The_Witching_Hour

I have to admit this is probably the only amber variety that doesn't turn blends from the Lab that contain "amber" when they hit my skin into "instant baby powder". A little bit of sweet, most certainly mellow, very smooth...it's absolutely dead-on and beautiful! As Invidiana posted above, it takes on an exotically warm and musky quality that is downright addictive. She was also spot on with the inclusion of sensuous amber with nuances of Egyptian musk, caramel, benzoin, vanilla, incense and (very little) smoke. For a single note, this is clean yet complex. Its a wonderful addition to blends you love that could use a bit of seductive interest. This is a MUST HAVE.

CAT ALLINGHAM Catherine Allingham, the world's greatest detective, has been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor and given six months to live. But she refuses to go quietly. She's determined to first unravel the greatest mystery of all--what happens to us when we die? Cat and her brawny assistant, James Doyle, chase the secret of the afterlife around the globe in this fast-paced graphic novel! Distilled shadows, a bleak desert landscape at midnight: Myroswelia balsam, gaïac wood, obsidian musk, green cumin, patchouli, myrrh, Siamese benzoin, frankincense, champaca, and sand. This really is a well blended oil to start off with. So much so I'm having difficulty picking out notes from the bottle and upon initial application. I don't know why or where I get a feel of incense in this but it reminds me a lot of Capela Dos Ossos shortly after initial application. I think I’m picking up on the "sand" note from both blends and kind of jumbling them in my mind. After about 20 minutes the cumin, patchouli and champaca really start to sing! This is one complex scent that keeps changing every 10-15 minutes. Given the scent description alone (above) about Cat Allingham, this is starting to make sense to me as this fragrance continues to morph. After 3 hours of constant and beautiful change, I’m left with a combination of musk, light balsam (almost vanilla/creamy in "feel"), frankincense and a hint of "shifting sand". This is so evocative of a dark, changing desert landscape at night. It wears very close to the skin and it's quite a beauty! I feel as if I've been transported on a journey to Egypt with this one! For its continually changing qualities when worn.....a perfect scent for a Gemini or anyone that wants to change fragrances every few hours because this one will change itself for you.

This really was a surprise hit for me as blends I've tried that include this note have been a combination of either 1) OMG -how pretty! 2) Hmmmm....interesting. I'm not sure what's making this not work for me 3) NO WAY. This just isn't for me. So, in summary I think I'm safe to say that Oak Moss was never a deal breaker in notes for me when I originally thought it was. Its pretty by itself- very comforting and similar to what I remember when walking through the trees of the Deep South (Louisiana) and taking a moment to just inhale my surroundings. I truly love it for its evocative statement and wish I had just a bit more to enjoy!

Bolded mine above because I've put this much thought into this (x3) as we've moved my collection 3 times across 10 states. By checking your suitcase on the journey from CA to HI, you are controlling the consistency of your collection in the best way you can. Plus, you'll have plenty of time to wrap your bottles the way you want them on the road trip from PA to CA. Excellent idea and what I would have done in your case, as well from past experience. BRAVO!

Just a tiny voice of reason: USPS (your post office) uses the "aircraft people that handle your baggage" as a way to get your mail flown to destinations. I worked for Continental Airlines for 10 years and we always held the contract for USPS in that time - mostly because we were the cheapest bidder on the contract, resulting from the bankruptcies we went through in the 90's and...........government contracts are ALWAYS awarded to the cheapest bidder. So, you won't see your parcels thrown around on the tarmac at the same time your baggage is loaded into the plane but these same employees are the ones responsible for loading the containers and bins of USPS parcels. I agree with Molls that you should use double packaging - placing your bubble wrapped bottles within a plastic container to secure them. DH and I have moved all over the US with my collection in the last 6 years and if you can send your collection in pieces to someone in Hilo, that's the optimum solution. Nothing of mine has been broken this way. If you package them in a suitcase, how do you plan on shipping them?

Correct in the mix of amber 10ml bottles in the mix! All the 10mls I ordered before they were discontinued (I love that the Lab gives us notice on this stuff in advance so I could order all my last minute 10ml "must haves") in August came to me in amber bottles. I have a fair mix of both amber and cobalt 10mls.

This is one blend I should have purchased a bottle of instead of just a decant. The mention of clove scared me off originally because I tend to amp clove until I'm convinced I'm wearing nothing BUT clove. BUT......... This is absolutely gorgeous! From start to dry down there isn't a stage that disappoints me in the least. I'm compelled to compare this to Marianne from Carnaval Diabolique. Remarkably, a lot of the notes are similar but replace mimosa with clove and you have Mircalla - so if you missed Marianne before she was discontinued and lost out.......this is as close as you can get! I'm guessing clove keeps red musk in line for me. In the past, most of the blends released that have had red musk in them have a tendency to have a 'candy' feel. This is perfectly balanced. Just as Femme_Fatale wrote earlier....I have to agree with her that this one just gets better and better and I keep going back to my arm where I applied it for another huff.

OMG – this is Doc Buzzard's younger brother (he has to be younger, right?? I mean he never ages as he's a VAMPIRE!) kept alive as the suave undead, roaming the Earth forever. He's classy, sexy, smooth, wears expensive cologne and the hint of blood tells you he might be "dangerous". Where Doc Buzzard has sassafras in the dry down, Sacrifice's dry down on me is woodsmoke. Reminds me that he's been around enough to heat up my blood…… after all, where there is smoke there's fire! Don't let your mother warn you away from this man. Seriously multiple bottle-worthy. I finally have a new scent to love as much as Doc Buzzard and for many niche reasons to love him.

(no scent description given) The Ghosts of the Arroyo Seco Bridge - This is hauntingly beautiful. It is ethereal; evoking images of fallen wisteria petals slowly decaying on the banks of the river. A subtle aquatic, a slightly "green" beginning with warm floral overtones - the body of this fragrance is wisteria. The other notes are just nuances that disappear as the fragrance wears down to a dry stage.

(no scent description given) B340 - This scent reminds me of violet candies, absinthe, dried crackling rose petals (not straight up rose or I couldn't wear it), scented dusting powder of the era, lipstick tubes from days gone by, boutonniere waiting to be pinned.... The final resting point on this one is violet candies, complete with the powdery film they have on them in the tin. It really does give me imagery of a 1940's dressing room where the woman is getting ready for a night out while her partner waits in the sitting area sipping an absinthe martini.

(no scent description given) The Sailing Stones of Death Valley - One beautifully blended scent! It's the perfect combination of greenery found in the desert (desert melon, prickly pear cactus, bristle cone pine) and hot, but not scorching earth. A little incense and resin ground this one and keep it from going aquatic. Reminiscent of 51 in the beginning but with SO much more interest when the elements of 'heat' introduce themselves. If 51 was too aquatic for you - this is what you're looking for as the 'heat' isn't scorching but more of what you might consider a "healing heat" (sauna, heating stones for therapy). A perfect embodiment of California, New Mexico and Arizona - which are places I would rest my head on at any given moment. Very well rounded and a true beauty!!!

WOW. This one is hard to piece together and uber-faceted, to boot. It starts out with a sunflower vibe. If you've smelled the Salon release of "Sunflower", its similar but thankfully lacks the punch in the face of SUNFLOWER.....I'M HERE!! Its just a golden feel, a mix of sandalwood and a dash of myrrh. Then the stage opens up to what smells like smoking sage. Very cool! How does she do this??? Its a smoldering sensation without the smoke or fire (Priala- I'm looking at you and can't wear you because of that), warm without being hot (I can't wear most cinnamon and cassia blends, either) and finally dries down to a golden herb smell with the smoldering still lingering. Very wearable, very evocative.

Tramp totally nailed this review *spot on*! It does remind me of some of my favorites but yet its like nothing I've had the privilege of huffing and/or owning. There's a melon aspect that comes to surface in the beginning but it doesn't "own" it. Just enough to give it a fresh vibe and lead into the stage of "gingered lily" that I so much adore in this one. I also agree with Lycanthrope to the reference of cognac. It has a sweet/boozy feel in addition to the fruits, without the addition of honey. I can say this reassuringly because honey is a disaster on me in most forms, although I adore sniffing it (honey)..... I just can't "wear it". Another bottle winner for me and truly a masterpiece!!!

WOWSA! The beginning of this blend starts out like Urd but without muscadine. Red and/or black patchouli, and in one of the most beautifully rich and sinister forms.....oh, how GORGEOUS!!! I agree with Tramp....who needs a man with this scent in your hands???? So similar to Doc Buzzard but without a sassafras note (which gives Doc a bit of effervescence). Kroenen is dark, sinister, elegant and sleek....if you're on its side (wearing it). Another fantastic impression scent.....this one will be a bottle purchase when/if released.

Another interesting blend! I have only a few blends that rose works on me and thankfully, rose behaves in this one enough to let something similar to leather rise to the top, after a metallic note (?) wears off. Very multi-faceted and brings to mind a woman in leather, adorned with spikes, of course. Beautiful imagery!!!