zankoku_zen

Eve to me is spicy, roses and incense. In a lot of ways, she's a better and spicier version of Morocco or Inez. If you like either of those blends, you'll like Eve.

Streets of Detroit would be right at home in the Phoenix Steamworks line. I get dark pine, musk and motor oil. It's manly, and a clean dirty smell if that makes sense. This is the smell of a man that likes to tinker with antique cars.

Blood Popsicle is probably the most fun of all the OLLAs. It was a fruity, fizzy, sweet tarts and pomegranate blend. It was essentially sweet, fizzy pom. Definitely with some mint on wet, with the cool almost metallic edge to it. And then dries to a sweet, fruity pom.

So this is so not for me. I get a metric ton of BLACK LEATHER (DeSade, is that you?), patchouli, spices, and pepper. In other words, SPICY BLACK LEATHER. I just can't handle this.

I was ultra excited about this blend. And sadly disappointed. It was a cardamom heavy, nutmeg and clove with just a dash of coffee. It's actually very Turkish smelling, and very evocative, but definitely spice heavy and light on the coffee for me. Which makes me sad. I was hoping for a robust coffee smell with perhaps a whiff of spices.

I really was hoping that June and I would work out. What started as a pretty white floral bouquet veered straight down into a SOAP FLOWER GARDEN HEDGE, and never recovered. In fact, I'm not sure I have recovered from it either. It's a gloriously expensive and pretty floral soap. But yes, still soap.

Ava is best summed up as OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD. *ahem* For something that is remarkably simple, it is perfect in its execution. This smells like vanilla musk, with perhaps a hint of almond. Except that doesn't capture how wonderful Ava is. I did a side by side with Dorian, and to me its like two sides of the same coin. Dorian is the cooler, more citrus version. Ava is the warmer, more musky version. If anyone has orphaned Avas to let, I'll be their Statue of Liberty and embrace them all. Come to me. I will give them a loving home and cherish them all.

Wolf Moon 2013 was cuddly pine and fur. In alot of ways, it made me think of the Emerald Comic Con exclusives, but I much prefer the pine + cold fur combination of Wolf Moon.

Schwarzer Mond was super resinous, powder, and almond. Yeah, that's all I got.

I have to say that I went on a Lunacy testing binge, and this was probably the one that I enjoyed the most. I get citrus from the lemon and orange, watery violet and musk. As it dries down, I get wood and incense developing. So it dries to a light, citrusy incense/musk. It's pretty and captivating. Citrus, incense, musk.

Palus Nebularum is green, mossy, watery mixed with a traditional citrus cologne. Remember Jean Nate? This is sort of what that smells like. Clean, green, aquatic.

Luna Sanguinem is red musk, resins and honey. Dark, smoky, mysterious.

I got a breezy white floral - with neroli and tobacco flower. It was white, high pitched, a little high strung, but very floral.

ACK! Tis one was dark, dank earth. Decaying soil, mold, everything. Honestly, if you were staging a haunted house, I'd spray this over the front lawn and people would swear there's someone buried out in front.

13 ad Lunam was interesting. It was a watery lavender, musk, sage and poppy blend. It was odd, dreamy, and a little fizzy at times. In a lot of ways, it sort of put me in mind to other lunacy blends, in particular Blue Moon. It had a very dream/otherworldly character to it.

This is sandalwood, patchouli, and resins. Very warm, smooth patch. Sexy, dirty hippie indeed.

Soft brown leather, with cardamom and spices. I honestly prefer this to Leopold which had obnoxious black leather if I'm to pick a leather blend. The brown leather note is similar to that of Quincy Morris, and the cardamom and spices ensure that it softens the blend up further for wearing.

Manly black leather and fur. If you were looking for chemically black leather and animal fur, and just want to go balls out animalistic, give this a whirl.

Aubin and I do not get along. What started out as lavender water, salty fur and a slightly sour myrrh note devolved completely into something that smells like bandaids. At which point, I just had to bid adiue to Aubin.

Lady Cecily is a rosy, peony heavy floral. Slightly musky on the drydown, but I get no fur, which I have to admit isn't a note that I'm fond off. Pretty, rugged, floral.

Okay, out of ALL of the blends this is the one that I wanted the most to work, and yet was worried that it wouldn't based on multiple elements like violet and carrot seed. This ends up as blue musk, carrot seed, violet, and citrus with swirls of vanilla. It's a beautiful, poignant, watery vanilla musk. And I LOVE IT. It's light, classic, sophisticated and I adore it to bits. So much so that I already have multiples of it. ETA: Finally put my finger on it. This has a Silence-esque vibe with the blue musk/contemplative type but with added watery bits (carrot seet, violet) and the vanilla undertone which makes it much more wearable. This should have jumped out at me from the get go but I was too distracted by the gorgeousness of the blend.

Fruity, musky, melon. This one sort of reminds me to La Fee Verte, I think, which was the most honeydew melon blend they put out there. If you love melon, try this. That's pretty much all I got.

On me, this was straight up jasmine and resin. It dries down to a more floral jasmine, and I get some of the musk come through. But overall, this blend is dominated by jasmine for me. Which invariably makes mr. zee_zee turn around and glare at the cat pee smell of it.

This was a powdery honey with iris. I get a light trace of almond after a while, but in general it was just a powdery honey. Powdery, pretty, honey.

This one is LOVE! It smells just like apple cider. I have a sample of this, and would seriously consider the candle. It is absolutely gorgeous.