elphaba

Dirt? Dust? Why doesn't Crossroads smell like this on me? On my skin, it smells like moss and flowers. In short, it smells like Bayou. Actually, more like Bayou mixed with Darkness, because it had a note that made food taste bad when I was smelling it. I've only experienced that before with Darkness. Perhaps it was opium? Oh, and if you're my husband, you're 100% positive that Crossroads smells like bug spray. Needless to say, it didn't work for me.

Hellcat is destined to become a new favorite! On the imp wand, it smells boozy and, to my nose, fruity, although I can't identify what fruit it might be. Once I put it on my skin, the "fruit" develops and I realize that what I'm smelling is honey mead. I love honey mead. It's a wonderful sweet, full-bodied scent that puts me in the mind of happy times. When the blend dries, that honey mead scent stays, but it's backed with something dry and crackly. This must be the nuts coming into play. A bit of the buttercream comes out too, to make the scent even richer. It's glorious. I wish Hellcat had a bit bigger throw, but that might be fixable when I have more than an imp and can apply liberally. And I will have more than an imp. I'm so glad this is a catalog scent!

This was a pleasant surprise for a couple of reasons. First, it was an unexpected gift imp from a forumite. Second, it turned out to be way nicer on my skin than I expected it to be. In the bottle, Mantis smelled sharp and unpleasantly flowery. In fact, I only really put it on my skin in the name of science because I thought it would be a quick wash-off. Just on, I got a green, flowery scent. The sharpness from the bottle backed off a little bit, but the floral was still strong. After about five minutes, the flowers backed off and the scent started to warm. It smelled like a flower and herb garden on a hot summer afternoon, when all the stems are bent and drooping from the heat of the day. An hour in, the amber starts to come out more and the whole scent sweetens. It's lovely. After four hours, I get a whiff of chlorine (?!) that comes and goes. I swear I haven't been swimming. I have no idea where this is coming from. Five hours in, it's finally starting to fade. This is a pretty average scent lifetime for me, so I'm not disappointed. Mantis never went soapy and, in all but the very first stage, it was really appealing. I'm glad I got to try this. I probably never would have picked it on my own.

I'm completely in love with this scent. It's exactly as described and I can smell every note listed. The rum comes out first with a nutty undertone that I'm sure is the tobacco. Within a few minutes, the two of them part to reveal the coconut and all three mingle brilliantly. I totally smell like a pirate. I'm kicking myself for only ordering an imp instead of a 5mL because, as others have said, it does seem to fade fairly quickly. I want more more more.

Chaos Theory II - CCCXXVII (327) I was so nervous on receiving my Butterfly order, I sniffed absolutely everything else before daring to open the Chaos Theory bottle. When I finally did, I had to swallow some disappointment because it wasn't anything like what I'd daydreamed about. It was...well, I couldn't recognize anything. It was just a bizarre melange of unrecognizable smells. Putting it on, my first whiff was of something astringent and evergreen, maybe juniper berries. I didn't expect that at all from what I sniffed in the bottle. It seems very masculine. Maybe bay? After about five minutes, I decided to just close my eyes, take a deep breath and see what came out. So. Eyes closed. Quiet room. Wrist to nose and...OH MY GOD. Coconut! I think. The astringent note was barely there anymore except to clear my sinuses to let in more beautiful, sweet coconut. There could be some chocolate there too. Deep, dark chocolate. Shortly after, something just a bit flowery and spicy comes in to join the coconut. Honey? Could that be it? I'm miserable at picking out notes, but I'm in love. Chaos Theory is the best. Experiment. Ever. If I had to describe this scent having no clue what the notes actually are, I'd describe it as a rich, nutty brown. Chocolate? Dirt? The two mixed together?

This scent takes me back to my grade school days when I learned leatherworking in 4-H Club. It's the scent of thick, rough, brown leather...perhaps a bit grass-stained, but still fresh. This is an amazing rendition. I can barely believe I'm smelling something in a bottle instead of the real thing.

Imagine you're standing on a cobblestone street, reading a flyer handed to you by a newsboy, when a gust of wind rips it out of your hand and sends it skittering down the street. You give chase and are just bending down to pick it up when a heavy booted foot steps down on the paper and prevents you from taking it. Your eyes follow the boot up the leg to the looming, face of a man whose face twists into an insidious grin. He hands you the paper, but you're left with an uncomfortable, but fascinating shivery feeling and the smell of his polished boot in your nose. De Sade is that boot. (Also, it's just what I needed to amp up the leather in Whip.)

Kali is an incredibly chaotic scent, which makes sense, I guess. I'm amazed at how Beth can make an oil go from alcoholic to flowery to foody all in the course of a few hours. In the bottle and just on, Kali smelled like wine and chocolate to me but within moments of hitting my skin, the flowers began to come out. For a while, it was an almost exclusively floral scent. After half an hour or so, everything comes into balance but it's interesting that the two parts of the scent stay split. There's a high wine/berry note floating over a lower chocolatey (and maybe the tobacco?) scent on the bottom. I can feel each one distinctly with the flowers still there flitting through the whole thing. I tried Kali twice because I find the description and the notes quite appealing, but the floral phase was too strong for me (both times, I felt a headache coming on, although it never fully materialized), so this one is a reluctant swap.

Scents like this one make me feel like a bit of a stupidnose because I have no idea what things like magnolia or plumeria actually smell like. Those aren't things that grow anywhere I've lived. I do recognize the rose and pear, though, and I could find them in this blend. The other notes mostly blended into something generically "flowery" to me. Just on, the sleeping beauty was all juicy pear and light flowers. A few minutes in, the pear faded for me and left the flowers. I really can't emphasize enough how lovely and light the florals in this blend are. The fruit is just the right touch to sweeten them and make them quiet and innocent. It did go a tad bit soapy-smelling on me, but not enough to really be an issue. The only reason this isn't for me is that I like a bit more bite with my flowers. You'd think someone who's in love with Chaste Moon wouldn't have a problem with innocent scents, but this one is a bit too pretty and pure for me. It's just the kind of beauty you would associate with a sleeping fairy tale princess, though, the type where you can imagine whatever sort of personality you want to complement the unsullied image before you. Pretty.

I was quite surprised by Nefertiti. For some reason, I expected it to be mostly sandalwood, with a hint of floral. It turned out to be quite the opposite. I don't know why, because they have no notes in common as near as I can tell, but Nefertiti reminded me of Mata Hari--something about the quality of the floral. The iris in this smelled a lot like jasmine to me and it overwhelmed all the other notes. I barely got any sandalwood or resin except for a brief whiff in the final drydown. I'm fairly certain that what this did on my skin is not the preferred reaction from this blend because it didn't seem evocative of an Egyptian queen at all, so it'll be heading off to swap for someone whose chemistry is more cooperative.

The dominant notes in this for me are myrrh and violet. I got Wings of Azrael as a frimp and didn't really expect to like it, but I was pleasantly surprised when I first put it on. The myrrh combined with the flowers to give them a sort of dusty, aged scent - like grandmother's gloves found in a box in the attic, still smelling of her perfume. The elements blend beautifully at first and I love the quirky, nostaligic beauty of it. Five or ten minutes in, the violets break out and my skin gives them free reign. They're all I smell for about half an hour. I'm not keen on this. Finally, when all is dry and settled, the myrrh comes back to sweeten and balance the flowers. This last stage reminds me a lot of Le Serpent Qui Danse. Overall, I'll say that, with the exception of the violet orgy in the middle, this one is quite nice. It doesn't scream "Me!" though, so I'll be passing it on. It deserves a good home. Preferably with someone who can pull off a hat.

I vaguely remember reading that light was a much more important factor than heat in oil degradation, but I'd love to hear a more definitive answer to this question too. I'm without AC so it gets pretty hot in the house in July/August.

I don't read a whole lot of fantasy novels, but I've had an ongoing relationship with Brian Jacques' Redwall books for ten years or so now. For those of you familiar with the series, Bloodlust immediately reminded me of the Badger Lords of Salamandastron who, in the heat of battle, are overtaken by an all-consuming bloodwrath as a red curtain descends over their eyes and they fight as if possessed. This scent is earthy and musky and undeniably RED. It's just what I would imagine the badger lords would smell in the midst of their wrath - part them, part their surroundings, and part something magical and surreal, something no one else around them smells because those warriors aren't under the same spell. This is really an amazing blend, incredibly evocative. It is not, however, a blend that I would associate with myself. I'll be swapping it, but I'm very glad I got to test it.

Bayou seemed like a hot summer night sort of scent, so I intentionally tried it on just such a lazy night. I was expecting a lazy aquatic with wet moss and the scent of flowers hanging in the air. If you've ever been on Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland, imagine the first, languid part of the boat ride, with the creak of a rocker and the light of fireflies flickering in the air. What I got instead was all flowers, from wet right through to the final drydown. I'm impressed, as always, by the purity of this oil. You definitely get a sense with Bayou that there's no element in this bottle that isn't somehow contributing to the overall feel of the fragrance. No filler, just scent. Heavy, floral scent. I think I might smell jasmine. If not, it's something that has a similar "perfumey" feel on me. The moss never really came out. Neither did anything wet or humid, really. It's actually a very nice floral, though, just not for me. Edited to add: An hour in, I finally smelled a flash of evergreen. Too little, too late. I'm jealous of everyone who got moss from the get-go.

A gentle, soothing blend of cherry blossom, white sandalwood and star anise. I wanted to love Kyoto, given my fascination with geishas and classical Japanese culture. It went on smelling strongly of cherries, REALLY strongly, which surprised me. I was expecting a more sweet, flowery scent from the cherry blossoms. I could detect some wood in the background, but no anise so far as I could tell. The combination of the sweet cherry and the wood note reminded me a lot of The Red Queen, which didn't work on me at all. In fact, I suspect I might have liked it better if it hadn't brought up that connection and the memory of Red Queen's powerful laquer scent. The sweetness all but disappeared in the final drydown and I was left with a light, slightly spiced sandalwood. The spice didn't smell like star anise to me (and I did stick my nose in the spice jar to check) but that must be what it was. I can see, given the elements, why this is a good scent for Kyoto, but that cherry note wreaked havoc with my chemistry. It's not a keeper for me.

I love this! I think I've finally found, in Alice, the scent that will replace Chaste Moon as my comforting, sleeping blend. It's lovely, sweet and spicy. I was surprised to see bergamot in the notes listing because bergamot usually races to the forefront on my skin, leaving any blend containing it reeking of lemon. It doesn't do this at all in Alice. Instead, it behaves and plays a nice, quiet supporting role. The carnation, on the other hand, is robust and miraculous. A few whiffs of Alice actually reminded me of Port-au-Prince because the carnation is so strongly reminiscent of clove. It's just the right complement to the soft milk/honey/rose of the blend. Did I mention I love this?

If Venice were a fabric, it would be a heavy, floral damask. It's an incredibly opulent floral, intricately woven into a stylized version of reality. Unfortunately, for me, it felt a bit like wearing heavy damask in the 90-degree heat too. Venice was just too much for me. The perfumey jasmine settled around me and wouldn't let go, even though I could smell the fruit underneath, struggling to get out. If you like heady florals, Venice is one with a lot of depth and interest, but I'm going to have to admit to myself that jasmine and I don't seem to be getting along and let this one go.

Got this one as a frimp from the lab. Based on the notes, I probably would never have chosen it myself. Venom is very strong and "perfumey," which, I'll admit, is something I have a bias against. In this case, I think the perfumey smell comes from having a lot of different notes that wouldn't naturally occur together. When I actually sit down and smell the perfume on my skin, there's absolutely nothing offensive. A lovely sweet scent hangs in the air, chilled by that hint of lime listed in the description. Objectively, I should like this a lot. I like sweet. I like powerful. I just don't like this. In fact, I think it's giving me a bit of a headache. Off to swap. I'm sure someone else will love it...there's really nothing not to like.

I would have never thought to order Whip on my own, at least not for a very long time, but I received an imp as lagniappe from the lab and, having just had my first hint of the leather note with Severin, I tried it right away. In the bottle, this was frustratingly familiar, the kind of scent that hits you like deja vu. There wasn't a whole lot of leather at first whiff, so I hoped it would come out on my skin. First on, it smelled like ROSE. Just like that. In all caps. It actually took about an hour for the rose to really settle down enough for the leather to come out, but come out it did. It's the perfect bad-ass girl scent - it's the olfactory equivalent of red lipstick and a leather corset. The final drydown smells like...don't laugh at me...chocolate. Somehow, the rose and leather mingled together become absolutely edible. My only complaint is that initial ROSE phase. I'm going to try to get my hand on some more leathery scents to try to ease it out of that stage a bit more quickly. Otherwise, this is a huge winner.

So good! On first application, my four-year-old sniffed my wrist and said, "It smells like that candy!" It does, at first, smell like a great mint candy. I can especially pick out the spearmint, which is my favorite of all mints. The drydown, on my skin, is a wonderfully realistic cucumber with mint still hanging in the background to freshen it up. I'm not smelling the pepper, which I'm a little sad about, but I'll edit if it comes out in a few hours. I'm so glad I ordered this, although I have a feeling it might be one that fades quickly. That's okay. I'll marinate in it this summer. I'm thrilled.

I'm getting to know bergamot quite well in my quest for a perfect tea scent. It seems as soon as I put on a blend containing it, I'm assaulted with LEMON. Hello bergamot. While wet, Severin was strong bergamot with a nice leathery scent underneath. The leather is wonderful, but it's kind of getting lost beneath my skin's love/hate relationship with bergamot. Fifteen minutes in, both the bergamot and leather have faded a bit and mingled to become a really nice, masculine scent. There's not much throw, but the scent on my skin is pronounced. An hour in: The black tea has started to come out now. Everything is even fainter than before. Two hours: very faint tea and leather. This is my favorite phase. I wish it was stronger. It's really barely there. Three hours: more or less gone.

I had ordered March Hare before I read andrabell's comment about it being the perfect scent for Disneyland but, by the time it arrived, I put it on with that sentiment in mind. She was right. It's a fun, playful, creative scent--bright apricot with just enough clove that my skin doesn't eat it like it does clove in other blends. I think, despite what others have said about it being good for the holidays, I will always associate March Hare with warm weather and sunny skies. If I had to pick one word to describe it, it would be "fun."

With the clove and red wine, I was really hoping that Madrid would smell similar to how Lady Macbeth smells when I layer it with Three Witches. With Three Witches discontinued and me having spilled half my imp, I really need a replacement! Unfortunately, my body had different ideas. In the bottle, it smelled promising--that familiar wine note, sweetened, with a hint of something spicy in the background. Not as clove-y as I had hoped, but nice. On...mimosa! Sweet orange blossom, backed by that grape-y BPAL wine note. No clove. It appears my skin eats clove. Sad, because I love it. The final drydown smells like baby aspirin to me. This isn't terrible. I kind of like the smell of baby aspirin. It's just not what I was hoping for. I don't see myself reaching for this all that often, but I'll keep the imp around for now, just in case a craving strikes.

This is a lovely, girly scent. I feel like I'm doing it a disservice by wearing it with cargo pants and a tank top. I should be wearing a light, floaty dress and a flower in my hair. You would think that with only three listed notes, it would be easy to pick them out, but I'm not good at florals at all. I just know it's light and pretty and I'm happy the lab gave it to me as a frimp.

Snake Oil has been reviewed so many times at this point, that'll I'll just hit on the reasons why I think it deserves its popularity. 1. It lasts forever and a day. You can barely wash this stuff off. 2. It layers with anything and everything. 3. It's really well-blended. Nothing sticks out in this scent. 4. It's named "Snake Oil." I mean, come on, how can you resist that?