tinyvulture

So much TONKA! And vanilla, and a bridal bouquet of other floral notes that make faint impressions, because it's a tonka party up in here! After a few minutes, there's something antiseptic. As in cleaning products. Nope, not this one.

I like how the description almost makes Adam sound like a hoarder. A sexy, sexy hoarder. His scent, at first, is fully enveloping black leather. That's it. It takes about ten minutes for the leather to calm down. The I get tiny hints of the Victorian fougere, the sandalwood. But mostly it's a rich, buttery leather. So warm and rich, I would almost call it chocolaty. That's got to be the ambergris at work. This is so good. And sexy.

"Lake St. Clair" in the description reminds me of the two teenage years I spent in Grosse Pointe, a snotty well-to-do Detroit suburb. We lived blocks from the lake. So this scent description makes me think of yacht clubs, country clubs, and kids who got BMW's on their 16th birthdays. Fortunately, the scent itself is awesome. I usually can't do aquatics, but this one has a rebellious bite to it that I love. Is it the embodiment of the resentment between the haves/have-nots? I also think I smell wildflowers, bringing to mind ancient history, and the fact that the plants and water lived here long before the rich kids, and hopefully long after. Untamed nature.

Amazing warm incense blend with rich, sweet resins. There's that "cola" scent I often get from frankincense. And, liquidambar? I had to look it up. Now I want liquidambar single note. This blend brings to mind religious rites past in the mint-green-domed abandoned churches of Detroit, with sludgy incense resins built up decade after decade. Must have more.

(It doesn't smell like funnel cakes. Just getting that out of the way.) Wild, jungle patchouli! You don't wanna mess with this patchouli. Is red vegetal musk different from regular red musk? I vote no, because I smell red musk. I know the smell of coriander but I'm missing it here. Cardamom is present, though. Vetiver, no. Leather, yes. Nice overall, but it's got a lot going on. Too much of a good thing for me, maybe. Ends up being mostly leather and patchouli, but I prefer Adam's buttery sexy leather.

I love ambergris accord, there's nothing like it. Sweet, warm, with a woodsiness/graininess that's enhanced here by the guiac wood and benzoin. Such a lovely resinous blend, similar to In Templum Dei. ITD wins out only for reasons of personal nostalgia.

Florals, mostly rose. Stuffy florals...stuffy, like a vase of flowers in a warm, poorly ventilated library. With the chemical tang of...laudanum? Mercury ointment? I don't know what those smell like. Pass on this one.

Tea notes - strong black tea and lemony bergamot - combine intriguingly with woodsy peru balsam. No vanilla or patchouli for me. The lemon is so strong and it really starts to take over. I'll have to stick with a tea blend that's lighter on the citrus.

At first, I get almond extract and lavender. As it dries, the honey-sweetened nougat comes forward, but there's still sharp lavender note. Finally, when dry, it's nougat with a much softer lavender. I love this unique combination of foody and herbal notes. Not picking up thyme, but that's ok.

Spicy, buttery cake with lots of orange zest, and tons of RUM! Think a boozy Huesos de Santo. It's been awhile since I tried Butter Rum Cookie but, for comparison, I'd say this is heavier on the orange zest, lighter on the almond (as in, I don't smell any), and about equal in terms of being extremely boozy! Although, after a few minutes, the rum does die down considerably. I'm left with a sweet, buttery, festive foody scent. This scent does not last long at all...that's the only drawback.

On me, this perfume is dried rose petals and red wine, smoothed out by sweet beeswax. I'm not noticing the frankincense. I just adore the beeswax -- it makes this blend special. I wish it was a bit stronger; it's one of those scents that stays very close to the skin. A grown up, womanly scent -- there's a quiet seductiveness to it.

Dry rose, a little soapy and powdery, with sweet resins. Well, I guess according to the scent description, there are resins, and then there is sweet honey. But I'm not getting a distinct honey note. Just general sweetness. Which is a bummer, because I love honey. A soft, pretty, understated rose scent, but does not really stand out for me.

OMG, this story is heartbreaking. Was expecting something beautifully sad, but instead I got pickles? No idea what that could be. After a minute, it dies down, and the rose is there. But something salty/sour remains, confusing my nose. Will have to pass.

I'm loving this combination of sweet benzoin, patchouli, and soft rose notes. Perfect for my hippie/resinous blend-loving ways. Ahh, I love benzoin and patchouli together, so much! The rose keeps it from being totally "head shop" and brings it into feminine, romantic territory. I received a sniffie and now I'll have to seek out more.

Strong spicy chai tea, with a good amount of fruity pumpkin. I love how the pumpkin is present without being overwhelming. It really does have that distinct full-bodied red rooibos scent. I'm getting hints of cardamom and licorice, and sweetness from the jaggery. I just really love it! Although I'm reviewing it in May, it instantly takes me to chilly fall evenings.

I get mostly woods. Very dry, parched. I've always loved Carfax Abbey as my go-to "haunted house" scent. This isn't as rich, or as strong. Haunted Houses is subtle, soft. Ghostly...yes, maybe. Very soft musks, feminine somehow. Gentle ghosts, not posing a threat.

As LiberAmoris said, a very retro and glam floral blend. Like something worn by a super cool and mysterious woman from another era. The roses and orchid are bold and strong, and the patchouli and frankincense bring a sexy hippie vibe. But I agree with Magycmyste, there's some unnameable note that's sharp, astringent, like cleaning products. The cistus or styrax, maybe...I'm not too familiar with them. Takes away from an overall pleasant perfume.

Strong pine and juniper notes put Ranger in the same family as my beloved Black Forest (reminiscent of The Illustrated Woman, as well!) Though quite similar, Ranger's not as sharp/crisp. More smooth and mellow, and I am loving all the various woods. The buckskin accord translates as an earthy, raw leather note that's not super strong, but really nice when it pops up from time to time. I am just getting around to trying all these RPG scents and love them all so far!

This is the first Courtesan blend I've had the chance to try. My goodness! Heavenly. A rich, heady cloud of warm vanilla (like a bolder Antique Lace), enhanced with breaths of orris (think Black Pearl) and gentle saffron. The perfect balance of sophisticated and sexy. I appreciate how strong it is. Immediately adding to my "bottle wanted" list. I will have to try them all now. That's how it goes.

A green tea blend, like Diversions in the Chashitsu. While Diversions combines tea and apple blossom, K&S is almost a green tea single note. Lemony, bright, fresh. I'm not even getting the slightest kiss of tobacco here, and I'm not sure what agarwood adds, but I wouldn't call this a woodsy blend. I am waiting to see if the other notes come out...nope. Pure green tea! I prefer the tea and floral combo of Shanghai.

The benzoin and tobacco make this a surprisingly tough, bold blend. Nothing courtly or demure about it! It's almost like a masculine cologne. I really like it; for some odd reason it makes me think of what a stylish Italian gentleman would wear. Others get lots of bergamot, but there's nothing about it that screams Earl Grey to me. Just a very light, vague citrus that brightens things up. Mainly tobacco and benzoin notes.

Opium and smoke, dark and lovely. Reminds me of Night Hag, which I love, although they only note they share is smoke. I get a flash of sweet vanilla, then it's gone. Not finding the clove or cognac. Oh no, it's fading so fast...much too short-lived, this one.

As a lover of Blake I was excited for this one, and it does not disappoint. Lush, vibrant red rose (to me, like Rose Red) and dark, earthy vetiver are the only notes I'm getting, and what a dramatic pair they are. I can't really put into words how well it captures the poem. Life and death. My favorite rose blend of this year's Lupers.

My first impression is peach and...weed? I guess it's just the lab's peach note -- very earthy! Red musk often amps on me, but it's barely noticeable here, so I get to appreciate the peach, cherry blossom, lilac, and sandalwood. All the notes are easy to pick out -- it's nicely balanced. (Oh, and after 30 seconds, it doesn't smell like weed at all. That was weird.) Elephant dries down as a blend of lush fruit, pretty florals, and gorgeous sultry amber and warm copal. Coy and flirtatious, cheery and lovely, no shrinking violet either. Considering a bottle.

Chapapote translates as asphalt, but I'm smelling a strong vetiver note, with cocoa powder and perhaps patchouli. I'm excited for the copal, honey, and corn to make their presence known. A few minutes later...well, the copal is here, along with the clean, fresh cotton blossom. Sadness over the lack of honey and corn, but it's still a nice blend thanks to the copal and patchouli, fave notes of mine. Don't think I need a bottle since it doesn't really stand out, somehow.