Alethia
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Everything posted by Alethia
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Thoughts before testing: pear is one of my favorite notes ever and I’m always on the lookout for a replacement for my long-gone Perilous Parlor. Wet: candied pear that still manages to be juicy. Crossing my fingers that this sticks around. Dry down: the pear is sticking around! It’s just losing some of that candied-ness and becoming deeper and more grownup. Dry: the vanilla finally shows up in a big way and it’s beautiful. The pear and vanilla are the stars here, and it’s reminding me a lot of a more sophisticated Perilous Parlor. Verdict: hoarding!
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Thoughts before testing: this was a frimp in my most recent order and I can’t believe I’ve never tried it before! I love peach and white musk so my hopes are high. Wet: kind of soapy and herbal, not as sweet as I was expecting. Dry down: this almost immediately morphs into this really beautiful soft, sweet peach that isn’t candyish or cloying. The white musk is also pretty present and I think is doing a lot to rein in the peach and keep it soft and pretty. Dry: absolutely love this. It’s soft and sweet without being cloying and the musk/bergamot keep it grounded. Verdict: Full bottle in my next order!
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I am generally ambivalent toward Snake Oil but last year’s Snake In The Carnations absolutely blew my socks off so I’m working to open my SO-scented horizons. This was actually really lovely! The plum is sweet and juicy and really gets a bump from the sweet/spicy/patch of the Snake Oil. I think I’m ok with just my decant but will definitely be on the lookout for more plum!
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Sweet pea is a forever love note for me and the rest of the lineup is also stellar on my skin. Mouse’s LAST is my number one sweet pea but this is a close second! It’s a beautiful sweet floral that’s grounded by the sandalwood and almond milk. It never goes screechy or soapy to me but stays this beautiful soft sweet floral with just a hint of milkiness. Love it but I think Mouse’s LAST wins out overall for me due to its GC nature. Still, if you like sweet pea this is definitely one to try!
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In the bottle this was so bitter I was afraid to spray it. Thankfully it mellows out pretty quickly to a lovely orange smell that’s more orange blossom than juicy orange fruit to me. I actually don’t mind this as it reminds me so much of my dearly beloved and long departed Oceans of Love, Millions of Kisses bath oil. This is a keeper!
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This is definitely pomegranate sweet tarts on me. The first hour was weird: it was heavily indolic like jasmine snuck in. I also think it’s interesting that this is pure candy on me while Pomegranate Pastille (literally pomegranate candy) is just sweet, juicy fruit.
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2024 version Thoughts before testing: I missed out on the original run of this and kicked myself for months after because it should be right up my alley. I love the Lab’s fig note and everything else is a love here too. Wet: the first minute or so is harsh and perfumey, but then immediately mellows out into a really beautiful milky fig with a soft incense on the back end. Dry down: This is pure magic on my skin. It’s soft and milky and sweet and has a really pretty incense tying it all together. It’s definitely not head shop incense, it’s soft and pretty and makes me feel so put together. Dry: If I were going to make a perfume strictly for me, this is what it would smell like. Creamy, sweet, slightly spicy, full bodied. This is an absolute love for me and it lasted for several hours before I had to try and smell it. Verdict: hoarding, definitely getting a back up bottle.
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2024 version I’m with doomsday on this: I get no cookie, no almond, the barest hint of citrus, no sugar. This is 100% rum 100% of the time; I’m so disappointed!
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I’m Snake Oil ambivalent (except for my beloved Snake in the Carnations) but this sounded too good to pass up. It’s strong SO with extra sweetness that my nose reads as almost maple. Nice and definitely worth a try but I’m good with just the decant.
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Thoughts before testing: I don’t think I’ve ever tried a pomegranate perfume before. I’m leery of this turning into a fruity cereal or Sweet Tarts kind of smell, so I’m proceeding with caution. Wet: this smells exactly like a bowl of sugared pomegranate arils. Tart but sweet, realistically fruity without veering into the artificial. This is delicious. Dry down: I thought for sure this would be pure fruity candy but it’s layered and realistic and absolutely lovely. Dry: this lasted forever on my skin and was absolutely terrific the whole way through. I’m so glad it didn’t turn into fruity candy! Verdict: This is bottle-worthy for sure.
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This is a super fun, festive scent. I like aldehydes to begin with and have been jonesing for a clove studded orange BPAL since I first found them. I get mainly the fizzy, bright aldehydes with some orange and a hint of florals. It’s pretty and fun, but my decant will be enough.
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2024 version Thoughts before testing: Snow White is one of my favorite BPALs forever and I’m always on the lookout for a nice, soft, sweet lavender so hopefully this is it! Wet: the lavender is gorgeous here, soft and not herbally sharp at all. The backbone is all almondy Snow White. Dry down: This is terrific and exactly what I was hoping for. I’ve never tried TKO by itself but now I’m thinking I need to. Dry: the lavender hangs around forever but the extreme dry down is pure Snow White. Love love love. Verdict: definitely one bottle and I’ll be trying an imp of TKO as well.
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Beaver Moon: Violet and Vanilla Chiffon
Alethia replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
I think pregnancy is really wrecking my skin chemistry. I get just a little bit of violet on top of what I swear smells just like old school Coppertone sun lotion. Not a bad scent at all, just not the pretty vanilla I was hoping for. I’m definitely hanging onto the bottle and crossing my fingers that my skin goes back to normal after giving birth. -
2024 version Thoughts before testing: I’m a sucker for orange scents but deeply dislike anise. So this should be interesting! Wet: Bright, sweet citrus. Man this is absolutely perfect but I know it won’t last. Dry down: The orange starts to fade a little and is leaving behind a sweet (not herbal) lavender with only the barest hint of anise. I actually really like this at this point. Dry: Several hours in, this is the softest sweetest lavender I’ve ever smelled that lasts right around 4 hours on me. Verdict: I’m thrilled and hope that aging doesn’t bring the anise to the forefront. Definite bottle!
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I’m definitely an outlier here because this smells like Jelly Belly’s buttered popcorn jelly bean from the application until it finally disappears from my skin. I’m pretty baffled and also amused because this is the weirdest perfume I’ve ever smelled on my skin. Definitely not a bottle for me but still glad I got to smell it! Edit: I should mention that I’m pregnant and this could definitely be altering how Ube Suf smells on me (or how I’m perceiving it, unsure). I’ll set the imp aside and check back on it after the babe is here!
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Thoughts before testing: cherries are my one true fruit love to eat, but I’ve never found a cherry perfume that didn’t immediately turn medicinal cough syrup on me. My hopes for this are high though because Dorian Suf from last year was one of my most worn perfumes of 2024. Wet: Mmm! Sweet, real cherries, super juicy and delish. No medicinal hints here but also no pastry. Dry down: Absolute 100% cherry all the time. It’s deeper and a little darker than in the wet stage, maybe from the blackberry? Dry: This is freaking phenomenal. The cherry stays lush and dark and sweet, never medicinal. Final thoughts: I’ve found my cherry perfume true love. This is terrific from the wet stage all the way to the far dry down (this lasts a solid 6 hours before I have to try and smell it). The pastry never shows up but I actually don’t miss it. Verdict: hoarding, at least 1 backup.
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Thoughts before testing: Nine years ago today, I had my first date with my husband. The house I was living in at the time had two giant lilac bushes by the front door. When I opened the door and saw that unbelievably handsome man standing in the golden afternoon sunlight, I immediately fell in love with him. Since then, to me, lilacs smell like falling in love. Bonus points: I was wearing Antique Lace on that date, so the combination of vanilla and lilac made this an absolute no brainer of a purchase. Wet: Beautiful, realistic lilac blooms with just a hint of greenery. It immediately transports me back to July 2015. Dry: This stays pretty much a single note lilac on me all the way into the far dry down (an impressive 6 hours!). I don’t detect any vanilla or benzoin except as a faint hint about 2 hours into it and even then it’s just a suggestion of vanilla. Final thoughts: I wish this was more vanilla heavy, but the scent association alone is enough to keep this bottle. Maybe the vanilla will become a little stronger as it ages? Verdict: Keeping.
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Thoughts before testing: I typically don’t like berry scents but the addition of milk and marshmallow made this impossible to pass up. Wet: Whew, Little Bird was right: the immediate wet stage of this is exactly like the bubblegum flavoring of medicine I remember from childhood. Dry: The medicine smell fades within 30 seconds and I’m left with a super sweet, super pretty strawberry with a good helping of marshmallow. Final thoughts: This smells exactly like sticking your head in a container of strawberry Nesquik while chewing on a marshmallow. I don’t really get any milkiness but surprisingly don’t miss it. This is pretty, even if it’s something I won’t reach for to actually wear. I’ll keep the decant but don’t need a bottle.
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Thoughts before testing: This was almost a blind bottle when the Weenies dropped last fall, but the plastic in the description worried me and I decided it would be prudent to wait for reviews. After reading through this thread though, my hopes are sky high for a new favorite. Wet: Sweet, sweet vanilla amber. This smells good enough to eat. Dry down: For about 5 minutes, there was a weird screechy floral smell that made my nose crinkle up but it disappears and goes back to that beautiful sweet vanilla amber candy. Dry: I can’t detect any candy corn or mellowcreme, but that’s completely ok because this is absolutely gorgeous vanilla amber all the way through into the next day. Final thoughts: This is unreal. I’ve never smelled amber and vanilla like this. Even my husband, who tends to be neutral verging on dislike for most perfume, requests this one by name. Stekk and Antique Lace are the only other perfumes he’ll do that for, so this ghostie baby is in great company. Verdict: Hoarding.
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Thoughts before testing: I am an absolute sucker for BPAL’s carnation. To date, I’ve burned through 2 bottles of the original Hod and one each of Hod Res and the Spanish Carnation single note. I like Snake Oil decently and my hopes are high for this being primarily carnation and spice with some snakey goodness in the back. Wet: strong Snake Oil with a really lovely hit of floral spice. Dry down: the carnation and spice are in equal measure with Snake Oil’s patchouli. This is really doing it for me. I keep getting whiffs of it and going “ooh!” Dry: I’ve never really gotten a lot of vanilla from SO, but after about an hour of wear the patch backs off and the vanilla comes to the forefront and melds really beautifully with the carnation and spice. Final thoughts: this lasted well into the next day on my skin, which is a rarity for me. Out of all the SO variants I’ve tried, this is far and away my favorite. Definitely my favorite of this year’s Lupe’s as well. It’s an immediate bottle, and I’m tempted to get a backup.
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Thoughts before testing: I really, really love buttery, creamy scents and amber. Unfortunately after having my daughter in 2022, my skin throws anything with honey into the next town. So we’ll see how this goes! Wet: Ooh, this is a really pretty and warm floral amber. Sweet but not gourmand. It’s not smoky at all but kind of reminds me of a floral Light of Men’s Lives. Dry down: This definitely honey but it’s not overwhelming on me and the throw is reasonable. I’m thinking the amber is grounding it. This feels like Valentine’s Day to me. Dry: This is so beautiful. I get no butter at any stage but it’s so pretty I don’t even miss it. Final Thoughts: This definitely feels like a Luper instead of a Yule to me. It’s warm and comforting and just pretty. And it lasted forever: a solid 10 hours later I could still smell it. This is my favorite from the 2023 Yules.
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Thoughts before testing: marshmallow is my forever love and I’m hoping this will be a Snow White marshmallow love fest. Wet: A big ol’ blast of pine and Snow White! Dry down: The pine is really taking over and is quite chilled smelling, making it reminiscent of Skadi to me. Dry: This eventually settled into a pretty Snow White with a heavy dose of chilly pine. It’s pretty, but no marshmallow. I’m willing to let it age for a while, but in the meantime I’m officially on the hunt for a marshmallow single note to layer with my 2006 bottle of Snow White.
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This is a Perfume About My Dog Eating Peaches
Alethia replied to Seajewel's topic in Event Exclusive Oils
Thoughts before testing: Peach is one of my forever love notes, best encapsulated in the discontinued Josie (honeyed peaches and magnolia) from The District. Marshmallow, vanilla, and cream are also big winners for me. It's like I wrote out this list note to create my perfect perfume. Wet: This is a dead ringer for the Yankee Candles Peaches and Cream. It's kind of artificial and cloying at the wet stage, despite smelling like something I want to eat out of the bottle. Dry down: The cream and marshmallow come more to the forefront and start to smooth out that artificial peach candle smell. At this stage, it's like taking a homemade marshmallow and drenching it in peach syrup. Dry: After around 2 hours, the vanilla and toasted cream really take over and turn this from "eh" to pure love. It's like homemade canned peaches got wrapped up in a slightly toasted marshmallow and then drenched in vanilla. Verdict: I've been out of Josie for almost a year now and have been looking for a peach to take it's place. This definitely fills the space and surprisingly I prefer this to the honey-overdose that Josie has. The vanilla/cream/marshmallow works better for me than sticky honey, especially given the hot climate I live in. Love this to pieces. -
Thoughts before testing: One of my holy grail scents is Castitas bath oil from the Trading Post. It's notes are listed as rice flower, vanilla, and cream. But it's been out of stock for so long that I started looking for substitutes (and you better believe once it comes back, I'll be buying 5 bottles lol). I figured Lola Lee Loo would be a close contender more smoky and with a little more depth due to the fig, clove, and patch. Fingers crossed! Wet: Wow, this is stunning! It's a heady floral vanilla with just a hint of the clove/patch. The fig bloomed for about thirty seconds before retreating to the background and making the vanilla/rice flower more rounded and not screechy at all. Dry down: As it dries, the clove and patch get screechy for about fifteen minutes; you know, high pitched and nostril-assaulting. I decided to give it another 10 to see if it toned down at all and to my extreme surprise this morphs into a much more smooth vanilla with the edges of smoke and sensuality from the clove/patch combo. Dry: After about four hours on my skin, it's all smooth and creamy golden vanilla with just a hint of smoke and spice with a very light floral tinge. Verdict: My perfume sweet spot is best described as Morocco, all vanillas and spices and cream and sweetness without being foodie. Lola Lee Loo is EXACTLY what I've been looking for in a perfume. I didn't realize I needed a little touch of something smoky and dirty to really bring the spicy creamy sweetness to it's full potential. This is also lasted forever on my skin, taking a full 9 hours before I had to really try and smell it. The throw is low-medium and got me a bunch of compliments at work yesterday. I'm absolutely hoarding this one.
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Eerie billows of spun sugar, fluttering white cotton, and sheets of cream. The first time I tried Boo I wasn't super crazy about it. My nose wasn't fully developed yet and it just fell kind of flat on my skin. But then I tried the 2010 version this summer and finally got it. I was really hoping that Boo would be back as a perfume oil this year. I never thought to even hope for a Boo hair gloss! So naturally I had to order it This stuff is SO GOOD. It's the beautifully simple Boo that I've come to know and love: a cotton-candy type sugar with extra backbone from the cotton and silky cream running all through it. It's slightly foody without being obvious, sweet without being sickeningly so. It smells pretty and I love it so. I put 6 sprays in my waist length, ridiculously thick hair this morning (and they were true sprays/mists and not squirts like in some of my earlier hair gloss bottles) but then wound up having to put my hair up shortly after I got to work. When I got home this evening I took my hair down and was immediately enveloped in this amazing sweet soft cloud of scent and swooned. This might be my favorite of the hair glosses so far actually. It's very simple to wear and just feels like me (as weird as that sounds!). I've also gotten more compliments on this than any other perfume/hair gloss I've ever worn. The first time I wore it, I had no less than 6 different people comment on how nice I smelled. And of course, the gloss itself is sheer perfection. It tames my frizz, smooths everything out, and makes my hair virtually tangle free. tl;dr review: Get this now. It's perfection in a spray bottle.