zankoku_zen

Sheer light peaches and spicy incense. I only have 1/2 oz atomizer of this and it's glorious. In alot of ways, the balance between sweet and spice is the same as in Silkybat (except with different elements), which I find very wearable. I typically only spritz 1 -2 times, and my hair smells FANTASTIC.

DeSade, is that you? Okay, so this one is a black leather note that isn't totally chemically, but it's still like shiny new black leather. I get hints of juniper, amber, and honey, which soften the black leather up... some. But my original impression sticks. This is DeSade, but less scary. Like he's dressed up for the holidays. He's making an effort to be less... well, DeSade and much more pleasant. And while I applaud the effort, overall, it's still too much BLACK LEATHER for me.

Red musk, geranium and a hint of tobacco. So this is a geranium + red musk blend, which is pretty. But still, red musky. Red, pretty, sensual.

Ginger, lemon poppyseed cake. This is much more 'cake' and foody than the previous incarnations I have tried, 2006 being more of a sugar ginger candy, whereas this is more like cake + ginger dusting on it. Tasty, and while pleasant, it doesn't tug at my heart strings.

Sweet, heady jasmine. This jasmine behaves (ie - does not turn into immediate cat pee), but blooms bombastically on my skin. If you enjoy jasmine, give this a whirl.

Orange peel, sharp frankincense, and galbanum. This one is a sharp resin on me, and smells both golden green. There's a slight smokiness after it dries, but overall this is not a blend for me. PASS.

Moss, myrrh and violet. Wow, this is very pretty. I'm usually not into violet blends at all, but this one is resin + violet. I think the moss element keeps it from going too powdery on me. I get a light tinge of pine, which actually makes this blend very Yule-friendly. Huh. Will BPAL wonders NEVER CEASE. This is a 'dark' violet blend, and I think the myrrh makes this quite sexy and grown up.

White amber, white moss and frankincense. This one is a light, resinous blend with a white vibe. It's mainly an amber blend, but with touches of moss and frankincense. While being gender neutral, I can see a guy really appreciating this one as a perfume since it smells resinous without being overpowering, and its not a heavy resin or has no sweet elements to it. At least to me.

Incensey plum. In alot of ways, this reminds me to Diable en Boite, but its more tobacco plum + vetiver. Occasionally I get whiffs of geranium. This is a dark, incensey blend. If you like plum, give this a whirl.

Incense, vetiver and oudh. It's a smooth, incense blend. As it dries, there's a slightly red-tinged vibe to it, which reminds me to a Shunga. There's a slightly sharp note on it that I catch on occasion, and I wonder if its the red tea. I have come to notice that BPAL tea's note can be kinda iffy on me.

Slightly chocolate pumpkin latte. It's tasty, but not for me.

Lush tuberose, lilac and hints of carnation. Sadly, tuberose is a giant bully and turns this blend into something that smells like hairspray. Boo. Hiss.

Dark, almost oily violet. I get the opium, violet and vetiver and incense smoke, and it smells almost like a violet version of a Phoenix Steamworks scent. In the sense that I get almost a gleaming, oily, shiny surface that resembles a violet. It's like a violet made out of gears, mystical parts and darkness. If someone was looking for a steampunk violet blend, give this a whirl. ETA: Now that this has had a chance to age, Nevar smells like the violet version of Pallas Athene, which ended up being a surprise hit for me. It's a dark, resinous blend with enough violets to keep it feminine.

This really reminds me to the Sugar Plum Fairy, minus the plum. This is sweet, sugary candy with a fruity jolt. Very wearable for a candy scent, and utterly apropos for a young girl. Too sweet for me, but now I totally want some candy!

Classic pink bubblegum indeed! This actually smells slightly to sugared watermelon bubblegum to me, which makes me think of BubbleYum and Bazooka Joe. AND THEN THE ROSES MAKE AN APPEARANCE. Sugary, pink roses. *FLAIL*

Sweet, slushy snow and cool aquatics. There's something very Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. So slightly masculine aquatic cologne tone to it. There's a bright flowery edge to it that perks it up. Mr. zee_zee is not a fan of one of the notes, other than that I think I'd totally really enjoy trying to find a bottle of this.

Brown leather, dust, and ink. Oddly enough, this is the blend I wish I got when I first tried Miskatonic University. There's no coffee component, but its BOOKS + dusty leather covers + INK. I get swirls of tobacco and smoke underneath. Not for me, but very realistic. Again, this is a scent as opposed to a perfume, and I have a hard time thinking of it as something wearable.

Apparently, I forgot to post my Callidora review. So, I get giant hits of red musk, with faint swirls of tobacco and cacao. Not enough to make this worthwhile, since its like a single note of red musk on me. As it dries, its more of a red musk + woodsy patchouli. Eh. Pass.

Rosey frankincense and amber. The rose is subtle, the frankincense is a little sharp for my taste. Pass. Totally not for me.

Furry clovey brown musk. It's the same furry brown musk that you would get in Wulric the Wolfman, but instead of deep cacao, you get clove instead. To me, this is like cuddling a clove cigarette. It smells like a clove cigarette, but one you cuddle instead of smoking it.

Again, I have to echo how EFFING amazing this hair gloss is. Sugary patchouli. Oddly enough, it reminds me to Badgers. BUT FOR YOUR HAIR. LOVE!

On wet, its mainly vanilla and I swear it smells more like sandalwood. It actually reminds me alot to the recent Hope and Fear Set Free. Earthy coffee bean, swirls of patchouli, sweet vanilla and Morocco-like spices. This has a smoky, almost tobacco like melding to it, in fact, it reminds me alot to Pinched with Four Aces on my skin but darker, and I think that's because the patchouli is more assertive than the tobacco in Pinched. I dabbed some Pinched on my other arm for comparison, and Pinched ends up sweeter and Und Wir is much darker. Between both, I'd prefer Und Wir. But at the same time, the smoky darker side is almost a tad too much for me. It's a gorgeous blend, but not an insta-love for me. Which invariably means that this may be better off in another home than mine. ETA: I got another bottle and its lighter, and more vanilla centric. But again, not an insta-love.

Apples, and dirt, and moss. And yes, this smells like a crisp fall morning picking apples in a REAL apple orchard. Muddy ground in your shoes, the smell of apples in the air. The crisp bite of a chilling breeze. IT'S EFFING MAGICKAL FOLKS. Bravo Lab. Bravo. This is one hell of a scent, and it packs a direct punch on wet, dropping the sniffer/wearer straight into the scent's apple picking fantasy. Where you go from there, is up to you. Off to have adventures. With apples.

Fur, snow, and sharp cologne. This one is very manly on me, and its more like Fenris Wolf does snow. There's something very familiar about this. Sharp, citrus, male cologne.

Lemon meringue cheesecake. This is a zesty, sugary lemon cheesecake. I get a teeny bit of thyme, which dials down the sweetness. Except now I want cheesecake. And pie. ... This scent really makes me too hungry.