neverything

Don't use the word perfume. The minds of postal workers can't conceive of a perfume without alcohol. I always send mine as "bath oil - no alcohol".

I'm loving the rose-infused amber in The Little Wooden Doll, but sandalwood and I have a hate-hate relationship. Are there any other scents that use it as a note? Googling, I only found The Miller's Daughter (tried it, the straw was very sour on me), and On the Balcony (other notes don't seem like they'd work on me). Does anyone know of something I'm missing?

Please note that I'm not at all experienced in picking out notes. These are just my best guesses. In the bottle, I get pumpkin and warm spices, and a buoyant "red" note that's a little fruity and a little floral. On, it's smelling a bit cinnamony, but I ALWAYS boost cinnamon and I'm not doing it here, so I think it's probably cassia. There are other spices too, but I can't tell exactly what they are. As it dries down, I'm getting dry spices and (very slight) woods on top, with moist pumpkin underneath, spiked with just a hint of red apple.

I usually stick to light, foody scents if I'm worried about bothering other people. At least that way, if it's too strong, the people around me are thinking "Why do I smell tea and cucumbers?" and not "Who's wearing too much perfume?"

in bottle: Difficult to tell the individual notes. Mostly sweet, a little boozy, an underlying sharpness. Something of a head shop smell, though patchouli is not listed as a note. Fairly strong throw. wet: Sweet and herbal. Something familiar that I can't put my finger on. Probably I had some scented toy as a kid that smelled like this. Slightly Christmassy, but not in the usual way. Average throw. drydown: Much the same, at first. Now and then, there's a little wisp of smokiness which becomes more prominent as time grows on. Grows boozier as well. May be making me sneeze. Musky at the end. Average throw. verdict: Not unpleasant, but not really something I see myself wearing, either.

in bottle: Perfect candy cane. Above average throw. wet: Peppermint, but a little more like gum than a candy cane. Throw backs off almost immediately. drydown: Quickly becomes just a faint memory of a trip to the dentist's. Completely gone in less than 15 minutes. verdict: Pointless to wear it on skin, but will keep for a scent locket and to make wax tarts.

in bottle: Sea spray, fresh air, and adventure. on me: Dead things washed up on a beach.

in bottle: A bit perfumey; the various notes seem to fight with each other. Nothing very special. Average throw, or slightly less. wet: Disappears completely, then juniper peeks out. Slight Play-Doh hint. Almost no throw. drydown: Same as wet. Eventually the amber comes out, but it's not worth the wait. verdict: Very disappointed in this one. Not worth keeping.

in bottle: Heavy, sweet, syrupy fruit, followed by heady magnolias. A little boozy. Fairly strong throw. wet: Magnolia takes the forefront, with the honeyed peaches close behind. The two scents swirl around each other. I immediately get the image of afternoon sun shining on the polished wood floors of a southern plantation-style house. Average throw. drydown: Throw gets stronger, but scent stays much the same. A hint of smoke after a while. verdict: Definitely not a scent for a place where perfume needs to be discreet. This perfume is as big as a southern belle's hoop skirts. The scent is pleasant, but not a must-have for me.

in bottle: A very light and flowery, almost fruity scent, with an underlying earthiness. Not much throw. wet: Tea rose and jasmine come out, fruitiness disappears. Underlying earthiness is still there. Still not much throw. drydown: Fruitiness comes back out, along with the pepper. A little powdery. It's a scent of days gone by, which almost gives it an "old lady" edge. Slightly stronger throw, eventually noticeable when wrist is at arm's length. Very feminine, yet unstereotypically so. verdict: A light, feminine scent. Quite pleasant, yet not so intriguing that I'll need more than the imp.

in bottle: Musk, a tiny bit of popcorn, and something that reminds me of my grandma's house. Average throw. wet: Strong, white musk with a slight hint of rubber underneath it. Throw quickly backs off. drydown: Morphs from a cold scent to a warm one as the butter peeks out. It's not so musky anymore, but can't be considered buttery, either. Not much throw. verdict: Meh.

in bottle: The "blackberry jam" bit comes out quite strong and boozy, and a little fake. The scones are nice, but hard to smell. Strong throw. wet: Blackberry scent is a bit truer, and doesn't overpower the scones so much. I'm getting quite a bit of tea rose as well. Reminiscent of a Cracker Barrel store, or a cozy New England bed and breakfast. Fairly strong throw. drydown: Blackberry and tea rose remain the prominent notes, with the scones in the background. Strong throw. Becomes plasticky sweet in the final stages. verdict: This is not so much blackberry jam and scones, as a heavily potpourried foyer with the smell of fresh blackberry scones wafting in from the kitchen. It's a very comforting scent, though it can be a bit overpowering. It's nice enough in the peak stage, but not a must have for me.

in bottle: An unexpected scent. A little sweet, a little sharp, a little floral, a little fruity. Average throw. wet: Can't discern any of the notes in this, but it's a pleasant scent. Quiet, yet quirky; feminine, yet definitely not frilly. This is the scent of a modern Renaissance Woman. Average throw. drydown: Turns a bit smoky-ish (the nicotiana?). Otherwise, remains pleasant. Somewhat aquatic. Less than average throw. verdict: Very wearable, but not one of my must-haves.

Freshly cut wood with Play-Doh and a hint of cherry. This is the scent that made me realize that I just need to stop wearing anything that has a wood or cherry note in it.

in bottle: Chocolate icing with a bit of a floral undertone. Average throw. wet: Instantly disappears, then cocoa powder comes out after about a minute. Is more like icing after about three minutes. drydown: Sometimes cocoa powder, sometimes icing. Not much throw at first, but gets better and stronger as time goes by. verdict: A very nice milk chocolate scent.