jewelbug

Bottle: Incredibly grapey topnote, some other things are going on underneath, but the grape is definitely the strongest note here. Wet : This is still strong grape, but I'm getting something a little darker and deeper...plum and myrrh, maybe? Sadly, on my elbow wet, this smells like horse barn. I have very strange body chem, changing on diff parts of my body, so apparently my elbow crook doesn't like the purple phoenix....Luckily this only happens during the wet phase! Dry: The strong sweet grape is recedes a bit to expose some florals...if i had to pinpoint them I'm choose violet and wisteria. Unfortunately, I'm not a huge floral person, and I'm hard to please on grapes (montressor has been the only winey/grapey blend that I've liked so far). I was hoping for more of the cognac/fig/orris/myrrh components. The late dry down is quite winey, but I don't need this when I've got Montressor. Overall: A very pretty blend, and undeniably purple, but this one just isn't for me. I shall have to find it a home! ETA: I tried this again, and that horse barn smell I got before was even more evident this time round, for longer, and regardless of application location. Apparently my skin doesn't like the purple pheonix... Though it still dried down to wine, it just isn't something I'll wear.

Imp: Deep green (herbal/moss/woods) with the autumn leaf and patchouli blend of samhain 05. Wet: Very deep green and clean. This strikes me as a masculine version of Samhain (probably the balsam). I swathed on Samhain 05, too, and its spicier with fruit and that leafy rootbeer smell I associate with it. Samhainophobia is the leafy rootbeer part of samhain...now with added manliness. Dry: The longer into drydown I get, the more like samhain this gets...gradually losing most of the vetiver/balsam combo that I think is so masculine. Its never lost completely, though, it just mellows and settles in. The very slight difference is that Samhain has some sweeter apple where -phobia has masculine clean dark green notes. Overall: This is a lovely blend, much like samhain but with more...penis? I would get this for my hubby, cuz I think it sexy, but he wasn't so keen on it. This has great staying power--10+hrs?

Wet: Super dry floral incense when it goes on, and jasmine-like. Drying: This jasmine-like scent isn't the type of jasmine that is my mortal enemy, but still isn't something I really go for. This smells like dried florals and smoke, not so much on the foody notes. I got rid of my 05 bottle, so I can't directly compare, but it seems pretty much the same as my memories of 05. The later drydown (3 hrs or so in) is a sweet floral and dry woodsy (almost rootbeerish) scent, and smells honeyed with hints of chocolate. This is also like my memory of '05. Overall: It has an end that I find lovely, and a beginning that I could do without, much like last years. Still not for me, but I had to test to find out!

Imp: Rich musky booze. Wet: Dark smoky sweet booze, much more impressive on the skin than in the imp. This is less smokey then DN 05, and more sweet--its almost got a sugar skull cross-pollenation-tinge. Dry: I get a lot more golden type musks from this than from 05. These golden musks make it seem more masculine to me than 05. Overall: I'm really amazed at the difference between this one and 05. 06 is much lighter and sweeter than 05, but it also strikes me as more masculine. 05 has a much more developed "autumn leaves" note, less of the masculine musk, and less of the sugar skull sweetness. DN05 is much deeper, smokier, mysterious. I'm sure aging is part of it, but I still think they'll be diff when 06 is aged. 06 is still wonderful--sweet and musky, but I prefer 05 and luckily I've got two bottles of it.

This is for the '06 version: Imp: Dark, sweet and boozy. Seems less fruity than 05, much more akin to '04, but in between the two. Wet: Sweet dark sugar with booze and the first fires lit in the autumn chimneys! This is basically what I said for my 04 sugar skull review. And since I loved '04 and only have a tiny bit of it, this makes me quite happy. Dry: Yes, this has a darker, huskier, smokier sugar smell than 05...more complex and deep. Its not quite as dark as '04, but its also not aged nearly as much, so I'm holing out hope. Overall: I'm gonna get a bottle of this. I like 05 a lot, and am keeping my bottle, but I also liked 04, and this reminds me of that. I've decided I need them all.

Imp: This is really deep and earthy. I smell sort of spicy resinous dirt and woods. It actually reminds me of Death Cap, but less sharp, less dirt, and rounder. Wet: Yup, death cap without all the dirt—its still dusty, not wet earth. This is round and warm and earthy, but darkly sweet, like polished woods. I can smell light burning incense, and it reminds me of the frankinsense and copal resin I burn at home sometimes. There even seems to be a hint of spice to this. Drying: I really do think that this has an orris/rooty quality about it, which is why it reminds me so much of Death Cap, though its not the same. For one, its got polished dark woods that remind me of red queen...The polished wood smell for about 30 min reminds me of furniture polish, but luckily that fades and it goes back to death cap+polished woods+dry incense. Overall: This has great throw, and lasts for quite a while (8ish hours?). The smell is warm and dry and earthy all at the same time. As I mentioned umpteen times in this review, it really reminds me of Death Cap wtih a few alterations. I like it, but I like Death Cap better, and I've already got a bottle of that courtesy of the lovely minilux, so I don't need a bottle of the abbey...I might keep the imp, though.

That makes sense. The location sorting would've explained that, but I guess so does component issues. Lord knows I'm not trying to have the lab change their ways or speed up just my orders. I was just curious cuz there was so little time between the CnS's of my camp-out-for-the-update-order and a friends wait-until-much-later-that-day-order. Kinda makes it seem like my camping out didn't help my order time, but of course, the campouts are so exciting they're kinda payoff in and of themselves.

Okay, so I've been wondering.... Does the lab process orders in the same order in which they were received? Or do they batch them by location (or some other scheme)? I know they do int'l orders in chunks, that's apparent from the CnS's....but do they do that for orders in the States, too? The reason I ask--I feel like no matter when I order (minutes after an update, or many hours later at night), I always get my CnS about a week after the notices start for that order date. Or am I just impatient and crazy? (<--this is entirely likely!)

I don't recall how green it is (its been a while), but I remember machu picchu (Sweet tropical fruits burst through deep, wet rainforest boughs, enormous steamy blossoms, over thin mountaintop breezes, mingled with the soft, rich golden scent of Peruvian amber) being a wonderful example of a wet floral.

Imp: Lots of tart apples. I'm guessing that its really cranberry + apple, but I can't seperate the cranberries, so the result is apples that smell juicy but pleasantly tart. Wet: Same as in imp, but with the barest hint of spice. Dry: The cranberry becomes its own note, and this as a very juicy pure fruity cran-apple. As pretty and yummy as it is, it kinda makes me think of craft store apples and apple candy (apple jolly ranchers, to be exact). The cranberries don't stick around for long, melding back to the apple to make it tart, and the spices stay very faint. About 3 hrs in it takes on a more "perfumey" note with the apples, not sure what it is. It does take the craft store vision away, though. Overall: The apple in this is similar to the apples in Hesperides or Harvest Moon 05, in fact, I'd say that Punkie Night is like an extraction of the apples from HM 05 without all the other notes. Its a very pure apple fruity scent, I get very little spice or cranberry. I don't think its something that I'll wear since it conjurs thoughts of candies and craft stores. Sadly, my favorite apple yet is Hesperides, and I can't find a bottle that smells like my imp (batch variations strike again!). I shall continue the quest for my perfect apple scent....

Imp: Strong buttered rum, very like elegba or grog. Wet: Strong coconut rum and butterscotch. I don't smell any apple, but this smells like a drink I make called "alotta fagina" Which is coconut rum, buttershots, baileys and a dash of goldschlager... Drying: Hubby says this smells like a nutty pecan baking smell. He and I have very different noses--I think it smells really buttery and is verging on the plastic/synthetic smell I often get from caramel, rum and coconut blends (red lantern did the same, as did elegba and grog). Dry: Yup, plastic. Overall: This is what I was expected, so I can't say its a surprise, or too terribly disappointing. I love the concept, but not the reality on my skin. I think this has got to be an amazing foody scent on people with better chemistry than I, so more for you. This lasted for 4-5 hrs at least, but then I went to bed. So I"m sure it lasted longer, I just don't remember it.

I've never smelled Beyond Paradise, so this is just a shot in the dark based on the notes....but have you tried Black Moon (Beth's)? The notes are "motia attar, black orchid, mugwort, English pear, cucumber, blue lotus, jonquil, massoia, calamus and crystal musk." Its clearly not the same, but motia attar is a jasmine scent, and that with all the other exotic flowers and fruits might be up the right alley. Its a very sweet and feminine spring floral on me (usually jasmine is horrid on my skin chem, but this one is beautiful).

Carfax Abbey really reminds me of Death Cap, especially in the later drydown. Did anyone else get this?

Unquenchable desire, seething lust, malevolent sexuality, and voracious hunger lurking beneath a shimmering veil of unearthly beauty: gleaming skin musk, honey and white amber, plum blossom, osmanthus, sandalwood, calla lily, and a light, sensual blend of Eastern spices. Imp: Light florals (lily and osmanthus would be my guess), with a honey-like sweetness. I don't really smell any spice or sandalwood. Wet: Definitely honey. Honey with sweet green and white florals--I'm guessing mostly lily. Drying: Less honey now, a lot of sweet, white florals. This is pretty and not at all overpowering. There is a bit more of the skin musk now, too, adding a bit more of a bold edge. But mostly lillies and honey.... Dry: Sweet white florals and honey, but at about 2 hrs I started to smell a burning plastic smell--no idea which note is doing that, though. My typical culprits are butter/sugar/coconut, but this doesn't have any of those listed. Maybe its the eastern spices? Snake Oil did something similar on me, and I think its got eastern spices. By about 4 hours the synthetic is gone, and this is mostly honey, with faint florals in the back. Pure and sweet and pretty. Overall: I'd classify this as a beautiful sweet and light floral/honey blend, and it lasts 7ish hrs, with the end being all honey. This is more pure and delicate than I'd expect of Dracula's brides, though. I'd hoped to get more sandalwood and spice, so this isn't really for me (especially with the plastic phase). But this is very feminine and delicate, so if you like those, give it a try!

Imp: A very sweet woodsy blend with slight leather. Sexy as hell is a good way to describe it…. Wet on Him and Her: Sweet leather and sexy woodsiness Drying: It goes more towards leather on him, lighter and sweeter on me, with an almost fruity twinge. If I had to guess I'd say the wood in this is cedar. Or some relative… Dry, On Me: Woodsy with sweet light leather, but even though its sweeter on me than on hubby, it’s a bit too masculine for me. Dry, On Him: This ends as gritty leather, cedar and musk. Its really sexy, and….ooooh, Mr. Krampus, I"ve been very naughy, I'm sure I deserve to be punished… Overall: This lasts a good hefty amount of time, as one would expect from such strong notes. I might get him a bottle of this, cuz its so insanely hot on him. But its not for me. Actually, I kinda think that Trick #1 is a fruited, sweetened version of Krampus, perfect for me, while Krampus is perfect for the menfolk. And by perfect I mean "fuck-me-now-delicious."

Imp: Creamy sweet evergreen notes. There is a citrus quality to this (makes me think of grapefruit). Wet: The grapefruit-like smell is really strong when this hits my skin, and this smells like cold sugared grapefruits with soft ruddy orris underneath. This is really gentle and delicate. Dry: The grapefruit is gone. Now it’s a mix of unidentifiable slushy notes (not minty or eucalyptus to my nose), with some sharper ozone/bitter violet, and some warm orris. It is delicate, sweet and cool. Like a chilly ozone aquatic that still manages to be warm. Later into the dry down, the slushy/ozone/aquatics lessen (seems the ice is melting), and the orris comes out more. By 7 hours, it’s an orris/amber blend, very sweet, and almost vanillic at times (actually, this late it brought to mind a skin scent of Dorian). Overall: I’m quite amazed at what good throw this had for a light delicate blend. It was a skin scent by the end, but until then I was getting gorgeous wafts of it. And this lasts well over 8 hrs, which is amazing for a light scent on my skin. I’ve tried most of the cold Yule scents this year (except Yule and Knecht Ruprecht, and I’ll be trying KR soon). Of the ones I have tried, this and SnowFlakes are my faves. SnowFlakes I like because it is minty Snow White, but this has something special, unique, and it’s just so beautiful. I don’t even like violet, but I’m quite taken with this. ETA: Its more than 12 hrs later and I can still smell this. So, yes, its a delicate scent, but its certainly got some staying power. And I know I'd said that the ice had melted, but its ba---aaack....

I also prefer Pumpkin Queen to Jack, so I vote for that one!

Imp: Citrus based aquatic with a bit of mint, not at all rubbery or burny like I expected. Wet: This is a very clean and fresh scent. One of the notes in here (mint?) makes my wrist feel chill and tingly on application, which is fun. I get a bit of vetiver, but its not at all overpowering, and the result is a clean, cold, ozoney citrus aquatic. (hehe, can I fit any more adjectives in that sentence?!) Dry: Cold but smooth minty aquatic. This is really fresh and quite pretty. This is a gender-neutral scent, but because I don't wear this genre of scent, I'm inclined to think of it as more masculine. I applied this on the top and the bottom of my wrist. On the top, it remains the cool aquatic, on the bottom it gets a darker aspect after about 30 minutes on--something deeper like hints of smoke and vetiver. Regardless of this deeper scent, the over impression is that of a clean cool aquatic. Overall: I think cold/fresh/aquatic lovers have a special treat in black ice. The mint with the aquatic is a very cool combo. I'm glad I got to sniff it, its quite pretty and sophistocated, but this just isn't the type of scent I keep in my personal repertoire. I think a clean cut man would be delish in this! This lasts about 6 hrs on me. ETA: This would be a great scent for when you need to beat the heat in the summer!

Imp: Dirt, Eucalyptus-based slush notes, a hint of citrus and a resinous cake smell. I didn't know what to expect with this list of notes, and with good reason--this is very unique. Wet: Immediate on, this is really fumy! There is a scent sort of like buttery myrrh (pastries?), and over that there are sharp eucalyptus slushy dirt notes. This has a cleaning agent smell to it. But not pine, like everyone else says (not on me, anyway). Drying: Brown sugar? Or Maple Syrup? I think closer to maple syrup, with spicy myrrh. But that is the undernote, and over that is a bed of medicinal herbs, dirt and all. Dry: This is a really interesting take on Yule/Christmas scents. I can finally smell the pine that everyone was talking about, pine and spicy maple syrup/myrrh with earthy herbal scents. It smells of Christmas trees, baking pies and the cough drop your little brother is sucking--the complete picture. Overall: This is very complex, definitely a "mishmash" as promised. I personally think this is a really interesting scent, and paints a really good picture of the holidays. Its just not something I would wear, and hubby wasn't a fan, anyway, so no bottle for me. Lasts 6ish hrs.

Imp: Everygreeny slush notes and sweet fruity berries. Wet: The slushy evergreen notes are less on my skin than in the imp, though they are still the dominant note. The berries add sweetness, and the florals start to come out. I think this has eucalyptus or mint in it, cuz my wrist feels tingly, but I can't smell them in the mix (well, maybe a touch of eucalyptus, actually). Its odd, but I'd call this both warm and cold. The berry/floral seems warm to me, but then it is slushy/evergreeny. A really fun combo, and one that reflects the story in the description perfectly Dry: The florals come out more when it dries, but they don't overpower the slushy notes or the berries. This is really gentle, like one would expect of a maiden. There are gentle warm, slightly creamy florals, a sweetness (from the berry, I think, but the berries aren't identifiable anymore), and a subtle pretty slush note (some combo of pale citrus, evergreen and eucalyptus?). Overall: Snow Maiden is subtle, gentle, sophisticated and quixotically cool and warm. This is a skin scent, since the throw is small. On me, it only lasts 2-3 hrs, but they are lovely hours. I don't think I will get a bottle of this, simply becuase I can't reapply that often, but I'm truly glad I tried it.

Imp: A lemony lavender tea scent. Reminds me of Zephyr. Wet: Super strong lemon verbena and a bit of tea. This is a very clean herbal. Pretty and gender neutral. Drying: Lemony tea , but now I get light wafts of sandalwood. Dry: The lemon verbena backs off, and I’m left with an iris/sandalwood/tea (hints of lemon, still, though). The iris here feels more like orris to me--it has got that earthy slightly creamy orris scent I love so well. The blend is a bit powdry, but still herbal and fresh. It lasts 3-4 hrs on me. Overall: This is effervescent and clean and beautiful. I just don't need another light herbal tea scent. I find that even though I like them, I rarely wear the ones I have. It didn’t work on hubby: The Man Test: Him Wet: sharp lavendar clean tea smell,immediately on, then a tea blend with lots of lemon verbena. Him Dry: powder and tea. This went to powder within 5-10 mins on him and stayed there. Pity. ADDED 9/11/08: Imp: "Clean" mixed with super citrus-y tea (like a kicked up earl grey) Wet: Lots of verbena, initially, very lemony. There's a powdery quality underneath of that, but hard to pick out anything under the lemon right now. Seems unisex, though I can definitely picture this on some preppy boy. Dry: Lemon falls off and is either gone or so distant in the background that I can't pick it out. The tea (tea usually soaks up early on my chemistry) fades completely relatively early on (hour or so). What I'm left with is a predominantly iris scent, though it smells much more of the orris root than th iris flower to my nose. Maybe that's the sandalwood taking it a little more to the woody/earthy/rooty side of things. This lasts ~7 hrs on my skin, and the orris/iris phase reminds me a lot of those notes in florence. Overall: A lovely gentle scent, quite unisex to my nose. Starts with a lemony zing, ends in a respectable iris/orris/sandalwood combo--a little powdery, but not unpleasant. Pretty, but not something that hubby or I would wear with any regularity.

I was in a decant circle for last years Lick It, but unfortunately it was a swaplift, not a circle. So I was really happy to see Lick It Again hit the streets this year.... Bottle: Lightly caramelized sugar and mint. Wet (12:51): Super Minty (mintiest bpal I've had) and sweet. But this sugar seems darker than what I'd expect of candycanes, so much so that I almost think of chocolate--like girlscout thin mint cookies! Drying: Just so intensely minty! If I get too close to sniff, I can feel the chill in the back of my throat. Its divine. Dry: Still minty, though the chill in my throat doesn't happen now that its dry. Its mint, and sugary dark vanilla. When hubby smelled it he said "mint chocolate chip pie." So at least I'm not the only one thinking chocolate and dark confections. Later, this goes inot a carmalized sugar vanilla scent (def not chocolat) with light mint, and then after 4 hrs it is wisps of faint minted vanilla sugar. Overall: On my wrists, this goes synthetic sugar. But on the rest of me it’s a divine vanilla mint sugar, and darker sugar than expected. LIA is really different from any other bpal I've tried, and its FUN. Not a normal Julie scent, but definitely something for when I'm feeling playful. I think I might wear it tomorrow when we put up the Christmas tree. And I'm thinking that a foot lotion scented with this would be super (for personal use of course)!

I've tried Sol Invictus twice so far, and I've had two very different results... Imp: Grassy orange. Sharper than I expected, more "perfumey." Wet: Very sharp and herbal notes with hints of biter citrus and something sweeter/almost creamy. But there is still an overriding sharp/green/perfumey smell. The impression is a sharp green and orange smell. Now, here is where my two different trials diverge: Try #1, Dry: Sol Invictus remains a sharp, almost bitter perfumey scent with wafts of green and orange for about 1-2 hrs, then starts to settle into a sweeter amber with orange and creamy compliments. I like the drydown, but the sharp first few hours aren't my thing. Lasted 4-5 hrs, which is relatively short compared to other blends I wear. Try #2, Dry: Sweet orangey amber for about 10 minutes and then completely gone. Overall: This is a very sophisticated scent, and I really like the late drydown when it stuck around. I can't explain why my first try with this disappeared so completely, but on Try #2, the wet phase was much closer to the late drydown of the other try, which I liked better. At any rate, it seems to be really unpredictable on my skin chemistry! Its a very pretty dard gold scent, and seems related to jacob's ladder to me (sol is more herbal and orange and sweet/less powdery/less throw). I would recommend trying SolI if Jacob's amber was too much for you. My personal preference lies towards Jacob.

Imp: Really masculine woodsy/cologne. I'm hesitant to try this on me, but I know it'd be sexy on a man. Wet: The top-note here is citrus/grassy (moss?), under that is woods, and even deeper under that is a musty/dusty scent. Drying: I hate to say it, but while this is drying, this reminds me of the bleach wipes I use in my kitchen (neroli?). So together, what I smell is best described as bleach wipes, men's cologne and mustiness. It's actually a fitting combination of scents for the asylum life of the character, but I'm not particularly fond of it. Late Dry: The bleach wipe smell goes away about 1-1:30 hrs in. After that, it's an earthy, sweet, woodsy smell, and I'd classify it as gender neutral. I was hoping to be able to pick out cumin, but I can't. Actually, it is quite reminiscent of Greed, which I guess isn't a huge surprise as they share some notes. This is still going 9 hrs later--faded to a sexy woodsy smell, and still shares qualities with Greed. Overall: I think it fitting that this reminds me of Greed, reflecting Renfield's ravenous obsession. Its like Greed plus must, which seems a perfect portrait, kudos to Beth. I quite enjoy the later dry phase of this. But my skin chemistry did something all sorts of wonky in the beginning. I tried this on hubby, but its not his usual speed. So while it was fun to try and imagine the stories, this one I’m content just keeping an imp of for when I want to venture into the asylum.

Imp: This is punch-you-in-the-nose-nutmeg. I absolutely adore the smell of nutmeg--I'm the type that grates half of an entire nutmeg nut into a 4 oz glass of egg nog. This is most promising! Wet : Still nutmeg, but there is a rose smell to it, I guess rosewood can smell like rose florals? There is also an herbal smell. It actually smells like sweet woodruff to me, but I am guessing it’s the artemesia. Drying: Whoa, that rose smell is taking over, and my beloved nutmeg is gone… No worries, 10 mins later, and the balance is better. Its still rosey, but I can smell the spices and woodsier notes. Its like "beautiful woman with a quick tongue" smell to me. Sexy and powerful. It reminds me of something I've smelled before…maybe baghdad? Its been a long time since I tried that, but…maybe that's what it is? Dry: A velvety, spicy rose blend, and the rosewood really smells good to me (i typically don't do rose). I smell the nutmeg (though not nearly as strong as in the imp), with a bit of clove and warm resins/woods. It’s a lovely blend. Overall: This is a sexy mysterious woman's power blend, a beautiful dark spiced rose. I love the scent, but its not in the genre of scents I typically wear. I think I'll have to test drive this decant a few more times before deciding on a bottle.