oddly

This is one that I've had sitting around for a few months, and finally decided that it's not for me ~ so what better time to give my review? I was really excited about trying biggerCritter *I swapped for it with Sugar Cookie, another one that, sadly, rejected me*. Even though it was floral-y blend, jasmine and gardenia tend to be pretty mild on me compared to other flowery scents, and vanilla tends to sweeten up any sharp notes. I was right about the flowers and vanilla ~ it was the grapefruit that got me! In the bottle: A little bit like key lime pie or lemon meringue *I think I'm hungry*, but a little more vanilla-y. I can only smell a bit of gardenia, only if I take in a deep whiff and try picking up on it. No jasmine. On my skin: Very sugary, flowery grapefruit overpowers everything. Its not a bright, freshly picked and sliced grapefruit ~ it's more like overly sweetened grapefruit perserves or artificial grapefruit flavour, too sweet and tangy in the wrong ways. Drydown, about 10 minutes after: Overly sweet grapefruit has died down, but is still the strongest note. When taking in a deep whiff, I can pick out every note, even jasmine, but the jasmine is very light and easily overpowered by the grapefruit and almost comletely hidden behind the nice vanilla. As I'm needing some quick cash-ola, I'm tossing this one to the Feebay pile. Don't worry, biggerCritter seems actually happy to be leaving me ~ thinks I ignore him too much. ;P

First of all, I cannot believe I didn't manage to talk myself out of buying the $75 signed set, but I must say that I do not regret that I did...though I did finally learn that I should not be allowed to wander about conventions alone with money. ;D In the bottle: The smell of biting into a cold, crisp green apple. Tart and refreshing, the smell of mist. On the skin: APPLES!!! Strong! But the blast of apple quickly dies down, and a cool minty floraly-ness very much like Snow White starts to develop until it becomes the more dominant scent. Yum, Snow White with apples... Dry: Definitly Snow White with apples; it has the same cooling effect. It is somehow cold and frost-like yet bright and fruity at the same time with out being clashy. Perhaps I can describe the feeling as standing next to a icy window with a mug of warm cider in your hand. I know, I compare almost every scent to some type of food of drink. I think this also makes it work both as a summery scent for warm months and as a cool scent. There is one thing I will say, though this just might be because I'm still getting over a cold and dealing with allergies, I do wish it had a bit more throw, and wish that it did last a bit longer. The scent of apples and cold mist lingered very lightly over night when I wore it yesterday, but the fullness of the scent doesn't seem to last for very long. If it didn't come with the book/was slightly less expensive, I feel I would have to buy another bottle of SGA. It is very lovely!

On first application, it reminds me almost exactly of Black Pearl *which I LOVE*, then it begins to get a floral-y grapey fruity-ness, which is nice...at first. The fruity-ness takes a step back and the floral and blood musk start to over power my yummy coconut and the other fruity-ness. The combination of floral and musk notes actually are actually making my eyes burn a little. While I do love some musk blends, my skin tends to amplify musk to the Ultimate Level of Extreme-ness. Boo!

A while back I posted about how I was running low on Gingerbread Poppet 2005 and needed to buy more and was debating whether I should buy Gingerbread Poppit 2007 ~ it can be read here: Gingerbread Poppet debate If you don't read it, the gist of it is that I had gotten an imp of 2007 and being She-who-lack-self-control, ended up buying a bottle by the end of the post...*sigh* It is definitly different than 2005. I compared the remainder of the 2005 bottle to the decanted imp of 2007, and they are really similar, the imp is just a wee bit spicier. I then compared my 2005 bottle to Gingerbread Poppet 2007, it is so vastly different! The spices in the 2007 blend are just overwhelming! I have the feeling who ever decanted the imp I got might have mixed the two blends together, or maybe had a sweet vanilla-y scent in the imp and didn't clean it properly...not sure what happened there, but sadly, 2007 just doesn't want to work for me. In the bottle: Smells like ground, dried ginger and pretty much a vanilla sweetened version of Garam Marsala...2005's spices had more of a pumpkin pie spice and creamy-ness; 2007 *in my opinion* smells like someone attempted to bake some cookies with a dash of Garam Marsala, just too spicey and not quite right for gingerbread. On my skin: Still has the Garam Marsala-esque aroma, it has sweetened up somewhat, but my skin has also amped up the scent of nutmeg and clove. The doughy-ness in the blend also seems to develop more to a strong Play-doh *for lack of a better description* smell. Its the same problem I had with Sugar Cookie. In the end, I can vividly imagine a tray covered in colorful cookies made up of Play-doh and Garam Marsala spices, that is a treat I definitly can pass up. I'll go curl up into a ball and weep over wanting to wear my bottle of 2005 but not wanting it to run out...there's actually more than an imp-and-a-half's amount of oil left in there, but STILL!!! *weeps* I'm gonna put my bottle of Gingerbread Poppit 2007 up on FeeBay; however, if anyone happens to have a bottle of 2005, I would definitly be interested in swapping!

I got a full bottle of Sugar Cookie 2004 on Ebay almost 6 months ago and realised I haven't reviewed. In the Bottle: First, I don't even need to open the bottle to smell this, I can smell it as soon as I pick it up. Its really spicey in a nutmeg-y cinnamony cardamomy way and I only get a very, very light hint of sweet vanilla and butter. It also has a strange doughy aroma. Its so many scents at once, it makes my mouth watery...in the bad, bitter watery way. =( On my skin: Ah! Get it off! Smells like cinnamon and nutmeg being burned in buttery Playdoh...topped off by vanilla and badly overcooked/burned caramel. Its really overwhelming! *sniff* I really wanted this to work...Sugary sweet things usually love me. But this is just too spicey and has too much of a dough smell. I seem to be having the same problem with Gingerbread Poppit 2007, 2005 loved me very much and is now almost gone, but 2007 is really spicey and doughy. This will be going on Ebay quite soon or I'm willing to swap if anyone is interested. *sniffles*

Very odd...I got this bottle of Samhain 2006 on eBay late last year and the first time I tried it on, I couldn't stand it! I liked it in the bottle, but as soon as I dabbed it on, waves of patchouli and really strong spices overwhelmed me and I got a horrible headache from it and I couldn't scrub off the scent. For some strange reason, I decided to keep it. I hadn't tried it since, but today I was planning on swapping/selling some of my stash, and I decided to test it out once more to see if this would be in the swap pile. I was really wary cuz I still remember the awful headache I got from it last time, but when I put it on this time, it was a completely different and surprising experience! In the bottle: Light woody-ness, whiff of patchouli, and very light hints of warm apple cider. On my wrist: Instantly much sweeter than in the bottle, in a good way, like candied fruits, spiced apple cider, buttery pumpkin, clove, but the woody-ness is still there. Usually woody scents don't do well on me, especially when mixed with sweet, those usually smell like syrupy sawdust, but this blend just goes so well together on me. The woody-ness and patchouli are there just giving it a nice crisp, briskness...To me the feeling is like drinking warm cider while walking through a woody area on a cool, crisp day...wonderful! I love it! Its just so weird, I have had scents change on me before, but never this drastically! The change is usually from an 'eh...' to 'hmmm', this is the first time I've gone from a 'blech!' to a 'Oh, wow!' lol! I'm so glad I decided to give this one a second chance instead of just putting it on the swap pile... *sob* I really want it to be autumn now!

This stuff is wonderful! I've been using it during autumn and winter, but this also seems fantastic for warmer months. I love it! In the bottle: A very nice blackberry wine, its sweet but also tart. The floral scents of dianthus and lavender are there, but subtle and add to the pleasant tartness. On my wrist: The lavender really woke up, but the blackberry is still present. I can almost get a whiff of honey, I think, but it all blends so nicely together. After a few minutes: Yum...I'm getting a very nice and mouthwatering peachy aroma now ~ peach is one of my favourite fruits ~ its not in the lab's description, but I'm not crazy, I saw at least one other person notice the peach! It also smells very clean, I think that must be the lavender. I've read more than one person describe this scent's colour as pink; I think I will have to disagree. To me, this scent invokes a feeling of the richest and deepest burgundy, the colour of wine and fruits consumed in the midst of a hedonistic Bacchanalia...ah, yes, a may still be a bit crazy! ;P

I got this in a swap, and was really excited from the description...Sadly, this is not one for me: In the bottle: When I opened it, before bringing it up to my nose, I can really point out the sweet figs and honey and a slight tang of pomegranate and grapes. Very lovely; however, I then brought the bottle closer... A blast of spoiled sourness seeps through in such a strong way that I almost gag ~ I've not had much dairy in a long time as I developed an intolerance to lactose in my teen years, but I know the scent of old milk anywhere! Oddly, though, this smell does seem to remind me of my childhood ~ in a good way ~ I have no idea as to why. Weird! On my wrist: I had many reservations about putting this stuff on my skin, but I thought of the many times I was pleasantly surprised when yucky bottled scents turned beautiful aromas on my skin...maybe I should have thought more about the times when the yucky bottled scents turn yuckier on me. Immediately, everything this scent has to offer hits me all at once in a huge wave, both the yucky sourness and the formerly pleasant fruity sweetness. My stomach and the back of my throat start to develop a sort of bitter, acidic taste. When it showed no sign of mellowing down, I rubbed my wrist with the other wrist and my arm, which usually does the trick. Thank God, it worked! Much softer after that and the sweetness is more present, but the sourness is still there in a very lingering sort of way way...not very noticeable at first, as the sweetness encourages a deep sniff, but once you do that, the yuckiness strikes again! Sorry, Milk Moon, its not you, its my body chemistry! May you find love elsewhere! =(

Oh my! This is some wonderful stuff! I loved the soft chocolatey warmth of Velvet and melty, nutty yummyness of Bliss, but this is some fanatastical stuff in a different way! In the bottle: Smells like a mocha cappuccino that's gone cold. A bit strange, I was only slightly skeptical at first, as coffee scents tend to go a bit bitter on me, but I never turn down chocolate! On skin: Its a bit smokey, like the smell of coffee beans, but just a few seconds in, instead of bitterness that I get from most coffee scents, hints of cinnamin and brown sugar start peeking through, and the smoky-ness blends into a deep chocolatey sweetness. A few minutes later: Its still blending together very wonderfully! The scent gets more and more fragrant and rich, but not annoyingly intense as some other do. The way I can explain the growing intensity is that when this is first applied, the hot chocolate is still simmering in a covered pot, its light and fragrant in the background. At this point, it smells like I've been handed a mug of this delicious hot drink and its right in front of my nose. This scent is dead on, this smells totally Mexican hot chocolate, like the stuff my aunt makes for el Dia de los Reyes *yesterday*, which I always love the smell of, but don't much like to drink too much as its really thick and starchy. This way I can have the warm-watering smell without the odd after taste of flour and cornstarch. Lasting Power: I put a bit on midmorning at 10 a.m.-ish, and its past midnight now, and it was still quite noticeable before I slathered some more of it on for the review! I did notice that when I put it on for the review, it was much smokier than it has been before, and it is slightly different with each application, but still wonderful! Its so lovely and cozy, especially as its been cold and rainy the last few days. Yum, cozyness. I'm tempted to layer one wrist with a drop of Sugar Cookie, so I can enjoy the yummy-ness of hot chocolate and cookies with out the calories. I wish I'd bought at least another bottle of this, but I have been bad *my last BPAL order was quite pricey*, I'm supposed to be living on a budget, ha! I love this stuff!

*sigh* I'm debating whether to order a bottle this year...I've got a few more days to do so...I bought 2005, and it was so wonderful! Warm, freshly baked gingerbread with a hint of pumpkin pie *though may just be the similar spices*, mouth-watering! Only problem I had was that it faded so quickly! =( It was like a burst of deliciousness for the first 10-20 minutes, then it would gradually fade away. Darn skin suck up all the spicy sweetness and left just a slight hint of cake, which smells good too, but not what I want. I went through it quite quickly, and had to stop myself before I used it all up, I've only got about 1/4 of 2005 left...need more! Few days ago, I snatched myself an imp of 2007's Gingerbread Poppet, and now I've gone mad! Its like someone's taken out a fresh batch of gingerbread from the oven and is still baking another batch of gingerbread and someone else is making a house made of gingerbread filled with gingerbread men and women. Madly trying to resist the urge of eating my wrist...I'm mad, I tell you! Still reminds me a bit of pumpkin pie...It seems to last quite a bit longer than 2005. I do madly love this scent! And I do need more. And it does last longer...well this debate ended, and I've already checked out on CCnow. lol! So much for self-control!

I love it! Tis one of my favorites now. In the bottle: Chocolately, light but decadent and warm. Its like a big sniff of a spiced hot chocolate right before taking a sip! Wonderful! I don't quite smell cherries; if anything, it smells lightly of cherry-flavoured cough drops or cherry cordial, both of which I don't care much for, but it works here. I smell much more of a cinnamon-y and cardamom spicy sweetness than I do the cherry cordial, very nice. On skin: The hint of cherry cordial has vanished. Now, it smells very strongly of cinnamon candy, like Red Hots. It smells as if I have been munching on Red Hots with a cup of steamy hot cocoa by my side...yummy and warm. After about 10 minutes: Warm cinnamony, chocolate goodness! It makes me feel very cozy and warm. Its like enjoying a hot chocolate without the calories...chocolate...yum! Only problem, same problem I had with Inferno and spicy scents, it stings and itches a bit when I wear it on my neck; not badly enough to deter me from wearing it there again. =D Enraged Groundhog musk is one of my favourites, I just had to swap around for two more bottles! Its so warm and wonderful, and this stuff lasts! I put some on a few nights ago right before bed, and when I woke up, I could still smell it on my wrist.

Usually, I like patchouli with hints of sweetness and woody/earthy scents, but sadly, this one did not work out for me at all. I read someone else's review of Ventriloquist Dummy describing it as 'carmel covered pencil shavings and sawdust'; that's exactly what it smells like to me too..and it stayed true to that description on my wrist for hours...not pleasant! Fortunatly, I got it in a round of bottle swapping, so I'll just have swap it for something new next just I get, and hopefully this Dummy will find a good home. ;P

I work with young kids a lot *ages 6 to 11* and they love it when I wear foody dessert scents, Gingerbread Poppit, Eat me, Gluttony, Enraged groundhog, Bliss... One of my favorite compliments, while wearing Eat Me, was from a little girl who said 'Yum! You smell like a cupcake!' and all the other kids ran up to me and wanted to smell me upclose...cute! And another of my favorites was from my boss while I was wearing Midwinter's Eve 'Wow, it smells like Jolly Ranchers in here!' It always makes me feel like a little girl smelling of cupcakes and candy and warm cookies; its so much fun!

In the bottle: Mmm, yummy and insanely juicy and sweet berry candy. Reminds me of a jolly rancher. Nothing melancholy about this so far. On me: it still smells of juicy berry candy, less of a cherryness. After about 5 minutes, the sweetness is still there, but it develops into a wonderful warm spicy sweet drink. Only way I can describe it is like a spiced apple cider but with a hint of berry *or it could be the spiced plum* still thinking of jolly ranchers... My skin seems to be absorbing the sweetness quite quickly, I hope it doesn't suck it all up because I love this stuff! No melancholy-ness here, definitely reminiscent of childhood Christmas. Its really wonderful!