LunaSea

In the imp and wet on the skin, Oisin is very light and herbal. I quite like it - a nice, fresh scent. I agree that it is both a good summery scent, and would be fabulous to swipe on your favorite guy. However, it is doing the same thing that Ides of March did to me and going rather powdery. I need to figure out which herb is doing this on my skin, as it is becoming quite frustrating!!

... It doesn’t matter where your faith lies, Beltane is sacred to us simply because we’re human. It is a celebration of new growth, rebirth, of the fertility of our land, our spirits and our bodies, and is a reminder of the joy in simply being alive. Celebrate life! Wind some flowers into your hair, dab a little oil behind each ear, toss the first petals of springtime onto your yard, and bless your garden the old fashioned way! Beltane is heaven. It is definitely spring in a bottle. It is lovely flowers and greens. Wet on the skin, I get a touch of sweetness, and a little bit of spice. But mostly this beautiful combination of green grasses and flowers. Fresh and sweet and floral. Wonderful. But, my damn chemistry turns this to powder within just a few minutes. I am seriously heartbroken. I can't bear to part with my bottle, because it is the perfect embodiment of spring. I will try it as a room scent, and I swear I am getting a scent locket!

I received a generous gift in the mail yesterday which included an imp's worth of Midway. Yes, there was much squee-ing! So, thanks to my BPAL Fairy Godmother! Midway is so many different scents at once - like all the yummy foody scents from the carnival wafting at you, changing with the breeze. It is buttery, salty popcorn and rich fried dough. It is almost too heavy and rich for me to use as a summer scent when I'd like to wear something light and cooling. It really makes me imagine standing on that midway in the heat of August, all those wonderful smells fighting for my attention! My favorite part of Midway is the drydown after 3-4 hours, when it becomes this wonderful cotton candy/marshmallow smell. Sweet, and lighter than the rich dough scent. I get occasional hints of this earler, but it doesn't really come out for me until later, as the other notes are stronger at first. I do have to add that there is one minor disappointment in Midway. For the first half hour or so, when the scent is wet and fresh, I do get a slight hint of that plastic/band aid note that I got out of Egg Nog and Sugar Cookie, although nowhere near as strong. It isn't part of the throw at all, but I get a whiff of it when I smell my skin where I applied the oil. I was nervous that it would dominate the scent and make it not work for me, but that isn't the case at all, and after an hour or so it is gone. But I did want to mention it for those of you who had the same reaction to Egg Nog and Sugar Cookie. (Please don't throw stones, I really do love this scent!) I will definitely be ordering a bottle of this on the first of June!

I have a lot of trouble sleeping sometimes, so I was very pleased to be able to try Quietude. The scent doesn't really morph at all for me - it is lavender, lime, and I get a hint of anise out of it as well. Very lovely, especially since the lavender isn't sharp as some other reviewers have also noted. It's a very refreshing blend, as well as being calming, which I think is a great combination. The refreshing aspect helps me let go of the stresses and that feeling of being wiped out, which in turn helps me calm down to sleep. From the scent, I can tell it is a therapeutic blend, not just a "pretty smelly," but it has the benefit of being very pretty to boot! It is a very strong blend - a little dab'll do ya! I think I went a bit overboard with it, and I am really not a slatherer. I put just a bit on my wrists, temples, and hollow of my throat. It tingled my nose, and I had to hide my wrists under the blankets!! But it definitely helped me sleep - I slept very soundly. And I can still smell whiffs of it occasionally this morning - not sure if it's on my sleeve or skin. I will definitely be ordering a bottle of Quietude!

I was gifted a shortie of Tum a while back (you know who you are - thanks!) and for some reason haven't tried it until today. It is really an amazing scent! In the bottle, Tum is very fruity and sweet. A lucious grape scent. But as soon as it hits my skin, the grape fades and a spicy note comes out. I mostly smell cinnamon. Still very yummy! It makes me think of those cinnamon toothpics we all made in grade school, circa 1977. Then, Tum goes through this very brief sour stage - only for a minute or so, but it almost made me wash it off. All this is within just a few minutes of application. But then, the sourness is gone, and that incense note comes out. I have no idea what it is, but it reminds me of a friend's house which always smells of this. I need to find out what incense she burns! After all this initial morphing, Tum is this wonderful combination of sweet, spicy, and incense. It isn't something that I would typically think of as a "me" scent, but I really like it! Throughout the day, I kept getting lovely whiffs of sweet fruit, cinnamon, and incense alternately. And the staying power is incredible. 8 hours later, Tum is still here. Overall, not one I would have chosen for myself, but a scent I really like!

I had hopes that the Ides of March would be that green, fresh, spring scent I was looking for. And in the bottle, it is! Very lovely fresh, herbal, green. Nice. But this blend has that component that turns to powder on me within just a few minutes. (I really need to figure out what it is!) I hope I can find a good home for this bottle. I really wanted to love it!

Oh, Pele - I am not sure what to make of you! In the vial and wet on my skin, I was sure I'd found the perfect summer scent. It is fresh, lightly floral, tropical, clean (a touch soapy, but not in a negative way. Just clean smelling!) Absolutely beautiful - I was in heaven. But I am another one whose skin seems to eat this scent right up. I re-applied, putting the oil in the hollow of my throat, behind the ears, elbows, I even ran the tips of my fingers through my hair, although there wasn't much left on my fingers by then. And after only about an hour I can bury my nose in the crook of my elbow and hardly smell a thing. Did I apply too much and numb my nose, or is the scent gone? I think I will try mixing some Pele in lotion and see if that helps the scent last, because it is truly a perfect scent for summer, if only I can convince her to stick around! ETA: with regard to the Mystery of the Disappearing Scent, after taking my daughter out to dinner, then returning home and going to sort laundry - Pele was back! This was some 4+ hours after I couldn't smell anything, and without any reapplication. So, verdict is that my nose was overloaded. As an added bonus, that night when I showed my hubby some flowers I had planted earlier that day, he said, "And they smell nice too." I said, "I don't think they have any scent - maybe it's me." It was me.

I have struggled with what to say about Pink Moon, because it has been hard for me to nail down a concrete description. To me, it is like a pink candy version of Sugar Skull - sweet but without so much bite. A bit of floral and berry, but not in a bash-you-over-the-head sort of way. I don't find it as overly sweet or cloying as some, but then again, I am all about the sweet scents! It stays fairly true on my skin, but after a few hours most of the sweet sugary part is gone and I'm left with a faint herbal scent, but it isn't just a strong note from the usual lunar notes. It is softer, muskier? Maybe the incense note others have mentioned. I am really going to enjoy wearing this, especially on warmer days when I think Sugar Skull would be too rich, but I want a yummy, comfort scent.

My first thought upon applying Dorian was, "Why the HELL did I wait so long to order this?!" When my imp arrived, I sniffed it and was rather disappointed, because it is rather sharp smelling in the vial to me. But as soon as I apply it to my skin, it becomes a lovely sweet scent of sugar and tea and vanilla. There is a faint hint of lemon behind it, but that only comes out occasionally. And while it is sweet, it is also a light scent - it seems so perfect for a summer afternoon. I have images of refined Victorian ladies and gentlemen playing lawn tennis and sipping tea in their crisp, white linen outfits. Upon drydown, maybe after an hour, I detected a note that I could only name as tobacco. I guess it must be the fougere. And the musks had also come out a bit. The tobacco-ey note doesn't stick around long, which made me happy because while it wasn't unpleasant, it wasn't quite what I wanted to smell like. Now after a few hours, there isn't much throw left, but when I sniff my wrist I can still smell that lovely vanilla, and some of the musk. Dorian definitely lives up to the hype of being fabulous, although I have to agree with Electra that it isn't quite sex on a stick for me either. But I can't WAIT to put some of this on the hubby - I may change my mind about my previous statement!

I'm so happy that my imp of Amsterdam arrived yesterday - my search for the perfect springtime scent is over! In the imp and wet on the skin, I mostly smell the green-ness of the grasses, with a hint of the flowers behind it. As it dries, the floral notes come out, and they are lovely sweet florals - not powdery or heavy at all. After about half an hour, the green grass has faded to the background and the aquatics have come out, and I can still smell the lovely, sweet flowers. I didn't apply too heavily, so after only about 2 hours it is mostly gone. But I am absolutely in love with Amsterdam! I only wish I had bought more than an imp! Big bottle for sure.

I'm kind of disappointed to be in the minority on this one. In the bottle it smells sweet and boozy - good sign! Plus, I like clove and musk seems to like me, so things were looking good. Wet on the skin, the clove starts to come out, with something else - the tobacco flower? Something I couldn't name. However, within just a few minutes it started to turn powdery. But not just straight powder, this floral powder that reminds me of a (rose?) dusting powder my grandmother used to have. And under that, a bit of clove. I think I am just destined to not wear anything with rose in it. Sigh. But I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to try it!

Roadhouse was a gift imp I received in a swap several months ago that I didn't pay much (ok, any) attention to, so it has been sitting in my "to try" pile for a while. A few weeks ago I was searching for a good spring scent and saw this imp. I thought - hmm, wonder what that smells like. When I opened it, I could smell the dandelion - mmm, green and fresh! Spring! I applied it lightly and the other notes came out. The hops? I'm not sure. Maybe the hemp? I have dabbed this one a few times since, being a bit nervous about smelling like a beer. I enjoy the occasional weiss, but to be honest I'd rather have a fruity drink. Well, today I dove in and gave Roadhouse a real application and I am quite pleased. I do smell the hops, but it doesn't make me feel like a beer has been spilled on me. It's actually a nice, green, spring-y scent. After a few hours, it has faded to where I only occasionally get a small whiff of the hops. I wish the dandelion had hung around longer, but for the most part it is a good scent for spring. Makes me want to sit out on a patio and enjoy the sun and fresh spring smells! (And maybe even a nice beer!)

A CnS email comes from the US Postal Service, from the address: USPS_Shipping_Services@usps.com The email subject will read: Click-N-Ship Notification Hope that helps! I don't even LOOK at CCNow after I've placed my order. It won't tell you anything about the actual shipping of your package. Best place to watch is the CnS and I got my order threads, and your inbox. Hope your lovelies arrive soon!

Juke Joint: In the bottle, I can smell the booze and the mint, but I wonder if that's because I know those notes are in there - it's very well blended, so no single note pops out. Wet on skin it is the same, but as it starts to dry I pick up something - musty is the word that dcomes to mind, but not in a negative way. I started to worry - oh, no - what if Beth slipped a bit of smoke in here, because smoke and I don't get along. I contemplated washing it off, but told myself to not be so hasty and give it a chance. I was glad I made that decision, because the longer I wore it, the more I liked it. It really started to grow on me. It has this herbal feel to it - that "green-ness". On the top it is this thick, rich, musty (not in a bad way, I can't think of a better word) scent, and behind that is this fresh, sharpness. 3 hours after application, I've decided the "musty" smell is actually a powdery smell, but it wasn't slapping me in the face making me say "damn, it's gone to powder." It was actually quite nice. But, now, damn, it's gone to powder. And four hours later, it's all gone. I was really grooving on this scent, so I'm sad it's worked out that way. I will definitely give it a few more goes before sending it on, hoping my chemistry will decide to play nicely with it like it did at first.

Curiouser and curiouser. Milk and honey with rose, carnation and bergamot. Alice is a scent I have been very excited to try. In the bottle it smells lovely - mostly of the milk and honey, but the carnation comes out too. When I put it on my skin, I get a bit of a spicy scent out of it! Unfortunately, it turned to powder on me within just a few minutes. Maybe rose doesn't like my skin either. Sigh. I think this imp is destined for the swap pile.

I have been dying to try Dana O'Shee for a while now, and I was thrilled to find the lab included an imp of this in the order I received today! Now I don't have to wait for the imp I have coming in my next order! In the bottle, the first sniff reminds me of Snow White - I can see why people have made the comparison. Sweet and light, a bit nutty. It is a creamy, milky sweet as opposed to a fruity one. On my skin, it stays true. A sweet, milky fragrance, with a touch of something I can't name. Warm, but not heavy. Makes me feel girly and think of spring! It seemed to last well, not a strong scent, but still there when I sniff. And I am sniffing a lot! I reapplied and smell a bit more of an almondy note. Overall, this is a beautiful scent, and I am definitely getting a 5ml with my next order. Dana O'Shee lives up to her reputation - gorgeous!!

Skadi - I am another who passed on ordering this one since I ordered Ice Queen and wasn't sure about pine. But, luckily, I was able to buy a partial bottle from a generous forum member. And I am so happy I got the chance! In the bottle, all I smelled was pine at first. So much so, that I opened the bottle, sniffed, then decided to wear something else for 3 days in a row. Finally, I took the plunge and put some on. On my skin, the pine is still there, but faintly underneath I smell something warmer. After 10-15 minutes, the pine fades and the other fruity notes come out - the berries! (Again, I don't read reviews until I've written mine so as to be unbiased. At the time, I just thought fruit, but now know it was the berry notes.) Wow - it is really lovely! This scent lasted many hours on me - all afternoon and up to bedtime. By the end of the day, the berries had faded and I was left with a faint breath of pine. But it really is a natural, fresh pine, not some overly strong chemical imitation. Feels like being outdoors. I never really got much of the coldness out of the scent as some others have, but the berries make me a happy woman!

Cold Moon - in the bottle, I smell the lunar oils, with a lovely sweetness! Swoon! On my skin, the sweetness is what I smell first, but then I get a cool tingle in my nose like when you smell mint. But it isn't mint - it's just... cold! It's a very subtle and lovely scent, but with a wonderful cold tingle. After a few minutes, the tingle fades and the scent warms up a bit to have a sweetness. It's familiar, but I can't place it. Peach? Fruit of some kind. Very lovely. After about 2 hours of wearing, the scent has faded and become more floral, and just a touch powdery, but I'm hoping that's just because my body chem is temporarily out of whack. Overall, a beautiful scent! Cold Moon indeed!

I realized last night that I hadn't written a review for Kabuki yet. And as it is one of my absolute favorites, that is just wrong. This was one of the first imps I ordered, and I am another one who doesn't like to read reviews until I've sniffed, so by the time it arrived I didn't remember the notes. But even my newbie nose could pull out the two main notes of this one - cherry and anise (yeah! that's why I ordered it! Oh, and my love of all things Japanese.) In the bottle, cherry comes out first. But in the bottle, on my skin, and many hours later this one stays true. Beautiful sweet cherry and yummy anise. And being Italian, smelling like anise is a wonderful thing indeed. Now, I absolutely HATE black liquorice. Disgusting stuff. But genuine anise is lovely, and that's the anise in Kabuki. Pure anise oil. Mmmmm. Reminds me of many years of pizzelle baking, or watching grandma or mom make them. And Kabuki is definitely sexy - the first night I tried it, I was sniffing my new batch of imps and had my hubby sniff O, which I said smelled like sex. When I opened Kabuki and sniffed, I had to put some on and said "Now, THIS is sex oil!" He practically gnawed off the presented wrist! My 5ml is on the way, and I'm wondering why I didn't go for the big bottle!

This is one of the first imps I ordered. In the bottle, Titania is fruity and luscious with a hint of something fresh. On my skin, it is the same - just lovely. I can't put a name to any note. It is sweet, but not cloyingly so, because there is a soft edge to it from the florals. It is beautifully blended. 10 -15 minutes later, the scent softens and the florals balance out the fruits beautifully. This scent makes me think of spring, and it is very strange to be smelling this and looking out the window at all of the snow! This scent has lasted well through the day. It developed into something nicely fruity with that floral edge to it. I am not rushing out to get a bottle just yet, as I am not absolutely swooning over it. But I really enjoy it and will wear it again.

Frost Moon in the bottle is a lovely mint - cool and soft, with a bit of a herbal tone to it. On my skin, it is minty and a bit sweet, but chilly. It is definitely the smell of frost. The mint notes aren't gum or candy mint - it is a soft, cool mint that isn't too sharp. Very lovely. However, both times I have tried this one, after only 5-10 minutes, the mint is completely gone and I am left with the herbals and that bit of a soapy smell. I am really not sure about this one. I really like it at first, but once the mint is gone, it just isn't my favorite. I think Blue Moon is a better choice for me.

Neo-Tokyo was one of my imp-pack selections in my very first order. In the bottle, it smells wonderfully fresh and crisp. And citrus? On the skin, still fresh, but with a faint sweetness underneath. And green. I can't really put a name to any note, as they are all blending so beautifully. After a few minutes, the sharper notes (ozone?) come out and make this very fresh and clean. I remembered reading recommendations for this one as an after-shower scent, so I am wearing it after a shower and have to concur. But, the sweet notes are also coming out, trading places with the sharp, crisp notes. I smell one, then the other. Later, oh no... powder. I am heartbroken! I am not going to give up on this yet - I'll give it a few more tries. But, damn. I am another one in love with Tokyo, and this was so lovely before my skin chemistry decided to mess with it.

I try to avoid the reviews of scents until after I've tried them so my mind won't be influenced by others' comparisons. That said, the first thing I noted about Sugar Cookie was that it smelled more like a snickerdoodle to me than a straight up sugar cookie - spicyness versus plain sweet. In the bottle and fresh on the skin were the same - that spicyness that overrides the sweet buttery scent I expected. A hint of cinnamon - that must be the Devil's influence! And a faint warming of the skin as well. After a few minutes, I am starting to get that faint band aid thing I got from Egg Nog. Maybe nutmeg hates my skin? Overall, I get a pleasant aura from Sugar Cookie, but when I put my nose to it I get the band aid thing. Again, not completely or enough to make me wash it off. Just mingled in with the yummy elements. And since this one is also mostly spicy on me, I prefer Gingerbread Poppet for that effect. This one will probably find a new home.

A majestic blend of precious pale musks, brittle winter blossoms, spruce, and frozen winter fruits. Oh my God - Ice Queen is the love affair I expected to have with Snow White. I don't really have structured notes on this scent, because from first sniff I have been smitten and had trouble picking out a specific note - they all just go together beautifully! I got the cold, fresh, minty (ok - there's a note) scent from the start, and the Queen stays true to herself on my skin. After reading the other reviews, I can say - yes, the spruce is there, but lightly in the background keeping the scent fresh. And fruits, because I am noticing the sweet (but not cloyingly sweet) scents are the ones making me swoon lately. The only thing I can say is, this is winter perfection. I have been wearing this one almost non-stop. Beth, I worship at your feet!

Time to catch up on my reviews. In the bottle, I only get a soft floral out of Queen of Diamonds. Not at all what I expected. Is my newbie nose unable to detect the grapefruit and mandarine? On the skin, still soft floral, with maybe a hint of fruit after a few minutes. But sweet, juicy fruits that don't say "citrus" to me. The overall scent reminds me of something I can't place - it must be the floral notes. As this one develops, I really start to love the fruity undertones, but the floral is getting in my way. I like some florals, but I want to sweep this one aside so I can breathe in the yummy fruit! Not that it's an unpleasant floral, but I prefer the fruit in this one. Even later that fruit is gone, and now it's the soft floral. Still lovely, but not stealing my heart. I'd rather the Queen live with someone who worships her as she deserves. Final verdict - this one is heading off to its new home today.