suileach

Cough syrup!? *weeps* Oh, oh! Thank heavens. That medicinal note loses strength after a minute, and the scent becomes really amazing! I can smell the blackberry wine, the apple cider (spiced!), the hops, and the sage. Absolutely gorgeous. This smells nothing like Hexennacht, but it has that same magical quality to it. I think I'm in love. Despite the setting-sun warmth of this scent, there's something about it that speaks to me of running water, reeds by the river, and quiet, still places. Beautiful.

In the vial, I caught a sharpness that worried me - would the white musk be too masculine? Answer: No! This is a beautiful musk that smells like rain and green growing things. Really lovely. I see a great green field, dotted with small white flowers and shrouded in mist when I smell this. Just wonderful. I might have to track down more of this.

I received two of these scents from different transactions; both of them were marked by the seller as light florals. Chaos Theory III: DCLXIII (662) Light, pale floral with a bit of lemonyness. I don't know if it's lemongrass or an actual citrus fruit. Summery. There's a dryer-sheet sort of air to it - must be the citrus and floral combination. Goes a little powdery - there might be a light musk present or something like violet. It's not cloying like violets are, though, so I'm not sure. I wish I could pick out what flowers are in this, but there don't seem to be any of my favorites (gardenia, orchid) *or* enemies (jasmine, lotus, rose) present. Overall, it's not bad for a floral, but it's not really me. It's a very light, subtle, inoffensive sort of scent. One previous review by Obesa_Cantavit here. Chaos Theory III: DXIX (519) This was a decant that came with a set I purchased. This is a light, very sweet floral. It's sugary, and reminds me of something. It becomes more tropical and watery as I wear it. There might be a fruit - mango or something. I think what it reminds me of is a body spray named Tropical Mist or Hawaiian Ginger that my mother had. It turns to plastic! Ugh! One previous review by karen here.

In the vial, this is a strong, sweet, piney floral. My skin maintains the pine, but turns the rest into fetid, algae-infested water and maple syrup. Yikes. I hasten to add that there are four notes in this that do not work at all on me in general (but I like the poem too much to not have tried it) so this seems to be a case of my skin chemistry holding true.

Gah! Curse you, vetiver! I thought I might be safe, given how far down the note list it was, but no. It bursts out and clobbers me, both in the vial and on my skin. It smells like limp celery and peanut butter at this stage. However! That initial badness fades pretty quickly and the fruit comes out to play! It's a red, musky fruit which is also surprisingly light and airy. The tea and tobacco are there too, both playing nicely. This is so oddly light and pretty on me at this stage! Where in the heck did all that vetiver go? Not that I'm complaining about the loss... Eventual drydown is a lovely, smoky fruit. I'm glad I was brave enough to skin test this after the initial whiff.

I love that Parlement of Foules label. I almost want to buy it just for the label, even though the notes make it my nemesis.

Oh, ew ew ew ew ew ew ew. Oh god, this smells like medicine. It smells like penicillin. I am wary of mint scents that include notes like vanilla, chocolate or anything else sweet, because the combination frequently makes me feel physically ill. I think this scent has finally helped me figure out why - it's because, to my nose, they smell like chalky, bitter, liquid medicine.

In the vial: Strong vanilla and something grassy. On me: Huh. I guess this is the 'mint' everyone was mentioning; it smells more rooty to me, though. It is cool, crisp, and a bit green smelling, but it's not mint. That note dies in strength soon, though it's still detectable from up close. From 6 or more inches away, though, it's all cream soda. It doesn't remind me of Underpants at all, but it does remind me a bit of Tombstone and, of all things, Western Diamondback!

2005 Version This starts off as with a dry sugar, cassia or cinnamon, and an almost floral edge. It comes across as a savory scent, rather than a simple sweet one. And...yowzer, is this spicy! I am amping the cinnamon/cassia/spice like whoa. After a while, the sugar and spice blend together and actually start to resemble wildflower honey. No kidding; I have a jar in the kitchen and it smells just like this. It seems to get sweeter and more syrupy the longer it stays on my skin. Eck. I smell like I've been rolling around in a vat of corn syrup. This is much, much, much too sweet for me!

Spooky is a smooth, faintly herbal peppermint chocolate. It's not very candylike; it's more like dried mint leaves and cocoa. This isn't something I would have expected to like, given I don't like mint *or* chocolate in my scents - frequently, they turn my stomach - so the thought of them together was scary. But this is actually a neat scent. Up close, the mint has a fantastic chilly edge to it, but I find the overall throw to be nice and warm. As it dries, it sweetens a wee bit. At this stage, it smells like the individually wrapped, after-dinner mint chocolates you get at some restaurants. The rumminess comes out a bit more later, lending it a subtly boozy air that reminds me of mocha spiked with irish creme. It's wonderfully cozy - the perfect scent to wear on a cold winter's day. It's so cozy I think I might actually like to go and take a nap wearing this scent.

Cathode comes to mind.

In the vial: Sweet, spiced fruit wine and a touch of herbs. The wine note is vaguely similar to the one in Madrid - that is; a sweet, light wine that isn't sour. This gets really dry on me after a few minutes and the faint cherry note all but vanishes; it smells like a field of wildflowers drying under the late summer sun. I'm struggling to think of a comparison to another scent, but I don't think I have any. It's so...grassy. 15 minutes later, it morphs back into the spiced wine... I find that note is much more prominent from a distance of about a foot; up close the dry grass is still evident. Final drydown (I think!), is all of the above combined and more. Dry fields, fallen fruit trampled underfoot, burning leaves, and a hint of musk and smoke. I was really puzzled at the Samhain comparisons before it got to this stage, but now I understand them. It has a hint of that smoky, dark orange, mulled cider and burnt leaves tone that runs through Samhain.

Montresor has a lot of throw in the vial -- I put it in a box with the rest of my untested scents, and now the entire box smells like it! It's a very sweet, fruity, gummy smell; it reminds me greatly of Gummi Worms. As soon as it hits my skin, something strangely earthy and a touch dusty springs forth. The gummy/fruity note becomes boozier; then it becomes sour. It somehow remains sweet at the same time. It smells like I imagine a very sweet fruit wine (apricot?) might, served in the very cellar in which it was aging. Unfortunately, it also smells like a mouse has died in the corner of the apparently unkempt, musty cellar. Juicily sweet, intensely fruity...slightly off. And yet, I can't quite say that I dislike this. It's interesting. I think I might actually find myself reaching for this again, if only the sour tang didn't remind me of cat pee. Alas.

Ooh. At first, I can see why this is so sought after. It's not quite like any of the other sugary blends I've tried. When first applied, there's a brief hint of the caramel that comes out in scents like Miskatonic University and Sugar Cookie, but it fades and becomes pure sugar. It's not particularly rich or cakey, but there's still a bit of a creamy-buttery hint to it, which smells much like creamed sugar and butter. It takes on a more...cooked...sort of smell after it dries. A bit like burning sugar. After an hour, the scent has nearly vanished, leaving behind only the faintest touch of burnt sugar and plastic on my arm. Ergh...

I was very, very wary of this scent. Despite the appeal of its name - serpents are important figures in parts of my life - I avoided it due to the notes. When I smelled the vial, I was certain I was right about it. It had that weird, celery-like smell to it that I associate with vetivert. On my skin, however, the weird celery smell vanishes, and it becomes spicy, soapy dragon's blood. I don't typically like dragon's blood, but to be honest, this isn't too bad - it's very true to the resin, rather than having the sickly sweet smell that I've usually found dragon's blood perfume oils to have. This smells quite like a bag of loose incense I made a few years ago that contains hunks of dragon's blood. The longer I have this on, the less I dislike it. I'm finding it to be very grounding and calming. I'm really amazed at the effect this is having on me. I haven't felt this centered in my body in a long time... While not normally something I would choose to wear as a perfume, I do think I'll be reaching for this in the future for the mental calming and centering effects it provides me.

I can't believe I've never reviewed this. Miskatonic University is one of my favorite scents. In fact, when I first tried it, I thought that I was done with trying more scents because I had found The One. Wet, it smells like creamy cappuccino doused with vanilla and caramel syrup and topped off with a wee drop of booze. And it has a lot of throw. I've gotten more compliments on this scent than on any other. Drydown is old, dusty paper and books. Stunning. I think, though, it might actually be the cream note that does this on me. I've noticed a similar, though not identical - Miskatonic University is a unique and fabulous scent - drydown from other scents with cream in them. In conclusion:

This is an incredibly bright scent - it's sweet and almost fruity. If I were to compare this to a commercial scent, it would be Liz Claiborne's Curve. It has that same effervescent, citrusy, light floral tone to it. Orchid is one of those rare florals that isn't pure evil on me. The white musk is a bit dusty to my nose - sticky and tickly. This turns very sweet and almost honey-like on my skin. Gets creamier (isn't orchid grand?), too. Many, MANY hours later, Oberon is still there! Subtle and lovely. It's just the lightest dusting of musk now, with that creamy orchid still riding along. Love!

In Vial: A light cherry and a watery, powdery, almost ozone-ish note. On Me: The same! It's a really interesting combo of notes. It's very lightly creamy and silky, and there's a touch of a floral perfume scent. The lavender comes out after a few minutes but it's a very inoffensive lavender, and it rounds out the scent beautifully. The musk is the merest whisper - it lends a bit of sophistication and depth to the scent. Overall, I think this is a surprise winner on me. I've avoided lavender for a while, but TKO, Yvaine, and now this are really making me rethink my dislike of it. I dislike rose, but in this blend it just brings about a faint, powdery air without amping horribly. ...No, wait. I'm wrong. Ten minutes in, the cherry and cream notes have vanished, and I'm left with a musky rose and lavender. It's not bad for rose, but I'm really sad that the cherry has gone away. This was such a fragile, wistful, beautiful scent on me before drydown. Now it's just floral perfume. The beginning was so lovely, I think I'll give it another try, or find some other way to use it. I think it would smell heavenly in a bath, for instance.

Well, count me as one of the few who prefers the 2007 version! In the bottle, 05 is creamy, slightly fruity, and slightly cakey... On my skin, it reminds me of a fruit-scented plastic toy I used to own. I wish I could recall what the toy was, as this is spot-on. Weirdly, this scent starts out quite faint on me, but grows stronger as time passes. It doesn't smell any less like plastic, though.

I've read that putting some unscented lotion on before applying scent can help if you have dry skin that sucks up the oil. As for me, the only bottle I've gone through is TKO, and I managed to do that within a few months due to slathering at bedtime, making bath salts with it, and imping a bit out. My Devil's Night 06 (which I've had since October-ish of 2006), is down to about 1/2 of the bottle... but again, that's because I used it for other purposes (in this case, adding it straight to my bathwater.. mmm).

I think this might be a touch too sweet for me, but it's gorgeous otherwise. It's a golden, sparkling scent. The amber and peach really shine - it's a bit boozy and reminds me of peach schnapps. The sandalwood comes out more as it dries, lending a spicy-woodsy air. It's still too sweet for me to wear, but I must say that if it were a dessert, I would definitely eat it!

This is really interesting in the vial - bright, sharp, fruity, dusty, and murky all at once. On, there are sparkling pink fruits, deep purple tones, and something else underneath that smells white and musky. The pepper lies on top, lending everything a sharp, dusty edge. After a bit, the fruit tilts toward tropical, which tends to be too sweet for me, and the pepper gets much stronger. I'm glad to have tried such a fascinating blend, but I'm afraid it doesn't suit me. Pepper and fruit rarely work for me; combined, they make me sneeze. I didn't notice any rose until after I tried to wash it off (I couldn't cope with the strength of the pepper), at which point the pomegranate and fruit washed away, leaving behind rose and pepper!

Guh. Amber, spices, and vanilla, oh my! I'm not even sure how to describe this one, since it smells exactly like I imagined it would from the notes, and the words from the description - slinking, serpentine, enticing - fit perfectly as well. After a few minutes on my skin, it takes on a rubbery/plasticky tone... That seems to happen sometimes on me when vanilla and musk are together in a blend. Plum rears its head as well, and I'm becoming more and more certain that I just don't like plum - I really disliked Mme. Moriarty, which this has been compared to. And...wow. This has morphed quickly into a bold, spicy, vanilla dusted plum with amber in the background. It ends up being too sweet in that sticky way I don't care for, but I can see why people with different taste than I have love this. It's mysterious, sexy, feminine, and kind of...purple...smelling. Ultimately, though, it just isn't for me.

omfg. Yes, it IS that good. Everything in this is just so perfect together - it's bright, creamy, and insanely sexy. There's a rich, amber-like quality to it, but it doesn't have amber's powderiness. The rum is subtle and doesn't turn to butterscotch or candy like it usually does on me. The sandalwood is grounding and gives it a sophisticated edge, but it's still a very young, fresh, nubile kind of scent. I think it gives me that impression because it reminds me of Ici, which I wore when I was 14. It remains gorgeous through drydown - sandalwood, creamy vanilla, and that wonderful, unanticipated amber tone. Why must I love this? *whimper* I didn't think I would, because I haven't liked some of these notes in other scents, but Underpants is absolute perfection.

Guh. This scent actually made my eyes roll back in my head when I sniffed the vial. It is heady, powerful stuff that goes straight to my animal brain. It starts out by smelling like something I can only describe as Ent sex. Then the smoke comes out and it's so realistic I swear I can hear the fire crackling. Boughs burning, sap oozing into the flames, clouds scudding across the moon, and the drums of the hunt in the distance. Hours later, hours after nightfall, the drummers are still keeping vigil, but the sound is just a distant heartbeat in the woods. It's mellow; the night is cool; the sweat and musk has dried to a sweet memory of revelry and heat. This is how it smells after a few hours, all burnt incense, earth and musk. This had been on my wishlist for a while before I managed to find a decant of it, and it more than lived up to my expectations - it is an amazing experience of a scent; triggering memories and waking dreams. It's rare for a scent to make me feel reverent, but Hexennacht has done it.