k00kaburra

In bottle: Weakly cherry-like. On me: Herby spicy fruit. Dragonsblood makes me think of a sweet sticky fruit juice and mingling with marigold, chamomile and orange peel gives it a scent that reminds me of cough medicine. Cherryberry with something medicinal lingering beneath it. It definitely smells red.

In bottle: Smells like an alcoholic drink I've had...unfortunately I can't think of what. I can't make out individual notes. On me: Becomes rather sweet and candy-like. It makes me think of artificial berry flavors. Maybe this is the peach and vanilla somehow? Again, I'm not familiar enough with the notes to pick them out individually. I like this, tho'.

(Note: Some time ago Lady Macbeth was reformulated slightly. I think it became more wine-y? Anyway, my bottle is pre-reformulation.) In bottle: Mmmm, it's so sweet and fruity. I love red currants and the blend with wine is perfect! On me: PERFECTION! This is my favorite fragrance of them all. To me, currants smell like a perfect mingling of cherries and berries, and this scent retains itsf ruitiness without straying into cherry medicine or bubblegum territory. -- Reformulated version: In bottle: The alcohol/wine note is definitely more potent in this reformulation. Overall, the fragrance is less sweet; the berry notes dominate in the previous version but are in the background here. On me: On the skin, the blend mellows quite a bit and becomes very very similar to the original. There isn't enough difference to scream about; but the difference is still there, and noticeable. The newer formula, as I said of the bottle, is much stronger with the wine and alcohol, and there is much less influence by the berries. But the red currant is still rockin' strong, so I'm happy.

In bottle: Delicious. Rich caramel, crisp toffee, rnchy nuts and decadent vanilla. This is a very heavy food scent. On me: The scent stays true - strong and sugary all day long. At first I enjoyed the smell, but after wearing it for a few hours and having no change or fading I began to tire of it and it became overwhelming. I might be able to salvage it as a room scent but its so strong I'm sick of it after one day of wear.

In bottle: There's a sharpness to this fragrance that I find really abrasive and unpleasant. I'm not sure what is disagreeing with me. :-/ There is no innocense in this smoky fragrance. On me: Smoky and sharp at first - I can't smell anything bright in this. Definitely no fruit. I wonder if my bottle is an off-batch because it seems so off from what everyone else has. The longer I wear the oil the more acidic the scent gets. Bummer.

In bottle: I've never smelled a lily as a single note but since I can't detect any honey I assume this is what they smell like? On me: Wow. fades very quickly. I can smell the honey a bit stronger, mingling with the lily smell. It's a very peaceful scent, making me think of wildflowers and hiking trips in the spring.

In bottle: Very fresh, clean scent. Reminds me of Calgon's Morning Glory but with a more refined formula. On me: Lovely. It still reminds me very strongly of Calgon's Morning Glory. A very fresh clean scent – I'd like my linens to smell like this. I wouldn't wear it on me, because it's going sharp even as I type, but it's still a nice smell that I'd like around the house.)

In bottle: Wow. Sweet rose. Strong rose. Rose rose rose rose rose overload! On me: It isn't a fresh-cut rose; it's been made up into a bouquet and has been sitting for a while. I could see these roses at a funeral service. The ylang ylang seems to have the effect of aging the rose to me, and sweetening it. It isn't a pure rose scent; it's rose that is a bit past fresh but not yet faded.

In bottle: Smells like generic perfume that's been in the sun too long. o_O Wilting flowers. Man, I hope it's just my nose. On me: Mmm, it's very well blended and as the notes of this perfume aren't notes I deal with regularly I can't make out any specifics. There's a sharpness, like that which you get with a citrus, but the scent of the citrus itself isn't there. It makes me think of hot muggy days and it's ninety degrees outside – not a reminder I relish. It's turning unpleasant on me so I think this won't be a keeper.)

In bottle: Green and herbally; not a hint of berry. It definitely makes me think of the edges of a forest, where the light still shines through the trees and there are wildflowers growing in the shafts of sunlight. On me: There's the berries! They pop out after a few minutes. Overall the fragrance reminds me of Blackberry soda. Definitely a favorite.

In bottle: I smell patchouli but this is surprisingly light. It doesn't seem heavy and bogged down like many of the smokier incense scents. I'm quite surprised by this. On me: It starts out like a spiced baby powder, but it reacts quite badly with my body chemistry. As it dries there is a spicy fragrance, but running beneath the patchouli and sandalwood is the scent of bad body odor. Ugh. I don't care to smell of someone's sweat, thank you! It's a different scent that brings to mind a pirate but isn't something I can wear.

In bottle: Berries and carnation for sure; maybe I could describe it as herbally berries with a hint of spicy floral? On me: The berry and carnation mingling reminds me of warm berry pie. I never thought this would be a foody scent but it's making me hungry... After half an hour the carnation is becoming dominant, but it isn't a pure carnation scent. It's blended very well with the other elements of the scent.)

XXX - I wonder how many Beth ended up making in the end. In the bottle I think can smell wine - there's definitely some sort of sweet fruit note. When applied to my skin I smell floral...I think a bit of rose and some aquatics. It's very light on me so it's difficult to tell. There's definitely nothing sharp in this bottle - no mints, citruses, vetivert (ugh!), etc. No wood, either, which is good because I can't stand that. Very interesting! I can't wait for my other bottles to arrive. CX: In bottle: Eeew. I do hate to start off a fragrance review with eeew, but one of the notes I find detestable is in here. Vetiver and cedarwood are both incredibly strong in this blend! On me: Oh, do I have to put this on? My nose is already tingling as it is. Cedarwood mellows a bit and this becomes a sharp but forest-like smell. Fans of Arkham will probably love this. I think there's some juniper here too. CXXI: This is a complicated fragrance that changes a lot from bottle to skin. I'm quite poor at identifying the notes in this; it is blended extraordinarily well. In bottle: Red fruit. It's like strawberry wine. The strawberries are quite strong, almost like Bon Vivant, but there's something darker in there, which deepens the fragrance. On me: My strawberries are fading away...smells like Aromacreme, a deodorant made by LUSH, only with a faint berry note. Aromacreme is described as 'ylang ylang, cassie flowers and lychee fruit' so imagine these beautiful things with berries in the shadows and it is really quite lovely. This fragrance aged quite well; at the year mark the strawberries are much stronger, switching this from a 'don't much care for' fragrance to one that I like! CXXIV: In bottle: Oooo, delicious. It reminds me of spicy cake, almost gingerbread, but without the cloves. Oh man, I want to eat this. The vanilla is very strong. On me: A spicier cake, but this time with a bit of rum in it. The cinnamon is much stronger on the skin, too. If I were a foody fragrance person, this would be simply HEAVENLY.

In bottle: The heliotrope and almonds are the most powerful thing I detect, followed closely by frankincense. I can't quite smell the cinnamon, but I can smell it's influence, if that makes sense. And cherries? I really think I smell cherries in this. On me: This isn't one I was expecting to like on myself, but I do. It's sooooo sweet, tho – super sweet almond. I expected the different spices to temper it a bit, but that didn't much happen. The vanilla and almond mingle into a very bright, happy scent. I think I detect cherries too; there's quite a bit of fruit with the almonds. After an hour whatever was making me think cherry seems to have faded and the cinnamon has become stronger. I really like this mellowed scent.

In bottle: I haven't even opened the imp yet and I can smell the sharpness of this fragrance. Open now...oh, this is biting. Very powerful, it cuts like a knife with strong mint and cypress. The geranium is kicking in, too. Wow. On me: The mint weakens on my skin, but the crypress and geranium are as strong as ever. I am getting hints of lavender but for the life of me I can't locate the orange blossom anywhere. I might like this on a man, but it's too powerful and sharp for girly li'l me.)

In bottle: Smells like milk chocolate. I'm somewhat amused that a chocolate-scented oil is perfectly clear; I expected it to be dark brown. :-p On me: Chocolate. Hot chocolate made from actual creamy chocolate, right before you add the whipped cream.

In bottle: It smells musky, but also a bit fruity. The dragon's blood is of course the dominant note, but I can also smell current and musk. On me: The dragon's blood is strong and musky, making it dark and throbbing. The fig and black currant, neither of which I consider to be 'bright' fruits, add depth and resonance. I don't get any of the sweet notes; this is all spice and incense on me.)

This was sharp as glass shards indeed! It was too much for me. I no longer have the imp but my personal notes say 'Mint, eucalyptus, and grapefruit' so those must have been the dominant notes. I'm not sure where I got eucalyptus from, tho' - that may have been my nose's untrained way of picking up the subtle florals others describe.

In bottle: Crisp fruity pomegranate with rose aftertaste. Something about the pomegranate smells strange to me. I guess it just isn't a fragrance I'm used to. On me: The rose is much stronger but doesn't overpower the pomegranate. They blend together well, although the combination reminds me of green grapes for some reason. I like it but I don't think I love it, so I probably will just use up the imp and be done with it.

In bottle: Very, very sweet. I smell the dragon's blood, which seems more berry-like than usual, and the creamy vanilla, which seems slightly spiced. On me: The dragon's blood is very dominant but it's still smelling much fruitier than usual. After an hour the vanilla starts to emerge and make the fragrance seem like candy. It reminds me of the Strawberries & Cream Lifesavers you can buy at supermarket check-out counters.

In bottle: Very fruity – I smell something that reminds me of cherry cough drops? Cherry and rose with jasmine petals. On me: This is one of my favorite fragrances. It's a wonderful fruity floral with sandalwood, which leaves it complex but mild. It isn't overpowering or overbearing even with all its components. It is just a sweet floral that isn't particularly unusual, making it great for everyday use.

In bottle: Wow, that's sharp. Very poignant. In X-Men, there is a character named Nightcrawler who is always described as leaving an acrid smell when he teleports in flashes of fire and brimstone. That is what this scent makes me think of. I can see this lingering in the air after an explosion. There seems to be some sort of sweet wood lingering under the smoke and grit. On me: I wouldn't consider this a wearable scent based on the bottle, but it's not as unpleasant as I expected. It reminds me of camping and bonfires on the beach. The sweet wood I mentioned before is more prominant, like branches that are being added to a fire and haven't turned to charcoal yet. It brings back many years' worth of family trips and, for some reason, makes me think of New Mexico and a few pueblo settlements we visited. I don't have any use for this fragrance so I won't be keeping it, but I'm strangely fond of it.

In bottle: I can barely detect the dragon's blood, but the lilac and lily are quite strong. On me: No dragon's blood at all. The lilac has quickly taken over to become the dominant note. I can still make out the other florals; together they make a good spring bouquet But it's definitely not what I was expecting, and I'm disappointed that the dragon's blood doesn't play a more prominant role.

In bottle: Crisp apples on the tree and a slight bit of spice. Can't imagine what it is tho'. On me: The apples still have that slight spice, reminding me of applesauce. The oak bark is also there, underneath the apple. After a few minutes the sharp apple dissapates and you can smell the apple tree instead; the apples are still there but they're nestled amongst the branches and the leaves. It isn't very strong so I doubt I'll buy it.

In bottle: I have written in my short notes (I no longer have the imp, unfortunately) that we this smells of "rotton pumpkin pie." WTF? I have absolutely no idea how I came up with that, but when I think back and remember the scent, that is indeed how it smelled to me. I swear I'm crazy or the imp was going rotton. On me: I smell myrrh and smoky musk and still somehow I'm getting pumpkin. I'm not sure where I'm getting it from. Someone else mentioned smelling cherry and somehow I'm getting that too - but not the fruit, but the fake artificial candy cherry, like in red licorice. I guess somehow the almond is doing this? Either way it is not working for me; I don't care for it a bit.