Amoraexcena
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Everything posted by Amoraexcena
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I always thought of lichen as the dry corn-flakes of the natural world. But because of Lace Lichen and Ambergris and Lichen, I was really curious what real lichen smells like. I found bits of lichen on trees in the nearby park today and sniffed them. Often they smelled of moss and dirt, but one little piece smelled a bit like dry green powder. In contrast, both Lace Lichen and Ambergris and Lichen are juicy. This is what I would imagine you'd smell if you crushed a plump little leaf of a succulent. I agree with the above reviewers that this has some a plant milk/sappy feel. Ambergris, as usual, is a clean sweet-and-salty vibe. After an hour or two of wear a lot of the juice has dried, leaving behind just the pale green orris face powder. This is quite nice, and while I don't think I'll need a backup, I can see myself reaching for it when I feel like cosplaying forest fae or wood elf. Actually, I recently got myself an Arwen cosplay (her pale green coronation gown, and I made the matching crown). I can definitely see myself wearing this with that.
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This is so airy and fresh that I'm imagining a fairy with gossamer wings. Something (the silk?) has a pale green floral feel that's giving verdant spring vibes on my skin. I actually want to try this with Druid, or maybe even Elf (is Aasimar-Elf mixed race a thing? I'm not too familiar with DnD). I got this along with Dahlia (and a bunch of other bottles), and I must say if you're looking for cardamom, you're barely getting a smidge with this, I can't detect it at all. If you want cardamom, go for Dahlia. This is a pretty skin scent, definitely glowy and pure and light.
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I need to come out first and say that I'm not usually a fan of cherry scents at all. In fact, the uncanny valley between almond and artificial cherry is one of my least favourite smells. Generally, I'd consider cherry to be one of my "death notes." I'm pretty careful about the scents I buy that has cherry in it. But I don't actually believe in real "death notes," unless it's an allergy - I think everything is execution. And the execution on this is chef's kiss - literally. This is black cherry and blackberry compote - gently cooked, not too jammy, still has some juicy tart freshness - cradled lovingly by a thin crust of flaky pastry. The Sufganiyot is there largely for texture. The smell is a gorgeous dark fruit compote with an emphasis on the juicy black cherry. It's mouthwatering. You can practically taste this. It's SO realistic, but simultaneously it's the fruity, not-too-sweet cherry pastry that is so perfect that it can only exist in your dreams. My last order from the Lab was FULL of wins, nothing I didn't like. This one was the one I wasn't totally sure about, but it too was a resounding winner. Definitely the best cherry scent I've ever smelled. I'll be wearing this in the summer a lot. I might have to get a backup with my next order.
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In the bottle, this is a blast of almond-marzipan. Marzipan isn't something I've ever enjoyed, so it's a little scary putting this on my skin. And immediately on my skin, the blast of sweet almond veers dangerously close to sharp fake cherry, which I can't stand. The uncanny valley between almond and fake cherry is one of my least favourite smells. BUT 2 minutes later, this morphs into a thick, sweet vanilla cold cream blended with fondant, with the tiniest smidge of plastic clown doll. It's so neat how this smells treacle-thick, coagulated, smear-able, despite how gentle the scent is. It's also pure, brilliant, titanium white - so unnaturally white that you're kind of suspicious about it, like you want to know if it's hiding something sinister and dark underneath all that unmarred, perfect, sweet whiteness. This is one of those scents that makes me wonder in awe at Beth's artistry. What a joy to be able to experience the craft of a genius.
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Beaver Moon: Violet and Vanilla Chiffon
Amoraexcena replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
While this is very lovely, I get the same experience as Little Bird - this is sweet violet powder. Much more akin to Faith on my skin than OG Antique Lace (I enjoy both very much, but OG AL is very special to me). Somehow, the bits of vanilla makes it more soft and poofy-powdery than Faith. More throw as well I think, though my bottle of Faith is 10+ years old so ymmv. I like this even more than Faith, so it's a winner in my books, even if it's not quite an OG AL dupe. I'm still glad I got 2 bottles! It's very lovely and I can see myself reaching for this a lot in spring. Or anytime I'm embroidering 😊 I feel vintage wearing this, in a good, classy way. It also reminds me of Guerlain Meteorites powder (but better). -
Initially what I got was a big blast of sugared cardamom spice, which reminded me of Constellation (which is a blast of sugared clove both in the bottle and on my skin). I was a little nervous so I only wore a drop. After a minute or two though, my nose felt like it was in a cocktail party full of sexy, amazing-smelling ladies. I'm getting whiffs of the poofy vanilla and seductive sugared amber. Gorgeous and beautifully balanced and very wearable. I quickly slathered more 😄 I get the hype train for Dahlia, and I'm on board! +1 agree with all the other reviews; this is going to be very popular.
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I love and adore this. To me, this is what silvery fairy dust blended with unicorn tears smells like. A gentle, perfectly balanced salty-sweet, come-hither scent. It's the perfect wet-look opalescent highlighter of my dreams in perfume form. I'm pretty sure it's similar to grey amber/ambergris. I wish this also came in perfume form, it's so lovely.
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La Dame Aux Pamplemousses
Amoraexcena replied to doomsday_disco's topic in The Edward Gorey House
In the bottle, this is 70% marshmallow and 30% pleasant sweet grapefruit, not very sour or tart - any sour edges are buffed and puffed out by the marshmallow cloud. Definitely billow-y and floofy. On my skin, the grapefruit is a bit better able to hold its own and I get a nice bit of citrus freshness-brightness alongside the sweet vanilla marshmallows. It's still majority-marshmallow. It's a foody marshmallow, definitely edible, maybe just a little bit gooey. Love this. It reminds me most of Gobo, with the creamy citrus, though this is recognizably grapefruit compared to Gobo's citrus medley, and I think I prefer this. I was disappointed in my last marshmallow-scented purchase (Marshmallow and Candyfloss hairgloss) because it smelled too artificial and sweet, but La Dame is a realistic marshmallow. And while this scent is almost as sweet, the grapefruit tempers that slightly and makes it more wearable in my books. I think I like it just as much as I like Stekk, which is very high praise. Winner! Probably back-up worthy. -
This is a pale, sweet floral version of Traditional Sheet Ghost on my skin. It's freshly washed, cool, high-thread-count sheets with classy faded vintage floral patterns. Traditional Sheet Ghost is having a spring fling with a flower nymph and they're enjoying milk baths together. I find the throw really big at first, then tones down a lot by the hour mark (or maybe my nose gets used to it quickly). I find myself wanting to reapply a few times a day. Love this scent! I wish it came in milky bath salts form.
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I was super excited to get to try this finally - big thanks to SSDB 💕 Strangely, when I wear this perfume I immediately think "sweet patchouli." If I didn't have a note list and someone asked me to guess, I probably would have said "Tombstone with added sweet patch" pretty confidently (confidently wrong 😆). The cedar and balsalm are shared notes, so I'm not totally off I suppose, but I'm not sure what's giving off the patchouli vibes for me. It's sweet, earthy, resinous - a very approachable Tombstone's pretty younger sister. Love!
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I long ago used up my first bottle of this, but the ever-lovely @sunshinedaisybliss gave up her half-bottle for me. If Artemis had a bottle of refreshing lunar-powered potion, Chaste Moon 2005 is what it would smell like. It's a bit herbaceous, but clear, crystal herbs with the tiniest white flowers. It smells strangely lonely, like a bright moon surrounded by darkness, its own beautiful light hiding away any friendly stars nearby. On my skin, it blooms into something entirely different. This is the scent of sweet-milk baby skin, a comforting warm lactonic drink before bed. I've never tried the ridiculously expensive Crybaby perfume (discontinued and it goes for thousands of dollars in secondhand markets apparently), but this is what I imagine it smells like. It feels snuggly, a little like how Stekk feels. I've long loved this scent, and the longevity of these oils is amazing. It smells just as beautiful 20 years after release.
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This is ambrosia, nectar of the Olympian gods. The sunset's last rays captured in liquid form, blended with rich dribbles of golden nectar with creamy froth, aged in casks of gilded resin, touched lightly with the most precious of spice. It makes me a little forlorn wearing this, knowing how few bottles of this exist, how unlikely it is for it to return. A treasure of a vintage, that's for sure. The golden amber+sweet oudh combo reminds me a little of Implacable Beautiful Tyrant perfume oil (the hair gloss is a little more airy and gingery), though this is definitely its own unique thing and I love them both. The saffron reminds me of Celeste as well, while that one was a little too sweet for me - Amber & Lace is heavenly and perfect.
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I love this! Gorgeous lightly-sweet resins supported by my beloved ambergris. I can smell a touch of gentle floral (I wouldn't recognize it as immortelle without the notes) in the bottle, but on my skin it disappears. As previous reviewers have noted, it doesn't have too much throw, but occasionally I'm getting lovely whiffs of comforting, sacred-yet-absolutely-wearable resins+ambergris. I imagine a venerable priestess of the old gods to wear this. Or maybe Professor McGonagall. Demure, mindful, grounded, mature, everything feels very deliberate and calculated, but in a kind way. I'm sure it's going to age superbly as well. Backup-worthy!
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+1 on the FLOOOOOF! This is one adorable kitty. It's a lovely creamy coconut smoothie made of coconut cream, cool coconut water, and topped with a generous dusting of fluffy coconut-confectioner's-sugar. I definitely have wanted a simple, layer-able coconut scent just like this one for a long time. I'm looking forward to layering it with The Star and Obatala to add a little more fun, youthful, fresh coconut to them.
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Dead Leaves, Nag Champa, Tunisian Patchouli, and Vanilla Bean Hair Gloss
Amoraexcena replied to Jenjin's topic in Hair
This is heavy on the dead, dried leaves full of the bitterness of neroli. Everything in this evokes death and darkness. The incense is dark and serious. The patchouli is dark, dirty, and no-nonsense. I can't detect any of the vanilla bean, which would have been a welcome respite from all this bitter darkness. I really wanted to find a dead leaves scent that works for me, but I think I'll have to take a break after this one. It just matches my mood post-Trump-election a little too much. What I want right now is hopeful, beautiful sweetness that lifts me out of this dark fog. I was hoping for a Sugared Lace-esque sweet incense scent, and this is absolutely not that. I will say that neroli-fans will probably like this. Alas, it's not for me. -
I was a tad wary about this one - anything soapy likes to SCREECH on my skin - but this stays freshly-washed cotton sheets, without turning into cheap soap. I'm so glad. The vanilla-marshmallow-incense quietly supports the cotton sheets. I love this, but also it makes me wish I had a scent where the roles are reversed - more of the vanilla-marshmallow-incense and the cotton sheets plays support. I'd love for the ghost of Stekk to visit these sheets next year ? Regardless, really lovely scent. Something I'd 100% wear right after finishing my chores and I want to feel fresh, clean, and accomplished.
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Oh man I LOVE this. I have several sweet lavender scents (Paper Phoenix, TKO) and airy lavender scents (Air and the Ether), but I don't have something quite like this - darkened lavender. The labdanum reminds me of the note in La Lugubre Gondola, a rich, sticky, dark amber with a bit of cola-like spices. For me it evokes a comfortingly heavy blanket in a darkened bedroom. The blanket carries a wisp of scent from the last time you washed it. I bet this is going to age wonderfully, just like LLG has. I adore this labdanum note?
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I'm a big fan of BPAL's ambergris note, and I sadly missed out on the Single Note when it came out. Happily, this one is very heavy on the ambergris, and exactly what I was hoping for. This accord is fresh and juicy, salty, and a little sweet. It's hard to tell where the ambergris ends and the lichen begins, but I think I detect a bit of oakmossy, subtle woody-plantiness. Definitely wearable on its own, though it's got pretty quiet throw. I have the Salt and Sand hair gloss on to test, and while that one isn't my thing (too soapy-aquatic), it definitely is improved with this Sturgeon Moon perfume accompanying it!
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A soft and somnambulent lavendar paired with ethereal amber and just a touch of light ambergris. I think of a pale little wisps who come to snuggle against your skin, dusting it with magic ether and leaving a memory of a cool sensation. It's joined TKO, To a Wreath of Snow, Go To Sleep Darlings, and Paper Phoenix in my sleep rotation! I hope they bring this back sometime so I can restock. Lovely blend.
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This one's a big morpher on me, unfortunately not in the best of ways. In the bottle I get a lovely gentle lavender with just a touch of airy sweetness. Immediately on my skin, the caramelized tobacco and cognac amp up and almost completely smothers the lavender. I like those notes, though I mourn a little for the lavender, so if it stayed there I wouldn't be too sad - but unfortunately, soon after it dries, the smoke poofs into the forefront and stomps all over everything else. It reminds me a little of how the smoke note in Liz behaved on my skin. It's like the cognac was set on fire and left to burn a little too long. I'm pretty sure this is a skin chemistry fail, so I'll be sure to test it in a scent locket before letting it go.
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Very pretty, reminiscent of De Vos Unicorn with the gentle mallow-vanilla combo. This one leans a little less floral, more sugary vanilla than DVU. I don't detect much resin or woods from this, maybe a touch in the far drydown. If the Unicorn wandered from its field of flowers, and into the little patch of vanilla orchids, lovingly cared for by elvish gardeners, this is what you'd get.
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On my skin, this is the rain-soaked, adventure-loving half-sister to They Shut Me Up in Prose. Less demure and approachable but no less beautiful - hauntingly so, in fact. She has sirens or nymphs or mermaids in her blood. Maybe all three. As folks before have said, this is a gorgeous, gently sweet rain-and-vanilla that feels like a cross between Sea of Glass and They Shut Me Up in Prose, with a dash of Zorya P. I'm glad I got two bottles blind, and thank you to previous reviewers for convincing me to!
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Deer Moon: Golden Tobacco and Beeswax
Amoraexcena replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
Another beautiful duet! I got this one mostly because I wanted to confirm that I can wear the BPAL beeswax note (I sadly can't wear most of their honey notes, they tend to go cloyingly sweet on my skin). As LavenderCoffee says, it's a warm, sophisticated-perfume-tobacco with a quite realistic, slightly earthy, gently sweet beeswax. Success! I can definitely wear beeswax ? I bought it together with Wanton Airs, Bodiless Airs, thinking they'd pair quite well together. They ABSOLUTELY do. They're both beautiful in their own right, but wonderful layered. I see a lot of fun layering experiments with this one in the near future - I can see this going well with some of my favourite Hair Glosses - IBT and Palo Santo and Patchouli, definitely. I'm so glad I got this, and might spring for another bottle before the Deer Moon Lunacy wanes. -
I saw this on sale, and read doomsday_disco's review, and had to get it. I'm surprised it's not more popular (or maybe it is and I'm just out of the loop). The cognac makes it a bit like a Lace or Pediophobia. It's a golden lace - like golden hour sunbeams streaming through lace curtains, warming some ripe sweet citrus in a wooden bowl. Somehow nostalgic and classic in feel. The bergamot adds a lovely brightness but fades relatively quickly on my skin, so I think I'll try it in a scent locket as well. Really beautiful from start to finish. I'm really glad I was able to grab a bottle!
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I'm on a bit of a lavender kick, and I'm really glad I got this one. A gently herbal-floral lavender paired with the old cool-toned Dorian with a bit of extra vanilla. This really makes me miss the Lilith updates. Just gorgeous and perfect as a sleep scent. Goodnight?