jewelbug

Imp: Very green, much more so than I expected. I can barely smell pumpkin from the imp. Wet: One of the notes immediately has me thinking of dia de los muertos--cactus blossom? Its a dusty green scent with only whisps of a pumpkin base. Dry: That dusty scent is amplified to incredible proportions. It smells like the dusty notes from dia de los muertos, a bit of herbal and less than a bit of pumpkin. Also...a hint of pencil shavings? Overall: I think if you like DDLM and pumpkin blends, this is for you. Granted, the pumpkin in this one strikes me as a little weaker than in most of the pumpkins. Glad I tried it, but its not for me. Off to swaps.

Imp: Deep boozy chocolate--like creme de cacao, over pumpkin. Wet: Immediately more fruity and less chocolate-y--and I'm getting a distinct creamy/pina colada type scent like I get from Milk Moon 07--maybe the same milk note? Dry: Chocolate and cream. Reminds me of the Candy Butcher. The caramel wafts, and the fruit dies off for the most part. I also get a bit of a nutty note from this--like a hazelnut coffee feel. Overall: The whole things smells yummy, but too gourmand for me. It also verges on plastic/burnt at times (caramel and I are only sometimes friends). I'll be passing this off in swaps.

Imp: Buttery pumpkin, hint of fruitiness...sorta reminds me of the pumpkin and pomegranate blend from last year. Wet: The grape comes out immediately, shining and juicy and very real. Its like a strong white grape juice with a pumpkin base note. After a few moments, the pear joins the mix too. This is quite fruity and pretty so far. I'm dreading the jasmine, but maybe this won't be bad! The pumpkin has a light spice. Dry: Unfortunately the "true" grape of the wet phase gives way to an insanely grape-bubble-yum-over-pumpkin-butter scent. Eventually that backs off, but its still "whoa-grape" for most of the dry down. Overall: Good throw, lasts 4ish hrs on me. I never got jasmine tea, and given my history with bpal jasmine, that was fine. What I ended up with was a super grape gum over pumpkin pie--smells yummy, but its not what I'm looking for in a perfume.

Imp: Sweet, slightly powdery resins. Wet: A dusty dirt over sweet resins and even a hint of citrus. I think maybe some orris?? Dry: This is definitely a powdery, dusty scent. I still think there is orris in here along with the incense/resins. Overall: A soft, subtle, powdery incense blend. Very pretty, and stays very close to my skin--not much throw. This is a nice blend, but not my cup of tea.

Imp: green, slightly spicy wooded scent Wet: Sweet green scent, but oddly, its slightly creamy smelling to me. There is even a hint of something fruity in this... Dry: Incredibly fresh, green woody scent with an unexpected sweetness. Not fruity...more like there's a bit of an aquatic in here lending that sweet cleanliness--maybe its the moss? Overall: This is unexpectedly sweet, fresh and green smelling. It has a clean, aquatic quality to it that I really like. I'm considering a bottle, though I don't know how much wear it would get (not my usual scent genre). Lasts ~6hrs, pretty good throw.

Imp: a light, clean, green vetiver? Wet: This sounds like a very masculine clean green scent, like crushed leaves. There is a similar nutty smokiness as in Bonfire Night. Dry: Very cologne like vetiver/green scent with a hint of smoke. Somewhere in the mid-dry-down this sweetens a bit, almost apple like. But ultimately this ends up as a clean, slightly woodsy and leaning-towards-masculine-cologne scent. Overall: A nice blend, but not something that hubby or I would wear regularly. Fades in about 4 hrs on me.

Imp: A slightly smoky, sort of musty dark sugar. Wet: Yup, very sweet with an odd smoky and almost nutty note. This reminds me of what i remember hearth smelling like. Drying: More pronounced nuttines, along with the smokey very sweet scent. Later into the drydown this takes a bad turn towards plasticy burnt sugar. Overall: Alas, burning treacle is not for me. This is way nuttier than I expected (seeing as I didn't expect that at all!), and while its an interesting scent, there is also something unidentifiably weird about it on my skin. Off to swaps!

Your results may vary, but when I tried this at will call I got a lot more in the way of tropical fruity drinks. There was a lovely creaminess to it, though! I agree--Egg Nog is totally worth a shot. On my skin chem, it wasn't very boozy, and not as nutmeg-y as I would've hoped, but it definitely had a creamy egg custard thing going!

Imp: Sniffing from the imps, this is the clear winner of the pumpkin patch for me, hope its the same on the skin! Sweet, non-buttery pumpkin, slight spice, slight citrus note. I can definitely see the comparisons to pumpkin queen. Wet: THe citrus is more apparent, supported by a deep sweetness and a nice pumpkin. Gorgeous. Dry: The citrus steps into the background and its really a smooth pumpkin/spice scent with a lot of creaminess from the vanilla/benzoin. Good throw, but fades on my skin in about 4-5 hrs. Overall: Love it, bottle, definitely!

Imp: Totally buttery pumpkin with a bit of tobacco peeking through. Wet: The pumpkin is in the background on the skin, with a lovely tobacco/champaca duo on top. Drying: Unfortunately, my skin amps champaca flower in a major way. So really I end up with a champaca single note for several hours. In the late dry down its a faded almost honeyed champaca with hints of tonka. I can't really smell pumpkin at all. Overall: This definitely does strike me as a not-very-pumpkiny pumpkin patch, so worth trying if that's what you're looking for. I don't really need another champaca-one-note blend, though, so I'm gonna pass. Khajuraho smells pretty much like this on me, since I amp the c.flower so much! eta: a year later, and this is still strong on the champaa on me, but i'm also getting an almost wintergreeny tinge from it. weird!

I'm still on the hunt for my ultimate nutmeg blend. Any suggestions?!!

Bottle: Cologne like and musky. I can only assume this is one that blossoms on the skin... Wet: As soon as this goes on, I'm hit with an intense sweetness--almost vanillic. It quickly takes on a musk-from-devil's-night note (or maybe its the bonfires) and a strong note very reminiscent of sweet, soft leather. Dry: Its a lovely sweet musk scent...occasionally during the wear it reminded me of dorian, occasionally of devil's night (so maybe dorian's musk and devil night's fires?). Its a hint powdery, a hint vanilla, and overall a very sophistocated musk blend. This one strikes me as a pricey perfume. Overall: Well, I never smelled wine or dry leaves, really, but what I did smell was fantastic. It lasts a very long time and has amazing throw. it was still wafting all about me after 12 hrs, and I hadn't even applied that much! I can see why this is so popular, and I can't wait to smell it once its got some age on it. Could easily go masculine or feminine, I think.

In the imp: This smells like a sweet man's cologne with a bit of spiciness. I can't really pick out any of the notes Wet: Still sweet cologne, but now its sweeter and a bit less masculine There is even a slight citrus quality to this--bergamot? And very, very oddly, it reminds me of my grandmother's perfume (I believe its called jean nate) As far as I know that and this don't share a single note, but it still reminds me a bit of the melange of smells I'd smell in her bathroom, which consisted largely of her perfume. It also reminds me a great deal of her art studio...some sort of woodsy aspect that is like her framing station. Dry: Still reminds me of a combo of my grandma's perfume and her art studio, but there is a sweet, almost creamy fruity scent as well. I actually think it might be champaca flower. Maybe. Overall: This is a very evocative scent for me. it wasn't at all what I expected, since those notes would never scream "my grandma's art studio and perfume" if I just read them....maybe gmom smokes opium and I never knew? HAHA. Anyway, I quite enjoyed the strong scent memory with this one. I'll likely keep the imp, but wouldn't need enough to justify a bottle.

Compelling, complex, and utterly enigmatic: a luxuriant, exotic blend of cherry, red musk, and star anise. Wet: Cherry cough syrup, and something that smells of polished woods. Bit of medicinal licorice. Dry: The polished wood scent sticks around, accompanied by cherry, though its less cough syrup scented now. The anise comes to the forefront for about 20 minutes during the drydown phase (my fave part!), but then goes back to the shadows. So...I'm getting cherry polished woods. Overall: I LOVED the anise phase, but the cherry wood...not so much. Passing it along!

Bottle: Cherry over rose. Wet: Cherry (the kind that verges on almond) over rose, but the rose is getting stronger. I'm relieved that this isn't the same cherry note that usually has me thinking "red lollipop." Drying: During the early drydown, I get a tart fruitiness, almost citrusy, and a hint of cherries under a warm rose. Dry: This is a rose scent that stays true on me...it hasn't gone soapy or powdery. Its a majority of rose supported by non-descript (to my nose) tart fruitiness. The tart fruits give way to sweeter ones later in the dry-down, and very late into drydown I do get a wee bit of honey and carnation along with the sweet fruits and rose. Mostly rose. Overall: Alas, I was hoping for lots of honey and fig in this one, and while i did get some honey at the end, this just wasn't what I hoped. My skin turns this into a rose lovefest. Its pretty, but not me. If you like this, you might also like its fruitier counterpart, The Hanging Gardens.

I knew when this went up that I was ordering a bottle unsniffed. Afterwards, I had all sorts of doubts wondering if it would be ALL bad patchouli on me. You see, some bpal patchouli doesen't work well on me (I'm looking at you Mme Moriarty, you heartbreaker). Luckily, this was not one of those patchoulis, and I had no need to fear... Bottle: Patchouli, yes, a deep woodsy patchouli. Really smooth, not sharp. But to me, in the bottle, the coconut/benzoin really cuts through to sweeten and smooth. Mmmmmm... Wet: This is love. It reminds me strongly of my favorite coconut incense from high school. Dark, round, earthy patchouli, but with a sweet dusky coconut smell. Its not beach-y coconut at all. I can't stop sniffing my wrist. Dry: This holds to a really smooth woodsy patchouli with dusky dark coconut. I really can't pick out the benzoin, but I'm sure that's part of the overall sweet roundess of the scent. Overall: I'm in love with this one. I get a fair bit of coconut/benzoin with the patchouli. After some of the early reviews, I feared it would be all patch, but its far from one-note on my skin chemistry. Its dark and sweet and sexy, and befitting of the Goblin-King himself. I haven't bought a bottle unsniffed in ages, but I'm thrilled that I took a chance on this one. I really think this will age amazingly! eta: This reminds me of Intrigue--deep dark woodsiness with sweet tropical scents over top. Goblin is less sweet and a bit more masculine, and obviously the notes aren't the same, but i'd say its the same sort of scent family. Or maybe I'm just crazy. eta: its almost a year later and this has some age on it. Unfortuantely, the patchouli has taken over the blend, and the coconut/benzoin seem to have backed off. Bummer, but now it goes so woody that its almost pencil shavings on me. It seems that I only like FRESH goblins.

Imp: A springy yellow scent. Rose over other sweet spring-like florals. Wet: Oh yes, quite a lot of rose. Rose with a touch of honeysuckle, a hint of citrus. Very gentle, sophistocated, pastel yellow perfume. Drying: This is a skin scent at first, but evolves into a floral with a moderate amt of throw. Early on, it has a vegetable note (like squash) deep underneath of a pale yellow rose/spring floral, and a slight honeyed sweetness, and a hint of pale dust (amber? musk?). Later, as the florals grow stronger and gain more throw, it reminds me of litha or ex lux fuit. A light, sweet, golden floral. Overall: Its a gentle and sophisticated, very feminine scent to me. Very pretty, but not something I think I'd wear often (not so much a floral girl).

Imp: a very sweet )slightly fruity, even, floral. There's a bit of something in here that smells of wintergreen to me. Not green wintergreen...but the chalky pink sort of wintergreen candy from way back when, if you know what I mean. Wet: This is so bizarre. I'm still getting a lot of those chalky pink candies. This tingles my skin like I would expect of mint, though there's non listed. Dry: Ugh...and as it starts to dry...commercial toilet bowl cleanser. That scent of the cleaner in public bathrooms. Lasts a long time. Overall: Sweet pea almost always does this to me. I should've known. Swaps. eta: after about 4 hrs, the bathroom cleaner (sweet pea) dies down and I'm left with a rich creamy tonka. I like this late drydown phase, but unfortunately, the first 4 hrs were ick.

Imp: Woods, hint of spice, overall sort of perfumey. Wet: Spicy woods and a leather note, though I realize there is no leather listed. Drying: Slightly perfume-y woods, leather, and clove? If not clove, a similar spice note, and its really warm and lovely. Dry: Spiced (still clove-like) leather with a bit of brown sugar sweetness in the background. Overall: This is a sexy scent, but strikes me as masculine. It wasn't what I expected--i didn't get an aquatic or salty feel, and I like the reality much more than what I imagined in my head. I think I'll have hubby try this one one. Mmmmmm....

Imp: Butterscotch? This is very like Elegba in the imp--that sort of buttered rum scent. Anyone familiar with the rum cakes sold all over the caribbean can imagine this scent. Wet: buttered rum, a hint of something almost fruity and a disturbing twinge of playdoh. Dry: Alas, plastic, playdoh, and buttershots. Buttershots is among my favorite liquors, and I wish it was simply that, but I cannot stomach the weird playdoh plastic.

Imp: All wet rose. A fairly gentle rose, too... Wet: Still gentle rose. Drying: Ah, there's the leather...it starts to come out as this dries. Slightly powdery rose with the barest hint of lightly tanned leather. This remains mostly a gentle rose with only occasional and slight sniffs of leather. Overall: This lasts for 5-6 hrs on me, and I have to applaud the rose's ability to stay rose rather than turning to powder or soap. This is a gentle, pretty rose blend.

Imp: Clove with some resins, a bit of baby powder, and....maybe carnation? I dunno, a hint of some floral, and I'm not good at identifying those.... Wet (10:42): No more floral now, its much more resin...myrrh? There is still a clove scent, but its more in the background here. Frankincense? And something a bit dusty... Drying: I think its frankincense now. Slightly baby powdery (black amber maybe?), very golden, and no detectable spice left. Very golden resin/incense, and with a hint of woods. Overall: I was reminded of the incense wafting at a church, but rather than smoke, it had more of a golden syrup quality to it. If that makes any sense. This is very ritualistic and very golden.

Imp: Very sweet, fruity red lollipop. Wet: Lots of red fruits (lollipop on me), but there is a hint of some of the sugar from midway. Its a very sweet and girly scent. Dry: Thankfully, the lollipop backs off. The fruits are dark and red, and in the background. At the forefront is a dusty caramel scent...with a hint of toffee popcorn. The popcorn is a short-lived phase, though, and the fruit regains some of its previous lollipopish-ness. It lasts for 6-7 hrs, and occasionally I get whiffs of a plastic scent along with the syrupy red cherry lollipop and sugar. Overall: Just wasn't meant to be with my skin chemistry. And if that weren't enough, there's the fact that I'm not a huge cherry fan. I'll be passing this along.

Imp: This smells a little offputting to me. Almost jasmine in quality, and that, to me, is ominous.... Wet: immediately on, this reminds me of something from lush, but i can't put my finger on it, and then it smells different. This has a rooty, fruity (grape?) scent, and yes, a wee bit of cat pee on me....There's also a good amount of the dusty scent I get from DDLM. Dry: This tones down a bit...still jasmine-ish to my nose, but a deeper, earthier, more velvety jasmine, if that makes sense. I think it reminds me of LUSH's fairy jasmine bomb, but its been a while since I've had that so I can't confirm. Its still got a fruitiness to it, as well as the DDLM dust. A few hrs in, and it starts to lose the fruitness and take on an almost rosey scent on topf of the velvety jasmine. Overall: Hubby says vicks vapo-rub/medicinal to start. It does improve, and its a very interesting floral scent, but too close to jasmine for my tastes, so I'm passing this on.

A frimp from the lab--thank you! Imp: Lemony pine. Wet: Mint...or maybe eucalyptous, and citrus, and pine sol. This is much lighter than I expected, and yes, smells a bit like cleaner when wet.... Dry: Oh, never fear, the pine-sol is all gone. This is a really bright, clean citrus woods blend. It reminds me quite a bit of yggdrasil. Overall: I expected this to be in-your-face-evergreen, but its really quite gentle. The pine-sol at the start almost scared me, but it tones down into a fresh, clean, almost aquatic and pale wood scent. Really, REALLY unexpected, very fresh and gentle and lovely. That said, I don't often wear the "clean" scents, so I'm going to pass it along.