells like standing in a deciduous forest on a cold, sunny day with a half-frozen stream bubbling by. Actually, now that I sniff my wrist more closely, the smell has a similarity to the smell of chamomile tea. Final thoughts This is so pretty. It's love at first smell. Cold, crisp and definitely a keeper. It's immediately gone on the short list for a bottle.

In the vial Watery florals. In particular, I really smell the gardenias, but it's like gardenias floating in water. Wet As usual, the musk comes screaming out and drowns out all else. Why does my skin always do this? But it's a light musk, so it doesn't make me cringe. Instead it just makes me look at my arm in amusement. As usual though, it recedes after a few minutes and I start smelling the florals. Oddly enough, while I could smell the gardenias in the imp, they don't come out on my skin. Drydown My skin tends to smell faintly aquatic on its own anyway, so this scent is very translucent on me. It has that same ebb and flow that previous reviewers have mentioned. It's interesting. I can smell the ginger and water blossoms now. I'm not sure what muguet smells like, so I don't know what to look for there. I don't know if that's the faintly green note I'm sensing or not. Honestly I smell like I've emerged from a lake whose surface is covered with floating blossoms, and the water is drying on my skin. Final Thoughts I'm not sure what to think of this blend. I don't know if I like or not. It is a second skin scent on me and merges really nicely with my skin chemistry. It's warm, cool, fragile and weighty all at once. It's pretty, but I really don't know what to think of it.

In the vial I snagged an imp of this from the kind Clover, because I was interested in seeing what it smelled like. Curiosity will be my downfall, I swear. In the vial, it smells like moist earth mixed with wine. I've never smelled anything quite like it. Wet Hrm, my chemistry's having a fit with this. Boo. It smells like dirt, but the alcohol in the wine comes out a lot. Unfortunately, it's only the alcohol, so I'm not getting any of the nice body that previous reviewers have. It smells like someone spilled rubbing alcohol in top soil. Boo on my stupid skin. Drydown Okay, so the alcohol smell is gone and it's almost entirely wet earth. I can smelled the dried herbs mixed in with the dirt. Actually I smell kinda like I've been working in the garden all day, planting seeds in top soil and have the residue left all over my hands and arms. Final Thoughts I think this scent is very evocative of its name. It reminds me of deep, dark underground crypts where you can smell the decay in the air, dried herbs under your feet and soil scattered around you. Association-wise, it makes me think of that scene in Buffy Season 7 or Kill Bill Part 2, where Buffy & the Bride are in the coffins and they have to dig their way out through the earth to get out of their graves. The death association is very strong. This isn't a very "me" scent and it didn't play very well with my skin, so it'll be going into the swap pile in the hopes it'll find a good home. But I am very glad I got the chance to try it.

In the vial Delicate florals mixed with fruits. Dew-kissed is very appropriate here. There's a faint chill running through this scent--the same kind you experience when you walk across your lawn in the early morning hours. It's very well-blended; I can only really smell the sweet pea. Wet The fruits come out, along with the musk rose. It's mostly the grape and peach though, with the musk rose adding this certain body to it. I don't know how to articulate it. Drydown The musk rose has settled down, so I can smell the sweet pea. I'm not sure what moonflower and snapdragon smell like so I don't know what to look for. The peach is gone, and I can definitely smell the iced pears now. For some reason, pear scents like my skin a lot. Final Thoughts This is a nice, delicate scent. It's light, feminine and very appropriate for spring. However I don't see myself reaching for this scent a lot. It's almost too girly to suit me. I may have to try it a few more times to come to a final decision--since a lot of my scent preferences depend on my mood--but I don't really see it changing anytime soon. It's a beautiful scent though, and I'm glad I had the chance to try it.

In the vial At first whiff, it's very sugary sweet. I can definitely smell the honeyed vanilla, but there's also that faintly tangy floral I associate with dragon's blood. There's really no other note that smells quite like it. Wet That slightly metallic quality of dragon's blood comes out when it hits my skin. As usual, it's similar to the slightly metallic scent of real blood. The vanilla provides a good base for it though. Drydown Purely sweet, honeyed vanilla! The dragon's blood has retreated to the background to give it that faint metallic kick, but there's also a slightly smoky/incensey scent that I can't identify. It's faint, but definitely there when I sniff my arm. It's subtle, but I don't think it's really the dragon's blood as I didn't get that quality in Dragon's Tears. Final Thoughts This is such a comforting scent. The name's very appropriate as it's creamy and milky. I just want to cuddle when I smell this. I'll have to try this out more before I decide if I want a bottle.

In the vial Lots of jasmine with a faint underscoring of cinnamon. The only other Voodoo Blend I've tried is the now-discontinued Juju, and that had jasmine in it as well but it certainly didn't smell like this! Wet The cinnamon comes out more now that it's hit my skin, along with the jasmine. There's something else in there too. I swear it's cloves, but I can't be entirely sure since my sense of smell is slightly off and I'm having trouble distinguishing notes. (Not that it's stopping me from testing & reviewing. ) All together it smells like fizzy, cinnamon-flavored cola, although I can see where people are getting the Bazooka bubblegum scent too. There's a similarity in the scents. Drydown It's gotten sweeter, which makes me think there's vanilla in this. It's intensifying the sweetness of the jasmine and making it heady. The fizziness has given way to something slightly boozy. I have no idea what it is. If I inhale deeply enough, I get a whiff of incense. It's definitely in the background, but it's there. I can always tell if it's present, because it always leave a faint aftertaste in the back of my throat. Final Thoughts Like Juju, it's not an everyday scent but as a Voodoo Blend, it's not meant to be. I haven't tested its effectiveness (LOL!) but it does give a sense of a strong woman using what she's got to get what she wants. Very empowering in that sense.