slave1

KHAJURAHO 08 ... This is a blissful, euphoric blend based on an ancient Indian love potion: honey, date palm, tuberose, davana blossom, amber, white sandalwood, vanilla bean, Damask rose, and champaca flower. In Bottle: Smoky sweet floral On Skin: This scent starts out quite strong. It seems more sweet than my bottle of the 06 version. The florals and honey are almost sticky and the rose isn’t as strong as it was in my 06 bottle. The woods are there, very solid and clean. There is a bit of smoky earthiness coming from them. The amber is sweet and powdery and the vanilla blends with it perfectly. I don’t get the green tone like I did in the 06 version, this time around I get a more golden feel, very warm. A seductive feminine scent, very pretty. Strong throw and long wearlength.

SMUT 2008 In Bottle: Sweet musk On Skin: I love Smut, how could you not? It is so sexy and pretty at the same time. The sugar is so sticky sweet, the booze is heavy fruit and thick and the musk is so inviting and sensuous. Smut is one of my favorite scents to wear to the club because it just smells so damn good and everyone wants to know what it is… and I get to tell them: SMUT! I have my bottles from 2006, and a decant from 2007 and I’d have to say they’re all pretty darn similar. Pure smutty goodness! Strong throw and average to long wearlength.

A FAREWELL TO FALSE LOVE In Bottle: Lavender On Skin: Holy lavender BatMan!!! Very, very heavy on the lavender…. This scent is so interesting. First off, it’s not me… but it does intrigue me since it’s unlike any lavender scent I’ve smelled before. The violet does sweeten it a bit, but is pretty dwarfed… The balsam is herbal and adds to the very strong and almost medicinal feel of the scent. The narcissus is regal and proud, a floral not to be wilted… and then somewhere in the background I actually smell something smokey that really darkens the scent. That’s the odd part… but so interesting!! Anyway, a nice scent, just not one I’d wear. Medium throw and pretty long wearlength.

In Bottle: Pine and florals On Skin: The pine in this scent is sweet and combined with the floral, a very beautiful and bright scent. It’s feminine and strong, not a light scent to me. The vanilla is thick along with the benzoin. The lily of the valley and jasmine are sticky and fully bloomed. The rose is very tart and sour and the juniper berry offers a cold and herbal tone. The scent to me isn’t woody at all, which was a shock since with a title like The Ragged Wood you’d expect a very woody scent. But still, it’s very nice and has an outdoor feel for sure. Strong throw and long wearlength.

TO HELEN In Bottle: Honey floral On Skin: The beeswax in this is freaking gorgeous. I love that note. It’s soft and sweet but so warm and like a nuzzle from my kitty. This is such a pretty scent, and it wears nice and close to the skin, a very comforting and snuggle worthy scent. The roses are there, which scared me at first, but the beeswax is so sweet it completely balances them. I don’t smell the ozone, which shocks me because ozone tends to amp on me. The moonflower blends nicely and the amber is powdery and compliments the soft fuzziness of this blend. After about 10 minutes the roses start to get stronger and more sour… darn! Why does rose do this to me? Luckily the scent doesn’t become too overwhelming, but with the amped rose I don’t love it as much anymore. But if I had to wear a rose scent, this would be it since I love the beeswax and amber in it so much. Very feminine by the way… Medium to strong throw and long wearlength.

THE FLOWER SONG In Bottle: Soft sugared candy On Skin: Yum! The pomegranate is just slightly tart while the lotus amps a sugary sweetness. The sweetness is not bubblegum though luckily, because lotus almost always turns into pure bubblegum on me. It’s more of a soft powdered sugar. Very pink in tone, not overwhelmingly sweet, it smells like the fine powder left in a package of Sweetarts. After a few minutes, more of a floral tone sets in, though still very sweet. This is a more innocent version of Fruit of Paradise. FoP is very sexy and grown up to me, and also quite festive. The Flower Song is like a sweet treat, very mellow and softspoken. I really love it, and have decided pomegranate is the best fruit note on me next to plum. So beautiful!!! It has a light to medium throw and average to long wearlength.

PARENTALIA In Bottle: Incense On Skin: That same almost clove-like incense as is in Valentine of Rome, so I’m thinking it’s the frankincense. The rose is very sour and burns my nose. The cedar is very strong and with the violet rounds out the sweet side of this scent. This scent is very woody and herbal, a natural scent. The rose really kills it for me though, since it’s so sour. Too much of a harsh overall scent here… I do love the background notes, and that there is a soft side. But when it finally warms up on my skin completely the rose is still too much. It has a medium to strong throw and a fairly long wearlength.

VALENTINE OF ROME In Bottle: Strong incense On Skin: At first I swear I smell clove. That super intense spice that is metallic. But I don’t see it listed… As it develops, it seems that is the incense, namely the frankincense. The myrrh and blood are dark gold and red, thick murky notes. This scent is so heavy and smoky… it feels like it just weighs me down completely. I feel tired and I feel like I’m carrying some very heavy emotions around. I love the story behind this blend, and feel it has the totally gloomy and morbid tone to it, just like this scent. It’s not a scent I’d wear as a perfume, but I’d love to smell some on my husband since it’s much more masculine. I’d also like to scent a fan with it to get catch whiffs of it here and there… Strong throw and fairly long wearlength.

THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS LOVE In Bottle: The countryside On Skin: This smells like a field… the flowers, the grains, the grasses and even the slight animalistic scent of a herd. It’s not really a scent I’d like to smell like, but I like that it’s like smelling a memory. It reminds me of being in England and playing in the fields around Stonehenge and other English country-sides. Very earthy and planty with the slightly sweet clover and spicy carnation. The rose is tart and innocent, the ivy is clean and green. The moss adds the perfect wet and earthy element to the scent. A very interesting blend. Light to medium throw and long wearlength.

HER VOICE In Bottle: Fresh flowers On Skin: This is very bright and slightly sour. Like the middle of a big bouquet of flowers. Some are super sweet, some a bit tart, and overall they have that fresh green alive smell. This to me is spring, and all the flowers that are opening in the beginning of the season. Very pretty, very warm and overall healthy and vibrant. I don’t smell each flower on it’s own, I smell the bouquet as a whole which is very nice. It’s feminine for sure and almost motherly. If you are a floral fan, try this scent right away.

SUGAR MOON In Bottle: Berry and sugar... almost like Sugar Skulll On Skin: Has the sugary booziness of Sugar Skull but not too fruity... there's more of a skin musk to it. It's gorgeous and sweet! I wish I bought 10 bottles!!! I was worried about the currant since sometimes it goes the way of blackberry on me and turns to cat pee. None of there here thank heavens. The sugar cane is pure yum, the musk is close to the skin and soft, the mahogany is dark yet deep and inviting. The orchid and violet are sweet florals that really give this scent another dimension and keep it from being too foody. I don’t smell the rose, which is fine by me, and the strawberry, currant and blackberry leaf give just the right tint of fruitiness. Dark, yummy sugar love! The throw is sadly light and it fades on me super quick. I must slather!! I love this lunacy!!!!

LONGING In Bottle: Rose incense On Skin: This is a masculine, musky, resinous blend with rose as the dominant note. The rose makes it a bit soapy in tone, while the frankincense gives it a very dark and resinous base. The bay rum is boozy yet masculine. The cinnamon is very light, offering just the slightest warm spice. The golden musk indeed brightens the scent, but also gives it a nice soft edge. I am normally not a fan of rose, but I may actually like this on a man. I’d also like to use it as a room spray, it’s quite comforting and gives a feel of security with the manliness it invokes. It has a light to moderate throw and great staying power.

SAPPHICS In Bottle: Musky resinous sweet yum On Skin: This scent is drop dead gorgeous. Wow. I love the muskiness of it, like a soft grey skin musk. I feel like I’m swimming in the most delicate and soft bed sheets… The amber and myrrh are so resinous but not darkly so. This scent is very flowy, not heavy or overwhelming. The tonka is sweet, but not sticky or cloying. The balsam offers a clean vibrant note that also lightens the scent. The oakmoss isn’t very dominant, just a background note that brings a little earthiness to the scent. It does have a *slight* hairspray feel to it, but that’s only if you bury your nose into your wrist. If you just smell it as it naturally wafts around you, it’s very pleasant. I’ve seen people compare it to Snake Charmer, but it doesn’t smell like that scent to me in the slightest. SC is so much darker and sticky sweet with resins. This scent is much more airy and light, and grey in feel. I could see this scent on a woman or man, very unisex, but sexy either way. I want more… at least one bottle. It really is one of the sexiest blends I can remember… Low to moderate throw and average wearlength.

LA VITA NUOVA In Bottle: Light fruits On Skin: This is so sweet and gentle! The most pretty of the fruity scents I have ever smelled. A very dainty apple, so soft and simple… with the champagne grape bringing a light boozey note. The rose is not overwhelming, it just adds a floral note and I’m happy to say it doesn’t go sharp or sour on me but stays bright and clean. The lemon balm is a bit tart, but again, there’s an underlying sweetness to it. So overall, I’d say this scent is sweet, but not cloying since the tart notes give it just the right contrast. A very white/yellow scent, but pale not vivid. I’m not usually huge on fruit scents, but I do like how fresh this one is. It would also make a lovely room spray. Moderate to strong throw and average to long wearlength.

NIGHT THOUGHTS In Bottle: Heavy lilac On Skin: Wow, the lilac here is very dominant, quite heady and sweet. Along with the blue musk I get a pale purple/blue tone from this. The cedar is also sweet and the woodiness offers a nice earthy contrast. The ozone is clean and adds to the pale almost airy feel. The herbs are light and not medicinal or minty. This has the dignified floral feel of Black Moon, so pretty and purely feminine. It is actually a pretty mellow scent, and while it starts quite perfumey it blends into a more close wearing scent. It has a light to medium throw and short to average wearlength.

THE CLOD AND THE PEBBLE In Bottle: Cedar and patchouli On Skin: The patchouli is very strong here, and combined with the cedar and sandalwood, this is a very woody scent. The rose is very sour but seems balanced by the deepness of the woods. The nutmeg offers a perfect little spice, and the clove rides along nicely. Clove doesn’t usually work on me, but here it finally doesn’t turn metallic which is good. This scent would make a great incense, and has a smoky warm quality to it. It is quite strong though, a bit much for me personally, but I’d love to scent things with it… like a room spray or something. Very strong throw and long wearlength.

THE PRESENCE OF LOVE In Bottle: Sour rose On Skin: Wow, this makes my eyes tear up a bit. The rose is very sharp and sour. Combined with the grapefruit, this is probably the most sour BPAL scent I have ever smelled. The white musk is clean, but also offers a slightly sharp soapy note. The jasmine is sweet, but you can barely detect it with the other powerful notes. This scent is far too much for me, I sadly have to wash it off. Strong throw and not sure of wearlength.

BUTTERFLIES AND PLOVERS In Bottle: Dirt and florals On Skin: There is a very dirty note in this, I’m assuming it’s the patchouli which usually amps very earthy on me. The violet is sweet and gorgeous, I’m a big fan of violet. The citrus notes are sour but are balanced perfectly by the sweet violet and ylang ylang. The amber is soft and powdery and helps ground the scent. As the scent develops, I like it a lot more. The patchouli fades some… but probably not enough for me. Still, it’s a nice scent and does remind me of being in a garden and letting butterflies dance on me. My wedding was at a Butterfly Pavillion, so this scent rings close to me, I just wish it didn’t have such strong patchouli. Light to average throw, short wearlength.

THE SPELL OF AMOROUS LOVE In Bottle: Fruity green tea On Skin: This scent has a classic Asian feel to it. Very fresh, very light and very clean. The green tea is most dominant on me, followed by soft pink florals. The tone is light green/pink, very spring feeling. The throw is quite light, this is a close wearing scent for sure. The fruits compliment the florals and it comes off as more of a “perfumey” scent than as something fruity or food like. Overall, it’s a little too heavy on the florals for me. I prefer deep florals whereas this is very feminine and girly, a little too “pretty/cutesy” for me. It has a light to moderate throw and fairly short wearlength.

LUNAR ECLIPSE In Bottle: Vetiver On Skin: The vetiver overwhelms this blend on me. It almost starts out as Vetiver SN. So earthy and dry…dusty, makes me nose tickle. I don’t smell florals, I smell vetiver, the blackened fruit gums (sweet yet charred), and deep resins. It’s very well blended to the point it’s making it very hard to pick out the other notes at all. As the scent develops, it sweetens which gives me hope. The vetiver still dominates, but is allowing other notes to wave hello. The red musk comes out nicely, warm and dark red in tone. Overall I’d say this scent is red/brown. The moss adds to the earthiness, and the tobacco further darkens the blend giving it a smoky edge as well. It really isn’t a scent for me sadly, must too dark and earthy. But I appreciate the thought behind it and the mood it evokes. Strong throw and very long wearlength.

MOON OF ICE In Bottle: Pine On Skin: The strongest note is pine, followed by sweet eucalyptus. Very bright, very sharp. The winter flowers have ice formed on them, so chilling. Under it all there is a dark note though… like an icicle that has fallen and when you pick it up there’s dirt on it you just can’t seem to get off. As the scent develops, the ice melts and it gets darker and darker. It’s a bit earthy and a bit mysterious. It’s an interesting scent, and a nice change from the many “snow/ice” scents I already have. If you like a chilling scent but want a little more edge, try this one for sure. Medium throw and average to long wearlength.

CHESHIRE MOON In Bottle: Creamy fruit On Skin: Based on the title, I wanted 50 bottles… I am a huge Alice fan… and especially the Cheshire Cat… This is probably one of my favorite fruit blends ever. It is so creamy!!! And the fruits are perfectly blended into a delicious smoothie! The grapefruit is tart with the lemongrass, but the guava and banyan fruit sweeten it up right away. The cherry blossom and hibiscus offer another sweet combo that help keep the scent from being a fruit overload. The lunar herbs are soft and sweet, nothing medicinal about them at all. I swear I smell cream in here, but it isn’t listed as a note. It’s that soothing velvety cream from Chaste Moon and Milk Moon. This is absolutely beautiful. I usually am not too excited about fruit blends, but the creamy aspect here makes me fall in love. I will be wearing this scent plenty… yum! Moderate throw and short to average wearlength.

LOVER'S PARODIES OF SUMO HOLDS In Bottle: Tangerine jasmine On Skin: Holy tangerine! This starts super tart citrus. I smell the sweet floral jasmine next followed by the slightly bitter ti leaf. The jasmine is very heady and strong, so very sweet but the tangerine offers a very nice sour contrast. The resins are very welcome because with both the other extreme notes, they offer a calm, solid but soft background. They take the edge off those notes and make the blend very cohesive. The tonka is also a nice rounding note that keeps the tangerine in check and becomes stronger as the blend develops on my skin. This scent is very complex, fruity, resinous and floral… it starts strong but really calms down and becomes beautiful. It’s warm, inviting and a scent many people could wear easily. Throw is average when it develops fully, wearlength is pretty short.

MEN RINGING BELL WITH PENISES In Bottle: Tea and sandalwood On Skin: The black tea stands out the most on me… it reminds me of White Rabbit right away. The sandalwood is very clean and just slightly woody. The moss gives a earthy aquatic tone. The tonka helps sweeten everything up, and I can’t really smell the rice wine… it is the faintest of the notes but starts to come a little more forward over time. Over all, this scent has a very Asian feel. It’s dignified and I see it as being more masculine. My husband had to smell it after I told him the name, but it’s not really his thing. He’s more into leather and muskier scents. I love how all the notes blend, and of course the title creates a wonderful visual. It has a pretty light throw and short wearlength.

EBISU MAKING LOVE AS TWO OCTOPUSES LOOK ON In Bottle: Earthy peachy nectarine On Skin: This is very pretty… wow. A very soft and close to the skin blend. This to me reminds me of peach fuzz… It’s not really peachy, but the tartness of the nectarine is sweetened by the skin musk so it takes on a peachy quality. For someone who thinks peach scents are too sweet, this is a great alternative. My mom always cut up nectarines and put them on her rice crispies… this totally reminds me of that. The oakmoss is very faint, just slightly earthy and more of a base mote. The skin musk is sweet, soft and velvety. I can’t imagine anyone not liking this scent since it is so faint and non-offensive. It could work on anyone, and give them a very gentle and inviting quality. An absolutely beautiful scent that I’d love to wear often, I just wish it had more throw and wearlength. Light throw and short wearlength on me.