shriekingviolet

Nostalgia encapsulated. A soft, wistful blend of dry flowers, aged linens, and the faint breath of long-faded perfumes. Initial Impression: Sweeter than I expected from the description. I think I smell something like mallow flower. After Wearing It: From start to finish what struck me most about this oil is how sweet it was, which wasn't something I would expected from the description. But in the bottle, wet on my skin and finally dry and fading on my skin, it remains very sweet. Not honey sweet, or sugary sweet, but that odd sort of floral sweet that made me think of mallow flower, but perhaps it's lotus (which always smells a bit bubblegum sweet to me). It's puzzling.... Wet and in the very first dry stage of Antique Lace remind me a lot of Alice. It's a sweet floral with a milky (but not quite creamy) undercurrent, and the tone of it all was powdery. For a while I thought I smelled a traces of carnation, but that's gone now and I'm not quite as sure. I thought the same about jasmine a little later, but that too has retreated back into blend. The visual impression I kept getting from this fragrance is of old valentines, with faded colors and slightly crumpled edges but otherwise well preserved. Sweet sentiments from years long gone, given to you by people whom you barely remember, but the sentiment of the moment is as clear now as it was when the token was new. It's a very feminine scent: soft, romantic, frilly, sweet and full of fondness. The scent of a woman digging through her box of emotional souvenirs who can look with a bit of wistfulness at her more carefree years and yet regret nothing that she has done to move beyond that time. Final Thoughts: This is a really pretty scent, dainty, delicate and yes really sweet. It has great lasting power (I'm almost at hour 9 and it still has strength and a good amount of throw). I really like it but I'm not quite sure it's me. I love sweet scents, but I usually want them to be warmer than this one was. I'll definitely hang on to it for a little longer and wear it a few more times before I decide.

Category: Love Potions Site Description: Created to represent the essence of Bram Stoker's tragic heroine, Lucy Westenra. Seductive, wanton and deadly, but underscored with a soft, wistful innocense. The gentle scent of rose and a blend of Victorian spices. Initial Impression: Sweet and innocent with something lurking in the wings. Like a virgin sacrifice on her way to be despoiled. After Wearing It: I need to get over this openminded phase and learn to trust my original instinct and stay away from scents with heavy rose notes. This wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't for me. If I look at the fragrance on an objective level, it's a pretty interesting oil. Enough side notes to keep the blend from being *too* rosy or too old fashioned, yet it still manages to capture the idea of a well-thorned rose with grace. However, again, I'm not a fan of rose scents so I wouldn't wear this one again. Final Thoughts: Sadly disappointing. The idea behind the oil was so appealing! Wish my nose didn't so often snub rose scents.

Site Description: Bast, Ubasti, Ailuros, Ba-en-Aset. Represented as both a domestic cat and a fierce lioness, she truly evidences traits of both. She is the Mother of All Cats, Goddess of Sensuality, Fertility, and a guardian and protector of women. She is also one of the Eyes of Ra, and in that aspect is an Avenging Goddess, seeking retribution and punishing enemies of her people. Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus. Initial Impression: Smells like hot cherries and spice. After Wearing It: Wet and in the bottle, Bastet made me shudder in delight. My first thought on putting it on was that Bastet smelled like LOVE, though I'm not exactly sure where the thought came from. It certainly is a sexy scent, but there were no visions of romance or lust coming from the oil, it was just my reaction to it. Wet the almond note is really strong in it, though it was one of those shifty almond notes that smell deceptively like cherry and not too much like almond. The lotus in the blend probably helped this impression. I could smell the amber too in the background, really warming the scent up. The almond/cherry not that was so strong in the beginning backed off rather quickly, and within twenty minutes or so was just a whisper. From then on, Bastet was all about amber, rich, warm and lovely. The blend was very spicy and a bit smoky. In the middle stages I could definitely smell the myrrh, saffron and the cardamom as the provided a glorious pedestal to the amber. Bastet is just exotic and blazing, evocative of grand marble temples, large comfortable cushions made of luxurious, golden fabrics, and air thick with perfumed smoke. Of just lazing around in splendor, quick smug about the fact that it's all for you and you quite deserve it all, much like a spoiled feline so it's very appropriate! Final Thoughts: I love this lots! So glad I got a bottle. It just wears beautifully, and since I'm such an amber fan, there's no way I couldn't adore this.

Category: Diabolus Site Description: Our signature oil. A dark, languid scent. Promotes hedonistic tendencies and extreme self-love. You won't stop kissing mirrors for a month. Initial Impression: Smells, green, but not in the way I usually mean it. Not green like leaves or grass or herby. Like a sickly sweet, poisoned concoction. A sugared means of death, candy like, but dark. I think I smell licorice and I'm not sure what else. Intriguing. After Wearing It: Smells like twisted fruit, poisoned & sticky hard candies. But in a good way. When it first goes on, it smells strongly fruity and a bit tart. Cherries maybe? Sour grapes? Fruity, but not at all innocent. Maliciously mischievous. Something musky in background becomes more prominent in the middle phase of the fragrance, then backs down to mingle with the sweet & sticky fruit notes. It twists them and plays, making me think of the scene in Snow White where the witch/queen pulls the apple out of her cauldron, covered in bubbling poison before it pretends to be an innocent apple again. A veritable wolf in sheep's clothing. I like this. Final Thoughts: I really like this, but I'm not sure if I like it enough to get a whole bottle of it. I think I need to wear it a few more times to decide weather it's love or infatuation.

Category: Bewitching Brews Ars Draconis Site Description: A truly fae nectar! Dragon's blood resin and honeyed vanilla. Initial Impression: Sweet but sharp. The vanilla adds to the scent but it doesn't scream out it's presence. It'll be interesting on. After Wearing It: Dragon's resin dominates the scent for at least an hour. Not much of a vanilla scent at first. Very heady, musky and almost fruity. Sort of the like the way your mind feels when you're walking through a smoky club/bar and you're only two drinks away from needing someone to carry you. That lovely sort of internal padded cell mindset (or maybe that's only me when I'm drunk....). After an hour the vanilla becomes more apparent, making the scent sweeter and less foggy. About hour 5, the dragon's resin and vanilla have faded a bit and the smell reminds me a bit of baby powder. You can still smell traces of the original scent, but it's mingled into a powdery aroma. Nice, but since I prefer the original scent, I might reapply around hour 4. I could still smell it on my wrists about hour 7, when I decided to reapply. Final Thoughts: I like this, but with all of my other BPAL scents, I don't find myself reaching for it. Beautiful, but not as provocative as some of the other scents

A sultry, exotic scent that inspires devious plotting and clandestine affairs. It is a scent painted in artifice, veiled in deceit, and slithering with whispered secrets. Black palm, with cocoa, fig and shadowy wooded notes. Initial Impression: Dark and sharply foody, a touch foody. I think I smell something like cedar in the background. After Wearing It: First on this smelled like chocolate with something sweet and bubbly behind it. I didn't have the note list with me at the time so I wondered if it might be white wine or a citrus note that make the chocolate note less heavy and more sparkling. It was sweet and exciting, invigorating. The feelings it invoked reminded me of how you feel when you've been reading a particularly exciting book. You feel caught up and eager for what turn the path will take next. Appropriate for Intrigue indeed. Later on the chocolate moves to the background while the fig note becomes more prominent. It's a rich and decadent blend, thick, ripe, and well rounded, the fruit and cocoa notes grounded with faint traces of wood (might smell the black palm too, but I have no idea what that smells like on its own). It's a pulsing, dark brick red scent and just lovely all round. Final Thoughts: What an interesting scent! A complex chocolate scent that manages to be rich and deep without being overly foody or sweet. I love it and am definitely contemplating getting a larger bottle.

Category: Diabolus Site Description: Kitsune-Tsuki are malevolent Japanese spirits, akin to western werebeasts: women are possessed by the spirits of foxes, who compel them to perform acts of wickedness and mischief. Asian plum, orchid, daffodil, jasmine and white musk. Initial Impression: The plum is the first thing I smell, though there's something clean and floral to it too. Deceptive and playful. After Wearing It: A clean, white floral that's tinged with cool plum. Makes me think of wandering through cool mists in the morning. Wet brooks flowing through an orchard/garden. Didn't last too terribly long, but then most lighter fragrances don't on me. Final Thoughts: It smells pretty on, but it's just not my style. I don't think I'd wear this again. It does remind me of my friend Sarah, who I'll end up shipping it off to.

Category: Bewitching Brews Excolo Site Description: Patron of the Aztec pantheon, he is the personification of light within darkness, warmth in the cold, and life in, and after, death. He is a creative and destructive God of Fire and Light, and is appeased only by sacrifice, trial, and the slaughter of his people’s enemies. Copal, plumeria and sweet orange and the smoke of South American incense and crushed jungle blooms. Initial Impression: Floral, white but sweet enough to interest me so it's not just a "Diana-hates-random-florals" scent. Lily maybe? There are other floral notes that I can't quite trace, but there's also something sweet here. Perhaps a light almond note or honey. After Wearing It: This a really light, white, sweet. brings up images of the pale new light at dawn. The sweet note is what tickles me most, it smells like either honey or almond. I can't really pick out the individual floral notes, but they all have a mellow yet glorious aura about them. Final Thoughts: This is a very subtle & polished scent. I liked it a lot. It smells like something that would be divine in a lotion or body cream. Perfect for someone who wants scent but doesn't necessarily want to smell like perfume.

Category: Bewitching Brews Excolo Site Description: Magnificent three-faced Goddess of Magic, the Dark Moon and the Crossroads. She is the Mother of Witches, and the midnight baying of hounds is her paean. Her compassion is evidenced in her role as Psychopomp for Persephone, and her wrath manifests as Medea's revenge. Deep, buttery almond layered over myrrh and dark musk. Initial Impression: The almond isn't really apparent in the tube, but it must be what's mellowing the myrrh and the dark musk. Slightly sweet and very smoky. Sort of like staring into the mists of a dark, moonless night. After Wearing It: I wish the almond was more apparent in this one. It appears briefly, then hides in the background, slightly sweetening the myrrh and musk but never really asserting itself. Hecate is musky and smoky, appropriate for the goddess herself, and somewhat appealing. I can't imagine wearing this much though, since in fragrances like this I need something to temper the muskier notes more. Final Thoughts: Might be nice to have around when I might need to get in tune with the goddess' vibes, but I think the amount in the imp ears will suffice. I won't be getting a full bottle of this. Editted to say: I found out this morning that I absolutely adore this as a room scent. Might have to get a bigger bottle after all.

Well now that I've calmed down enough to stop twitching over the new scents, I think I can finally settle down long enough to write some reviews from my order that came in yesterday. So here we go.... Category: Bewitching Brews In Irish folklore the Dana O'Shee are a fae, elven people that live in a realm of beauty, their nobility akin to our that own Age of Chivalry, eternally beautiful and eternally young. They surround themselves with the pleasures of the Arts, they live for the hunt, and to this day can be seen riding in procession through the Irish countryside at twilight, led by their King and Queen. However, the Dana O'Shee are not benevolent creatures, despite what their unearthly beauty may imply. They are vengeful and treacherous and possess a streak of mischievous malice, and many have whispered that their true home lies deep in the shadowed groves of the Realm of the Dead. Hearing even a single chord of their otherworldly music leaves one stunned and lost to the mortal realms for ever, finding themselves prey to the Dana O'Shee's hunt or enslaved in their Court as servants or playthings. Offerings of milk, honey and sweet grains were made to placate these creatures, and it is that the basis of the scent created in their name. Initial Impression: Sweet, light and just a touch green. After Wearing It: Wow, this is really nice. Lighter and fresher than my usual fare but totally addictive. Best of all, I can smell honey! It's a delectable creamy, sweet scent and that radiates with green Spring-like energy. Reminds me a bit of fresh sugarcane. Very nice. Final Thoughts: I really like this one, might even end up ordering a bottle of it, even though it's not something I'd normally wear. It'd make a really nice fragrance for those summer months when my usual favorites turn out a wee bit too strong. ADDED March 6: just to comment on the lasting factor, but this lasted hours on me. In fact, when I first applied it I loved it so much that I felt I HAD to reapply before leaving for work (4 hours after 1st app) even though it hadn't worn down yet b/c I thought it would soon enough b/c it was such a light scent.... But reapplying made it dizzyingly sweet and heavy so I was high off the fumes of it hours after THAT. Very strange.

Category: Love Potions Site Description: Biblical witch, priestess of Astarte, and general troublemaker. A true role model for today's upwardly mobile Modern Woman. A gloriously decadent blend of honey, roses, orange blossom and sandalwood. Initial Impression: Womanly. I smell the orange blossom and honey first, with a bit of the rose and sandalwood in the background. I can imagining Jezebel lounging around on plush cushions, eating ripe fruits and smelling of this. After Wearing It: Sweet and fruity. I don't smell the roses at all (which is good) and the sandalwood much, but I can tell that *something* is tempering this fragrance to keep it from smelling just like orange candy. As the scent wears, the orange blossom note fades a bit, mingling better so that the two dominant notes (orange blossom and honey) don't scream at you separately, but rather compose together a fragrance that's sweet, delightful and inviting. Final Thoughts: This didn't last so much on me, and the honey notes aren't as strong as I wish they were (I *love* the smell of honey). Nice, but not enough to inspire me to spring for a bigger bottle.

Patchouli, Kashmiri tea, cardamom, black pepper, carnation, and clove. Initial Impression: Earthy patchouli spiked with cardamom and black pepper. After Wearing It: First applied, Clémence is a lotta patchouli. Not the sweet and smooth kind that I typically favor, but the really dirty kind that reminds me of head shops, sweat and raw hide. There was also a harsh shot of black pepper that runs through the blend like sharp slap across the face of the fragrance. It was very appropo given the imagery created for the blend and the painting's historical source of inspiration, Theresa Berkley. It was very raw and aggressive, to the point of being disconcerting, and one could very easily imagine a hot back room of an 19th century brothel smelling like this. The raw, almost leathery quality of the patchouli note was like the rub of a worn pair of leather cuffs, the pepper like the sting of the whip. The initial stage of the scent, while wildly evocative and very appropriate for the theme of the set and the painting, wasn't very me. So I was very happy and a little relieved when Cleménce started to mellow out about twenty minutes after the first application. Slowly, the cardamom, carnation and clove started to come to the forefront, sweetening the blend and smoothing out all of its rough edges. The patchouli took on a more honeyed quality that I loved while retaining its earthiness, and Clémence evolved from a scent of harsh pleasures into something much more comforting. It became enticingly spicy and slightly sweet, but grounded in a rich earthiness. The tea note built slowly after the first hour as the patchouli grew softer, and by the end of hour two, the blend smelled like a really good cup of chai. Not too strong or foody, but warm and soothing with just the right balance of sugar and spice. The scent envelopes you like a fuzzy blanket. It's like the imbodiment of a rainy Saturday spent lazying around indoors. I love it! Final Thoughts: Love it and am proud to be its cover girl! It had a nice balance of sensations: pain and pleasure, stress and comfort. I'll be keeping this one for a long time and will likely get a back up. It'll be interesting to see how the patchouli note ages.

Category: Sin & Salvation Site Description: An infusion of incalculable power and irresistible temptation. Truly an exercise in megalomania and self-gratification: frankincense and cinnamon, darkened by violet. Initial Impression: Frankincense is what I smell mostly here, though there's a slight violet tingue that I smell after exhaling. After Wearing It: For the first hour or so, I can't smell anything but frankincense here. Very pungent and demanding, and more than a little masculine. I like frankincense, but on its own, it's a bit much, so I was quite happy when the frankincense started fading back enough to allow the violet notes to poke through. in the end, this isn't a distinctively violet scent, but it is a pretty intriguing spicy and slightly powdery oil that whispers seductively of lighter things. Final Thoughts: I really like the dry down on this one, but it takes a bit long to get there and the first stage of the fragrance is too harsh for my nose. Might be something to try putting on before I go to bed, since it is pretty long wearing. I need to test this one out as a room fragrance as well.

The perfect vanilla mint. Initial Impression: minty and light but buttery too, sort of like those buttermint candies After Wearing It: God this is gorgeous! Wet and for the hour after it dries, Snowblind is so buttery and sweet, yet escapes smelling redundantly like vanilla. Underneath the buttery folds of this is a strong, yet soft mint. It's a very noticeable note, making the buttery-ness of this oil still manage to smell cool, but there's nothing sharp about it at all. There's some lemon here too I think, but it doesn't present itself in the usual fashion. It's very much a supporting character, and just makes everything smell a bit fuzzy. There's also an impression of nuts here, not so much the smell, but there's the texture of fragrance I associate with a true almond note. It smells a lot like buttermint candies. Together, all of the notes in Snowblind make it smell cool but not cold. It's like sitting inside where it's nice and warm, staring out the window at the blizzard outside. The warmth of the room is all around you, but the cold from outside radiates from the glass, teasing you with the chill of the outdoors even though you're not touching it. The fuzziness of the scent makes me think of a really heavy storm, where the view of your yard is obscured by the falling snow. As the fragrance wears on, it doesn't change much, it just fades softly and pulls its intensity closer and closer to the skin until it just sits there like a blanket (i.e. strong on the skin if you sniff it, but little throw) which seems appropriate. It makes the final hours of Snowblind reminiscent of what a landscape looks like after a heavy snowstorm. Final Thoughts: This is a wonderful winter scent for gals like me who hate winter. I hate the cold, I hate snow, I hate ice, I hate coats. I hate, I hate, I hate. But this does remind me of the things I DO like about this time of year. Like sweaters or sitting with my feet over a heating vent. Or how beautiful snow can be before anyone touches it, and I don't have to actually walk in it (and thus start to hate it). How amazingly bright the night is when they sky is clear and there's a good blanket of snow on the ground. It's so delicious too, in its minty-buttery goodness. I'm so glad blessed me with some of this!

Category: Bewitching Brews A master storyteller who possessed unfailing courage and compassion, a sharp, quick wit, and a true understanding of human nature. Saffron and Middle Eastern spices swirled through sensual red musk. Initial Impression: Musky, but not at all overbearing. Very smooth and warm. After Wearing It: This is really smoky and complex. The musk is smooth, hot and sensual, making me feel light headed and content in that "good buzz" kind of way. Musks can often turn rancid or too overpowering on me, but this was just right. Emboldening the red musk are a multitude of spicy scents that give the fragrance a full flavor without subtracting any of the smoothness of the scent. Final Thoughts: A very apt scent for a storyteller. It inspires and excites while still lulling and relaxing its audience. Has a clear Middle Eastern feel. A winner!

Category: Love Potions Site Description: A salacious, lecherous, leering scent - dirty and dark, slapped with a wet sweetness. Earthy black patchouli swelling with apricot. Initial Impression: Smells pretty much like the description says. Apricot tempered with dark patchouli. Sweet, yet dark and earthy. After Wearing It: Something about this fragrances makes the word "pedophile" pop up in my head. Maybe because apricots and peaches make me think of innocence and little girls, but apricot with a strong line of patchouli sullies that image. Like lessons learned too early. That kind of shock you get when you're at the mall and you see all the 10 and 11 year olds whored up, or when you see middle aged men drooling over porn featuring "barely legal" stars. It's a sweet and fruity yet dirty scent. You want to warn your baby sisters away from it. So I guess it's a pretty good image for depraved. Final Thoughts: I'm not really big on the smell of apricots so this one wasn't for me. Might be nice for someone who was though.

Lush, velvet-red blooms born from the blood shed in the eternal battle between Set and Horus the Avenger. Inspired by Tammy Roth. Initial Impression: Sweet and thick. Less sweet than dragon's milk though the scent is along the same lines. Almost fruity, but not. It's rich and the scent pulses like blood. After Wearing It: My first thoughts when I applied this were rich and full-bodied. It was thick and oozing in a syrup kind of way, sweet yet a bit tart. Languorous. I can definitely smell the Lotus here though there's no aquatic feel to the scent. The Lotus brings images of Egyptian religious orders, and this would be something they'd serve to drink before a more feverish, spirited ceremony. I smell wine and Dragon's Blood in here as well, give the scent a round fruity aura, though in a heady, overripe sort of way. Makes me wonder if this is the Lotus version of the popular blood rose. Final Thoughts: This was lovely. I've been wanting to try Blood Rose but have been waffling about it since even though the reviews make it seem extra appealing, I don't often get on very well with rose blends. Lotus, on the other hand, is one of the few floral notes I embrace enthusiastically. So I might just skip Blood Rose all together and embrace this! Love it!

The fiery, volatile scent of cinnamon, thickened by myrrh, honeysuckle, and copal. Initial Impression: Smells of cinnamon and honey. Firey, but rich and sweet too. After Wearing It: Wet it's absolutely divine. Fiery but rich, thick and sweet. Makes me think of syrup, though not the scent of it, just the texture. The honeysuckle is apparent and really gives body to the smoky and spicy scent. Once it dries though, I can't smell the honeysuckle as much which is a shame, but the scent is still really beautiful. Fullbodied scent that's blends the scents of cinnamon, myrrh and copal really well. A great scent for cinnamon lovers. Final Thoughts: Since I liked the sweet, wet phase of this oil best, I might buy the single note oil of honeysuckle though to layer it with the chimera to keep the original level of sweetness I originally enjoyed. Love this!

Evocative of the sea's unplumbed mysteries. Gentle and lovely, but menacing and profound. Coconut, Florentine iris, hazelnut and opalescent white musk. Initial Impression: Mmm sweet, but a dark, rich sweetness. Like enjoying something decadent on a hot, balmy, moonless night. After Wearing It: This oil is pure, lazy decadence on me. It's sensual, but in the most languid way. The combination of the coconut and hazelnut was strong, making me think of tall, sweet alcoholic drinks (hazelnut ALWAYS makes me think frangelico) that are meant for sipping and savoring rather than for gulping down so you can get to the next drink. Sniffing this off my wrists, I thought of lounging on a great recliner outside in a dark tropical setting. The music is slow, your company is beautiful and welcoming, people are having the time of their lives around you, but you're too content to move. Each moment is gorgeous, and time feels like molasses, because rather than throwing yourself back into the frenzy around you, you linger on that perfect moment for hours. It's singular, it's selfish in its luxury, and you'll want to return to here again and again. As I said in the beginning, it's the coconut and hazelnut that are the obvious pair in the beginning. It's very sweet, but not in a toothache inducing sort of way. It's more warm than just sugary, and the white musk makes a wonderful base for it: enriching the strengths of each while keeping everything soft around the edges, creating the nighttime feel. The iris isn't very obvious here, but I can catch glimpses of it here and there. It's like a hidden anchor for the entire scent, keeping it from floating off into oblivion. Just golden and gorgeous. The lasting power for the scent is pretty good. I put it on maybe 7 hours ago, and I can still smell it and feel its effects on my mood. The throw of the scent wanes after a few hours, but it stays fairly strong close to the skin. Which is fine, because I've been leaning my head on my hand or arm all evening long.... Final Thoughts: Beyond the hazelnut-frangelico association I can't rid myself of, this fragrance really does remind me of a state of drunkenness. Maybe it's the warmth and the fuzziness of the white musk, but it instills the sort of gentle heaviness of limbs. I feel lazy, drowsy, but thoroughly content, like it's a buzz I've slowly built up and fostered all night without going too far. I've been fighting the urge to take a nap all evening, which is odd, because I have no reason to feel tired and napping isn't something I usually feel compelled to do without reason. I just want to crawl into bed and wrap myself in blankets to reach that optimum state of comfort. As an insomniac, I find the idea of an oil making me feel drowsy very thrilling. I can only hope that it really is the oil making me feel this way and not something else. I don't normally wear scents to bed (I find them a little distracting), but this might be the one that changes my mind on that. Will have to wear this a few more times to see, but if this oil really does make me sleepy, I'll be buying this in huge quantities. Wow that was long! I've been lazy about reviewing for months, so let this make up for it.

Initial Impression: Slightly musky. Stern, yet kind. Masculine but not oppressively so. It's a good "father-in-a-bottle" scent. After Wearing It: This is a really confident, masculine smell. Regal almost. It's earthy, woody and slightly smoky. I definitely smell sandalwood here, and probably some frankincence and a wood note (cedar maybe?). Possibly some patchouli too, and something green and slightly herby. This scent evokes an aura of competence and power, yet of benevolence as well. It somewhat reminds me of the way my grandfather looked before his final illness. Even into his late sixties her still had his hair color, casual dress meant not having to wear a jacket and a tie and had such an air of dignity. He had a reserved and somewhat stern demeanor, but he always gave the best hugs and to everyone who knew him he was truly kind. He was firm, disciplined, but also compassionate and fair. Which is what The Emperor says to me. Final Thoughts: I got this because The Emperor is my soul card. It captures the meaning of the card very well. However I can't imagine actually wearing it. It's much too masculine for me. But I will be keeping the imp for meditation purposes.

Category: Love Potions Site Description: The tale of Cupid and Psyche is both a perfect love story and an allegory for the soul's search to reunite with Deity. This is the scent of true love, your heart's deepest, purest desires. Bulgar rose, Chinese white musk, lavender, orchid and frankincense. Initial Impression: A definite rose scent, but so complex. I can smell the frankincense for sure. After Wearing It: *keeps sniffing wrists* Huh, I think I really like this one. I think I've killed about a hundred brain cells today sniffing my wrist to make sure that, yes, I do indeed like this rose fragrance. I'm just baffled. When first wet, Psyche smells strongly of roses, almost like the dusty tea variety. Which wasn't so favorable for me, but I believe in giving each oil a fair opportunity to make its case so I stuck with it. After half an hour or so the rose mellows out. I doesn't hide or fade, it just gives the other notes room to be seen. The end result is a slightly powdery, slightly sweet, wistful rose scent that's absolutely lovely in its dreamlike, romatic quality. A complex and beautiful rose perfume. Final Thoughts: A fabulous oil, very fitting to the myth that inspired it. This should be a must try for any fan of rose oils, and should definitely be considered even by those who aren't.

Site Description: Brimming with native fruits and flowers, but also imbued with the power of native earth magicks: apricot and pomegranate with deep plum, wild roses, two Middle Eastern pale musks, white orchid, iris and sweet roots. Initial Impression: Smells like an orchard on a hot, humid day. You can almost taste the juicy fruits on the air. After Wearing It: Wet on my wrist, the fruit notes in this smell so bright and ripe, almost to the point where they smell syrupy. It was all I could smell for a while, and it was almost dizzying. After it dried though, the earthier notes started to poke holes in Old Yerevan's fruity haze. With that musky base underneath, the fragrance made me think of what an abandoned, but fruitful, orchard would smell like. Ripe fruits being dropped beds of decaying leaves and older, decaying fruits. It's a fertile, and oddly pleasing combination, though it can be a little much. It reminds me of the back part of our backyard before we cut down the apple trees. During the summers we'd have gather up the fruit that was in various states of decay so that part wouldn't turn into a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The smell back there was so strong and sweet that it was dizzying, sickly but beautiful. As time wore on though, the fruits faded a bit and the scent was just palely spicy-earth. Nice and subtle. Unfortunately the oil didn't last much longer on me. After about 4 hours, I could only smell bits of it if I really inhaled deeply with my nose pressed to my wrists. Not really surprising though, as fruity scents don't always have much staying power on me. Final Thoughts: Nice scent, really rich while it lasts, but I'm not sure it's really me. I tend to gravitate toward spicier/more resinous blends. I'll give it a few more goes though, as I really do think it's worth having.

<span style='color:red'>Category:</span> Bewitching Brews <span style='color:red'>Site Description:</span> It is a day of days, a day of all days either to live or die. It is a fair day for the sons of earth and life - ah! more fair for the daughters of heaven and death. Sage with orris, Florentine iris and a drop of civet. <span style='color:red'>Initial Impression:</span> Herby, green floral with some spicy/woody undertones. <span style='color:red'>After Wearing It:</span> This is a predominantly sage fragrance, and for this reason I didn't expect much from it and kept trying to write it off as something that wasn't for me. But Morella is persistant. Yes it smells like sage and Yes it's a lot herbier and green than I usually like my scents, but it's still *very* nice. Morella is a complex floral scent that makes me think of crushes herbs and florals laying the undergrowth of a dark and damp forest, lying among moss and the fungi that would seek to help it decay. It's deep, dark and interesting. Something one of the less benevolent varieties of forest elves might wear. <span style='color:red'>Final Thoughts:</span> Even if this doesn't initially seem like your kind of thing, Morella deserves a chance to convince you of its charms. It's very unique and pretty unisex, so if it doesn't turn out to be your thing, you might like it on a boy! Mod note: This scent was briefly resurrected from February to May of 2006 as part of the Limited Edition "Into the Maelstrom" series, with the same notes as the discontinued GC blend.

Category: Diabolus Site Description: Terminally alluring. A deep, wickedly passionate scent, compelling and commanding in it's feminine allure: attar of rose, jasmine, myrrh, red sandalwood, red wine, and East African black patchouli. Initial Impression: A very twisted oriental floral. And I can definitely smell the red wine. Very complex and well blended. After Wearing It: A good floral, one I might actually wear which is praise I don't give to florals often. When I first put it on, the first word that came to mind was "tart." You could smell the earthy notes and the flowers, but there was this twisted and slightly sour overtone that made it so interesting and appealing. Pretty sure it was the red wine. Later, when I was at work, my coworker asked me if I was wearing jasmine which called my attention to the fact that the scent had morphed. The floral notes were more apparent, but it still had that tart edge to it. He liked it and I liked it too. A keeper. Final Thoughts: I wore this a second time the other day, and while I still like it, I'm not smitten with it. I'll use up my sample but I doubt I'll ever buy a bottle. Not my usual fare.

Category: Not released yet, bet it'll be in the single notes. Site Description: none yet. Initial Impression: Like Springtime. I don't recall ever sniffing a daffodil, but this scent does evoke images of the first signs of spring. After Wearing It: The floral smells very fresh and green to me. Like budding leaves and daffodils, wet with the first rains of the season. Pretty for someone who likes that sort of thing, but as someone who stays away for crisp & clean florals, it's definitely not for me. Final Thoughts: I think what I said above will suffice. Pretty, but not me at all.