Aldercy

At first (in the bottle and wet), it's a much sweeter, foodier vanilla than I would have expected. Like vanilla cake and frosting. Very good but kind of generic. As it dries, however, it grows lighter... more sly and sophisticated. The vanilla icing is still there, but the musk and copal go to work making it more ethereal and less edible. I get a little bit of beeswax, but it plays a minor role. There's a tiny speck of spice somewhere in here (kind of mixed into the pale resinous base of the scent?) that's really nice. It's one of those scents that comes off as floral-but-not-floral. It has that delicate feeling to it without actually smelling like flowers. It's very soft, but suggestive and sensual. I haven't smelled Glowing Vulva, but Blossoms is noticeably a cousin to Giant Vulva. Not really close, but in the same family. This is a certain keeper. Understated enough to wear anywhere, but really beautiful and evocative.

Overall, this is a sweet, warm fir. It's very similar to Hexennacht 2008, which is probably my favorite evergreen scent I've ever tried. It also bears a slight resemblance to Black Forest and even Fae Forest Atmo Spray. I get a tiny hint of juniper and minty snow/slush, but they are faint compared to the exquisite, natural fir note. I don't detect any cedar at all (which was the only note I was worried about), nor any herbs. It's clean but earthy. I'm so glad I bought this.

I get mostly autumn leaves with lots of sleepy chamomile and a breath of cool ozone (not sure where that's coming from). The leaves have a strange tart/sweet quality to them, like crumbling yellow maple leaves dusted with sugar. Sadly, this interesting element seems to fade and I'm left with a clean, airy herbal scent that is pleasant, but not very exciting. I don't smell any indication of rose, vanilla or the other floral notes.

Beaver Moon 2011 is exactly what's it's advertised to be, and it's a really inspired combination. The lavender is most apparent at first sniff, but it settles down and plays well with the cheesecake as it dries. It's fluffy, gentle, herbal. A great and unique complement to the cheesecake-- which is flat-out gorgeous. I've never really liked cheesecake as a note, and I'm not super-foody in my perfume tastes, but this is divine. It's understated, not too sweet, with a little bite to it like cream cheese. A hint of warm, milky vanilla. No graham cracker crust or anything to distract from it. All together, it's a really sophisticated and grown up scent with just a hint of bakery to it. Honey is a minor player. This dessert has a faint honey drizzle for presentation's sake, and it doesn't take over at all.

A gentle, floral pine with tart, icy berries. Wintery with a breath of spring. Very fresh and pleasant. Reminds me a little of Elf.

WHATISGOINGONHERE? This is certainly the oddest bath oil I've ever tried. In the bottle, it smells like warm buttery batter with some honey and a dash of nutty, woodsy spice. This stage makes sense. I don't really smell pumpkin, but its presence is felt in the butteriness. Despite being foody, it's not particularly sweet, with a hint of dusky sourness from what may be the beer note. Interesting. Then. I pour some out. What the hell. Cherry candy and flaming brimstone! It's black and red and angry all over. It almost hurts to smell it. Very sharp and smoky and vicious. It morphs again as it settles and heats up in the bath/on my skin. Morphs into banana bread and stays that way. There's no other way to describe it. It's dense, mushy, dark, bready, and full of banana. Despite going back into bakery territory, it's really nothing like the first butter/batter/honey stage. I have no idea what to make of this, but it's certainly an adventure.

This is a lovely scent-- a lot of fuzzy, deep, slightly bitter sage with a bit of clean, pale freshness behind it (not a soapy or floral or generic freshness though). Very nice for hair as it's natural and unassuming and wouldn't overwhelm your perfume choice for the day. Definitely what I was hoping for in that department. I only used two small spritzes of the gloss because I have pretty short hair. I sprayed it into my hand, rubbed, and then carefully worked it through damp, just washed hair. The oil was almost ridiculously silky when I had it on my hands, extremely slick but not thick or greasy-feeling. My hair doesn't feel oily. When I blow-dried it after application it was marvelous-- like being in a cloud of warm scent. I can't really speak to the long-term effects, but my hair feels nice and soft at the moment.

Sonnet d'Automne is the winner so far for me. It's autumn leaves but with vanilla and magic thrown in.

In the bottle, Sonnet d'Automne is all leaves all the time. Dark browning leaves with a bit of dampness to them, but nice. Different from my other autumn leaf scents (Falling Leaf Moon and A Blade of Grass)-- thicker and stranger than either. Once on the skin, it kind of starts to dance around and do crazy things. The mushy sweet leaf note is still there at the base of the scent, but there's also something very light and silky and silvery. Like moonlight. I can see how lookingglass is getting mint from this stage of the scent development because there is a certain something to it that reminds me of the Lab's snow/slush note. It settles down though... I think maybe it's the combination of the musk and white chocolate? It's eerie but kind of mouthwatering at the same time. The amber incense makes an appearance on the drydown and bridges these two extremely different sides of the scent... it's warm, golden, sticky and smoky, but it doesn't overwhelm the other notes. Overall, this is a very pleasant scent. I think it could be interpreted as a more "traditional" perfume from that light fresh musk/white cocoa thing going on, but the other notes produce a really interesting contrast and keep it from going too far in that direction. It's not a warm, spicy autumn scent, but I still think it suggests "Halloween." It's a bit weird and ghostly in a good way. I'll hang on to this one. Understated enough for work, but still really good. ETA 10/2/12: This only gets better and more mellow with age.

I think it was probably me who mentioned "popcorn" in the Miskatonic U review thread. It smells like Jelly Belly Buttered Popcorn jelly beans to me, but that's probably not a normal kind of reaction. It doesn't smell like that in the bottle, just on my skin, so YMMV.

Crypt King has a slightly fizzy feeling to it at first-- like a carbonated pomegranate drink-- but it quickly settles down in that respect. The patchouli begins to come out, and its advanced age is definitely apparent... it’s very thick, mellow, and sensual without the sharp dirty tang that it can sometimes have when really fresh. If it were always so mild and rich I'd probably buy a lot more patchouli scents. I love the juxtaposition of pomegranate/patchouli, and the overall feel of Crypt King reminds me a little of Mme. Moriarty. After patchouli and pomegranate, oakmoss is the strongest note for me. The accompanying coffin (which is lovely) is packed with some fragrant dried oakmoss, so I’ve gotten a much better idea of what it’s like as an individual note. It’s sweetly earthy and musky and a little ominous. I think it’s what really sets the “crypt” mood for this scent. There’s a bit of spice in there as well-- more pepper than anything else, but it's still very subtle. There’s also something that reminds me a bit of cedar though I know that’s not a listed note. I don’t personally smell any dragon’s blood (assuming dracaena is similar or the same as dragon’s blood) or lilac. If anything, there’s just a tiny, almost imperceptible hint of floral cream in there. I don’t even normally like lilac as a note, but if that is the lilac peeking out, it’s unusually nice. While Crypt King is very dry, dusky and serious (though I don’t think it’s set-in-stone masculine or remotely cologney), it’s pretty unassuming. I applied about my normal amount of oil, but it doesn’t have a strong throw. It’s a shy, gentle, almost bookish scent with a drop of sexiness and a slightly larger drop of death. Really masterfully blended. Love it!

Yep, smokey resins (and no lilac, really, except maybe a hint of sweetness on the edges). But it's not a gritty sort of smoke, it's very smooth, almost polished. Like soft waves of liquid resin rather than burning incense. It's mostly frankincense and styrax to me. Even the musk is pretty subdued. It's a little strong, but definitely pleasant.

OMG, this scent. I've had this half decant lying around forever and I've ever sniffed it in the vial without testing, though "Oh, that's kind of nice," and put it away again. But something made me skin test it today and... wow. Chocolate almost never works for me. It turns to plastic or waxy Tootsie Rolls. The only cocoa scent I've really ever liked is Gelt, and I can occasionally like Velvet. But otherwise, they're blegh. Wulric, however, is delicious. The chocoalate does not get weird, it stays true to a dry, bittersweet cocoa, earthy and warm without being too foody. The vanilla is not very apparent, actually, but the other supporting notes are. I am confounded by how good lavender is with cocoa-- they don't seem to go together at all, but the herbal blue astringency of the lavender actually compliments the chocolate perfectly. The clary sage is working the same way. I get just a little bit of vetiver/musk/citus but it provides a nice resinous smoky backdrop for the soft floral chocolate thing going on in the foreground. I love this!

I'm so glad this thread has been resurrected! It's always been one of my favorite places on the forum. That cracked me up, too, especially in comparison to how many there are for Harry himself - and that there were none for Ron until I brought it up a few weeks ago! I was a bit saddened to find there weren't many suggestions for Dumbledore, who is my favorite character. No. 93 Engine is, so far, my favorite blend for him, but I'd love to try more. Anyone have any other ideas for Dumbledore? ETA: I love that Aureus was recommended for him, too, because it's such a sexy scent to me, and I've always said that I would be all over a younger Dumbledore, despite his proclivities. Dumbledore... let's see... I totally agree with No. 93 Engine, Aureus and Odin (this last speaks to his extreme power and his more warlike moments). Ded Moroz (Golden amber, white amber, redwood, teak, rosewood, sage, tree moss and snow) reminds me most distinctly of Dumbledore. To me, it's a warm but distant scent that has a sort of wise, stately sadness to it. It's gentle but solid. Something about it makes me think of silvery robes and golden books. Croquet (Pink lime, pink grapefruit, white nectarine, wild rose, sage, woody patchouli, bergamot and hedgehog musk) brings to mind the silly Dumbledore, the Dumbledore of the early books. The Dumbledore who eats Every Flavor Beans and walks around humming to himself, wearing purple hats and joking about chamberpots and stuff. There's a certain English ridiculousness to that scent, in my mind. P.S. Regarding poor, neglected Ron: I agree with the suggestions of The Lion and A Howl in the Darkness (the description sounds pretty animalistic and dark, but I remember it being "happier" and a little lighter than expected). While the description for The Ring actually sounds really perfect and appropriate, I find that scent so feminine and traditionally "pretty" on me that I have a hard time thinking of it for Ron. Other suggestions: I know it was put forth for Harry, but I really love Tristran for Ron (Dust on your trousers, mud on your boots, and stars in your eyes: redwood, tonka bean, white sandalwood, lemon peel, patchouli, rosewood, coriander, and crushed mint). I haven't actually tested this one, but I just feel like dusty trousers, redwood, tonka, lemon, patchouli and mint all scream Ron. That's the best scent I could think of for him. March Hare and Huesos de Santo also kind of make me think of him-- they're strong, humorous, foody, "orange" scents to me (ever since Snape referred to "[Harry] and his orange friend" in Potter Puppet Pals, I think of Ron as "orange").

I have dark rose blends, red rose blends, white rose blends... but I can't say that I've ever liked any rose scents that struck me as "pink" until now. Hope definitely has a rich velvet pinkness about it, but it's lovely-- not fake or girly or watered-down. There's a raw, white sugar glaze over the rose base that's just gorgeous. The "texture" of the sugar note is really interesting to me-- crystallized and gritty, but a little melty and scorched, too, like it's been briefly blow-torched for creme brulee. Overall, it's a beautiful scent. I love the simplicity of this. You know exactly what you're getting, yet it's not flat or one-dimensional. If you have even a little affection for rose, you've got to try Hope.

I too find that Tattered Lace does fade more quickly than the average scent and has a light throw, but it's not so weak that wearing it isn't worthwhile. I just had to apply more heavily than I normally would. The main body of this scent is definitely a woodsy vanilla coconut. As someone who doesn't care for coconut that much, I think this is something that could please coconut-lovers and non-coconut-lovers alike-- the coconut isn't very strong, and it's not a straightfoward, fruity white coconut note either... it's a light, tempered, smoky-sweet coconut that blends really well with the other notes. The vanilla is a little foody, but not overwhelming or cupcake-batter-y. The frankincense keeps it all grounded, keeps it from getting too gourmand. I also get a bit of sugar-kissed weak tea, but I don't think I'd know it was there if it wasn't listed. The silk note slithers around in the background, just lending some smoothness to the scent's texture-- it does seem related to Black Lace's linen. I don't get any cognac, per se, and the opium is definitely subdued if it's there at all. Every once in awhile I think I get a hint of its sticky blackness, but then it's gone just as fast. It's a very quiet, comforting scent. Maybe even a good bedtime oil. It has a kind of poofy, feathery, marshmallow (I don't actually get marshmallow as a note, but it brings that image to mind) quality about it. It's kind of a blurry scent... like a dream or a watercolor. If I think of it in terms of color, I think of ivory and sepia tones. Not like anything else I have, and I definitely like it well enough to keep it.

I didn't like this at all in the imp-- just smelled like weird chemical smoke-- but it does better things on the skin, which is good because I was really looking forward to Evil. I love opium as a note and this definitely delivers it. A surprising amount of juicy red plum gets through the haze as well. I also gets bits of the green tea (very clear, clean and almost floral against the sticky darkness of the opium) and murky ambergris. Only a hint of-- almost honeyed-- tobacco. It combines into a very rich, deep scent (deeper than any of the other RPGs I've tried-- I was beginning to wonder if they were all deliberately light to make for better layering) with a lot of different scent families combined into one warm, enticing whole. It is not actually particularly wicked-smelling, but it is dark and powerful. I really, really like it.

Elf is a spring-like, refreshing scent-- kind of airy and ghostly but cheery at the same time. I get fuzzy green leaves, cool and dewy pink violet, and genteel musk. It's light, herbal and a little fruity. I also seem to get some notes that are not at all listed: hints of citrus (bergamot? or grapefruit? but not overly tart) and a touch of salty-sweet sea foam. Surprisingly, I don't really get any amber or honey. No pine or evergreen either. I think this would layer really well with a lot of the Classes and Alignments. It's not overwhelming in any way.

Good is aptly named, because it is fantastic. It's not my usual type of scent, but I love it. I actually don't smell a single floral note in the imp or on skin, nor any trace of vanilla. Luckily, nothing goes powdery. I get a lot of honey, but it's an unusually complex honey-- it's both clear/crisp/crystalline and delicately foody/herbal. The musk is positively glittery-- a bit of pale musk, a bit of skin musk, a bit of sparkle. I get some blonde wood notes as well, but not polished, cologney wood... natural, sweetly green, sap-filled wood. Everything's got a dusting of raw sugar over it, but it's somehow still not overly sweet. The overall effect pretty much smells like heaven, which is appropriate. I could definitely layer this and happily make all my characters good. Definite bottle.

Yep, very "white knight" with the soft ivory leather note and bits of ethereal ozoney metal and distant musk. I get no vanilla at all, and only a hint of "dust" from the frankincense. It's extremely light despite a heavy application-- kind of feathery and translucent. It's a shiny, bright, clean scent, but I don't find it boring or overly generic. I think it will probably be better if layered with another RPG or three because it's just so, so light, but it is still a nice scent.

Does anybody else think there's an enormous difference between coconut and black coconut? I love the latter to pieces (Red Lantern, Death Adder, Antonio the Carny Talker... YUM), but am picky about the former and tend to amp it to the point where it's no longer enjoyable. The only "regular" coconut scents I've liked are Black Pearl, Beanman & Beanwoman Prepare to Attack the Vagina and White Rose. The first two were probably just luck and I actually can't smell any coconut in White Rose.

Dark resins, lots of musk, a faint aquatic note and hints of medicinal herbs. It's a slightly odd combination-- the olibanum, myrrh and blue musk form this dry, rich base, but the top notes are thin, cool and bitter. I keep waiting for one layer or the other to ultimately take over, but neither ever does-- one just sort of floats on top of the other. The overall result is like dusty, rather severe incense. A little astringent. Not a warm or comforting scent. It's not exactly what I was expecting, but I don't dislike it.

My favorites were The Ring and Standing Female Nude. Just AMAZING. As for returning scents, I love Red Lantern, Valentine of Rome and Parliament of Foules. It was actually a really good update for me. I never THINK I'm going to be into the Lupers, but I do end up having a high success rate with them.

Indeed, the oil is completely opaque... milky, almost. I've seen dark oils or oils with chocolate sediment, but never something just full of clouds like this. The scent is shockingly weird, at least at first. From all the Will Call and prototype reviews, I was expecting something slinky and instantly, recognizably sexy. But in the bottle and wet on my skin, it's... baby powder? grape? ass? and watery red musk? Whaaa? No one ever mentioned the "South Asian" musk as being a red musk or related to a red musk. As it dries, it does improve. The musk (still... reddish) kind of melts into the sandalwood and frankincense and loses its fake grapey edge. Other notes start to appear, but they're all kind of muddled together, too, and I don't get anything of the tobacco, tonka or juniper. It's resinous and perfumey with lashings of oddly herbal caramel. It's wearable now-- and kind of interesting-- but I'm having a hard time knowing what the hell I think of it. Maybe it needs some time to settle down. I'm really interested to see further reviews of this.

I feel like this must have more elements than vanilla and chamomile! Under the SUPER SWEET herbal vanilla (not at all plasticky, by the way), I feel like there's a citrus note, a white floral note and a kind of spiced ozone note. Lots going on, but it's hard to get a good grasp on it. It's warm, but wispy and magical. Girly and traditional, but with an undercurrent of strangeness to it. I do like this, but I'm not sure it's really my kind of scent.